Broken Possessors of Infinite Regression Academy

“Mira Crate! Are you alright?”

Elysier, who had been stuck unable to properly designate coordinates and was in a panic, hastily opened the dimensional gate the moment she was able to realign the coordinates.

“What in the world…?”

She was appalled by the state of the dungeon. Every visible part was completely devastated. It would be quicker to find an intact spot. Despite having set up the maximum strength protective barrier across the entire dungeon without damaging the original magic, the sight was unrecognizable.

‘But, what is this…?’

Her gaze fixed on a point slightly off-center, a large hole. Mira was staring blankly into it. Worried he might jump, Elysier hurried over but realized Mira had no such intention. Still, her relief was short-lived. Seeing Mira’s unmoving silhouette filled Elysier with unease again, and she approached cautiously.

“Mira? Are you alright? I’m here. I’m sorry. For some reason, I couldn’t pinpoint the coordinates for the dimensional gate or teleportation…”

Elysier stopped her nervous explanations. Mira was still staring into the pit. Elysier gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Oh, you’re here?”

Mira finally reacted. His body, which had been as still as a stone statue, began to move slowly.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Or under a spell or hypnosis? If you want, I can get some potions humans use.”

“No need. Just your concern is enough. As you can see, I’m fine.”

“But, you don’t seem fine…”

“Why, do I look hurt?”

“You don’t look hurt, but… your expression is too serious.”

Mira paused in his self-examination and sighed deeply.

“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about how to clean up the mess, and my head got tangled.”

“…Is that so? Well, that’s good. I’ll help you think it over.”

Elysier could tell Mira’s expression was not one of someone contemplating cleanup, but she chose not to press the matter. She wasn’t foolish enough to pry into someone’s hidden thoughts unless necessary.

“It’s my turn to ask questions. What exactly happened while I was gone? So many things were strange.”

After deflecting Professor Jaina’s probing questions about what had transpired inside, Mira recounted the recent events to Elysier. He explained how the red energy Elysier had implanted worked but was overshadowed by a black energy that resurrected the enemy. He concluded with how he managed to handle the situation despite the additional complication caused by the black energy’s re-strengthening of the foe. Elysier’s expression turned slightly peculiar.

“It seems there are things you don’t want to say or can’t say. Given your attempt to gloss over it.”

“…Well, yes.”

“Understood. I won’t ask further. But are you truly alright? According to you, that power might surpass even mine.”

“For something unexpected that happened twice, I’m fine.”

In truth, he was in top condition, given that the black energy had been expelled.

“So, do you know what this is?”

Mira showed the remnant of the black energy that hadn’t been completely purified. Elysier examined it carefully before shaking her head.

“I don’t know. But one thing is certain; this is not my power. Whatever it is, it is far more… demonic.”

“More demonic than the Demon King’s power?”

I expected it wasn’t Elysier’s power, but such a statement was unexpected. I asked, astonished, and she confirmed.

“Indeed. Compared to this, my power feels like a candle before the sun. Where could such a vile force have come from?”

A power more demonic than the Demon King’s and incredibly vile. Hearing that description made me sigh. If such a power began to appear in earnest, it would be extremely troublesome. There would be very few who could stop it.

“There is another strange point. It’s not related to that vile force, but it’s peculiar nonetheless.”

“A strange point? What is it?”

Elysier approached the pit she had yet to repair.

“I can sense the faint power of a holy sword throughout this entire area. Especially strong here, at this pit you were watching.”

“…Are you sure?”

I asked, my voice trembling slightly. Elysier wore a very cautious expression.

“I stake everything on it. I have faced the heroes eighty-nine times and lost, been pierced by the holy sword’s blade and writhed in agony eighty-nine times. I would not mistake the power that has killed me so many times.”

I stared at the pit, stunned. This was the mark left by the spear of light that had pierced through the vampire lord’s barrier and body.

If the power of the holy sword could be felt here…

“Wait a minute, Elysier.”

“What is it?”

“Could it be… Could you also feel that power here?”

I chewed on the inside of my cheek until it bled, feeling the acrid scent of blood as I summoned a holy lance into my left hand. As the lance appeared, the demon king’s skin began to slightly burn. I immediately dismissed the summoning of the lance.

Elysier nodded with a blank expression. “Indeed. It’s the power of a holy sword. But how did you come to possess it, Mira? Are you the hero of this era? It looks a bit different from the holy swords I’ve seen before. Could it be that the appearance changes depending on the owner?”

I couldn’t help but smirk at Elysier’s misconception of me as a hero. I wasn’t a hero. I didn’t even have the qualifications. Especially this lance, it was nothing more than something that had no right to be considered sacred.

“Please… Take this. I couldn’t awaken the true power of this lance, but… If it’s you, the savior, you can do it. So… Please… Demon King, Eru…”

“The lance awakened, I see. It’s quite unexpected, but as a formality of sorts as the Demon King, I should offer my congratulations. Congratulations. You’ve finally become the true savior of humanity. How does it feel to have directly slaughtered millions who begged for your death and awakened the lance? Are you happy?”

“…”

Suddenly, memories from the past resurfaced. Whether I had made a mistake or if there had been no other choice. Memories of struggling with the power of the lance through improper means and failing.

