The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

I'm Not Saving the World (1)

Julien’s appearance was unlike that of the Adversary everyone knew.

The previous Adversary had been a figure shrouded in darkness.

From his eyes, only a red glow had seeped out, while everything else remained swallowed in shadow.

But Julien was different.

His black hair and dark eyes, along with the pair of black wings unfurled behind him, were the only proof that he was the new Adversary.

The black aura cloaking his body wavered ominously. It was a harbinger of calamity, yet at the same time held an eerie beauty.

Now, Julien’s appearance was ominous, uneasy, gloomy, and mournful—yet so enchanting and mesmerizing that one couldn’t look away.

But the energy he emitted was no different from that of the previous Adversary.

The crushing pressure that seemed to bear down on the world, the suffocating sense of absolute presence—it all radiated from him.

“……”

The world Julien beheld was no longer the one he had known.

A world stained red, with a sky and earth twisted and decayed.

It looked like a living hellscape.

Every living creature in his field of vision was unbearably repulsive. The aura they gave off felt like poison, contaminating the world.

Endless murderous intent surged from within.

It felt like the world could only be cleansed if he killed every living thing that breathed.

— Kill them… Kill them all…

— And thus, with the children of God, a new world…

— Obey my will… Burn it all down…

Each time the voice echoed, a flood of emotions poured in.

Anger and ecstasy, sorrow and fear—indescribable emotions tangled together.

But in the end, only one remained.

Hatred for all life.

This was the Lingering Thought of the Demon God.

The Demon God’s lingering thought sought endlessly to destroy and recreate the world in its own image.

Ssssss…

Julien slowly began to be consumed by the energy he had accepted.

The Lingering Thought of the Demon God was gradually, yet surely, devouring his soul.

The black energy seeped into his heart, erasing the traces of the human named Julien.

He was now becoming the incarnation of destruction, reborn in the present world as the Demon King.

But then—

Crack!

Julien clenched his teeth.

He resisted the voice echoing in his mind.

He resisted the ever-swelling hatred and bloodlust.

The more he resisted, the more the energy clashed within, ripping through his insides only to regenerate again.

His body broke down and rebuilt itself repeatedly, while his mind wandered through endless torment.

— Accept it…

— Only then can you be reborn as a complete being…

— That is the only way to lessen the pain…

The darkness engulfing his body and mind tempted Julien without end.

But Julien resisted.

Through tears of blood, he sought the light.

A faint beam glowing amidst the crimson-stained world.

“...Deneb.”

He would save her and escape this place.

Before he was completely consumed by this darkness.

That was the last reason he still endured as a human.

Boom!

His step made the earth tremble.

Julien, stepping forward, swung his sword.

Shlak!

The space distorted with the darkness.

The dragon that had been closing in, trying to turn Julien into a mindless shell, blinked in confusion.

And moments later—

Swish...

Its neck, in human form, was silently severed.

Scarlet blood scattered like flowers in the air as its head fell to the ground.

Thunk!

Everyone present was in utter shock at the appearance of the new Adversary.

The one who had stood there, dumbfounded by the overwhelming shock, died with his head lopped off.

Having confirmed the dragon’s death, Julien’s black wings slowly spread wide.

“Adversary!”

Arterion roared as he returned to his true form.

“You’ve finally accepted the Lingering Thought of the Demon God!”

Kwooooooooh!

Blinding light exploded from his body.

A massive dragon form covered in white scales surged upward, unleashing a froststorm from his maw that seemed to rip the sky apart.

At the same time, the other dragons snapped back to their senses and simultaneously spewed their breath toward Julien.

KWAHHHHHHHHHHH!

A roar like the world collapsing rang out.

But before their attacks could reach him, Julien’s body had already transformed into a streak of darkness.

A darkness faster than light tore through the sky in a straight line.

He had only one goal.

‘Deneb.’

But someone blocked his path.

Arterion had already descended to the ground and let out a thunderous roar.

“You will never reach the Saintess!”

KWAHHHHHHHHH!

Dozens of magic circles overlapped and struck Julien.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

With each explosion, shards of darkness scattered in every direction.

