Spiral of Madness: Ascension of the Villainous Dragon Prince-Chapter 156 - 7th Regression First Day [2] — Awakened Esper

Chapter 156: 7th Regression First Day [2] — Awakened Esper

The prince waited for the familiar thread of fate to reveal Zorba more details about what had transpired... but nothing appeared.

"It’s not working?!"

Surprise flickered through him, but he didn’t dwell on it.

"My Lord, I’m back—What’s wrong?"

Seeing his friend alive, standing before him in the flesh and speaking, Louis felt a torrent of emotions crash over him at once—relief, guilt, gratitude, sorrow, joy.

"I’m sorry, Zorba, for never appreciating you enough. You are not merely my subordinate. You are my brother."

"...? L-Lord Louis."

Zorba’s mouth fell open, stunned by the tenderness in his master’s voice.

Louis placed both hands on his shoulders and gave them a gentle pat... but the restraint broke. He pulled Zorba into a tight embrace.

"A-Ah...!"

Zorba froze, so shocked he thought his heart might stop.

"L-Lord Louis?!"

He could scarcely believe it was happening.

"Am I dreaming? Is this a dream, Lord Louis?! Wait—maybe I died and this is heaven?!"

Louis smiled, a soft chuckle escaping as he patted Zorba’s shoulders again. "No, Zorba. This is reality. Stay close to me from now on. Don’t stray far. There’s a monster among the Vultarn High Dominion that wants you dead. We will face him together."

"...? O-Okay, sure!" Zorba stammered, completely overwhelmed by his lord’s affection. Happiness surged through him so powerfully he felt invincible.

With Zorba safely at his side, Louis turned his gaze westward. Mirai was in the plaza. He unleashed the full might of a Tier 7, his aura exploding outward in waves of Fantasium.

Since reaching Tier 7, his stats had soared, his Fantasium reserves had expanded dramatically, granting him greater speed, explosive bursts of energy, and far finer control.

Mirai had just teleported secretly out of the VPI. She was still confused about why she had been sent here without warning.

Andromeda had told her it was because her strength was needed, but Mirai hadn’t understood how that could be.

Until now.

Louis descended from the sky. Their eyes met.

"Hello, Mirai."

"...!"

Threads of connection formed, and countless memories flooded into Mirai’s soul.

At the same time, a deep sorrow welled up inside Louis.

These inherited memories were not a soul transfer.

He didn’t fully understand the process, but the Mirai standing before him and the one from his previous regression were not the same person.

Even though they appeared identical, they were two distinct individuals existing in two separate timelines.

Deep down, conflicting thoughts tormented Louis—guilt over forcing these memories onto her, regret that he could not stop the process once their souls met.

Yet he also desperately needed her help. He had to place these memories in her heart so she could connect with him and learn everything she needed to know.

"Huh? P-Prince Louis... You..." she murmured, eyes widening as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Are we... back?"

The memories fused with her, as though the Mirai from the previous regression had returned—even though Louis knew, deep in his heart, that she would never truly return.

"Yes," he said quietly. "Before anything else... I want to say that you’re not the same as the previous Mirai, and you don’t have to force yourself to—"

But she didn’t listen. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Didn’t I tell you? That I would accompany you? That I would be there for you, so you never feel lonely again, Louis?"

Louis’s fists clenched. Sorrow twisted his features, yet a faint trace of joy flickered beneath it. He knew this was wrong, but he could not stop it... it was Mirai’s will. "Thank you... But please, don’t force yourself."

Mirai smiled warmly at him. "I’m not. You may be right that a soul is not inherited, and maybe that’s why I don’t regain my power the way you can... but I can feel it. Within your soul, there’s a piece of me you brought here, right?"

"...!" Louis was stunned she knew about the bones he had refined into Soul Treasures without ever telling her. "Yes... They’re... your bones."

"Can you let me see them?" Mirai asked.

"...Are you sure? I don’t know what came over me back then. Why did I even do such a thing? I—" Louis was interrupted as Mirai stepped closer.

"There’s nothing to worry about..." she sighed, her eyes brimming with sorrow. "I know you wanted to keep a memento of me... but maybe we can turn that memento into something else... I have an itch."

"...?" Louis was puzzled. Mirai had become so unpredictable lately, yet he gave a small, gentle smile and nodded.

He summoned the Soul Treasure "Mirai’s Burnt Bones." A large collection of bone fragments appeared, along with a cracked skull, floating before them.

In the haze of his grief, Louis had never noticed the powerful Demonic and Chaos Energies radiating from the bones.

"So these... are my bones..."

"I’m sorry, we shouldn’t—"

"It’s fine."

Mirai reached out toward her own remains, sensing their power resonate within her.

The energy within the bones surged toward her, flooding her with tremendous force.

"...?! Wait, that’s...!"

