The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations (light Novel)

Aiden bared his teeth in a feral grin as he faced Ghislain, their swords clashing violently.
“Duke Fenris, I’ll grant you this much—you’ve truly pushed me to my limits.”

The 2nd Legion had been annihilated with almost laughable ease. Aiden’s strategy had failed to drain his opponent’s strength sufficiently. While the priests had managed to sap some of Ghislain’s energy, Aiden himself had expended considerable strength in his battle with Vanessa.
Now, both combatants stood on nearly equal footing, their energy similarly depleted.
But Aiden was not just anyone. He was the most noble, beautiful, and powerful man in existence. Such a trial was something he could overcome through sheer force of will.

Taking a step forward, his blade angled threateningly, he said, “Duke Fenris, the world is divided into two types of men.”
Ghislain let out a ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ quiet chuckle, recognizing the words from his past life.
Aiden ignored the reaction, continuing with fervor. “There is me… and then there are all the other men.”

“…”
No one exuded self-confidence as boundless as Aiden’s. If nothing else, his unwavering belief in himself was a trait worth acknowledging. After all, it was this very conviction that had propelled him to the heights of a transcendent.
Though Ghislain couldn’t help but wonder—would Aiden still say such things if he ever faced Julien?

Grinding his teeth, Aiden unleashed a wave of intense energy, a pressure so fierce it seemed to compress the air around them.
“Today, I will become a legend.”
Though his forces had been obliterated and his enemies remained intact, he still had a chance. Ghislain’s decision to challenge him to a duel was the opportunity of a lifetime.

Had the Fenris forces swarmed him, he would have been forced into a desperate battle of attrition, ultimately succumbing to exhaustion and death.
But if he could kill Duke Fenris here… and escape through the enemy ranks alive…
He could carve his name into legend.

This situation was merely a test from the heavens, a stage set for him to ascend to greatness. The universe itself seemed to conspire to make him a hero of unparalleled renown.
Rumble.
The force emanating from Aiden began to envelop Ghislain, as if the very air were drawn into his conviction. The exhilaration of potentially becoming a legend wiped away all doubts and fears. His mind was consumed with singular focus—killing the opponent before him.

Ghislain, too, clenched his teeth and summoned his own overwhelming aura.
‘He’s formidable, no doubt about it.’
That level of concentration… it was as if the entire battlefield had vanished, leaving only the two of them. Few could maintain such composure when isolated in the heart of a conflict.
Aiden genuinely believed he could kill Ghislain and escape. That confidence was backed by unparalleled skill.

But Ghislain’s conviction was just as unshakable.
‘I will win.’
He had never fought a battle expecting to lose. No matter the odds, no matter the circumstances, his mind had never wavered from victory.

Especially in a duel.
‘I’ve prepared for this.’
Ghislain knew Aiden’s fighting style intimately, thanks to their clash in his past life.

The man thrived on grinding down his opponent’s forces—troops, knights, mages—all to weaken them before swooping in to claim victory. In the previous timeline, Ghislain had destroyed Aiden’s army and Silver Knights but collapsed from exhaustion, allowing Aiden to take his life.
This time, Ghislain had planned differently.
Equipped with artifacts and Galvanium weapons, his Mobile Corps had dismantled Aiden’s forces. The Fenris Knights had defeated the Silver Knights.

‘I always wondered.’
How best to defeat Aiden when they next met. And now, after all his meticulous preparations, he had isolated Aiden on this battlefield.
He could have swarmed Aiden now, ending the fight quickly.

‘But that wouldn’t do.’
Such a tactic would lead to significant losses among his forces. Aiden’s skill warranted such caution.
Yet, that wasn’t the only reason.

The enmity spanning lifetimes, the rare opportunity to fight one of the continent’s strongest warriors, the fiery desire to triumph—these all compelled Ghislain to make a single decision.
‘I will kill you with my own hands.’
How long he had waited for this day, for this chance to confront the man who had once ended his life. Now, it was time to settle the question of who was truly stronger.

