I’m not a Regressor

Chapter 214: Snake’s Head (7)

“…”

Ohjin gazed at the shrinking fissure.

It was him or Isabella…

Only one of them could escape.

‘Whoever is left behind will…’

He bit his lip and slashed the many attacking tentacles with his spear.

Slash!—

Yellow pus gushed out and splattered, giving off a pungent smell and melting into the ground.

“Kruuuu! Kerrrr!”

Ohjin tightened his grip on his spear as he watched the demonic beast mother gradually closing the distance.

‘Will I be able to kill it?’

Wouldn’t they stand a chance of defeating that absurd demonic beast with his and Isabella’s combined might?

“No…” He gritted his teeth and shook his head.

Perhaps it would be possible if they were both in peak condition, but they had just finished an exhausting, hours-long fight.

‘Even if it weren’t for that, it wouldn’t be easy.’

Vega had stated that she felt the energy of a Star Spirit.

Considering how outrageously strong Riak was, it was ridiculous to think of facing a demonic beast containing a portion of a celestial’s spirit.

‘In that case…’

Ohjin looked back at Isabella.

She was ferociously swinging her blood scythe and preventing the tentacles from going for him.

‘If one person has to remain…’

Should it be him or Isabella?

“…”

He didn’t have to think for long.

Though he had a celestial of a North Star on his side, Ohjin was still merely an 8-Star Awakener. Isabella, on the other hand, was strong enough to rank high even among the 10-Star Awakeners.

Wasn’t it obvious who would have a higher chance of ‘survival’?

The moment the relentless tentacles stopped for a moment, Isabella approached him and pulled his arm. “Huff, huff. What are you waiting for? Please hurry into the fissure!”

“Hm?” She frowned when she noticed the fissure seemed to have shrunk to less than half the size it was when she first saw it.

What Vega had said moments ago resurfaced in her head.

“Ohjin… don’t tell me…”

Isabella was easily able to understand why the fissure suddenly halved in size and why Ohjin was hesitant to enter.

“…”

“…”

Their gazes met in mid-air.

“I’m sorry, Isabella.” Ohjin bit his lip and lowered his head. It was the last thing he wanted to say, and he knew that it was something he shouldn’t. “Please… remain here.”

If one of them had to stay behind, it had to be…

“Ah,” Isabella exclaimed with a slightly shocked look on her face.

Ohjin urgently continued. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to come back and rescue you.”

There wasn’t only one fissure that led to the Demon Realm. It wouldn’t be that difficult for an Awakener with transcendent powers on the level of Isabella to escape from that demonic beast and hide.

If she could just buy him some time, he could gather strength and return.

“I’ve met Deneb’s apostles before.”

They weren’t on good terms, but if Vega lowered her head to Deneb, he would help out in the end, even if mocked her a bit.

Ohjin recalled the suffocating pressure he’d felt from Allen Oscal when he first met him.

Someone who was ranked high even within the Seven Stars like him would be able to face that Star Spirit.

“…I see.” Isabella looked at Ohjin with sad eyes, but a faint smile soon crept onto her face. “Yes. If one of us has to remain, it should be me.”

She knew that fact better than he did.

She was much stronger than he was at the moment, and it only made sense for the one with a higher chance of survival to stay behind.

“…I’m sorry.” Ohjin clenched his fists and dropped his head.

Isabella patted his back in a consoling manner. “It’s fine. I understand.”

He could feel her gentle touch.

“You… have Ha-eun.”

“…” Ohjin’s expression stiffened.

Finding it humorous, Isabella giggled. “Didn’t you do this because you’re worried about her being left all alone?”

“That’s…”

“Fufu. I already know that she’s the most precious thing in the world to you… at the moment.”

“I’ll… make sure to come save you.” All that left his mouth were baseless promises.

Isabella gave him an affectionate look. A part of her mind felt reassured by his guilty look because it meant that she was at least important enough to him to make him feel that amount of guilt.

‘That’s a relief.’

Isabella put her hand on her chest and smiled.

Rumble!—

She felt the ground tremble and saw the demonic beast mother approaching.

* * *

* * *

Isabella looked up at the disgusting demonic beast and chewed her lip.

‘Will I be able to escape?’

As per his wishes, would she be able to survive alone against such a beast?

‘…I don’t think it’ll be easy.’

She had already used a fair amount of her strength in the previous battle. It would be a different scenario if she were in perfect condition, but the chances of her not being able to escape in her condition were still high, still…

“Well, it won’t be that hard for me to escape alone.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. In fact, you’d only be holding me back by staying here,” Isabella said in a cold voice.

