1.
Once upon a time, there lived a young man in Neon City.
"The heavens!!!"
Even in Neon City's utterly fucked-up environment, the young man lived a decent... no, somehow he kept trying to make a living, anyway.
But he was so weak that he wished to become stronger.
And at that moment, huh? Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction, answered the young man's desperate wish!
"Fuck."
The only problem was that Nanook's hand was covered in thick hair, like a monkey's.
Nanook smashed Adrian's head with that hand~
"Fuuuuuck...."
An empty wail echoed through Scrap Mountain.
The boring, pretentious training process can be skipped for now.
Describing it in detail would just waste pages.
In front of me stood a bizarre man split black and white like half-and-half fried chicken.
He wore a cloth around his waist like a Greek statue.
Even his face was wrapped in a black-and-white cloth.
In his hand was a greatsword filled with spotless white light.
His name was Zephiro.
Apparently, he was Asat's swordsmanship teacher and also his coworker....
I have no idea what kind of company employs those two as staff.
Using monsters as employees?
The more I thought about it, the more painfully aware I became of how much of a loser I was.
"......"
"Ow, my back...."
Getting kicked by Asat and sliced by Zephiro was just part of daily life now.
For the past six days, I had been taking intensive lessons from Asat, learning hand-to-hand combat and techniques.
I had also roughly learned the secret art of [Ether Editing], probability manipulation, and thanks to my special trait, I picked it up at a speed that would make even geniuses jealous.
I thought I had gotten pretty strong....
But I hadn't.
Meeting Zephiro made me realize it.
I had only evolved from a rabbit that could kick into a rabbit that could also punch.
"......"
Ugh, scary.
Whenever I tried to lie down and rest for a bit, he would just stare at me in silence.
He was different from the man in front of me and from Asat.
If you asked how he was different?
It was obvious enough that he wanted to kill me?
He didn't show emotion, so I couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking, but the greatsword he swung so casually was strong enough to cut off all my limbs.
Not literally, of course. It left shallow cracks, like being sliced cleanly by paper.
The first time we met and he taught me, I honestly thought I was going to die.
And the restrictions Zephiro imposed—no, the black-and-white half-and-half chicken imposed—were beyond imagination.
He didn't use any power.
No Path, no special ability.
He fought me using only an ordinary human body.
Even so, I couldn't reach him.
The depth of strength he carried was different.
If Asat felt like he was looking down at me from the sky and laughing, this man felt like someone staring at me from some impossibly distant place so high up I couldn't even measure it.
I couldn't understand how someone like that had personally come all the way here to teach me.
It felt like watching someone educate an ant they could crush with one finger.
"......Teacher, what part should I fix?"
Still, whenever I asked, Zephiro would carefully adjust my posture and teach me.
When we first met, he said my grip strength was terrible, so I had to hold the sword with both hands all day and swing it with stones tied to it.
Any other conversation was strictly forbidden.
The one time I cracked a joke, I nearly screamed when red lines appeared all over my body.
When I thought about how my body had been cut with shallow cracks all day until I looked like paper being sliced by a box cutter....
I asked Zephiro, who stood there silently with his greatsword, a serious question.
"You actually want to kill me, don't you?"
"......"
"There is no other reason you'd treat a person like paper and cut me up like this!!!"
"......"
"Don't just stare at me, answer me!!! Sensei!!!"
The fact that he wanted to kill me showed in his actions.
And yet he didn't kill me.
That was the information I had gathered from observing Zephiro over the past five days.
He wanted to destroy me, but something was holding him back.
"......"
And then came silence.
I wasn't expecting an answer anyway.
The moment I turned around to get some water, he spoke.
"You walk the Path of Ascension bestowed by the God of Destruction."
I had to stop in my tracks.
A voice without any rise or fall.
"He says you reject the future that has already been decided."
Words I couldn't understand.
Was the God of Destruction referring to Nanook?
"Your existence ■■ this world."
Again, the last part was filtered out and I couldn't hear it.
Why did the status window have so many secrets?
When I turned my head, I couldn't see his face, but I could still sense Zephiro looking at me.
"Fine. Let's do this."
"......"
Zephiro remained silent again.
Honestly, Destruction? Elation?
I didn't care about that stuff.
What mattered was protecting what I had in my hands.
I was suffering through all this so I wouldn't lose the pleasure and the things I was holding onto.
This job had been forced on me by Aha, sure.
But the two teachers I met thanks to the red thread were insanely strict.
Even Asat, who only seemed to grin and laugh.
Even Zephiro, who just stared at me with that silent "......".
If I didn't meet their expectations, it felt like they'd kill me on the spot.
Without my special trait, I would have definitely died.
For the crime of failing to meet those teachers' expectations.
If I hadn't been pretending to be a genius, I'd have been turned into a three-minute Adrian meal right away.
I would have become Adrian stew and entered the next loop without a doubt.
At least it was a relief that I managed to get everything I could out of it.
Probability manipulation.
The foundation of acrobatics.
And a solid base in swordsmanship.
