The Regressed NoBody

My vision fixed on to the demons who were slowly prying free of the ice which confined their bodies, they struggled, their demonic energy worked, a suffocating wave of energy filled the destroyed throne room—debris and ice everywhere.

I took in a breath as a shallow mist rose in the air, I pushed my body into a familiar stance, as I felt my connection with the mana around me reinforce, soon I brought my arms to the same level of my left hip, my left hand supported the sheath and I firmed my grip on the handle. The sword felt light in my hand, feet steady on the ground

A tremor ran through the air; the air trembled and folded from the mana I was converging instantaneously.

The demons seemed to sense the foreboding as their faces wore twisted frowns, as I corrected my posture and released my sword from the hold of the sheath.

‘Crescent Moon Style: Third Movement: Space Cleaver’

My sword moved in a perfectly straight horizontal slash, the blade cut clean through the air with a deafening hum, as a blinding light surged through the chamber.

I could feel the force ripple outward as my mana erupted, and in that fleeting second, I watched the space before me shiver—a thin line forming in the air like a crack in glass.

The distortion in the space between me and the demons blanketed, as I saw numerous cuts appear on their body, but they withstood the first-half of the movement.

Before the remnants of the first strike could settle, I shifted the blade seamlessly into a diagonal slash, my arms effortlessly moved with a perfect precision, feeling the massive discharge of mana and the force at which my muscles and ligaments moved and tightened, faster than the eye could register. The space between us rippled—warped.

It was subtle at first, like a heatwave distorting the horizon. But, in the brief instant between this movement, the extreme pressure created a distortion—a ripple in space—as if the very fabric of the world resisted the overwhelming speed and force behind the sword's slash, but, it ultimately bended, warping under the blade's assault, becoming subject to the blade’s will.

For a heartbeat, all around the slash, the light bended and fractured—shadows twisting in ways they shouldn't—, caught in the gravitational strain of the disrupted space. The space around the enemy seemed to fold in on itself, like the world had been pulled and squeezed too tight.

Ankewelt tried to evade to the best of his abilities, but even with demonic energy reinforcing him, he grunted under the assault of Space Cleaver, as the movement reached its point of finality, all three of them took on the extremely fast and precise slash head on.

All I saw was blood spilling in the air, as the floor, the pillars, the throne behind them and the windows succumbed under the extraordinary result of the third movement, as moonlight converged through the broken panes of glass.

I heard deafening screams, painful and excruciating screeches, as a part of the ceiling and several pillars were cut clean and lying on the cracked floor riddled with craters, as cracked glass riddled the floor where the windows were.

The dust and debris cleared up and my vision landed on three individuals, their signatures still strong and alive, as I skimmed through the receding dust, and looked at the grotesque state in which the demons were left in.

Ankewelt was coughing up blood, as he held his side which had a gruesome and deformed cut, the flesh and muscles were cut precisely from different angles, creating a hideous display of viscera, as his left lung and ribs were visible. His left arm had completely severed, as his core didn’t allow his body to fully heal, the recovery for the demon was painstaking slow, enduring the agony as he almost stumbled backward where the destroyed throne laid in pieces.

My vision followed Apphia whose arms were severed, blood everywhere as she groaned in agony, her body already close to recovering, as she wailed on the floor, blood smeared across her face.

But the worst had happened to Valsai, who had been late in protecting his body, his lower half had been completely severed, as he laid unmoving on the floor, submerged in the pool of his own blood, as his body slowly recovered.

Surprisingly, all three of them had their cores intact, and had somehow survived Space Cleaver; their conditions were nonetheless miserable.

I heaved for breath, as I manipulated mana rotation to recover my mana, since the start, I'd been using spell after spell, and now the crescent moon style, my body hadn’t received any life-threatening injuries thanks to the relic armour, but I was slowly running out of steam.

I needed to end this fight as soon as possible. And now was the chance when the demons were disoriented and weakened.

I withdrew my sword back, as I looked between the space which separated me from the three demons, taking a step into the paths, the interconnecting web ushered me through the space and with remnant tendrils of lightning coiling around my body, I appeared in front of Ankewelt, my arms charged with mana as I moved forward, my arms broke free and hurled at the demon.

