The Regressor's Resolve

Chapter 96

I had hoped.

That Tirpe would escape safely through the portal with the child.

And just in time, the portal appeared right beside her.

If she had stepped through, she could have returned to Earth.

But Tirpe passed it by.

She ran toward me instead.

『"Revert (⅔)" is activating.』

Even as she restored her left leg—still in poor physical condition—she pushed forward.

"Ghhhk!"

She threw herself at me desperately.

Why isn't she leaving?

I couldn't understand. She had been so fixated on survival, so desperate to reunite with her family—it made her actions even more incomprehensible. I didn't know how to process her throwing herself at me like this.

But soon, I realized.

A massive shadow loomed over me, darkening the space above.

『Dim-Witted Pot-Bellied Clown』

[Strength: B+]

A colossal fist descended, poised to crush me.

[Agility: F+]

But its speed wasn't overwhelming. That split-second delay allowed Tirpe, who had reacted first, to barely get ahead of it.

CRACK—

By a hair's breadth, Tirpe scooped me up and bent her knees, narrowly escaping the fist's range.

KWA-BOOOOOM!

The altar where we had stood trembled violently under the sheer physical force of the blow.

Amid the violently whipping winds, Tirpe pivoted, still clutching me to her side, and dashed toward the Obelisk of Origin, where a swirling vortex of light had formed.

[Kkkkkkkk?]

A frivolous laugh cut through the chaos.

[Ah, it seems we have exceptionally talented individuals here! I am a clown who leaves no loose ends!]

The repulsive Pierrot blocked our path to the portal.

With my current state and Pierrot's [D+] Agility, slipping past him was impossible.

The logical choice was to abandon me as a decoy and flee.

[You'll have to die here!]

But Tirpe only held me tighter, refusing to give up.

She glared at Pierrot, grinding her lower teeth so hard her lips split.

Beads of blood welled up—then darkened.

『"Punish" is activating.』

The flowing blood carried the power of Punish.

The rivulets of blood trailing down her chin twisted into the shape of a distorted cross, writhing like living tattoos.

At the same time, she absorbed the lingering blood particles of the Unfunny Clown from the air.

But Tirpe didn't stop there. She flicked her own blood—the same blood she had used to staunch her thigh wound—onto the Pot-Bellied Clown.

『Tirpe activates the Heroic-grade skill: "Blood Vengeance."』

And then—

『Rare-grade skill: "Thorns Bite Into the Weight of Sin" is activating.』

『Rare-grade skill: "Shadow Bondage Sealed in Blood" is activating.』

『Heroic-grade skill: "Sworn Enemies Under the Same Sky" is activating.』

『Rare-grade ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠skill: "Enemies at the One-Legged Tree" is activating.』

[!]

[!]

SZZZT!

A cross-shaped brand seared into the clowns' chests. Simultaneously, black vine-like tattoos burrowed into Tirpe's lower jaw.

"You were far too careless before a black mage."

[!]

GOOOO—

The concept of Punish radiating from Tirpe seeped into her skills. Each one brimmed with overwhelming hostility toward Pierrot.

Every skill Tirpe wielded wasPunish.

"Your strength has blinded you."

The signature of a black mage—a curse—had been realized.

Spells of this nature, once their conditions were met, surpassed even most divine mysteries in potency.

And this one, infused with the concept of Punish, was even more formidable.

SPLASH!

From the shadows, rose vines surged forth like waves.

Black thorns coiled around the clowns' limbs. They tried to tear through the vines with their overwhelming strength—

But Tirpe's curse had transcended mere physical force. It was now a concept that couldn't be broken by brute power alone.

The clowns should never have allowed the conditions to be fulfilled in the first place.

Yet, a spell powerful enough to instantly close the gap between them and Tirpe couldn't exist without cost. The caster herself had to bear the burden of such a curse.

And so—

SHWIIICK!

Tirpe's lower body became entangled in the same vines as theirs.

A bondage where any harm inflicted upon the bound clowns would rebound upon her—worse.

And Tirpe... hesitated not even a second in invoking it.