In this life-or-death gamble, Asat gave me everything because, apparently, he took a liking to me.
Fail, and I die. Succeed, and Adrian Mk. 2!
Adrian normalization, courtesy of the great Asat!
After thinking those stupid thoughts and looking up at the sky, I brushed off my butt and stood.
"......Please give me one last move."
Today was the eleventh day since training began.
The final day of this grueling hell.
It had been way too long since I last saw our adorable Silver Wolf.
That was all thanks to Asat, who kept blocking me and saying it was a waste of time even to go see her for a moment.
I had been pushed to the brink, unable to recharge my Silver Wolf energy, and forced to keep training.
This was the final spar.
Time to show Neon City that I was no longer a scrub.
"......"
"You really won't say a word until the end? That makes me, your prized student, a little hurt."
Zephiro and I faced each other and widened the distance between us.
Zephiro had always been like this.
He yielded the initiative and never swung his sword more than necessary.
Even his casual swings touched the boundary between death and emptiness.
So I couldn't reach Zephiro.
Which meant that now, I had to pour everything out and prove my potential.
Adrian super-awakened mode, ON.
"I'm coming."
After that short declaration, I lowered my body.
What I had learned from Asat was how to control the Path.
To be precise, it was how to control water without letting the cup overflow.
[Acrobatics] — Sky Leap
As I took my stance, I put strength into my legs.
The pain that always came with it wasn't there.
"Why do you have to shout the skill name?"
"Yeah, it feels like it only works if I yell it every time...."
"The reason is simpler than you think. Aha likes it."
"......?"
"Think of manga or anime. It'll make it easier."
I broke through at a single point.
Using the leap power of Sky Leap.
With the tip of my sword, I cut through the wind and completed a sharp thrust.
Kakakak!
I heard the sound of blades grinding.
Zephiro casually swung his greatsword and knocked my thrust aside.
Movements close to divine.
The most beautiful swordsmanship I had ever seen.
Zephiro, who had yielded the initiative, moved.
The greatsword filled with white light rose straight up.
"Huuuuup!!!"
Time split apart and slowed into a single instant.
I tightened my abs, raised my sword, and met him head-on.
I had to deflect it. If I kept colliding head-on, I'd cough up blood and collapse, so I angled my sword to let the attack slide off, then swung back.
Some technique to confuse the opponent's eyes?
I didn't need that crap.
Zephiro would just follow everything anyway.
The only thing I could do was face him directly.
Only pure technique, the barest fragment of skill.
Once again, I swung my sword and cut toward his side.
Inside the space I had cut open, not even the edge of his clothes could be touched. A battle of wits repeated over and over. Before Zephiro could swing his sword, I let mine go.
Jab.
Thwack!
The light punch I sent out with just the strength of my arm landed on Zephiro for the first time.
The first hit I had ever managed to land on the Zephiro I never imagined would let go of his sword.
One of the traps Asat had told me about for dealing with Zephiro.
"That guy's surprisingly rigid."
"If you set a trap and wait, he'll walk right into it, then smash his way out with brute force."
I had aimed for his jaw, but he didn't even flinch.
It felt like those unseen eyes were staring straight at me.
Huh, I'm screwed.
Now he's probably going to start beating me up with his fists too?
[Acrobatics] — Sky Slash
Snatching back the sword I had thrown, I swung it.
The slash ignored distance and flew in a circle.
My first attack skill!
At last, I, Adrian, had escaped the one-trick-jump pony life!!!
But the slash that flew out with such inflated dreams was shattered to pieces by the fist Zephiro casually extended.
"Was that supposed to imitate me?"
"......"
Zephiro copied my technique with a single click.
That is so fucking unfair.
I made that while getting beaten like a dog by Asat.
And yet, there was still a real, real difference.
The me before training and the me now.
The power boost from my genius-pretender special trait was so strong it might as well have been the difference between heaven and earth.
Control over force and restraint.
Basic hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship.
I had to show Sensei Zephiro, who had taught me so much, that I had changed.
"Just one hit!!!"
"......".
I throw the dice.
The die unfolds in my hand and falls.
I watched the die roll and roll.
Just a little.
Just a little more.
The result—
[7] [Destruction]
The result appeared as if it had been waiting for me.
A clear intention is poured onto the Path.
What is Destruction?
I know it well.
Death, and at its core, being forgotten by the world.
Not even a memory remains, so no one remembers your existence, and you are completely erased upon death.
That is what I think Destruction is.
I pour that thought onto the Path and spread it across my sword. The drawn blade split the world apart, and fragments flew like shattered glass.
Zephiro's movement changed.
And he met me head-on.
There was no time to rest.
I squeezed every thought I had left into the fight.
I continued the battle of wits against Zephiro, who could only keep up.
Again and again, I swung my sword.
And when necessary, I used my hands and feet.
I fought to prove my worth.
"Hraaaah!!!"
This was also a repayment.
Whether he saw me as a bug, a person, or a pet, Zephiro and Asat had still made time to teach me.
If this teaching could help me protect what I had.
Then pouring everything out was only natural.
For the sake of surviving.