He realized late as his gruesome wound had almost stitched, my arms struck him in his chest and upper abdomen, as he squealed and went crashing into the wall behind him as I twisted my body and struck Apphia who had fully healed and was trying to sneak an attack.

My knuckle covered by the hard scales struck her in her jaw, as her jawbone broke and eyes almost rolled into the back of her head from the impact. She wailed weakly as she stumbled backward and crashed on the floor.

I felt a surge of demonic energy from the side, as I dispatched more mana to Ruler’s Authority and my focus divided into several branches, my head squirmed under the vertigo, but before I realized, I saw Valsai lurch from behind and firmly take a hold of me.

I tried to strike him down, used a lightning spell to zap him, but he firmly held on to me, unwilling to let go as his lower half spewed blood and healed. His persistence was maddening as I used a javelin of fire which drilled into his back as he screamed desperately, the smell of burning flesh pungent in the air.

His arms moved with a desperate effort and his nails dug into my skin as he ripped a chunk of meat from my face and ripped one of my eyes out. I gritted my teeth and grunted a curse as I rolled and Valsai hit the floor as his grip loosened and I used several spears of ice to pin him to the floor, one of them struck his core as the demon vanished.

Blood leaked from my face, as the wound instantly healed, replaced by a new eye and skin.

But suddenly, I felt a massive force on my chest and abdomen, I saw jagged and distorted lances strike me, as my brows knitted in panic.

The force of the attack pushed me several steps back, my eyes widened in shock as I saw the area which had been struck had corroded and had left a deep hole which had pierced my skin, the relic armour was damaged by that potent blast of demonic energy.

“That damn armour!” I heard a hoarse and cruel voice reverberate from the end of the throne room. Ankewelt had fully recovered from his wounds and appeared with a twisted grin, blood leaking from his mouth. “You’ve had your fun. It doesn’t matter, even if I die here today, I'm taking you with me to hell.”

The demonic energy rippled around me, the cascade of the energy hummed and warped the air, as if forcing its way through the narrow gaps between the particles of mana.

I felt the mana in the area weaken and ripple as if the demonic energy had forcefully taken a hold of the environment around us.

Hundreds of distorted and jagged spears of demonic energy rippled to life as they seem to warp the space around themselves, an anomaly which the world was trying rid itself of, but one which persisted despite all the efforts of the mana to take back control.

The crude weapons were a mirror image of the more refined and stronger weapons which the female remnant had created somehow, but what Ankewelt had done couldn’t even be compared as a cheap knock-off copy to what the female remnant had showcased during our training.

I got ready to take on the assault. I pushed the mana around me and tried to destabilize the crude weapons as I pushed the particles into the small gaps which created a phenomenon of harmony between the two forces, but somehow Ankewelt had forced that small gap to work to his advantage, his demonic energy rose, and the mana around me dimmed and weakened, as I wasn’t able to manipulate it as skilfully as possible.

The mana...it’s not responding...I muttered in flabbergast as I saw the demonic energy hold a certain superiority over the mana.

The female remnant had mentioned that it was an element which corresponded to the destructive aspect of the edict of life.

All of the crude spears lunged at me as I tried my best to dodge, the floor below me broke apart under the relentless barrage, some struck me, the relic armour absorbed the force behind them, or deflected them as it dismantled the demonic energy, but the more potent ones still struck me, the relic armour's defences were breached, as they pierced my body, the corrupted energy touched my skin and corroded away my muscles and nerves around them, as a jolt of pain surged through me.

The excruciating and unbearable pain made me moan in agony as my body healed and recovered, but my mana was running out, I only had a quarter of it left, and even with the constant use of mana rotation, I wasn’t able to recover as much mana I was spending.

From the side, three spears struck me, four more appeared from behind me, and two of them from in front of me.

Ankewelt staggered forward, the rebound of using such a skill left him exhausted, as a streak of blood rushed down his nose.

He looked at Apphia and shouted, fear and trepidation masked alongside rage and malice surfaced on his face.

