The Academy Regressor is Obsessed

Kwaaaaang!!

The doppelganger, struck directly in the forehead by lightning, couldn’t withstand the force and was pushed back, crashing into the wall. Smoke spread thickly, and Quill thrust his spear into it. A sound of flesh tearing echoed.

Even from a rough listen, it seemed like a properly landed attack. But Quill frowned and stepped back greatly.

He stood next to Asel and spun his spear shaft.

“The flesh is soft, but the moment the spear enters the skin, the flesh moves as if it has its own will. If I had stayed there, my spear would have broken.”
“Does it seem like the cells have their own consciousness?”
“…I’m not sure about that. Anyway, physical attacks aren’t ineffective, but they’re not very effective either. Seems like your magic is the same.”

Quill said, pointing at the doppelganger with his chin. Asel nodded while letting out a small sigh.

The doppelganger revealed beyond the clearing smoke. Having shed the shell it was wearing, it was now a monster writhing with a black, slimy, huge body.

It has no lower body, but six arms twisted oddly move like insects. Where eyes should be, a tongue protrudes, and dozens of red glowing eyes flicker inside the mouth attached to its abdomen. Its teeth grow in a spiral shape, and two pairs of tongues flick out of its mouth.

It’s a completely different form from Warren’s drawing. A terrifying heteromorphic existence that doesn’t even have its original form.

The prediction was correct. The doppelganger too was entirely assembled by someone’s hand with a synthesis formula, leaving only its essence.

It’s impossible to guess what it was combined with. One thing for certain is that, judging by its intact forehead, it seems to possess regenerative abilities and quite a high level of magic resistance. Asel clicked his tongue and looked back at his companions.

“It seems risky to send Quill alone to the front line. Is there anyone else who can step up as vanguard?”

No answer came. Saya showed an embarrassed expression, and Warren seemed to ponder but eventually shook his head with a sigh.

It was as expected. If one had to say, Saya possessed abilities that cause confusion like a curse magician, and Warren was an elemental magician specialized in long-range support. Even if they forcibly stood at the vanguard, there was nothing they could do.

Then only one person remains. Asel stood next to Quill while rotating his shoulder.

“I guess I have no choice but to go.”
“I hate to say this, but will you be alright? It’s the first time I’ve heard of a magician standing at the vanguard. Moreover, this is a real combat situation. You could die.”
“If I don’t go, you’ll have to do it alone. Can you?”
“What? I didn’t say not to come together?”

Asel burst into laughter at Quill’s quip. He said while imbuing Quill’s spear blade with lightning attributes:

“Let’s go.”

As he spoke, earth spears flew towards the doppelganger from behind the two, and fox-fire shot out spinning in a spiral. Asel and Quill ran following behind these mysteries.

Kwaaaaang!!

The spear pierced into the doppelganger’s chest. The doppelganger opened its mouth wide and screamed at the pain it felt.

[Mother! Motheeeeer!!!]

A voice that seemed to mix gender and age all jumbled together. Asel heard the creature’s voice with one ear and let it pass while putting his hands together in prayer.

Having stepped up to the front line, he doesn’t hold back on magic. Moreover, the opponent even has magic resistance.

If he doesn’t kill it, he’ll be killed.

So he simply kills thoroughly.

[Armed Steel Lightning]

As he put his hands together, countless weapons made of lightning rose behind Asel’s back.

All sorts of spears, swords, and shields bloomed in midair and rotated, then began to pour down towards the doppelganger all at once. Quill skillfully grabbed one of the falling lightning spears and threw it like a javelin.

The lightning that distinguishes friend from foe didn’t burn his hand, but instead stimulated his electrical signals to amplify his muscle strength once.

“This is nice!”

Quill rushed forward at high speed while laughing cheerfully. One of the doppelganger’s arms fell as if to crush him, but he avoided the attack with minimal movement and plunged his spear blade into the doppelganger’s flesh.

“Heeyah!”

In that state, he slashed upwards. Black flesh was torn away, and red acidic blood poured like a waterfall from the wound.

An acid strong enough to melt and dissolve the body if left alone. However, Quill didn’t panic. Thanks to an earth wall that rose from beneath his feet to take the blood in his place. Quill grinned as he retrieved his spear and moved around to the doppelganger’s side with a wide turn.

His gaze met Asel’s in midair. Instead of saying anything, Asel pulled back his arm wrapped in lightning, then thrust it forward strongly.

[Great Lightning Rush Kill]

Bzzzzzzt!!!

A rush of enormous lightning with massive quantity and energy blooms and instantly crushes half of the doppelganger’s body. The black mass that was substituting for its lower body disappeared as if evaporated, and before it could regenerate, Quill stabbed its tongue with his spear infused with aura.

Boom!

