I’m not a Regressor

I am not a returner Episode 288:

Dog and Wolf (13)

“Ugh… let go!”

Leoru, whose neck was grabbed by Horus, twisted his body as if in pain.

He looked back at Riak and shouted as if he was squeezing.

“If you kneel… you are not allowed!”

Riak’s shoulders trembled at Leoru’s sorrowful cry.

“I told you to be quiet.”

Bah!

Horus slapped Leoru’s cheek again.

Leoru, who was struggling, lowered his head, spurting blood.

“Now kneel, Riak.”

Horus glared at Riak with burning eyes.

“If you kneel here, I promise to release all of the captured Silver Manes.”

“…Horus.”

“It means you have to choose!”

The choices you made.

A choice I had to make.

force him

“….”

Riak chewed his lip and gritted his teeth.

Horus burst into laughter as he looked at his conflicted appearance.

“Aren’t you… the same in the end, Riak?”

To protect precious beings.

Is that kind of pride a problem?

No matter how miserable and ugly it is.

Even if it’s a dog and not a wolf.

If only I could protect my precious being.

It’s nothing like kneeling.

“Sometimes… you need to be a dog.”

Horus spoke to Riak, who lowered his head.

no.

Maybe he was talking to himself.

“…sometimes you need to be a dog.”

A laugh flowed from Riak’s mouth.

Horus frowned and looked at him.

“Then you don’t have to worry, Horus.”

because.

Already myself.

“I’ve been living like a dog for too long already.”

Riak looked up at the sky with a bitter expression, as if reminiscing about the past.

“…What does that mean?”

“I mean it literally. “For the past hundred years, I have lived as a dog, not a wolf.”

I was denying it and saying it wasn’t.

I was ignoring it because it was something that could not be helped.

I know now.

What have you been doing for the past hundred years?

“Did I ask you what you did for the last hundred years?”

“…okay.”

“nothing.”

“what?”

“Nothing was done.”

It is an excuse to say that one could not come out of the sanctuary due to the restrictions of the law.

Even if it was the Holy Spirit himself, the Holy Spirit could be active outside the sanctuary to some extent.

but.

He did not go out of the sanctuary.

After becoming the Holy Spirit of Vega, he stayed in the sanctuary and trained like crazy to become stronger.

Because I don’t want to regret it this time.

In the name of needing the power to protect those precious to us.

If I can overcome the ‘wall’ and surpass the level of the past, I will leave to make up for my past mistakes.

So I swore in front of Vega.

“It was nonsense.”

I couldn’t get over the wall.

Even though I practiced like crazy, I never grew.

It’s natural.

because.

Because I never once had any intention of climbing over the wall.

“I was afraid of repeating failure.”

When he was given the chance again.

I was unbearably afraid of repeating the same failure.

“Once again, I was afraid that my people would die because of my choice.”

So I gave up trying again.

I crouched down, surrounded by the ‘wall’ I created myself.

If only I could overcome that wall someday.

If only I could become a little stronger.

at that time.

Repeating empty promises to go out.

“I… chose to be a dog, not a wolf.”

Just like Horus.

Packing myself with all kinds of excuses.

Justifying yourself for the same reasons.

That’s how I lived.

A long time of one hundred years.

“…Riak.”

“At that time, I met a crazy kid.”

I still remember it vividly.

Oh Jin stood up shakily, his whole body soaked in blood.

A crazy guy who smiled brightly as if nothing had happened even after receiving several fatal wounds.

Are you saying there is nothing that can be solved with patience?

Where in the world can you find such crazy sophistry?

No matter how hard you try to ignore it.

Pain is real.

Fear is real.

It is not a problem that can be solved by enduring it.

but.

“That kid did it.”

“…What do you want to say?”

“Ever since I met that kid, I couldn’t help but look.”

“What do you mean you had no choice but to see it?”

“Something I didn’t want to see.”

“….”

Actually, I’ve known it for a long time.

no.

Maybe he knew from the beginning.

That he is just a coward making cowardly excuses.

Even though I knew, I was ignoring it.

He was turning his head with his eyes down.

Because I was afraid of failing again.

Because he was afraid of taking responsibility for those who would die because of his failure.

But after meeting Ojin.

After facing the brightly shining star in the dark cloudy sky.

He could no longer look away.

I couldn’t live with my head turned away from things I didn’t want to see.

-Are you a dog or a wolf now?

A question I couldn’t answer.

Now it was time to answer that question.

“This is my answer, Horus.”

A blue thunderbolt enveloped Riak’s body.

His black-dyed fur burned away in the blue thunderbolt and new fur covered his body.

Fur that shines with brilliant silver.

Creep, boom, boom!

With an eerie sound of bone fracture, Riak’s body transformed into the form of a werewolf.

“Krrrrrrr!”

Couuuuuuuuck!

