The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 260

Like discarding a piece of trash, Aria grabbed Jake by the collar and casually tossed him with one hand.

Boom!

Aria had seemingly done it so lightly, yet Jake’s body slammed hard into the ground, leaving everyone in the back garden in stunned silence.

On the eve of what should have been a happy pre-engagement party, the groom-to-be had been hurled to the floor by his own sister.

Unable to utter a word, everyone just watched, and at that moment, Aria spoke, her voice indifferent. “Get up.”

There was no response.

“Can't you hear me?”

“...”

“Hmm.”

Gazing down at the still Jake, who seemed unconscious, Aria, without hesitation, nudged him with her foot and lifted him slightly into the air.

Whoosh!

Catching Jake's body which shot up into the air, Aria grabbed him by the collar and gently placed him down on the ground.

“I think you have something to say to me,” Aria said, her expression calm like nothing had happened.

“...I'm sorry,” Jake finally responded, his voice quiet and his eyes lowered.

He knew his sister had been expecting their sparring session, but he simply couldn’t meet her expectations anymore. Just as how he had avoided facing Se-Hoon, Jake didn’t dare to look her in the eye, just quietly apologizing.

Unimpressed, Aria sighed.

“Is that so?”

Boom!

Slamming Jake into the ground once more, Aria dragged him up by the neck once more.

“Anything else?”

And just like before, Jake’s answer remained the same.

“I'm sorry.”

Boom!

Like a cycle, Aria repeatedly slammed Jake’s body into the floor after a question, each time more brutal than the last, while the guests in the banquet hall looked on in bewilderment.

“What the hell are you doing?!” a booming voice suddenly yelled, interrupting the unending cycle.

Storming over from one side of the room, a blonde man—Lloyd Myers, the family's eldest son—glared at the two, his face twisted in fury

“Do you think this is your playground? Stop this right now, or I’ll—”

“Lloyd.”

Aria’s quiet voice cut through his, making him pause. Then, Aria turned her gaze his way, locking eyes with him.

“This is not the time for you to interfere.”

A pebble on the road—her expression was devoid of any emotions, completely uninterested.

Lloyd flinched. He couldn't believe his sister, who was ten years his junior, was intimidating him in front of all these esteemed guests. He clenched his fists tight.

Feeling his fury growing at the humiliation, Lloyd charged at her.

Crack-

However, Aria just nonchalantly swung her hand like swatting a fly.

Boom!

Feeling her hand crashing into his ribs, Lloyd flew across the room, crashing into a table. Shocked, the guests were left gasping at the impact's sheer force as they all turned their heads in the direction he had been hurled.

“Huh?”

And to their surprise, one figure in that direction was utterly calm despite all of the chaos, just casually munching on snacks as he observed.

Noticing the surprised gazes aimed at him, Se-Hoon glanced between them and the unconscious Lloyd.

“Oh, he's not dead.”

However, that indifferent remark failed to dispel the confusion of those around him.

Meanwhile, Aria’s attention had turned back to Jake.

“You know it’s also your fault Lloyd ended up like that, right?”

It was obviously unreasonable, but Jake didn’t protest, just lowering his head and quietly answering, “I'm sorry...”

His response had not changed, not even once, causing Aria to narrow her eyes slightly.

But at that moment, Raphael, who had been silently watching the entire time, finally stepped in.

“It’s all my fault. If I hadn't accepted the engagement, all of this wouldn’t have happened. So please, forgive Jake.”

Glancing at the pleading Raphael, who had tears welling in her eyes, Aria sighed deeply after a moment.

“To think I’d have to witness such a farce.... I'm sick of this.”

Unable to bear it any longer, Aria’s voice was weary. Facing Jake again, she stared at him, her expression cold.

“No matter what I ask, your answer will always be ‘I’m sorry,’ won’t it? Because you actually think it’s all your fault.”

“...”

“Then I won’t ask anymore. And instead...”