A warrior’s aura is a power that causes miracles similar to a magician’s magical power. The aura condensed at the tip of his spear exploded, simultaneously splitting the doppelganger’s mouth in half.

He gripped the spear with his arm, enhanced and flowing with electricity, and swung it widely horizontally. Torn flesh scattered in the air. It disappeared without leaving a trace when hit by the incoming fox-fire. Then the doppelganger shouted while crushing its own head with its hands as if squeezing it:

[Mother!!! Mother will punish you!! I will punish youuuu!!]

“Who the hell is your mother, you damn bastard!”

Quill shouted this while gripping his spear in reverse and throwing it like a javelin.

Thwack!

The doppelganger’s head, pierced by the spear, was smashed and brain matter and blood sprayed in all directions. Quill activated the retrieval formula he had engraved on the spear shaft for a hefty sum through his mana and gripped it in his hand again. Asel approached his side while sweeping away the falling brain matter with a shield.

He grinned while looking at Quill’s right arm where lightning was blooming.

“How do you like the new arm?”
“It’s the best.”

Quill answered while clenching his fist.

But that was the end of the jokes.

The two simultaneously turned their heads towards the doppelganger and showed serious expressions.

At a glance, it looks like an overwhelming battle, but the doppelganger had already regenerated all its wounds in that short time.

Its regenerative ability, far superior to expectations, was hindering them. If it were an ordinary doppelganger, it would have long since died and had its body dismembered. Who knows what kind of life form they synthesized it with, it regenerates instantly even if half its body is blown away.

“Looks like we need to kill it in one go.”

Quill said, clicking his tongue. Asel agreed with his words.

The doppelganger’s combat ability itself was terrible. Its attacks were ridiculously slow and it had no outstanding aspects except for destructive power, to the point where it was rather embarrassing how much fuss they had made. Nevertheless, the reason the battle wasn’t over yet was purely due to its regenerative ability.

To break that, they needed to blow away that huge body in its entirety.

“One big shot. We need to prepare.”
“Is it possible? A magic that can blow away a magical beast of that size in one go?”
“They’re a dime a dozen. Most are high-level magic so I didn’t use them for fear of getting caught up in it. But given how things have turned out, we have no choice.”

While they were conversing, the doppelganger extended its pointed tongue towards Asel’s chest. Asel manipulated his shield to deflect its attack, then conversely sent lightning through it. Even the doppelganger couldn’t withstand the pain of its cells burning, and it screamed shrilly while flailing its hands.

Quill spoke while watching Asel draw up magical power:

“To be honest, those two in the back. They’re not really helping much. It seems they can’t properly match the timing for support, probably because it’s their first real combat experience. If you move while chanting magic, I’m the only one who can protect you.”
“No need to protect me.”

Asel chuckled and stomped the ground hard with his foot.

[Lightning Nature Wall]

Simultaneously, a huge lightning wall rose as if to protect Asel. He opened his mouth while looking at the wall flickering with dark blue light:

“Step back. I can’t help it if you get caught up in it too.”
“…Is it safe?”
“We are safe.”

Asel continued speaking while forming hand seals:

“On the contrary, that thing isn’t.”

That’s all he needed to hear. Quill patted Asel’s shoulder once, then ran towards the companions who had stepped back. Asel glanced at his retreating figure, then stared at the doppelganger drooling profusely while chanting magic.

High-level magic that can be used without any precursors. To manifest its power beyond the limit, he even goes through the process of hand seals and formula chanting. After completing the magic like that, he manifests it without hesitation.

[Falling Lightning]

Bzzzzzzt!!

Lightning bloomed from Asel’s fingertips and shot upwards. It fell as a massive lightning bolt from where there were no clouds.

Kwaaaaang!!!!

Lightning fired at supersonic speed. There was no way the doppelganger could avoid it. It was directly hit by the falling lightning and disappeared, leaving only the part that was supporting its body.

It’s magic completed by pouring in half of the magical power in his magical core. No matter how synthesized the doppelganger was, there was no way it could withstand this.

But remnants still remained. Flesh bubbling as if it would regenerate if left alone. Asel spread lightning low to completely sear and burn even the remnants.

With that, the doppelganger subjugation was over. Asel exhaled deeply, and the three people standing behind approached him.

Quill was smiling refreshingly, but Warren and Saya’s faces weren’t so good. They were feeling indebted for not having done much properly in the subjugation battle. Asel didn’t think much of it, but it seemed they did.

Being disappointed in oneself and feeling guilty is a double-edged sword. Sometimes it helps growth, but sometimes it’s a sticky emotion that makes one sink forever beneath the sea of self-esteem.

He didn’t know which way they would go, but he hoped they would head in the direction of growth if possible.

“More importantly, we need to collect blood. What do we do since there’s no corpse?”