Julien, expressionless, didn’t stop for even a second.

On the contrary, he unfurled his wings and soared upward into the sky.

The only thought in his mind was to rescue Deneb and escape this place.

But in the meantime, the dragons swarmed in and unleashed another barrage of magic.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Seven dragons, now going all out, blocked his path.

Julien could no longer pass through. He had no choice but to fight.

Crack-crack-crack!

Every time Julien moved, the surrounding darkness surged violently.

He was in agony, as if his entire body was being slashed by blades.

Inside, his body was being torn apart and rejoining—endlessly repeating that cycle.

It wasn't because of the dragons’ attacks. The pain was a side effect of not fully accepting the Demon God's power.

Yet Julien grit his teeth and endured it.

It was the last vestige of a human’s will, striving toward the light.

Kwooooooooh!

Spirits surged around him.

But they were no longer beings composed of pure energy.

The spirits, now twisted in black light, howled in agony.

Aaaaaaaaah...

Because Julien had been tainted by darkness, the spirits, too, had no choice but to be corrupted.

The spirits had once embodied the harmony of the world, but now they had become beings that defied that very harmony.

Thus, the more they stayed by Julien’s side, the more pain they felt.

And yet, the spirits did not choose to vanish.

They did not abandon Julien.

Because they loved Julien, they chose to stay with him, to be tainted by the darkness.

Instead, they let go of their hearts that had once loved the world.

Drip… drip drip...

Parts of the spirits’ energy fell away.

That energy had been their love for the world—the very essence of their existence.

The clumps of remnants began to writhe.

They were now spirits in form only, transformed into nothing more than chaotic entities.

Soon, the spirits who had forsaken their hearts erupted with a terrifying aura and began to change.

They became demons.

Kyaaaaaaaaah!

The corrupted spirits devoured the surrounding darkness and lunged at the dragons.

“You cursed things dare!”

The dragons, enraged, unleashed their full magical might.

KWAHHHHHHHHHHH!

Flames and lightning exploded in every direction, pouring down upon the spirits.

But the moment Julien’s sword moved—

Shlak!

All the magic was cleaved apart.

The spells were shredded and vanished, leaving a black arc etched in the air.

Distance no longer mattered.

Julien’s sword ignored space and slashed through the dragons’ bodies.

The dragons could not avoid Julien’s blade.

It wasn’t something one could dodge just by wishing to.

KRAAAAAAAH!

Screams and roars of the dragons intertwined.

Their scales and flesh were torn, slashed, and shattered, and the wounds were slowly invaded by darkness.

That darkness spread like blood, gradually consuming the dragons’ bodies.

They had to fight while suppressing that corruption.

This was what made the Adversary’s power so terrifying.

The more they fought, the weaker the dragons inevitably became.

“Spare no lives! We must eliminate the Adversary here!”

Arterion’s roar echoed across the battlefield.

They couldn’t let the Adversary escape this place.

There were still Apostles and remnants left.

If they regrouped, the war would begin anew.

And this time, there was no guarantee they’d win.

That was why the dragons truly staked their lives to block Julien.

Their wings stirred thunder, and their endless roars split the sky.

BOOM! BOOM! KWAHHHHHH!

Countless spells and spirits collided and exploded across the battlefield.

Each explosion was powerful enough to wipe an entire city off the map.

However, that destructive force never escaped outward.

Arterion continuously cast shields in front of Deneb, and the surrounding darkness absorbed the blasts.

Both sides did it for the same reason—to keep Deneb from being caught in the explosions.

Because of that, the shockwaves did not spread outside.

Instead, the backlash returned as searing agony that tore through every being on the battlefield.

Deneb stepped back, tears streaming down her face.

The magic circle that had bound her was already gone.

But she could not bring herself to run.

“Julien…”

Julien had been tainted by darkness.

She didn’t need to ask why he had accepted that power.

He had embraced the Lingering Thought of the Demon God to save her.

But that was not salvation—it was an eternal punishment.

Julien’s soul had now become part of the darkness that rejected the world.

He could no longer die, and he could no longer be called human.

Knowing that shattered Deneb’s heart.