BOOOOOM!
Ghislain’s crimson eyes glowed as his 5th-stage core activated, releasing a torrent of raw, unbridled power. His energy surged forward, swallowing Aiden’s imposing aura whole.
The two warriors lunged simultaneously, their blades aiming for vital points.

Clang! Clang! Clang!
Crimson streaks arced unpredictably through the air, tightening around Aiden like a constricting net.
Clang! Clang! Clang!

Blue streaks countered the red, slashing through the attacks and retaliating against Ghislain.
Every clash of their swords sent shockwaves rippling outward, tearing apart the ground beneath their feet.
Neither man gave an inch, their duel encapsulating them in a whirlwind of red and blue light.

The battlefield seemed to vanish, leaving only the two of them.
The intensity of their mana created a storm, sucking the air into a vacuum-like state. Aiden’s blue-tinged blade slashed downward toward Ghislain’s head.
Ghislain didn’t retreat. Instead, his crimson-coated sword shot forward to meet the attack.

BOOOOOM!
When their blades collided, blinding light erupted, scattering into every direction.
The onlookers stood frozen, their mouths agape.

“A-amazing…”
“I can’t even see their movements.”
“I didn’t think the enemy commander was this strong.”

To Ghislain’s soldiers, he was an undefeated monarch. They believed he could dispatch any opponent, no matter how powerful, in a one-on-one duel.
Hadn’t he already defeated Kaien, Lutania’s strongest swordsman? Hadn’t he effortlessly dispatched transcendent priests?
This duel was on a whole other level.

The realization that Aiden could match Ghislain’s strength shook them to their cores.
The Fenris Knights, having grown stronger themselves, felt an even greater shock. Their sharpened senses recognized the true magnitude of the fight before them.
‘There really are monsters in this world.’

Even as a group, they wouldn’t stand a chance against Aiden. The gap between them was insurmountable.
Each knight clenched their fists, silently vowing to never forget this battle.
Clang! Clang! BOOOOM!

The ferocity of the duel intensified with each exchange. Their power surged beyond comprehension, unleashing tremors that made the earth wail.
BOOOOOM!
The ground cracked and split beneath them, rocks launching into the air.

Red and blue lights intertwined in a deadly dance. Each clash of their swords birthed explosions, each stroke a violent burst of energy.
But this stalemate could not last forever. Slowly, wounds began to accumulate on both fighters.
Slash!

Aiden’s blade carved into Ghislain’s arm, producing a sound like metal being torn apart.
Ghislain’s blade had slashed easily through Aiden’s arm in return.
The two warriors staggered apart, putting a small distance between them.

Ghislain glanced down at his own arm. Blood trickled from the wound, though thanks to his incredible regeneration, the injury closed rapidly.
This rapid recovery was a result of his rigorous training—techniques inspired by Gordon’s novel. The mana coursing through his body concentrated at the point of impact, mitigating most of the damage.
Aiden’s attack had been powerful enough to slice through his defenses, but the wound was shallow. However, the mana cost for this level of resilience was substantial.

“Hmm.”
Ghislain flicked his sword, turning his gaze toward Aiden. His sharp eyes assessed the enemy’s injuries.
Despite delivering a deep slash, Aiden’s arm bore only a thin cut. However, something peculiar happened.

Thwack!
On the opposite, uninjured arm, a small wound suddenly burst open, blood seeping out. It was an unnatural occurrence.
Aiden smirked as he turned his body slightly. “You’re quite skilled, as the rumors say. I didn’t expect you’d be able to make me fail to redirect a strike properly.”

To an uninformed observer, this phenomenon would seem inexplicable. But Ghislain wasn’t surprised.
He knew Aiden’s secret, a closely guarded one.
“You’re not just deflecting attacks, are you? You’re dispersing the impact internally when you can’t fully deflect it,” Ghislain remarked.

Aiden’s eyes widened briefly in surprise. He hadn’t expected his opponent to understand the hidden mechanism behind his mana cultivation technique.
Indeed, Aiden’s technique had a unique effect: it allowed him to deflect attacks. If the impact was too great to deflect entirely, the force would be distributed within his body, minimizing visible damage.
This ability had made Aiden virtually impervious to most conventional strikes. However, Ghislain’s attack had been strong enough to cause small, dispersed injuries throughout Aiden’s body.