While thinking, Quill said while scratching his head. Asel answered, taking his gaze off Warren and Saya:

“Don’t worry. There’s always a way.”
“What is it?”

To his question, instead of answering, Asel slightly raised his hand. Then the doppelganger’s blood scattered on the floor gathered in one place to form a sphere.

Sloshing red blood with acidity. It doesn’t look different from ordinary blood, but it’s a strange substance that melts what it touches and even spreads poison.

Since he didn’t know what would happen if he grabbed it with bare hands, Asel levitated the sphere into the air and placed it next to him.

Fortunately, there was no need to keep carrying the blood around. It was possible to sufficiently block both the acidity and toxicity by storing it in a reinforced glass bottle that Saya had brought in advance.

The amount of blood gathered was sufficient, so this much should satisfy Saya.

Asel thought this and looked at Saya.

At that moment. Goosebumps rose on his spine.

The activated magical power is still operating without cooling down. Due to shaking off most of the magical power, lightning doesn’t bloom, but still, its momentum remains utterly violent.

The shield he’s unconsciously deploying is also stacked in layers, and with magic added on top of his originally thick mental barrier, he’s reached a level immune to ordinary mental attacks.

That’s why he could tell even better.

Behind Saya. The passage they had rushed through to catch the doppelganger.

He sensed a woman’s presence approaching from beyond it.

“I wondered what all this ‘mother, mother’ was about.”

A presence so faint it’s almost imperceptible. Mana that humans should naturally possess can’t even be gauged. It’s like sensing an inanimate object. What this meant was one thing.

The opponent had reached a realm overwhelmingly higher than his own.

“So I came to see…”

Eventually, she revealed herself, piercing through the darkness of the passage.

Disheveled hair. A woman with impressive tired eyes and a languid expression. Her appearance was sufficient to be called beautiful, but the group didn’t say anything to her. Instead, they just glared at her while taking battle stances.

On the contrary, Asel gritted his molars and searched for an escape route.

From the start, she’s not an opponent he can win against.

At least on par with Jervil. Now, having consumed half his magical power to unleash high-level magic. If the opponent goes all out, it’s impossible even to buy time. If he doesn’t want to die, he needs to leave quickly.

But how? The only escape route is the passage behind that woman?

“I can hear the sound of your brain churning all the way over here, young magician.”
“…!”

Her voice echoed inside Asel’s head. Asel almost instinctively grabbed the magical power being transmitted to him and broke it. The telepathy he had been hearing was cut off, but the recoil from destroying the formula returned to Asel instead of the woman.

“Cough!”

Blood burst from Asel’s mouth. He suffered greater damage despite grabbing and annihilating the opponent’s magical power rather than his own. Asel widened his eyes without even thinking of wiping the blood flowing from his mouth.

As far as he knew, there was only one type of magician on the continent who could inflict such formula destruction backlash on the opponent.

“Spirit magician…!”
“Oh? Did you figure that out from the recoil just now? I was deliberately hiding my magical power, but you have remarkable talent.”

Interest rose in her eyes, which had been languid. She stared intently only at Asel, as if the other people weren’t visible, and smiled faintly.

“I thought rats had come in, but unexpectedly, there was a golden rat hiding among them.”
“……”
“Oh my. It was a joke I made after a long time, but no one’s laughing.”
“How did you learn spirit magic while handling synthesis formulas? The nature of spirit formulas and synthesis formulas should be completely opposite.”

Ignoring her words, Asel asked. She answered with an unconcerned expression:

“Dual attribute. A talent newly created by pouring in souls.”
“…You created it?”
“Why are you so surprised? Opening new horizons of possibility by grinding up ‘living things’ like sacrifices and souls. It’s the path of an apostle that became possible after the birth of the demon of possibility, but it was famous for its definite effectiveness. Seeing that you don’t know such basics, it seems they don’t teach this these days.”
“……”
“Well, never mind. The very situation of having this conversation with you is ridiculous in the first place.”

She said this while sticking her hand in her pocket.

“It was research I attempted to see if synthesis formulas could be combined with spirit magic, but thanks to you Academy students, my laboratory has been completely destroyed. Even the child I was raising with such care has died.”
“……”
“But honestly, I don’t have much feeling about it. It was research I was going to scrap anyway because there were no results, so even if you hadn’t messed it up, I would have swept it away myself. However, that doesn’t mean I can just let you go from here, right? I don’t move based on interest like Jervil.”
“…What?”

An unforgettable name suddenly popped out of her mouth. But she ignored Asel’s voice and continued speaking:

“So die obediently. I’ll make it as painless as possible. I’m not the type to kill people so easily, you see.”

She said this and then burst into laughter by herself.

“It’s utterly disgusting even as I say it. Actually, that’s a lie.”

-Kieeeeeeek!!

A legion of evil spirits rose behind her.