Louis realized these bones carried "Mirai’s Legacy" itself—passed to her, and also to him through possessing them as his Soul Treasure.

He had expected her to absorb them completely, but they remained his Soul Treasure. Their power had dimmed slightly after the transfer, yet he felt it slowly regenerating for some reason.

"I can feel it...!" Mirai whispered. The Spiral of Entropy awakened within her. "The Devil..."

Her aura intensified as she fully grasped what her previous self had achieved and assimilated it completely. Even her Incarnation—the Devil—manifested beside her once more.

"It’s amazing..." she murmured. "Louis, I believe that Soul Treasure has the power to transfer my power back to me... and to you too."

"I have it—Ah!" Louis’s eyes widened as he felt something stir deep inside him—another Spiral fragment, one that belonged to Mirai.

The Spiral of Entropy.

A fragment of the Devil Incarnation.

And even a fragment of her ability, Devil’s Soul, had manifested within him.

To confirm what he felt was real, Louis quickly checked his Status.

♢♢♢♢

Name: Louis Drakeheart Yggdrasil

Classification: Sinner (Dragon–Human–Anomaly)

Spiral: Hollow Spiral of the Ashen Wyrm, Spiral of Sadism, Desecrated Soul Spiral Fragment, Self-Flagellation Spiral Fragment, Malevolent Plotter Spiral Fragment, Entropy Spiral Fragment.

Tier: 7 – Hollow Flame

Fantasy Heart: Level 50/150

Vitality: 1,144

Strength: 1,015

Intelligence: 987

Dexterity: 1,085

Fantasium: 12,000

Fantasium Affinity: 96%

Madness Index: 5%

Bonds:

Dragon Family Bond – Mother Benladra (Level 10/10)

Bond of Love – Mirai (Level 9/10)

Bond of Brotherhood – Cardoon Zorba (Level 9/10)

Bonded Entities:

Abyssal Mother’s Caressing Hand – Handy (Level 5/10)

Young Fairy of Light – Belladine (Level 7/10)

Gardener’s Memento – ??? (Level 2/10)

Abyssal Dragon Tree of Ruin – Nidhogg (Level 10/10)

Primordial Frost Sword Soul Heart Avatar Spirit – Niflheim (Level 5/10)

Soul Gear:

Celestial Spirit Soul Lance – Gungnir (Rank 2: 3%) (Slot 1: Rune of Slaughter) (Rank 3 Spirit Orb: Celestial Serpent, Heaven Phoenix, Salt Warden)

Gardener’s Crystalized Heart (Rank 1: 0%)

Zorba’s Desecrated Soul Spiral Stone (Tier 1: 0%)

Mirai’s Burnt Bones (Rank 1: 0%)

Elemental Affinities:

Ash Element: A++ Rank

Ice Element: A++ Rank

Void Element: S Rank

Dragon Element: C Rank

Ruin Element: B Rank

Incarnation:

Gravewalker – Tier 8 (Growth: 88%)

Psychopath – Tier 9 (Growth: 10%)

Necromancer Fragment – Tier 9

Pugilist Fragment – Tier 9

Dark Knight Fragment – Tier 7

Devil Fragment – Tier 9

Spiralwalker Abilities:

Ashen Frost – Tier 8 (Growth: 96%)

Death-Sense – Tier 8 (Growth: 77%)

Breath of Ruin – Tier 7 (Growth: 1%)

Blood Feast – Tier 9 (Growth: 36%)

Pain Weaponization Fragment – Tier 8

Iron Body Fragment – Tier 9

Soul Enslavement Fragment – Tier 9

Malevolent Play Fragment – Tier 7

Devil’s Soul Fragment – Tier 9

Esper Abilities:

Telepathy – F Rank

Telekinesis – D Rank

Mindscape Formation – F+ Rank

Psychic Aura Expansion – E+ Rank

Esper Spiritualization: Great Dragon King – D+ Rank

Bonded Abilities:

Healing Prayer Fragment – Tier 7 (Handy)

Light Element Affinity – C+ Rank (Belladine)

Soul Essence Restoration – Tier 7 (Gardener’s Memento)

Dragon Blood Forest of Ruin – Tier 7 (Nidhogg)

Divine Ice Dragon King Sword Style – Apprentice Realm (Niflheim)

♢♢♢♢

He was quickly taken aback by the flood of new abilities and the dramatic surge in his stats. His Level Cap had risen to 150, his attributes had increased by roughly 300 after descending into a Tier 7 Spiralwalker, and much more besides.

The Abyssal Dragon Tree of Ruin and Niflheim now appeared as Bonded Entities, as though they had become his familiars. Both came equipped with their own Bonded Abilities, leaving him even more stunned.

Above all else, a new Esper Abilities category appeared, listing the Esper powers he had learned so far. Unlike Spiralwalker abilities, these carried no Tiers; instead they were ranked from F to SSS according to their level of power.