Swoosh!—

At that moment, the tentacles resumed their attack.

“Ugh!”

Bzzzzt!—

Ohjin raised his spear and fended off the attacks.

Was it trying to get revenge for its dead baby? It felt like the demonic beast was persistently targeting Ohjin.

‘I won’t be able to act as bait like Ohjin did earlier.’

Isabella put her scythe’s blade close to her wrist before cutting it open and pouring blood like a fountain.

“Fuu.” Exhaling a deep breath, Isabella violently started a storm of blood around herself.

“Is-Isabella?”

“I’ll protect you up to the fissure.”

Slash! Slash!—

The storm of blood around her violently tore apart the tentacles attacking Ohjin.

She grabbed him as he was giving her a worried look and rushed to the fissure that had halved in size.

As she led him, he said, “Isabella, I can’t do this…” like he couldn’t handle it anymore.

“Fufu. Did you know that…” Isabella looked at the way he was acting with a bright smile. “If you’d said that you would stay behind, I would’ve forcefully sent you with an ‘order’.”

“…”

“Don’t worry. Even if facing that Star Spirit is too much for me, it won't be that hard to run away.” She spoke to Ohjin like she was trying to persuade him as they arrived in front of the fissure.

The closer they got to the fissure, the bigger the fear she was trying to ignore grew.

‘Perhaps…’

—Fear of being unable to see him again.

—Fear that it could potentially be their last meeting.

Those heavy shackles held her back.

‘It’s okay.’

Even if she couldn’t see him again…

Even if she couldn’t meet him again…

If she could use her life to save his…

If she could protect the beautiful and precious new hope that she held within her heart…

—That amount of fear amounted to nothing.

“Kruuuu! Kuu!”

Boom! Rumble! Bang!—

The ground trembled again as if an earthquake were happening.

The demonic beast mother that was a considerable distance away at first had used its cockroach-like legs to appear in front of them before they knew it.

Isabella stood with her back facing the fissure.

“Hurry up and go. There’s no time.”

The storm of blood around her was gradually getting weaker.

“…” Ohjin narrowed his eyes and silently looked at the black fissure that had shrunk to 50 cm in size.

After alternating between looking at the black fissure and Isabella’s back, he slightly nodded his head.

“Alright. This distance should be enough.”

“Ohjin! What are you doing? Hurry up and go!”

When Isabella looked back in distress—

“Uub?!”

—Ohjin quickly pulled her hip in and met her lips with his.

Isabella’s eyes widened, and her body stiffened from the sudden kiss that she couldn’t have imagined.

“Hyup.” Confirming that the strength had left her body, he strongly pulled her in and threw her into the fissure.

“Oh-Ohjin! What are you—?!”

Isabella disappeared into the black fissure, which then completely vanished.

“Man, what a tiring lady.” Ohjin smirked and turned away from the closed fissure.

‘I’ll have to apologize to Ha-eun later.’

He touched his lips, still carrying a lingering feeling of that soft sensation.

Ohjin was definitely in the wrong for kissing Isabella while having a lover, but he believed it was the best method of forcing her into the fissure without giving her the chance to use an ‘order’.

‘I’ll probably get an earful once I make it back.’

He smirked and raised his head.

“Kruuu!”

“I really can’t get used to how fucking disgusting you look.”

The demonic beast mother let out a bizarre cry and smiled from ear to ear.

The yellow pus in its mouth poured over his head like a waterfall.

“Fuck, you can’t be serious.” Ohjin swore and created distance with Lightning Steps, but some of it hit him directly due to its wide range.

“Ugh!”

Sizzle!—

Three barriers appeared in front of him and melted in an instant, and the orange bracelet around his wrist lost its light and snapped.

“Damn it.” Ohjin looked at the bracelet he cherished on the ground and frowned.

“Kuu! Keruuu!” Believing that its prey was completely cornered, a strange laugh came out of the beast’s torn mouth.

Ohjin looked at the demonic beast and thought for a moment…

Who had to remain, him or Isabella? Which of them had a higher chance of ‘survival’ in that place?

“I don’t need to think hard.”

Using common sense, didn’t he obviously have a higher chance of making it out?

“Keruuu! Keruu!”

“Don’t you think so as well?”

He slowly raised his hand over his chest and recited a chant in a low voice.

“Through me, you pass into the garden of lament.”

Black clouds exploded into the sky.