EP.90 Territoriality
It is said that when one commits a sin, the Heavenly God knows, the Earth Mother Goddess knows, and oneself knows.
If asked who among the three knows first, devout believers of the Church of the Heavenly God might deny it, but it is precisely oneself.
A person about to commit a sin usually knows their own fault. They look around suspiciously, failing to blend into the scenery, moving restlessly until at some point, they tense their entire body and commit the deed.
If caught, they freeze as if time has been cut out, only their eyes rolling wildly. Then they either flee blindly or feign ignorance, one of the two.
That is precisely the proof that oneself recognizes the sin first. One might call it the manifestation of guilt.
Regrettably, the regressor, who had torn their guilt to shreds and scattered it over 13 regressions, didn't even have that.
"You agree too, right? I'll handle it."
Retraction. Their guilt was practically negative.
'You agree too, right'—what kind of circuit do you have to be equipped with to come up with that answer? Why are you so sure I'd agree too?
The 13th-iteration externally-attached thought circuit of the regressor is truly beyond imagination. Maybe it's a good thing mind-reading only half-works. If read incorrectly by mistake, my mind could be polluted.
I immediately shouted to stop the regressor from doing something reckless.
"Stop! You one-armed factory manager. What on earth are you trying to do?"
As I tried to raise my voice even a little, the regressor swiftly swung Tian'e.
Heavenly Sword Technique, Duanya.
Tian'e's sword strike drew a boundary in midair. At the far end of the cliff, where the wind shatters. Where Tian'e demarcated, the path of the wind was severed. For one minute, the wind would carry nothing into that space. Not the scent dissolved in the wind, nor the sound vibrating the air.
The sword is seriously overpowered. Well, it'd have to be at least that good for the regressor to carry it around since the beginning of the regression.
While I grumbled inwardly, the regressor also muttered in dissatisfaction.
"Why? You said you're a penal laborer. Even though I don't know if that's real or fake, anyway, now that you're in here, you're at odds with the Military Nation, aren't you?"
"True. I'm imprisoned here, after all."
"Then the answer is out."
Tian'e spun smoothly in the regressor's hand. The regressor, who instantly snatched the wildly rampaging sword, held it straight and glared beyond the door.
"Leaving the people here, I'll strike down every dog of the Military Nation that comes down from now on. One by one, each time one enters."
"No. Strike what?"
"The Military Nation's dogs."
I was so dumbfounded I just gaped.
So the regressor intended to kill everyone affiliated with the Military Nation who came in from now on. Seriously.
"I'll explain simply. Listen well. There are two types in the Military Nation. Those who try to control everything they can, and those who try to control even what they can't. And the ones over there right now are the most extreme among the latter."
The regressor, who truly finished the explanation simply, drew a simple conclusion.
"Therefore. I kill them before they do anything useless."
"Huh."
"The Lieutenant Colonel is just a string-puller. So what? If I kill her, there will be a reaction. Either eyes will turn and they'll all come down, or they'll just watch like cowards. If they come down, I kill them; if not, I leave them. Either way, there will be no Military Nation in Tantalos anymore. Then I can protect the people here."
It was a very simple logic.
Azi and Tir, who could become Fragments of Doom later, are fine. Meanwhile, I, who was the biggest variable, am actually not affiliated with the Military Nation.
Then the remaining variable is the Military Nation's intervention.
Erase that. Entirely.
Is this... the regressor's perspective?
Rather than untying the knot, they'll cut it with Tian'e. It's rational in a way, but aren't you leaving no way out?
I asked cautiously.
"Um, then what about supplies? If you kill people as they come, won't our supplies be cut off?"
"I have food in my pocket. I prepared it in advance for emergencies. I'll unload that."
"You hoarded food for yourself while others were living on canned beans!?"
Is this... the regressor's preparedness?
"You could get hurt fighting the Military Nation! What if they keep dropping bombs as supply boxes!"
"The Military Nation isn't stupid enough to pour bombs onto land that's already failing even if left alone. If it's a simple bomb, I can handle it, and even if I get hurt, I can make simple recovery potions... If worse comes to worst, ask Tirkhanjaka. If you become a vampire, it works out, right? Tirkhanjaka would be happy too?"
Is this... the regressor's morality?
"Even so, you can't live here forever, right? Or are you really planning to live here forever?"
"Not forever. Soon, a way to escape will emerge. If 'she' falls from the surface, then probably... in some way, there will be a conclusion."
'Whether I die or she dies. The rest can escape. Because the Bottomless Pit will collapse.'
The emotions felt from the regressor were a vague anxiety and a resolute resolve. It was the process of a gladiator placed before an uncertain match settling their life.
This is the regressor's resolve.
