“……”
Yu Jitae looked down at them.
The protectors raised their bodies up one by one and the unstable, wavering mana reflected their anxiety. They most likely had always been protecting lairs with omnipotent strengths while looking down on the rest of the world. And yet such existences were defeated by sheer strength.
The reason for a sudden change in their attitudes to the point that it was close to respect was because living armours were originally beings from the demon world.
It was a world of the strong. Existences in demon worlds thus respected and feared those stronger than themselves.
“Is this place… a world under your esteemed self’s reign?”
That was a misunderstanding but he didn’t see a reason to correct them, so quietly he stared at the protectors.
Judging from the things that had happened before in other regressions, some change was bound to occur to these guys at this point in time. And his thoughts were on the mark.
When the protectors were about to die, a desire to survive soared up within them. It was an instinct of an organism that wished to keep its life.
However,
Something was different.
Usually even when they felt an urge to survive, the Magic of Servitude should be washing it away like a curse. Regardless of their own deaths, protectors must defeat the enemy while protecting the dragons. That was the role of the leash cast on them by the dragons.
And yet currently, they felt a desire to survive rushing forth inside them. Perhaps the Magic of Servitude had been undone during the long journey to a distant dimension but for them, the freedom which had finally arrived after hundreds of years was more important.
At this moment, several protectors had the same thought in mind – regardless of the method, they must run away from here.
And Yu Jitae, who precisely understood their thought process, opened his mouth.
“Now we can finally have a chat.”
Approaching the protector of the Green Dragon, he kicked the upper body. With a thud, a broken metal plate fell on the ground and rolled away and soon after, an invisible blade touched its chest, where the core of the living armour belonged.
“There should have been a problem with the dimension. How did you all survive.”
“…If I answer, can we keep our lives intact?”
“Can you not catch up to what’s happening?”
The blade pierced through the armour.
Kagagak…
And sounds of metals rubbing were heard.
As if a soft piece of wood was being caved in, the metal armour was like wood before the blade.
“…Let me speak. The following incidence is called a Dimension Twist. My lord tried to open a path with a nearby dimension but for some reason, the dimensions were twisted and we bounced off to an uncertain exterior of the dimensions.”
Up to here was something Yu Jitae was also aware of.
“Explain about that thing called a Dimension Twist.”
He once again asked something which he already knew of. It was to allow a comparison with the replies he received in other rounds of regression.
“Although I’m not too sure of it myself…”
After staying silent for a short period of time, the protector continued speaking.
“In the past, my lord said that there was a place called the ‘Horizon of Providence’ and that the horizon deviated from our world’s concept of time. I remember him saying that dimension gaps occurred due to a certain power coming into effect from that Horizon of Providence.”
But this round’s explanation was different from previous ones.
Horizon of Providence? It was his first time hearing such a word and now that he thought about it, there had never been a protector of the Green Dragon amongst those that came looking for him.
Maybe it was because the protector in front of him was a protector of the green race that could read the Providence.
[Eyes of Equilibrium (SS)]
A blue aura appeared in Yu Jitae’s eyes. The authenticity that floated up was ‘true’, proving that its words were true.
“…”
Comparatively speaking, dimensions were like the ocean. Although the sea was wide and broad, travelling to a nearby island wasn’t difficult. Even Yu Jitae could open the dimensions and head to the demon world if he so desired. The demon world was close and he could set sail on a canoe.
Of course, a trip through dimensions required a sacrifice, but the point was that it was possible whenever.
However, ‘Askalifa’, the world of dragons, was a distant dimension. Travelling from Asia to America on a canoe was virtually impossible and in addition, what happened to them was similar to meeting a storm while riding a canoe.
That was why it was more questionable.
“Even dragons can’t find the right direction in a twist like that.”
“Yes, that is the case.”
Then how did you guys all come here together? Sensing Yu Jitae’s question without him even opening his mouth, the protector continued his words.
“In the Horizon of Providence… near it was a certain existence.”