“Because of me…”

If only she had accepted the offer sooner.

If only she had chosen to be trapped in eternal darkness instead.

Then Julien wouldn’t have fallen into the abyss.

“Julien…”

Her tears wouldn’t stop.

The man she loved had thrown away his soul for her sake.

And because of that, the two of them could never be together again.

Just by being near her, Julien’s body and soul would burn in agony.

Now she could neither hold him nor comfort him.

Deneb staggered up the altar steps.

The Sacred Stones still shone brightly upon the platform.

Weeping, Deneb knelt in the center of the altar.

“Goddess…”

It was too late for her sacrifice to mean anything.

Even if she offered her life now, Julien’s soul would not be saved.

Instead, he would suffer endlessly, resenting the world itself.

“Please… I will sacrifice myself. Take my life—save Julien…”

Deneb knelt at the altar and prayed without pause.

There was no longer any hesitation within her.

The thought of being imprisoned in eternal darkness no longer frightened her.

If it meant saving Julien, she would gladly accept it.

But the goddess remained silent.

No matter how many times she prayed, no answer came.

In the end, Deneb watched the battle with an empty gaze.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Endless explosions and roars swallowed the world.

Fire and ice, darkness and light—everything collided, and the battlefield crumbled as though the world itself was ending.

Both sides fought with murderous resolve, a struggle more desperate and hopeless than any before it.

Who could possibly stop that battle now?

A battle between beings so powerful they could bring the world to ruin.

Who could possibly stop it? How?

At that moment, a single name brushed across her mind.

‘Ghislain…’

If Ghislain had been here, could he have stopped this fight?

If Ghislain had been here, would he have found another way?

If Ghislain had been here…

As soon as Deneb thought of Ghislain, the light of the Sacred Stones flickered.

She didn’t miss it.

‘…Why?’

She was grasping at straws now—any miracle would do. She needed even the faintest glimmer of hope.

And so she focused on Ghislain.

From the moment they parted, to the day they first met.

Every journey they took together, every smile they shared, and every promise they made.

The more she remembered him, the more the light of the Sacred Stones trembled.

Before long, the light began to swirl around her, moving as if it had come alive, dancing in rhythm.

It felt as if time was slowing down.

The deafening noise of the battle around her faded gradually, and the light moved slowly before her.

“Ah…”

Deneb slipped into a trance. No sound reached her ears anymore.

Only the tremble of the light enveloped her.

And she felt it.

That through this light, she was now connected to someone.

FWAHHHH!

A blinding flash overtook her vision, and before her eyes, a landscape she had never seen unfolded.

The back of a man came into view.

He stood atop the highest platform, a crimson cape billowing behind him.

Below him, hundreds of knights clad in black armor stood in perfect formation.

And beyond them… an enormous army stretched beyond sight.

Banners adorned with wolf emblems filled the sky, all fluttering in the wind at once.

It was a truly magnificent sight.

More powerful, majestic, and overwhelming than any army of any kingdom.

Deneb found herself wondering.

Who could he be?

Who could command such a fearsome army?

An army so commanding it looked ready to overturn the world—what kingdom did it belong to?

Even she, who had fought in the Great War alongside all the armies of the continent, had never seen such a force.

And she had no idea why such a vision had suddenly appeared before her eyes.

All she could do was gaze at the man’s back.

Then, something changed.

The man, who had been quietly watching his army, slowly turned around.

Their eyes met.

And then, the man smiled at her.

A smile warmer and gentler than any she had ever known.

At the sight of that smile, a memory suddenly sparked in the corner of her mind.

A long time ago, someone had proudly spoken before her—his name, his voice.

— Grand Duke of Ritania, Lord of Fenris, Ruler of the North, the Undefeated Sovereign, Commander of the Northern Army… and King of Mercenaries.

— I am Ghislain Ferdium.

“Ghislain…!”

Tears fell from Deneb’s eyes.

She had never seen his face before, but she knew.

That man was Ghislain. The Ghislain of the future was now looking at her.

And in that moment—

FWWOOOSH!

Deneb’s consciousness transcended time and merged with the future.

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