“Apphia, go and call the remaining battlegroups.” It was a simple order, but it took quite an effort for him to say.

Apphia hesitated for a moment as she recovered from the vertigo, but immediately lunged at the door as Ankewelt walked closer to where Valsai’s body had disintegrated and started doing something with his companion's leftover blood.

My breathing heaved heavily, as I felt anxious, seeing Apphia reach the door and Ankewelt perform whatever ploy he was cooking up. I desperately looked around for some option, as I tried to think of something through the enhanced cognition of Ruler’s Authority, and with the amount of mana I had left, there was not much I could do in my current situation.

Frustration fuelled my attempts to ensure victory, as Ruler’s Authority's seals slowly released on its own after sensing my desperation and anxiety, making me feel the brunt of using the skill at its maximum capacity.

I reached deep within me and released Acausality from its shackles, the world around me spun and slowed down then started tturning nverted, as both of them were glued to their positions.

The demonic energy and mana stopped, as I breathed, but almost instantly felt the burden of maintaining this static world, as I quickly moved toward Apphia who had already reached the doors.

I felt for the awareness which separated the living from the non-living, and pulled Apphia inside this static void, as she gasped in surprise and shock, my mana worked and I struck her in her abdomen with all the force I could muster as I heard her ribs breaking, the female demon squealed and went flying as I quickly released the skill and everything returned to normal as time sped up and the elements regained their essence.

The remaining spears struck the empty air, as Ankewlet’s eyes followed me, his mouth agape and face replaced by a confused and anxious scowl, looking blanking between where I stood and Apphia laid on the floor, unconscious.

He clenched his jaw as he desperately moved his hand and fiddled with Valsai’s leftover blood.

I groaned, as I stumbled to a knee, the rebound of maintaining all my skills and using Acausality made me vulnerable. I frowned, as I spat blood, the corrosion on the armour vanished.

I ignored the several system messages which were being generated one after the other.

Mordian had reached out several times, but I couldn’t reply to him as I focused on the battle, but he had perfectly sensed my desperation and struggle. He was drawing closer to Esparossa as the battle ensued, and was only a few more minutes away from reaching the fortress.

I felt several strong signatures of demonic energy draw closer to the chamber; the guards were approaching even without Apphia’s actions of escaping to bring reinforcements back.

I shot to my feet as my legs trembled with the effort to stand.

I didn’t have much of a choice, as I stimulated the particles of mana around me, I took a hold of the water particles and soon a mist spiralled around the chamber, as a wave of frost blanketed everything.

I released absolute zero, as I felt a massive strain over my body, I felt like my knees could buckle any moment again, as every gap inside the throne room was covered by a thick layer of ice, trapping us inside, as the cage like cocoon settled.

“Just how long will you persist? You freak!!” Ankewelt shouted in rage as he slowly rose, his arms trembled by his sides, smeared with the blood of his deceased companion.

I conjured frost-fire as I launched the flames at Ankewelt, as the entire area succumbed under frost.

But I saw several rune like marks on the floor, as Ankewelt's face twisted into a grin as his demonic energy sparked and the runes drawn with blood glowed with an even more bloody aura.

My eyes widened in horror as I felt and vividly saw the space between us fold and dim, the demonic energy created a destructive wave which shattered the space itself, as the air hummed and warped.

I felt trapped within the maelstrom as the hair at the back of my neck stood in alert. Then it hit, as a single word left Ankewelt’s mouth in the form of a silent whisper.

“Diverge”

I felt a corrosive wave assault my entire body as I was struck by an unimaginable amount of force which consumed me from every direction, but even Ankewelt and Apphia weren’t safe, as Ankewelt grabbed her hand and lunged away, but they were still within the area of effect of the spell.

A wave of corrupted energy filled the chamber, which assaulted everything—the debris, ice, or the air—, causing all nearby sources of mana within a wide radius to split and fracture.

My body felt rigid, as if my entire physique was being restraint forcefully, as the relic armour tried to protect me from the corrosive damage which sized everything, even the atoms in the air—creating a chaotic field where the natural balance between demonic energy and mana was violently disrupted, turning the energy in the area unstable.