As for the strange Bonded Abilities of his new familiars, the Abyssal Dragon Tree of Ruin—whose name was apparently "Nidhogg" for some reason—granted Dragon Blood Forest of Ruin. Louis had no idea what it actually did or how it qualified as a Spiralwalker Ability, given its Rank-based system.

Niflheim, meanwhile, had bonded a portion of her Legacy to him: the Divine Ice Dragon King Sword Style. It appeared to be a sword technique that had been converted into a System Skill of sorts. It lacked both Ranks and Tiers, but—like Cultivation Methods—it progressed through Realms.

Most astonishing of all, he could now see the Spiral of Entropy listed there. It had officially joined him as a fragment, yet his soul remained intact and showed no sign of exploding.

"I can feel it... yeah, you were right," he murmured, savoring the rush of power. "This is incredible."

"It is...!" Mirai nodded eagerly. "Now what do we do? Did you save Zorba?"

"I did. He’s right there," Louis said, pointing toward Zorba, who was peeking from behind a pillar and spying on them. The young necromancer’s gaze fixed on Mirai with unmistakable jealousy.

"His stare is... intense," Mirai said with a wry, bitter smile.

"My father is going to be killed soon," Louis continued. "But the Gardener has to be stopped before he wreaks more havoc on the Nameless Streets. Soma can help us—if we threaten him properly, I believe we can turn him. And about— Hm? Ah, he’s already here."

"Who?" Mirai asked. "Wait—the man you fought, Zorba’s brother!"

"Exactly."

Louis and Mirai turned their attention back to Zorba as footsteps echoed behind him. The young necromancer slowly pivoted, and in the distance he recognized the figure instantly: his brother, surrounded by several soldiers of the Vultarn High Dominion.

"Well, brother... we meet at long last. I don’t know why you came all the way here when your Final Act was happening over there, but it doesn’t matter now. Shall we proceed to the climax?"

Zorba’s eyes widened; his mouth fell open in disbelief.

"V-Veynar?"

A torrent of memories, trauma, and raw emotion crashed through Zorba’s mind and heart. His knees buckled, and he dropped to the ground, utterly shocked to see his long-lost brother standing alive before him.

"But didn’t I... Didn’t you die... by my hand?"

"Well, you did kill me, brother. And I’m still very resentful about that."

"..."

Louis and Mirai walked slowly beside Zorba. The prince gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Lord Louis..." Zorba muttered. "That man is...!"

"I know," Louis said. "Your brother—the one you said you killed to claim your Spiral, right?"

"...! Yes..." Zorba swallowed hard. "I... don’t know what’s happening anymore... this is so confusing, I—"

"There’s no need to be confused, Zorba," Louis said firmly. "We will kill your brother right now, so he stays dead, just as you told us."

"...?!" Zorba stared at Lord Louis in stunned awe. "W-Wait...! You can’t! He’s my dear brother, Lord Louis!"

"Your dear brother?" Louis asked quietly. "Zorba, did he ever consider you his brother?" He turned his gaze forward. "Did you, Veynar?"

Veynar raised an eyebrow and stepped slowly out of the rubble. He faced Louis, Mirai, and Zorba with a confident smile, spreading his arms as he shook his head.

"Well, well, if it isn’t Lord Louis Drakeheart Yggdrasil! So the rumors are true—you didn’t die after all." He chuckled. "Would you mind stepping aside? I need to slay that traitor. And... isn’t he the man who tried to kill you? Why are you protecting him?"

"I have no obligation to answer any of your questions," Louis replied coldly. "Now, if you don’t want to die gruesomely, come with me right now. I have an excellent place for people like you—in the maws of a Grievance."

"Hah?" Veynar’s eyebrow arched higher. "Are you delusional? Haha... Hahahaha! The crippled prince thinks he can just show up and—"

RUMBLE!

Louis wasted no time. In a nanosecond he fused with his major Incarnations and transformed into his False Dragonoid form.

He surged toward Veynar at blinding speed. His glowing spear, Gungnir, drank in his Soul Essence and erupted with a massive bloom of Nirvana Flames shaped like crimson roses.

"Eh?"

CRAAASH!

Before Veynar could even react, Louis’s spear plunged into his chest, piercing straight through his Fantasy Heart. A barrage of dozens of consecutive thrusts followed in an instant.

"Aaaaaggghhhh!"

Veynar tried to call for the Dark Knight’s aid, but Mirai was already overwhelming his Incarnation, leaving him completely helpless.

Louis gave him no opening.

BOOOM!

Veynar’s body smashed through several abandoned houses. He vomited blood and stared at Louis’s approaching figure with trembling eyes.

"W-Wa... Wait...! You’re not... that strong...! Wait..." he rasped. "You’re not supposed to be this strong...! Just give me a second to—"

"Maybe your information is outdated," Louis said calmly.

His spear hurtled straight toward Veynar’s face.

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