“An existence?”
“Yes. That being started a conversation with me, from the other side of the horizon.”
This too was something he was hearing for the first time, and a slight irritation appeared in Yu Jitae’s frown.
“What did it say.”
“It wasn’t something spoken through a language. It was like a certain will suggesting me a direction. That ‘will’ taught us the direction we were to head for and I merely followed that path to gather the protectors to one place, while finding the direction towards the hatchlings.”
After disintegrating the Shapeless Sword, Yu Jitae held his forehead and faced down. Right now, he was in an extremely unpleasant mood.
Going past four rounds of regression and excluding the small elements that changed with every regression, there was close to nothing which he didn’t know about.
It was only that, just like how the foot of a candle was always dark, he was clueless about the individuals called dragons. The reason was that up until now, he had not treated the dragons as individuals.
Having something he was clueless about, wasn’t acceptable.
This world, and this timeline – everything must be in the back of his palm. That’s how it must be.
And yet the authenticity of the protector’s words being drawn on the Eyes of Equilibrium was ‘true’ no matter how he saw it. It meant that an aspect he didn’t know of, had occurred.
“It seemed that the will contained dissatisfaction against something, to the point of cursing it… Maybe it’s because I have a core made by the powers of a green dragon lying inside me.”
The Green’s protector continued babbling on. While remembering every single word that was coming out of its mouth, on the other side of his brain, Yu Jitae reflected on himself.
Why did I not know of these things? The Horizon of Providence and that being on the other side of the horizon – did they exist in other rounds as well despite him being clueless about them?
No.
While travelling through dimensions, crushing the head of an archduke of the demon world, twisting the neck of a black dragon and wandering around the Styx river and the hells of shura, he searched for everything that could be known related to dimensions. He had confirmed and double-checked several times that everything made sense.
And yet what was this. An element that could affect the entirety of the timeline approached him without a single warning. How could such a thing happen?
It was when he was in the middle of a deep contemplation.
“…Ah, and in a corner of my core, there is a leftover sign from that existence. I don’t exactly know what sort of thing it is but…”
Due to those words, his head was lifted.
He abruptly walked up to the protector and held onto the other sides of the hole that was made in the middle of the metal plate before pulling them apart. When he did, the metals started bending like a jelly as a scream from the protector going, “…Kuhak!” was heard.
The mana core in the midst – although it couldn’t be seen by the naked eye due to it not being an object, Yu Jitae could clearly see it. Reaching forth with his hand, he touched the core as the metal armour started trembling.
In that moment, a status screen floated in front of his eyes.
[The authority [Vintage Clock (EX)] notices a twisted flow in time.]
A one and only authority belonging to himself. A power which rewound the time of all dimensions with him at the centre.
[The authority [Vintage Clock (EX)] discovers an element facing you with animosity.]
[The authority [Vintage Clock (EX)] expresses an intense repulsion towards elements that had escaped the timeline of worlds.]
[The authority [Vintage Clock (EX)] will declare everything that was not affected by the regressions, appeared from outside the timeline or those with their own timeline as enemies and will thoroughly examine them.]
Yu Jitae repeatedly read through the status messages several times. Just as he understood, it seemed that there was an existence in a distant place, called the Horizon of Providence, that held a dissatisfaction about his regressions.
He had no way of knowing the sorts of uncertain aspects that would be created but at the same time, it wasn’t something for him to get agitated about at this point in time. According to the status messages, [Vintage Clock] will notice the ‘hostility sent from outside the timeline’ a second before him.
Heaving out a deep sigh, Yu Jitae relaxed himself.
“…I get it, for the time being.”
A heavy weight that sealed the entire space finally dissipated and only then did the protectors let out sighs.
“Now, it is time to talk about your treatment. Unfortunately, I can’t hand the dragons over to you.”
The flashes of light within the steel armours became slightly clearer as the protectors held onto hope and expectation.
“So, I’ll let you go out if you guys want to. As long as you don’t cause any disruption outside, it will be fine. Anyone that would like to leave?”