Trailing off, Aria pulled out a green sword from her void pocket—the same sword Jake had been swinging for the past few days.

And at the sight of it, Jake’s eyes finally wavered for the first time.

“I’ll dispose of this here. Because you’re not worthy of it.”

Lightly tossing the green sword into the air, Aria drew her slender rapier. Readying her stance, the rapier began to glow within an overwhelming golden sword aura that seemed powerful enough to shatter the incomplete green sword with ease.

I...

Jake instinctively moved to stop her, but Raphael grabbed his arm. And in that moment, Jake was unable to shake off the grip he normally could have easily done, recalling the words he heard earlier.

“Do you really think that no one has had the same thoughts as you before?”

“Everyone ultimately gave up and accepted it. They did it for the family and to protect those under its care.”

“Are you going to destroy the hope built on countless sacrifices? Just because of your selfishness?”

“You should think carefully about this. What is the right thing to do?”

Was it really right to let his selfishness outweigh the sacrifices of everyone else? Jake had asked himself that countless times, yet he still couldn’t find an answer. He wasn’t as strong as his sister and didn’t possess as much talent as Se-Hoon. So, what could someone like him do?

Whoosh-

Watching the green sword descend and Aria’s blade moving to shatter it, Jake, in that slow-moving world, fixed his eyes on his incomplete sword.

I should just let go.

He had been given so much—a peaceful era, innate talent, and even a miraculous opportunity—and yet he hadn’t even managed to complete his own sword. What was there to hesitate over?

Surrendering to his fate, Jake closed his eyes, feeling his fear dissipating.

Whoosh-

A breeze brushed past his hair's tips.

Clang!!

Hearing the sharp metallic sound echoing throughout the banquet hall and feeling the sensation traveling up from his palm, Jake’s eyes shot open in shock.

Crack-

He found himself crossing swords with his sister, having shaken himself free of Raphael’s grip.

Seeing Jake in utter disbelief, Aria, in her usual indifferent tone, said, “You can lie to your consciousness but not to your body.”

“...”

“This is your last chance. Got anything to say?”

His body had chosen to resist, defying his mind, which had been read to embrace surrender. Smirking bitterly, Jake looked down at the sword in his hand and then at the startled Raphael on the ground.

And finally, he looked at Aria.

“Stay out of my life.”

For the first time, Jake openly declared his hostility toward his sister.

Boom!!

Sent flying by Aria’s strike, which hit his palm with such force that Jake felt like it would tear apart, Jake’s vision spun. However, he managed to land, albeit barely, collapsing in a heap on the mansion’s third-floor hallway.

Barely catching his breath, Jake looked ahead at the gaping hole in the wall, which he had crashed through, and Aria, stepping through it calmly.

Damn...!

Without much time to think, Jake rushed forward, swinging his weapon with all his might.

Clang!

Diverting Aria’s thin rapier, which narrowly missed his throat, Jake swiftly countered as Aria tried to reclose the distance.

Myers Style Bullet Sword Technique: Azure Gale

Clang! Clang!

Scattering from Jake’s sword, compressed bits of green sword aura bombarded the area, like shotgun blasts. Trying to overwhelm the opponent in a single burst, Jake aimed to create distance and mitigate the gap in physical prowess.

Yet, to his dismay, Aria didn’t retreat a single step. She parried every attack, advancing effortlessly until she closed the distance and thrust forward with precision. Learning first-hand that the overwhelming skill difference couldn’t be bridged with half-hearted techniques, Jake’s eyes widened in fear.

Now...!

But braving his fear, Jake threw himself toward the expected path of her strike.

Clang!

Having managed to take an opportunity, Jake’s fist, wrapped in an azure-colored aura, struck the side of Aria's rapier, pushing it aside. And then, in that brief moment of distraction, Jake swiftly closed the distance.

“?!”

Caught off guard, Aria swung her fist instinctively, but Jake countered with equal speed.