I screamed under the destruction which shrouded me within the area as the relic armour began to succumb to the bursts of demonic energy which seem to destroy the artifact, reaching my body as I felt my skin burn and vanish.

There were sudden bursts of uncontrolled energy which erupt randomly and constantly, causing unimaginable damage as my mind almost blanked, the light darkened around the edges of my vision.

Blood spewed from every exposed area of my body, as my wails filled the silent chamber, the spell finished and I stumbled forward.

The blast of demonic energy left me weak in my knees as I went crashing into a crater nearby, I realized late that the relic armour had several holes and cracks—far worse than I'd imagined—, the destructive aspect of demonic energy had done a lot of damage as I laid in the crater.

I spat blood as my breathing turned disoriented. My vision blurred as all the energy inside me dispersed.

I heard the faint voice of my bond’s shouts, he was asking what had happened, his concern filled my mind, but I was just too weak, too wounded to respond, my mind squirmed as my insides seethed.

I glanced at the mana around me, and felt Ankewelt and Apphia approach—each step slow and weak. I felt a wave of panic shroud me as I struggled to regain control over my body, the force of Ankewelt’s spell had affected everyone present, but with me being in the middle of the spell’s range, I had sustained the most damage from the rampaging demonic energy.

I rolled my hand into a fist as I clenched my jaw until it ached. I felt miserable and powerless. Victory had felt so close, yet I had failed. I can’t fail now…

I desperately looked to exploit anything to my advantage but there was nothing, the fatigue made me unable to do any complex action, my injuries recovering painstakingly slow.

Every spell in my arsenal, crescent moon style, skills, I had used up everything, but had still failed.

Is this as far as I could’ve gone? I questioned. No...

Why couldn’t I muster the strength when it mattered? This always happened—in the past or even now. I just couldn’t seem to push myself to the end of the line when I was at the cusp of victory.

But this victory felt so close, yet so far; as if sand slipping through the gaps between my fingers. I knew if I failed, all the efforts of my companions, the orcs, elves and dwarfs would go to waste. They had trusted me, and I’d assured them I could do it.

But what more could I do? I barely had a quarter of my mana left, yet my body refused to respond. Every spell I conjured felt like throwing pebbles against a raging storm. Ankewelt and Apphia loomed closer, and I could vaguely feel several other signatures arriving outside the chamber, and with each breath, the white flames flickering around me dimmed, sputtering like dying embers. I stared blankly at the fractured ceiling above. I had nothing left.

No…there had to be something. Anything...I thought desperately, Mordian’s shouts muffled by the sound of my beating heart.

No…I won’t just watch as everything is taken from me, I had promised to fight, even if it killed me, no matter the cost of victory, I wouldn’t let those things be stripped away.

In that instant, I felt a flicker of resolve.

But what more could I do; I couldn’t muster the strength or energy to conjure a strong enough spell to kill those two.

Even after becoming a quadra-elemental mage, having control over two deviances, understanding the force of nature better than any, it still came short, mana wasn't enough, or rather my own insight was lacking.

What am I missing? The remnants had told me, time and time again: I lacked insight, the biggest factor in acquiring the right to learn to wield the powers which governed reality.

They were right! I had always seen the world the way I wanted to—narrow and one-sided. But understanding required seeing the world as it was. But wasn’t it also the fact that learning and discovering new things allowed us to deepen our understanding about something which allows us to grasp some new and fresh insight, to garner new experiences.

Wasn’t this all that mattered.?

As if some shift had occurred in my head, I started viewing the world around me through a different perceptive lens, the shift was subtle, more like an awareness in potential, then any new change around me.

Suddenly, the answer became clear...For the first time, I looked beyond mana and saw the demonic energy surrounding me as a possibility.

If this force could be wielded, I had to try. Ruler’s Authority pulsed, responding to my will. As if guided by instinct, my hand reached out, grasping at the crimson particles swirling around me.

If this element represented an aspect of the edict of life, then through certain means, it could be used. Even if not a demon...