“…I, I would like to go.”
The protector of Gold Dragon was the first to express its will. Having the cores crafted by dragons, the protectors could recover their physical bodies. The bent armours were unfolded and the detached parts of the body were coming back together.
A protector lifted itself up.
“And anyone else. Anyone else that would like to leave.”
While glancing around, the other protectors also raised their hands up. They had never volunteered to be protectors of dragons and they seeked freedom. Protectors of the red and the blue race slowly stood back up on their feet.
But until then, the protector of the Green Dragon did not show any response.
“Aren’t you going?”
“…”
“I’m asking you. Aren’t you going?”
“I cannot leave.”
Without sparing it another second, Yu Jitae kicked the protector.
Kaang–!
Due to the overwhelming power, the protector flew off dozens of metres and rolled on the corner of the alternate dimension. Its metal chestplate was crushed yet again.
“…Kuuk.”
It was not a simple strike and was a shock that struck at the source of mana itself. Slowly, he walked up and stood in front of it as he gave it another question.
“Answer me. Are you not going?”
“…I will not go.”
The Shapeless Sword travelled past the protector’s helmet and along with a slash, the horn of the helmet was cut off. That too, was a strike aimed at its source.
“Are you not going?”
“I, I am the one that protects the history of cause and effect…”
Even whilst its life as a living being was starting to flicker away, the protector of the Green Dragon held its ground. Thus, with an indifferent expression, Yu Jitae pierced through its neck with the Shapeless Sword. The killing intent that stabbed from the front protruded out from its nape.
“Not going?”
“Can’t… go…”
Due to the flow of mana being interrupted somewhere, even its voice was leaving in fragments. And yet its eyes still remained flickering and thus, Yu Jitae smashed the protector’s face with his fists.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
Every time a strike connected, the Black Gaze trembled. After merely three punches, the helmet of the living armour resembled a dirty rag. It meant that a shock at that level was being conveyed to its soul and from what Yu Jitae understood, it was similar to the pain of a human skull being destroyed.
“Not going?”
“…”
Even then, it persisted. After walking up to it, he stepped on the protector’s chest with his foot.
“Last chance. Are you not going?”
“I… can’t… do… such…”
“This guy’s crazy.”
Yu Jitae slightly licked his lips.
A reaction like this was extremely unexpected. To be honest, he thought that all four of them would desire freedom.
Eyes of Equilibrium faced its flickering eyes. The favourability appearing in his eyes was ‘dislike’ and it seemed to be suffering greatly from the situation. Despite that, it was holding on.
“That guy has always been a foolish guy.”
In that moment, a different protector chimed in. Different races of dragons were usually indifferent towards each other and maybe that was why.
“He is a fool that does not even grasp the freedom placed right before his eyes, so please do as you see fit.”
It was a scornful laughter facing a fellow demon race that could not even grasp an opportunity at freedom. Thus, Yu Jitae decided to push the protector further into a corner.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
Until right before its fire of life was about to die down, fists heavier than metal hammers continued flying in.
“……”
The protector of Green collapsed on the ground like a pulp. It’s one and only remaining eye did not look away from Yu Jitae’s gaze despite its weak flashes.
That was more than enough.
Yu Jitae was not interested in what other protectors thought all the way from their past up until now.
He was fundamentally a broken human. If necessary, he could kill one or two innocent men without feeling a single bit of guilt. That would be an evil act but in that sense, he was already an evil person and had forgotten the values of good and evil a long time ago.
There was only one reason for him to keep a protector alive in this current situation. And that was only if they could help protect the dragons.
And right now, only one out of the four successfully passed through his standards. Now this is what a ‘protector’ should be, right?
Besides, he also required information about the other side of the Horizon of Providence so keeping it nearby shouldn’t have a downside.
Finishing his line of thought, Yu Jitae turned his head away and threw his gaze over to the other protectors.
What was left, were the useless ones.