Then, the backlash of the reckless curse crashed down upon her.

Ghk...

Her entire body, drained of color, turned deathly pale as cold sweat poured down.

Yet Tirpe raised her trembling hand all the way to her shoulder.

To lift me with that hand.

『"Revert ⅔" is activated.』

Her power surged into my chest.

The Clown thrashed violently against the vines binding its limbs.

The heart clutched in its grip was fading.

[KYYYYAAAAAAHHH!! CAN'T YOU JUST STOP?! THIS CIRCUIT IS A MYSTIC ART THAT COULD GET US OUT OF THE OUTER DIMENSION...!!]

But without hesitation, the heart vanished from the Clown's grasp.

The pulse returned to my chest.

Ghk...

Meanwhile, Tirpe—who had just given my heart back—grew even paler. Her face, now indistinguishable from a corpse's, vomited blood in a violent gush.

Even so, she forced a smile and didn't stop.

"You—"

A hollow word escaped me, but Tirpe's Whisper Transmission cut it off.

<...I was glad... to have met you.>

"!"

<Thank you... for always letting me... undo the mistakes I almost made.>

Tirpe's lips, mid-sentence, clenched tight in pain.

The Circuit of the Outer Dimension in her heart overheated, spewing light.

『"Portal to Earth" is sustained a little longer by the injection of "Noble Record."』

In the depths of Tirpe's pupils, a cross—half pure white, half pitch black—rose into view.

<...It was only when I saw your sword just now... that I managed to regain my senses. And I realized... You're someone who must not die here. Your miracles... should happen not for me, but for others.>

Hearing those words made my teeth grind.

"Stop talking nonsense...! What the hell do I—what am I even...!"

But Tirpe didn't listen. She grabbed my wrist and flung me aside.

Kuhak!?

My body soared past the portal's boundary. The light filling the portal coiled around me, dragging me somewhere—anywhere—away.

As I was pulled in, Tirpe turned to look at me one last time.

<...Thank you. For teaching me... that I could love.>

As if hiding her face from me, Tirpe turned her back. From beneath her long, ashen hair, a pair of wings unfurled like light itself. The wings of a Fallen Angel, carrying chaos indistinguishable between radiance and darkness.

With those wings shielding herself, she faced forward.

Her snow-white back, exposed through the part in her hair, bore the mark of a cross—its stigma burning crimson like a wildfire.

I couldn't bear to watch. Gnashing my teeth, I screamed.

"Why?! Why are you doing this?! You—you're not alone! You're not the only one left! So why...?!"

The words Why are you doing something this stupid? clogged in my throat, drowned in blood.

<Because this is my calling... the one that dragged you here.>

For a moment, I couldn't hold back the surge of emotions.

"...Don't... spout bullshit!! Why do you have to sacrifice yourself here?! Haven't you already given enough...?!"

I froze mid-sentence.

Because Tirpe had glanced back at me—just for an instant.

Her face, devoid of strength.

And yet, as she looked at me, blood rose to her cheeks.

<Because seeing you die... hurts me more than dying myself.>

After witnessing that with my own eyes, my vision burned.

So the words that followed could only reach me in a daze.

<...And this is more familiar to me anyway. So it's fine.>

Behind Tirpe, who smiled with such difficulty, a hazy cross materialized.

『Rare-grade skill "The Sinner Shoulders the Cross of Original Sin" is activated.』

<Worry about others... not me.>

The moment those words left her lips—

『Tirpe's remaining lifespan: 2 minutes, 37 seconds.』

—the cross, greedily drinking her blood, grew larger. Tirpe didn't turn to face me again.

All she showed me was her back—bearing that cross alone.

And then, something floated before my eyes.

『The Bride Who Offers Sacrifice』

"................"

Tirpe lowered her head.

<Meeting you... let me dream a happy dream.>

For the first time, tears spilled from my eyes as I reached out. Desperate to pull Tirpe back, I stretched my hand through the light. I don't remember what I screamed—only that I screamed without stopping.

But she only grew farther away.