When I stamped my foot roughly, a huge crater ripped through the ground, as if I had hit the window with a hammer.

The entire castle shook as if there had been an earthquake.

“I swear in the name of Riak Khan!”

A ferocious roar rang out.

“I am!”

Even if I repeat the same failure again.

Even if precious people lose their lives due to your choices.

“I will become a wolf.”

Let’s go!

A storm of blue lightning swept around Riak’s body and spread widely.

Coo!

He stamped his feet roughly and sprinted towards Horus.

“Ugh!”

Riak’s fist rushed in at terrifying speed and struck Horus right in the palm of his hand.

Bah!

Horus’s body violently bounced around as his head turned violently.

Horus flies, bouncing on the ground like a swallow due to the incredible power contained in his fist.

“Horus!”

Horus’s mighty personal guards rushed towards Riak.

“Chahaha!”

The SS warrior with the red mane swung his fist at Riak.

Riak dodged the fist by slightly twisting his head and roughly grabbed the SS warrior’s arm.

Wow!

The arm was bent at a bizarre angle with the sound of bones breaking.

“Get out of the way, kids.”

Riak violently swung the arm he was holding and threw it at the SS warrior running after him.

The SS warrior who was running was tangled and fell as the body was fired as fast as a cannonball.

“Stop it! “If they move, these guys will lose their lives…!”

An SS warrior thrusting his sharp claws into the throat of a captured Silver Mane tribesman.

Without even responding, Riak swung his claws at the SS warrior holding the Silver Mane clan hostage.

Lightning’s fingernails are made along the traces of fingernails drawn in the air.

A blue-flaming thunderbolt was fired at the SS warrior at blinding speed.

“Huh!”

The eyes of the SS warrior holding the hostage widened in shock.

Lightning’s claws were not aimed at just him.

A blow that pierced even the Silver Mane tribe he was now holding hostage.

“You crazy bastard!”

Seeing Riak firing an attack as if he was planning to kill the hostage, the SS warrior let out a harsh curse and threw himself to the side.

“Kaaaaaa!”

The Silver Mane tribe member who was held hostage was unable to avoid the attack and was hit by Thunder’s claws.

A terrible scream broke out.

“Don’t worry, you won’t die.”

Riak threw himself to the side and ran toward the SS warrior who had dodged Thunderbolt’s claws.

Wow!

He kicked the SS warrior in the stomach as if he were kicking a ball.

“Kuhuheook!”

An SS warrior flew tens of meters and crashed into the castle wall.

“Liakuuu!”

Horus rushed towards Riak, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

thud! Coogung! Kugugoogung!

Clashing fists.

Even though it was simply a clash of fists, a series of explosive sounds shook the entire castle.

“Are you saying you don’t care if your own people die?”

Horus’ fist hit Riak harshly on the cheek.

“Even if all those who believed in and followed you die! “Are you the only wolf who wants to protect his pride?”

“What’s left in your life when you throw away your pride?!”

Riak’s fist struck Horus’ chin.

Horus’ head tilted back.

Horus grabbed Riak’s shoulders and struck his forehead like a hammer.

“There is life left!”

“There is only life left!”

With blood pouring from his torn forehead, Riak grabbed Horus’ shoulder this time and hit him on the forehead.

Bah!

With a dull sound, Horus fell backwards, spewing blood.

“You became a dog to save your people?”

“Wow!”

He roughly trampled on Horus’s fallen ship.

“Stop talking nonsense, Horus.”

Blazing hot eyes turned to Horus.

“You were just afraid of fighting.”

Because he cannot bear the weight of mortal life due to his own helplessness.

I just gave up fighting.

“What are you talking about that you know!”

“Have you forgotten who I was?”

Her silver mane fluttered in the swirling wind.

“I am ‘Khan’ Horus.”

The weight of life that I had to carry more than anyone else was distant.

Nevertheless.

No, that’s why.

“I had to become a wolf.”

If I give in, everyone else will give in.

If I break, everyone else breaks.

If I fall, everyone else falls.

“that is.”

Riak’s fist came down harshly towards Horus’ face.

“It is a weight that ‘Khan’ must bear.”

Coo!

Just before Riak’s fist came down.

Horus barely managed to avoid Riak’s fist by twisting his head.

Riak’s fist hit the floor and the ground caved in and collapsed.

Horus rolled on the floor to distance himself from Riak.

“Huh oh oh oh oh!”

A trickle of blood flowed down the corner of Horus’s mouth as he exhaled harshly.

Riak slowly walked towards Horus, who was out of breath.

“You would know if you had been there for a hundred years.”

“I am…”

“Not Khan?”

Eat.

Riak let out a laugh.

He glared at Horus with cold eyes.

“How long are you planning on running away like that?”

“….”

“I have given you the answer, Horus.”

Now it’s his turn to give the answer.

“Are you a dog or a wolf?”

Riak looked at his old friend and asked quietly.