Even when my arms and legs twisted and I coughed up a mouthful of blood, I didn't stop.
I couldn't read his thoughts.
I couldn't see his expression.
Was my movement satisfying Sensei Zephiro?
I didn't know.
I didn't know the answer.
He just silently swung his sword without saying a word.
The scrap piled up around us split apart, and dust flew everywhere.
Even through the swirling dust, the white light Zephiro carried remained clear.
"......You're really fucking strong."
"......"
After dozens of exchanges, I still couldn't reach him.
I fought with every ounce of brainpower I had.
And still, I couldn't even brush his collar.
"Haa...."
Exhaling, I thought to myself.
There wasn't much time left now.
The right thing to do was to spar with Zephiro to the end and then leave.
I still had plenty to do with the remaining time limit.
But....
If I left it like this, I'd be pissed.
I was grateful, sure, I was grateful.
But fuck, I got beaten like a dog in the hottest days of summer for eleven straight days.
Wasn't it only fair that I at least leave one wound?
Yeah, now was the time to use it properly.
Something I could call my trump card.
"I still have one shot left."
"......"
Let's see if he can stay silent after this too.
I shoved too much strength into my legs without thinking about what came after.
Zephiro waited for me, as if telling me to come at him if I dared.
Uncontrolled power packed itself tight like a spring, ready to launch.
At the same time, what I did was...
The sensation of twisting the world.
Wak!
Blood burst from my nose like a fountain.
Fresh blood streamed from the corner of my mouth.
A cost beyond imagination.
It was stabbing through my body and turning me into a wreck.
"Uweh, gweh, graaah—!"
I vomited blood.
I retched as if water were pouring out of me.
With a shout, I ran across the world.
This wasn't about creating an ordinary result.
It was about fixing in place a mass of calamity that could crush the world, a disaster capable of destroying an entire galaxy.
My body wouldn't listen.
My vision blurred.
The hand gripping my sword started to ache.
But still.
Still.
Being the only one getting hit was fucking unfair—!
[Causal Manipulation]———
A single gust of wind brushed past.
An ordinary person might have thought it was just a light breeze.
Tung
The light sound of a line being snapped.
The sound of a boundary collapsing.
The song of a stringed instrument.
The sound of human speech.
What I saw as I stood still was....
For the first time, Zephiro moved first.
I stood in place, gripping my sword with both hands and staring straight at Zephiro.
Zephiro charged at me using only an ordinary human body.
.
.
.
.
.
.
———Result fixed.
I will, reach Zephiro.
There was no dramatic visual effect.
Crack!
Only the result remained.
——————!!!!!!
Zephiro, who had been charging forward, stopped.
For the first time, he turned to look at me.
Even without seeing his expression, I could tell he was stunned.
Just moments ago, he had thrown away his ordinary human body and even used his true power in order to respond.
"I won...."
I couldn't finish the sentence and collapsed right there.
I couldn't even turn my head to check, but as I fell, I saw it.
In my fading vision, I saw the small wound on Zephiro, glowing faintly like a cut in paper.
=======
『Ending ■? - A Cost Too Great to Bear』
You could not accurately imagine the price you would have to pay.
Every miracle comes with a cost.
To make the impossible possible requires a price far greater than you can imagine.
Unfortunately.
This time, someone else paid that price.
<■■>
■ ■■■■ ■■■■■: ■
◆ Earned title: none ■
♥ Current ■■■ 포■트: +■■■Pt
■ Quest ■■■■: 0■
■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■ ■■■■.
You were lucky.
========
A chilling sensation, as if my whole body were being crushed.
The emptiness that now felt as comfortable as home.
"Ah, fuck, dying just because I made one wound is a bit...."
As I scratched my head and thought that.
I realized something was wrong.
My thoughts continued.
The creepy sensation of death faded.
The thought that should have ended in a single instant did not break off.
At the River of Oblivion, on the banks of the black, filthy water,
what I saw when I put a hand on the ground and stood up was...
The entire world had been dyed black and white, and a giant black hole was swallowing everything.
A world without color.
A fragmented space divided into black and white.
Could this be the true form of death?
Was I always regressing here?
Huh, that's terrifying.
My hands and feet trembled with fear.
"Hello—? Moshi moshi—? Anyone there—?"
My voice echoed back and forth.
The way it bounced around in the void felt strangely uncanny.
After a little time passed, and just as I was starting to think I should find a way out... when the danger finally hit me.
In front of the black hole.
In this colorless world, there stood a single woman who alone possessed color.
Is there another regressor besides me!?
Or is that a fresh corpse who just died?
I was flustered, but I wanted to talk, so I reached out my hand.
Perhaps sensing my presence, the woman turned her head and looked at me.
Her right arm, all the way to the forearm, was dyed a vivid red. On that blood-red arm, a flower bloomed in a dark crimson, as if it had grown by feeding on blood.
A Japanese-style sword at her waist.
What looked at me from the depths of that faraway void was...
Eyes rimmed red like tears of blood—
And red pupils.
Immediately after, I awoke from death.
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