But....
But you know...
You can't die. Then the world will end.
Whether the world rewinds, or another doom comes. What about the people left behind?
Let's stop it for now. Let's think after stopping it. I said with a clouded expression.
"Um, but. I just took some medicine, you see? Couldn't you wait until the effects wear off?"
"Don't you understand? Those guys are more dangerous than bombs! Even if it's just a Lieutenant Colonel, you never know what tricks they might have up their sleeve!"
Just a Lieutenant Colonel? They're quite influential in the Military Nation, and yet 'just'?
Ah, but you guys can do that. Phew, I tell you, sometimes I just can't adapt to the scale here.
As I stood with a face of incomprehension, the regressor clicked their tongue and put away Tian'e they were holding.
"If you don't believe me, I'll show you even now. Come, look. What the Lieutenant Colonel who came to the Bottomless Pit is doing."
At that moment, I read the will to leave from inside the instructor's room. The Lieutenant Colonel had started moving. The regressor also sensed the presence and gestured for me to come closer.
As I stuck close to the regressor's side, the regressor grasped Tian'e and took a middle stance.
Heavenly Sword Technique, Duanya.
Slicing through midair. The Heavenly Sword cuts off the news the wind would carry. Scent, sound. Things flowing on the air are cut off at the fault line. A wall of severed air enveloped me and the regressor.
In that state, the regressor pointed the sword downward. Wind blew out from Tian'e.
Fengyun Yulu.
As the compressed space was released, dew and mist thickly filled the suddenly expanded space. The mist, which should have spread out into the world, bounced off upon hitting Duanya.
The regressor summoned water mist to blur our figures and then grasped the sword again.
Heavenly Sword Technique, Tianjing.
A mirage is the afterimage of light bending across a vast distance. That is reproduced at a distance of barely 1 meter. Now our figures were hidden within the bending light.
Immediately after, the door of the instructor's room opened and the officer came out. Coincidentally, a stream of wind that had flowed out from Tian'e brushed past the officer's hair.
Feeling the wind blowing in the Bottomless Pit, the officer looked around in wonder. Her gaze briefly fell on us, the regressor and me, but we, hidden by stealth arts, were not visible in her sight.
The officer, nodding her head, trudged in her military boots toward the stairs. With her hands clasped behind her back, her figure disappeared below the steps.
The regressor let out a deep sigh.
"Phew. Doing it in a hurry makes me a bit short of breath."
"Is that a stealth art? It's amazing. To think we wouldn't be seen even right in front of her nose."
At my pure admiration, the regressor, though slightly puffed up, answered as if it was no big deal on the outside.
"Hmph. It's nothing. It blocks sound and scent and blurs our presence, but it doesn't work on strong ones who leak strands of qi everywhere."
"Did you use this when you tried to peek at me last time? The ability is great, but the uses are all so sleazy."
"...Shut up and follow the Lieutenant Colonel."
The only sounds that could be blocked were those spreading through the air. Lest our footsteps be heard, the regressor and I carefully walked down the stairs.
The officer came out to the yard of the Bottomless Pit. Taking a spot in the center of the daylight-lit area, the officer took a rubber ball from her clasped hands behind her back.
An elastic, sturdy, pitch-black rubber ball that fit perfectly in the hand. It was a toy several times more fun to play with than my makeshift leather ball.
Boing, boing. The officer bounced the rubber ball on the ground a few times. The elastic rubber ball bounced up like a spring.
Having finished preparations, the officer called Azi.
"King of Dogs!"
"Woof?"
Then Azi peeked his head out from around the corner. The officer bounced the ball again, then threw it fiercely toward the other side of the yard.
"It's a gift!"
The rubber ball flew far into the sky. Flying for a long while, the ball bounced on the floor, boing, boing, and rolled to the opposite side of Tantalos.
Swish, swish. Azi, who had been wagging his tail looking at the ball, kicked the ground and ran as if he couldn't stand it anymore.
"Woof woof!"
Azi chasing the ball happily. Running with all four legs, he caught up to the ball, tried to bite it in one mouthful, but when the ball bounced off his face, he got even more excited and chased it.
After missing it a few times, Azi finally caught the rubber ball in his mouth and returned to the officer. The officer picked up the ball neatly and offered obligatory praise.
"Good boy."
"Woof woof! Ball!"
"I'll throw it again. Here!"
"Woof!"
'Certainly, it's as written. The King of Dogs does not guard against me... I can make him obey much easier than expected.'
The sight of the officer with sinister intentions taming Azi.
Seeing that sight, I felt devastated.
"No! Azi!"
"See? The first thing she does as a Lieutenant Colonel is taming the King of Dogs. Isn't that suspicious?"