“If it’s a question you find difficult to answer, I apologize. You don’t have to answer. I’m just curious…”

Elysier started to glance at me, perhaps because my expression had revealed my mood.

“I’ll tell you when the time comes. It’s not something I can discuss here. I’m sorry.”

“No! If anyone should apologize, it’s me! I shouldn’t have touched on sensitive subjects for no reason!”

“…Anyway. It seems that even this black energy resonates with the power of the holy sword you mentioned.”

I sighed, not wanting to unnecessarily concern her. There was no point in brooding over things; it only made matters worse. Nothing would change even if I collapsed here.

“In that case, the role of the hero becomes important. It’s not the time for the power to awaken yet, but when it does, the holy sword wielded by the hero will also radiate divine light.”

Elysier also shifted the conversation towards the holy sword. It seemed she didn’t want to speak about things that would upset me.

“So, I have a request, if that’s alright?”

“You can give me orders, not request if you want. I’ll do anything within my power. Even if it means destroying the entire demon race.”

“You may already know, but the current hero is a bit… naïve. She was only chosen by the holy sword, and she’s hardly changed from a country girl. To put it nicely, she’s naive. To put it harshly, she’s still living in a flower garden.”

“…That’s quite harsh.”

Until now, I had managed to cope by telling myself that someday an opportunity would arise, but now, that was no longer the case. Given the bizarre circumstances, I needed to expedite her awakening as much as possible.

“So, she also needs to realize that she’s the hero.”

“Does that mean you’ll make her lose someone precious?”

“…No matter how you look at it, that’s not it.”

“Sorry. I’ve lived as a demon king for too long, so my thoughts are tainted… I’ll try to reflect on it as much as possible…”

Elysier, who had shrunk down in an instant, fidgeted with her fingers, hesitating.

The expression was a bit exaggerated, but considering the transformations in personality observed in the original story as people around me got hurt and scarred, someone’s death would probably be the most certain catalyst for awakening.

But I didn’t want that. I couldn’t bear to see people I knew dying after coming this far.

“That can wait for later. One more thing. Can you spar with me? I need to get stronger too.”

It was a decision I had made before, but I had left it untouched for lack of opportunity until now.

There’s no such thing as a dramatic power-up in this world, where there’s no novel with hidden pieces or status windows to check my abilities and stats. I just had to get stronger through real combat experience. Training alone would only get me so far; I had already surpassed that level long ago.

It was the same when I faced the vampire lord enhanced by the dark energy.

Reflecting on how I had hesitated to seize the opportunity until just before he entered his third phase, I realized that I had intentionally concealed my abilities until I could seize the chance. I had foolishly fallen for his bluff.

Knowing that the dark energy enhanced demons beyond imagination, I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

“…Saying that, aren’t you already strong enough? Trying to get stronger seems a bit…”

“You’re stronger than me.”

Didn’t you effortlessly stop me from using one my strongest moves when we first met?

Elysier murmured softly, “We both hadn’t used our full power, but if you unleash that strange light again, it seems I might lose…” She trailed off into a barely audible whisper.

I decided to pretend I didn’t hear that.

“So, can you do it?”

“It’s not difficult. But to arrange a sparring date and place, we’ll need to take strategic measures… Yes, this should do.”

Elysier pulled out a small necklace from her coat pocket.

“This is a modified magical device for our communication. It’s used by weak demons who can’t even use long-distance telepathy. I’ve specially concealed the magic so it won’t be detected. So, you don’t have to worry about being discovered.”

“When did you prepare this?”

Seeing that she had even concealed the magic to avoid detection, it couldn’t have been something she whipped up on the spot. At my question, Elysier’s expression turned slightly embarrassed.

“…I prepared it right after deciding to find you. You’re not too far away for us to meet, but it wouldn’t be feasible to wait for a chance encounter every few weeks. Although I didn’t know You were a possessor at the time, just the fact that we could have genuine conversations was enough.”

“Got it. Is it used the same way as ours?”

“Yes, it is. Also, I can check whether you’re wearing the necklace or not from my side. Since you may encounter difficult situations, I wanted to ensure I’m only calling you at times when it’s okay. I didn’t want to disturb you unnecessarily.”

“Great. Thanks for your consideration.”

“It’s something I have to do, so there’s no need for thanks.”

I put the necklace into my pocket. There probably wouldn’t be any need to wear it outside. It was too conspicuous to wear around my neck.

It might be fine to confess to Priscilla and Rosalia that the Demon King is apossessor, but it wouldn’t be good to arouse unnecessary interest in the others.

“We can’t just leave that pit as it is. Let’s go down.”

Trying to fill it up haphazardly might just cause more headaches. It was better to leave the dungeon, pretending it was too weak.

“Are you already planning to move? The fatigue from battle might not have completely faded yet. How about we take a moment to rest and clear the accumulated fatigue…”

Elysier hesitated, glancing at me. I had heard that the test would last for two nights and three days, so it seemed like she wanted to spend as much time with me as possible when it was convenient.

“I understand your concern, but there’s someone waiting outside, so I can’t. I’ll make time for you next time.”

“Someone waiting…? Who are you talking about?”

“Priscilla. She’s a regressor with more regressions than you.”

At the mention of having more regressions than her, Elysier’s face turned slightly pale.

“How many times…?”

“Well, she stopped counting after a hundred.”

The faint color that barely remained vanished completely.