Suddenly a thought flashed through my crumbling mind, as I pondered over the inclination, but I didn’t have time, as Ruler’s Authority seemed to react to my will and thoughts, understanding what I wanted to do…as if assuring me that I could do it. That it was possible.

So, I did…

I looked at the blood crimson particles afloat around me, my intent reached out, as I brought my arm upward. My final struggle, as I saw they were within arm's reach.

They were ready and only needed a command...

A silent whisper, a voice so soft yet undeniable, echoed in my ears, threading itself through the cracks of my resolve.

Let go...

It was both a command and a plea.

Let it happen...

The voice soothed the tremors of doubt that gnawed at me, flooding me with a strange, terrifying sense of certainty.

It was the only choice if you want to protect them…to protect Mordian and Aurora…to protect Jihye.

The crumbling image of my companions and loved ones formed inside my mind, reminding me again why I was doing all this; for what cause.

I fell deeper into the binds of Ruler’s Authority as I felt my mind was struck by lightning, numbing everything, even my own thoughts.

I felt like drowning to the depths of a dark and silent lake. Every sound from around me dimmed.

The demonic energy moved closer as my intent held it and it looked for some beacon to manifest into reality. To be useful to me.

The flickering white flames caught my gaze, as the crimson particles immediately understood my will and lurched at the dying flames, giving them a chance, rejuvenating them as they surged out with an even stronger essence.

The deeper I fell, the stronger the essence seemed to become, as a twisted smirk played on my lips. Slowly, the colour of the flames flickered and changed, as it was variegated with spot of crimson, but almost immediately the colours and hue changed and turned iridescent as the flames unraveled.

I heard a muffled voice, whispered words, they felt so soothing and reassuring, a voice which felt like my own, but more twisted and crueller.

‘Destroy everything.’ ‘Nothing else matters.’ ‘End them all, use this flame, and no one will stand in your way.’ ‘Do it. Let yourself free.’

Everyone…

Everything…

The iridescent flames consumed me, wrapping around my body like a shroud. They were a hungry, malevolent force, devouring everything in their path, their hunger reflected in my eyes as I stared up at the ruined ceiling of the throne room.

Blood dripped from the gashes across my body, the crimson drops sizzling as they met the flames.

But they weren’t searing like normal flames, they produced no heat...the flames were cold and apathetic—a cold which only left a void in its wake.

My mind squirmed in a dark, twisted agony, and I could feel my grip on reality slipping. The pit beneath me widened as the flames greedily expanded, leaving nothing in their wake.

I felt restraint, as I looked at the relic armour and soon released the relic which draped my body. It only got in the way as an obstacle.

My arm hung limp, several wounds oozing fresh blood, yet something deep within me stirred.

With a sudden jolt, the crushing fatigue was ripped away, and my body floated upward, hovering just above the surface of the pit on the cobblestone floor, like a broken puppet suspended by invisible strings, as I landed on my feet.

My head twisted toward the broken and disoriented demons standing several steps away—several more had entered and watched in terror, their mouths agape and eyes widened. Ankewelt and Apphia's expressions were a chaotic mix of anguish and despair as they saw me still standing—still alive.

The realization of their misfortune sent a shiver through them. I let out a low, demeaning chuckle, feeling the flames around me pulse with an intoxicating sense of relief and superiority. It was as if I could do anything—nothing else mattered.

‘Yes, do it.’ ‘Destroy your enemies.’ ‘Leave nothing behind.’ The cruel voice echoed in my ears.

The demons were insignificant, the mission a distant memory now. My grin stretched into a dark, twisted smirk as the flames began to lurch out on their own.

In this harrowing moment, I was engulfed with this power that surged through my veins, feeding on my anger, my rage which had been shackled within me for too long. The demons, once filled with arrogance and pride, now trembled before me, their terror reflecting in their eyes as they witnessed me rise. Their demeanours shattered and their expressions twisted.

My body felt both alive and possessed as I stood amidst the chaos, the destruction. The iridescent flames danced and leapt around my arms, hungrily lashing out at the demon closest to me.

The flames licked his form, the demon's anguished cries pierced the air, the flames consumed all in its path, leaving not even a void of ash in its wake.