The regressor muttered with their arms crossed.
"My prediction was right. They are the 'Lords of All Creation'. Guys who try to tame the king of beasts and control him to their will... Who knows what they'll do next. It's better to dispose of them in advance... Are you listening?"
"I'm not listening!"
Is that important right now? They're trying to snatch away the puppy I spent months working on!
How much enduring hardship did I go through to tame him! I struggled on even with pitch counts at the limit, cooked for him every day, even brushed his fur! And he's going to just switch over to some officer in a uniform with an instructor badge?
"That, that puppy with a fickle tail! He wags his tail right away just because you brought a slightly bigger and more elastic rubber ball?"
"Yeah, he's the King of Dogs? Ow, hey. Don't move so violently."
"No way! You think you can seduce Azi with just one toy? I've spent months with Azi, I know inside and out what he likes!"
Ignoring the regressor's words, I ran straight up into the prison. After skipping two steps to reach my room, I came out with a full load of rubber balls and steel discs from the drawer, and threw them all on the ground in front of Azi.
Azi, who was bringing the ball in his mouth, stopped in his tracks when he discovered me and the discs.
"Woof?"
"Azi. Come here! You graduated from balls a long time ago! We finally broke the 2-disc wall, so it's time to slowly move on to the 3-disc!"
"Woof woof?"
Azi alternated looking between the officer and me, then dropped the rubber ball with a clatter and ran straight to me. In front of him, I lifted three discs and threw them into the sky with slight intervals.
Azi kicked off the ground and jumped up, catching one disc in his mouth. Then, pushing off the outer wall of the prison, he snatched the disc that was higher than that, and finally stretched his body out to aim for the last disc.
"Oh my. Just a little short...!"
When he couldn't reach it, he just grabbed it with his hand.
I took the disc out of Azi's mouth as he came down to the ground and praised him.
"Using your hands is a foul, but good job. That's how you do it!"
"Woof! Woof woof!"
I was in the middle of petting Azi, who was bouncing with excitement beside me.
The officer, who had Azi stolen from her midway, approached, glaring at me with terrifying eyes beneath the deep brim of her hat. Her military boots thudded against the ground.
"...Penal laborer. Why are you interfering with me again?"
I answered nonchalantly.
"It's territoriality, Lieutenant Colonel. If you want to get close to Azi, you have to get past me first."
"...You bastard. Do you truly want to die?"
"Oh my. If you make such a scary face, even a dog that was coming will run away."
"How dare a mere petty criminal to an officer of the Military Nation...!"
When the enraged officer took a step forward.
[Withdraw your killing intent, soldier.]
A voice rose from the shadows. Rather than coming through vocal cords, it was a voice created by darkness itself trembling.
The officer flinched at the ominous aura and gritted her teeth.
"Tch, Progenitor...!"
[I do not care what you do... However, I will state once again. Hui is under my protection, and if you inflict any kind of harm upon him, I will not stand by and watch.]
The billowing shadow gave a stern warning. It was as if a demon was speaking through the darkness, or as if the world was spitting out a solemn warning.
Around the time the officer shrank back at the voice that felt like intimidation and a terror beyond.
I tapped the shadow and spoke to it familiarly.
"Tir. If you're going to watch like that, just come over."
The voice that until just moments ago seemed ready to swallow the world suddenly wavered. A moment later, Tir's slightly deflated voice came from the shadow.
[...I. It's not that. As you said, how can a person be together every single day. Time apart is also necessary.]
"I said how can a person be stuck together every day, are you sulking because I said that?"
[I am not sulking, I just thought your words were right.]
"If you're going to do it, do it properly. You've already planted eyes in the shadow anyway."
[...Then, may I come?]
"Of course."
[I will come quickly.]
Soon after, the door of the underground armory opened. Tir, sitting demurely on a floating coffin with her limbs gathered, flew toward us in no time. She had been waiting behind the door, ready to pop out at any moment.
The all-stars have all gathered. The regressor is hiding with their arms crossed in displeasure, but they're on my side anyway.
Azi's affinity is still much higher on my side.
As for Tir, it goes without saying.
The officer must have realized too. The wall she had to overcome.
"You can't have Azi. If you can, try playing with him more fun than me!"
The officer glared at me with chilling eyes and bit her lip. But throwing a tantrum in front of this lineup would only bring harm to herself. Before long, the officer gave up and whipped her body around.
'He's keeping me in check openly. Could he know my identity...? No, a mere petty criminal couldn't know. Is this just a struggle for dominance?'
Walking away in the direction further from me, the officer made a decision.
'It's a bit of a waste to use it this early, but it can't be helped. The three bundles He gave me to use when He is in crisis—I must use one of them...!'