“How did you figure it out?” Aiden asked, a note of curiosity in his voice.
Such techniques were nearly impossible to discern unless one had the skills of a master swordsman. Even then, Aiden rarely relied on his ability to disperse damage, making it harder for others to notice.
Ghislain grinned. “I know everything.”

He had spent his past life baffled by Aiden’s uncanny resilience. Injuries that should have been fatal had barely grazed him, leaving Ghislain to question if exhaustion had clouded his perception. Through careful observation and deduction, he had finally uncovered Aiden’s secret.
“You’re insane,” Aiden chuckled, raising his sword again.
“Well, you’ve got some strange abilities yourself,” Aiden continued. “Your skin’s as tough as stone, and you heal instantly. Is that your cultivation technique’s effect?”

“It’s just something I gained through training,” Ghislain replied.
He didn’t elaborate. The ability had come at the cost of immense suffering, including a dagger driven into his heart during his desperate pursuit of power. Yet, it had saved him countless times, granting him overwhelming combat strength against weaker foes.
But Aiden wasn’t intimidated.

“There’s no way something like that comes without a price,” Aiden said. “It must burn through a lot of mana. So all I have to do is keep cutting you until you can’t heal anymore—or sever your head, or pierce your heart.”
Ghislain smiled faintly. He had to admit, Aiden’s sharp instincts had quickly identified the weakness of his ability.
Both of their techniques came with limits. Prolonged combat would drain their mana reserves, leaving them vulnerable.

Victory would ultimately depend on who could outlast the other—or who could land a decisive strike first.
“Shall we continue?” Ghislain asked with a feral grin, his mana surging once again.
Aiden responded with a matching smile, his bloodied figure emanating defiance.

At that moment, the battlefield faded away. The war, their armies, the soldiers—all of it vanished from their minds.
Their entire focus was fixed on each other, on the duel that would determine the outcome of this battle.
And in that singular moment, they felt exhilaration.

BOOOOOM!
Every time their swords collided, powerful shockwaves rippled outward, shaking the ground and causing their bodies to lift briefly off the ground.
Their footwork never faltered, each adjusting seamlessly to regain balance and strike again.

CLANG!
Their blades moved with perfect precision, neither side overcommitting nor hesitating. They were equals, pushing each other to the brink.
It was as if this duel were the culmination of their lives—a battle fought with everything they had.

SLASH! SLASH!
Crimson lines began appearing on Ghislain’s face, arms, shoulders, and legs as blood sprayed from his body.
Aiden, too, was accumulating wounds. The strain of dispersing Ghislain’s powerful attacks was overwhelming his body’s ability to cope.

Thwack!
Each time one of them inflicted an injury, the other would suffer a counterblow.
Blood stained their once-pristine armor, turning it into a grim testament to their battle.

Hisssss!
Steam rose from Ghislain’s body as his overheated core strained under the pressure of his fifth-stage power.
Aiden, too, was breathing heavily, his wounds bleeding profusely as he struggled to remain upright.

Summoning his remaining strength, Aiden took a step forward, slamming his foot down.
THUD!
“I… will… become a legend!” he roared, his voice carrying the weight of his unshakable pride and ambition.

His goal had always been to achieve greatness. Here, on this battlefield, he couldn’t afford to fall.
BOOOOOM!
Aiden’s blade descended toward Ghislain, its blue aura still radiant despite his exhaustion.

Ghislain stepped forward in turn, his gaze unwavering.
THUD!
“And you… will die here today!” he growled, his crimson blade slicing through the air with raw ferocity.

Their swords collided once more.
BOOOOOM!
The brightest explosion of light yet erupted, the force so intense it rocked the battlefield.

“Urgh!” Aiden coughed, blood spilling from his lips as he staggered backward.
“Guh!” Ghislain gasped, his body faltering as he dropped to one knee, exhaustion finally taking its toll.