Smack!

Deflecting her punch with his elbow, Jake’s fist grazed past the side of her head. Pressing the assault, he closed the gap, using his entire body to force her into tighter quarters, preventing her from creating space to use her rapier.

I can do this...!

The two darted down the hallway, their movements a blur, leaving deep marks on the walls and floors with their attacks. The sound of their strikes continuously rang out, like thunder resounding throughout the mansion.

But while Aria’s hand-to-hand combat was meant only to complement her swordsmanship, Jake’s Myers-style Pseudo Sword Aura Technique wasn’t.

Swish!

Aside from Jake slicing down with the edge of his hand in precision, Aria also noticed that each time Jake’s fist grazed past her, it shot piercing mana forward. His punches, wrapped in compressed mana, packed a devastating force. It was a technique born out of the necessity to fight without a sword—once marking him as the black sheep of the family—and now, thanks to Gilbert's swordsmanship, it had fully matured.

So that first move was to disarm me.

With the distance closed, Aria had less room to swing her rapier, putting her at a disadvantage. On the other hand, close-quarters combat was Jake’s strength, making him all the more dangerous.

Realizing Jake had managed to skillfully close the gap, reducing the vast difference in their abilities., Aria’s lips curved into a slight smile for the very first time.

“This is getting fun.”

“Don’t smile at me like that.”

Boom!

Their relentless clash shook the mansion, causing the building to tremble as if an earthquake had struck. Thankfully, the protective magic surrounding the estate dissipated the force of their blows, but the destruction was still apparent, startling everyone in the banquet hall.

“What in the world...?”

“Utter monsters...”

Completely awed, the guests shivered as they witnessed the raw power and talent of the Myers family’s two young geniuses.

Just then, the fight inside the mansion took a new turn.

Whack!

Grabbing Aria’s wrist just as she attempted to swing her rapier, Jake threw a punch—only for Aria’s other hand to effortlessly catch it. Seeing that, Jake tried to kick her, but Aria beat him to it, stomping on his foot to hold him in place.

Thud!

“Huff... Huff...”

“Hmm...”

For a brief moment, their furious exchange came to a halt as the siblings stared at each other, arms intertwined.

However, from how Jake’s chest heaved with exhaustion while Aria hadn’t even broken a sweat, it was clear which of them had the upper hand. Still, considering the vast difference in their strength, the fact Jake had kept up this long was impressive in and of itself.

“I didn’t plan on our spar being like this, but... you deserve praise. You almost fought me to a standstill.”

Aria had only stopped because Jake’s stamina had run out, not because she intended to hold back. Otherwise, the fight would have continued.

“But this isn’t what I want to see,” she added, her eyes still unsatisfied despite her smile.

Barely managing to catch his breath, Jake asked, “Then... what is it you want...?”

Why was she pushing him so far? What was she hoping to see?

“The sword inside you,” Aria declared, her voice calm and steady.

“Huh...?” @@novelbin@@

“You better be able to manifest it soon. Time’s running out...”

They both let go. But before Jake could react, Aria spun in midair and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick.

Boom!

Sent flying through a window, Jake crashed into the garden, tumbling across the ground. However, Jake quickly regained his balance, getting back on his feet.

“I’m back here again...?”

He found himself in the front yard garden, bathed in moonlight—where he had spent the past few days training nonstop.

Taking the time to catch his breath, Jake watched as Aria landed softly a short distance away.

“Let’s end this here.”

Woong-

Golden sword aura surged from her rapier, forming a radiant, shimmering blade. The blade of aura, so perfectly formed, seemed like a sword in and of itself.

Is she actually going to finish me for real...?

Jake instinctively knew. If he engaged her right now, he would be gravely injured. Tightening his grasp on the sword, he braced himself.

Crack-

A foreboding sound echoed from his weapon as soon as he poured his mana into it. Previously, he would have panicked at the noise, but now he understood exactly what was happening.