The figure of Tirpe vanished through the narrowing gap of light. In that final sliver, I thought I saw her crimson cross-shaped irises gaze at me one last time.

<Goodbye... you who once showed me a dream.>

The light pulled me away.

#

The Obelisk's radiance pierced through the skies of the Outer Dimension without stopping, vanishing into the far distance.

Park Si-hyun had returned to Earth. Tirpe, who had remained behind to watch until the very end, wore a faint smile.

Even after Park Si-hyun disappeared, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the spot where he had stood.

Then, she felt the stirring in her womb—something she had momentarily forgotten.

She placed a reassuring hand over it.

[The fetus trembles in fear.]

"..."

The belated regret of a mother washed over her.

But she didn't forget.

She had received from him a happiness she would have never known in her lifetime.

She had glimpsed a hope that should never have been permitted.

So it wasn't right for someone so radiant to die because of her.

If that was the case, then she would simply endure the remaining pain with the memories they had shared.

This was the only end that suited her—her final atonement.

The only thing that weighed on her was dragging the child into it as well.

[The fetus understands its mother's resolve and prepares for the end.]

Yet even in this moment, the child still thought of its mother.

[Kkkkkkkkkk—AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!]

The Clown, having lost Park Si-hyun's heart, broke free from its restraints and raged.

[Do you even realize what you've done!? A miracle—you call this a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠miracle!? A worthless insect like you, daring to create such an unprecedented miracle—!!]

Tirpe, her head still bowed, muttered under her breath.

"...Shut up."

The Clown's hysterical outburst faltered under Tirpe's overwhelming presence.

"...Don't you dare call my man an insect, you piece of trash!! Compared to him, you're the ones who are nothing but vermin!"

With her scream, the bloody cross faded. From the depths of Tirpe's dark blue pupils, a cross-shaped light ignited.

Crackle—!

A sinister halo of an Angel flared to life in response to her gaze.

The Fallen Angel's halo, rotating counter to the celestial bodies, began scattering chaotic radiance.

Whoosh—!

Shadows bloomed from her fingertips, winding up her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wrists before hardening into pitch-black gauntlets.

Metallic ornaments gleaming like starlight adorned her body.

And finally—

Zzzzzzzzzt—!

A spear wreathed in chaotic lightning materialized in her grip.

The Fallen Angel, clad in the Outer Dimension's brightest Record, lifted her head.

Her pupils, dilated with killing intent, blazed with an eerie aura like ghostly flames.

[It was a foolish choice.]

She tightened her grip on the spear, pouring all her strength into it. A meaningless struggle—yet Tirpe knew this.

[Why?]

Pierrot asked, but Tirpe did not answer.

"..."

She merely lowered her gaze.

The thought that this was the end frightened her.

Even the hand gripping the spear began to tremble faintly.

But it lasted only a moment.

Every time she had faced death before, she had frozen in terror.

Back then, she had trembled and wept endlessly.

But not now.

Just the thought of Park Si-hyun steadied her heart.

And when the warmth in her womb joined that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠resolve, strength returned to her heavy-lidded eyes.

Mother...

She gripped the spear.

And spoke the words she had never been able to say.

...Mother, I'm not afraid anymore.

Because I've finally found the meaning of my life.

Thanks to him, I no longer wander like before.

So it's alright.

I'm not the same person I used to be.

Everyone has their final moment, and for me, this is just like anyone else's.

I only just met him, that's all.

So please, don't grieve too much.

I won't be able to see you anymore, but...

Because of the one I sent back, you'll be able to see a brighter future.

So please, don't cry.

Even if I were to return to this place a hundred times... I would still make this choice.

Even if I die, I would still wish for his happiness.

Because I love him that much.

It's just...

With a powerful beat of her wings, the air itself inverted. She shot into the sky before diving back toward the ground at blinding speed.

...I wanted you to name this child.

A wish that would never come true now. Burying him in her heart, Tirpe poured every last ounce of her strength into the spear.

A blinding light exploded across her vision—

"—!!"

With a battle cry, Tirpe's figure clashed against the Clowns—and then vanished.