IBRIP l CH 152

Chapter 152 

“You’re misunderstanding something, mister.”

It was lucky for us that Agrisen had been locked in prison all this time.

“Yes, I admit this situation is troublesome. You are definitely a wildcard.”

Because of that, there was still something Agrisen didn’t know.

“But if things really reach a point of no return, we can always start over again from the beginning.”

At those words, Agrisen’s face stiffened.

“The beginning?”

Yes. The very beginning.

“The ‘beginning’ you remember. Waking up in that pure white room.”

Of course, for that to happen, I would have to give up myself in this life.

In other words, the “beginning” I was talking about could never truly come again—because I had already decided my top priority was to protect this version of me.

So, what I said was just a bluff. Not a lie, but also not the whole truth.

“Yes, because of me, the point of regression changed. Instead of going back 15 years like before, the timeline became unstable. You felt that yourself, didn’t you? But if I want to, I can return everything back to exactly 15 years ago.”

“Then why don’t you do it right now?”

Agrisen was not so easy to fool.

“You’re under threat, yet you don’t reset 15 years? For me, 15 years is nothing but a fleeting moment.”

I smiled faintly and shook my head.

“That’s true for you, but not for me. I haven’t lived through many regressions yet. I want to solve everything as quickly as possible.”

“…”

“I don’t want to go back to being a newborn baby again. So for now, I’ll grit my teeth and endure every trial—including your existence. If I reach a point where I really can’t take it, then I’ll rewind to 15 years ago. That won’t be too late.”

Agrisen might know Winter well. But he didn’t really know me.

But I knew him.

“So basically, even if you push us into a corner with threats, we can just return to 15 years ago and lock you in prison all over again.”

Agrisen’s lips twisted into a crooked grin.

“Heh… Then I’ll just have to repeat that ‘thing’ we’ve already done hundreds of times.”

“When? 15 years ago, you’d have just been locked up. We wouldn’t be able to have a real talk with you until after the [Star of Materia] appears. Do you really want to be locked in that room for another 15 years?”

Agrisen’s eyebrow twitched. As his mouth hardened, I pretended not to notice and muttered like a sulky child.

“And also… I’m still a kid, you know. Kids are selfish and do whatever they want. You wanted to see me go crazy, but if I really go crazy and stop caring whether you blow up the Tower of Magic or not… then you’ll just die, and that’s it.”

Agrisen stared at me, his earlier laughter fading as he seemed lost in thought. Then he turned to Winter and asked curiously:

“Friend, how did you end up meeting such a cheeky little girl?”

“There’s no one else like her in this world, so knowing won’t help you.”

“Oh? Hearing that makes me want her even more.”

At that, Winter casually tossed a small cake knife into the flames.

The black fire split in two, then slowly merged back together.

“Heh… so touchy.” Agrisen chuckled nastily.

I asked him firmly:

“Mister, can you return the stolen fragment of Winter’s soul?”

“If I could, I would’ve already done it. That tiny fragment has already merged with my soul. Even if I cut a piece of my soul off, part of him would still remain inside me.”

I hesitated. Winter, however, showed no trace of doubt—he clearly believed Agrisen couldn’t be left alone.

“Alright then. Let’s do this instead.”

I clapped my hands and smiled brightly.

“I can’t just let you go free. I need to hold you responsible.”

“Responsible?”

“Yes. Because of you, my magic circle was damaged. That day, I overused my mana and cracks appeared in it.”

I rubbed my stomach absentmindedly. Not being able to feel the flow of mana at all anymore left me unsettled.

Winter once told me it was a magician’s instinct. And because of that discomfort, I had already decided—I must repair my magic circle somehow.

“You’re skilled in magic, and you’ve dissected countless people inside and out. So you’re going to find a way to fix my circle. If you manage to restore it, then maybe I’ll be a little more lenient with you.”

“And why would I ever do that?”

“Because if you don’t, I’ll have to take out your heart.”

“…Heart?” Agrisen muttered, confused.

“Someone—whose name I can’t reveal—told me this. That if you take a magician’s heart, your circle can be restored.”

“Wait… take a heart? What do you mean—”

Instead of answering, I clicked my teeth together and smiled sweetly. Agrisen’s shadowy face, made of black fire, seemed to flinch.

“I can’t just take the heart of an innocent magician. So either you hand over your own, or you find me another ‘good’ way to fix it.”

“…Ha.” Agrisen sighed deeply.

But I ignored him and went on:

“You have until I find a way to remove your ‘heart bomb’ without it exploding. And if you spread rumors or try to mess with us from the shadows, I’ll make sure you never wake from your dreams.”

I waved cheerfully at the speechless Agrisen. Winter blew out a breath, and red flames began to burn away the black fire.

“Report your progress to us every month. If we don’t hear from you, we’ll come find you immediately.”

This was all inside a dream.

With Noe Rustin’s power, tracking Agrisen would be easier. Maybe “three days” was an exaggeration, but eventually, we would find him.

The black fire gradually faded, Agrisen’s creepy laughter echoing until it died out.

“Heh… You two really are the best!”

At last, only faint embers and a scorched table remained.

I looked at the glowing embers and murmured:

“…If Agrisen’s scales keep growing, could he turn into a dragon?”

He had already copied Winter’s regression and gained wordless magic.

Maybe he could even copy Winter’s dragon essence.

“He might become something similar. But not a true dragon,” Winter reassured me. “The essence of being a dragon—and regression—are the biggest parts of me. If he can’t fully copy regression, he probably can’t fully copy dragonhood either.”

Still, Winter reminded me that we couldn’t ignore the possibility.

“But if he turns into some incomplete creature, and people see him… that could cause problems.”

I nodded, forcing a smile.

“Before we track him down, let’s first find a way to stabilize the heart bomb. If he’s hiding among people, and he now has wordless magic, then as long as that bomb exists, innocent people will be at risk.”

Winter brushed his palm across the scorched table. The black marks vanished, leaving it fresh and clean again.

Looking down at the ash still clinging to his hand, Winter said quietly:

“Since this mess came from my past, I suppose I should start by apologizing.”