The others, witnessing the merciless fate of their comrade, knew they were next. One demon, driven by fear and desperation, lunged at me with a crude and rough spear formed from his demonic energy which he threw in his state of madness and desperation. Yet, before it could reach me, the flames pulled the spear towards itself and feasted on it, as if it could devour and destroy anything; a true force and manifestation of destruction.

My gaze swept across the chamber and I saw the flames had already found their way to the surroundings, devouring everything, including my very being and mana.

The demon cried in agony, holding a hand out in the direction of where his comrades saw the entire grotesque scene unfold. His body crumbled, nothing remaining, not even ash and soon enough the flames overcome all the area inside the white icy cocoon.

The flames enveloped everything, leaving nothing untouched. The cobblestone floor crackled, quacked and melted under the intense cold flames as I began to fall into the crater which had started to form beneath my feet; the walls, once sturdy and tall, now trembled and groaned under the weight of the blaze; the ceiling collapsed on the outer side of the throne room as the fire greedily climbed upwards.

My very essence seemed to fuel the rampant flames as they lurched in all directions.

Yet, as the flames danced upon my arms, a voice from the depths of my conscious tried to reach me, tried to pull me back from the brink of succumbing to this power.

It was Mordian, my bond, trying to reach me through our mental link. His thoughts and voice merely a distant and hollow cry to me under the mania of this extreme power. But I pushed him away, I couldn’t allow anything to stand in my way; this victory.

'Jiwoo...' His voice called out, distant and concerned. He sought to understand what was transpiring at this moment, what the outcome of my battle was, but I couldn't allow him to interfere right now. His presence was a hindrance to me in this moment. I knew that his concern would try to sway me from embracing the full potential of these flames. What I needed to do.

With a flicker of resolve, I hastily raised a thick mental barrier between us, severing our connection as I lost touch with Mordian. There was no room left for hesitation now. I needed to focus solely on the overwhelming power coursing through me, which was hard for me to control even with all my attention, as if it was eating away at me from the inside, leaving me hollow, like a worm wriggling inside me.

The relentless flames danced on my arms and surged forward, like a tidal wave of destruction, swallowing the remaining demons whole, the last thing I saw was Ankewelt looking at me with pure despair in his eyes.

The sight filled me with a perverse sense of satisfaction.

In the midst of this cataclysmic spectacle, I felt like something within me had begun to crack and was on the verge of shattering, like walking on broken glass. The power of destruction—the demonic energy—flowed into me, altering me on a fundamental level.

My thoughts blurred, and I could barely recognize myself. But in this chaos, one truth remained clear to me—I held the power to end my enemies, to bring about their absolute annihilation. This was true victory, a fact, a truth which no one could take away from me.

'This is it,' I thought, a perverse sense of ecstasy emerged in me as I saw the cool flames burn with more intensity as if they understood me, soothed me.

My heart hastily pounded in my chest with the rush of the flames and adrenaline, and I knew that with this ability, I could finally emerge victorious, I was no longer weak, not at the mercy of others. The feeling of invincibility washed over me, intoxicating my senses, my mind. I was feeling a strong nudge in my mind, Mordian still trying to overcome the wall I had placed between our link, but I merely solidified the wall.

This was true destruction. The cool flames burned more sinisterly as if searching for more fuel so it could keep itself alive.

The Flame of Destruction, as I named it in my mind, was aptly named. It was an embodiment of unyielding chaos.

Everyone...Everything...

No one could stand against me. Not even the so-called Demon King. It didn't matter what price I had to pay. With the Flame of Destruction at my disposal, I knew I could reshape the very fabric of this world to accommodate my preference.

I could create a new world from the ashes that would remain. A world that I desired. A world where I would be a god.

Yes! A deity! A God of Destruction.

A cruel voice so much like my own said. I laughed. A single long mirthful insane laugh which echoed throughout the expanse of the throne room and the castle.

When nothing remained of the demons no more, I looked around, stifling under the sharp stinging which pressed hard against my temples, as if my head could explode any moment.

The flames still demanded more, they were adamant on finding something more to consume, to be fed, more fuel to keep itself alive.