The sword has already reached its limit.

His sword was still incomplete, even further weakened by the numerous modifications he had made to refine his swordsmanship. And now, after their previous clash, it was inevitable that it wouldn’t hold much longer.

How have I not completed the sword yet...?

For the longest time, Jake believed that his lack of skill in swordsmanship was why his blade remained unfinished. However, he had since realized that wasn’t the case.

His swordsmanship was complete. And if Se-Hoon was right, his sword should have been finished by now. So why hadn’t it changed?

Whoosh!-

Drawing in the wind, the green-tinted blade, infused with his mana, caused the garden to sway gently under the night sky. Following suit, remnants of Gilbert's swordsmanship swirled through the air, and as Jake followed the familiar traces, something caught his attention.

Woong!

Gazing at the massive flow of sword aura radiating from Aria, which disrupted the winds around her, Jake watched the wind twist and change course around her—even though her sword was already perfectly imbued with her mana.

How is she...

Aria’s sword aura was devouring the remnants of Gilbert’s swordsmanship left in the garden, forcing the wind swirling with them to dance to her golden blade’s will.

Where is her sword aura coming from?

If Gilbert’s sword aura was drawn from the remnants of his teachings in the garden, where was Aria’s sword aura coming from? Trying to trace the source, Jake’s gaze landed on the rapier pointed at him.

Woong!

The golden blade shimmered with immense power, casting a golden trail through the night. To Jake’s eyes, her sword, which had been perfected long ago, seemed to be reshaping the world around it with its radiant sword aura.

Watching in awe, Jake recalled the words Aria had spoken earlier.

“Manifest the sword inside me...”

The first time Jake awakened his aptitude for mana, he had envisioned a perfect sword in his mind. As a child, he longed to show that flawless sword to the world but struggled to manifest it. So instead, he had deconstructed that ideal sword into fragments, and those fragments had gone on to become his swordsmanship.

If my swordsmanship is just incomplete pieces... then how do I finish it?

What could he do to make it whole? Following the swirling wind and the remnants of Gilbert’s sword aura with his eyes, he was suddenly struck by a realization.

He tightened his grip on the sword.

Crack!

Responding to his will, the winds gathered wildly around him, compressing into the green blade.

Snap!

Immediately, the sword's blade shattered, unable to withstand the power. Yet, even though the blade broke apart, the swirling wind didn’t dissipate. Instead, it continued to spiral around the fragments.

He had reached it—if his swordsmanship had been incomplete all this time, then all he had to do was compress all those fragments into a single blade!

Whooosh!

The fragments merged with the wind to form a new sword, its blade glowing a deep teal under the night sky.

Staring at the newly forged sword shimmering like stars, Aria’s eyes widened in surprise, and she soon smiled.

“I can finally witness your true sword...”

Locking eyes, the two siblings gripped their swords tightly. And as the moonlight disappeared behind the clouds—

Soul Sword Manifestation

Golden and teal blades cut through the darkness.

Boom!

Colliding, the two swords created a shockwave that swept across the garden, shattering every window of the mansion instantly and violently rocking all of the parked cars of the guests, filling the air with blaring alarms.

Then, when the clouds passed, the moonlight revealed Aria standing in the ruined garden.

Brushing back her disheveled hair, Aria glanced around.

“This is a mess...”

The protective magic had broken, leaving the garden in total disarray. Trees were uprooted everywhere, and the traces of Gilbert’s swordsmanship had been completely wiped away.

Surveying the destruction, she then turned her gaze toward Jake, who lay unconscious on the ground. His body had been completely drained of mana and strength, having pushed himself to the limit.

And next to him, his newly forged teal blade stood upright, glowing softly in the night.

“Hmm...”

Staring at the sword, Aria lifted her rapier, which had now broken in two.

“...Looks like I’ll need a new one too.”

Snap!

She smiled wryly, looking at the broken sword in her hand.