Reincarnated and Regressed Villain - Make heroines beg for forgiveness

"....." Yu Shao-Yan glanced at her hand, noticing that even after she had enveloped her body in internal energy at the last moment, the impact from the collision was considerable enough to create a distinct tremor.

However, she also realized that the swordsmanship of this young man was quite unrefined; when his sword met hers, it was evident that his strike lacked finesse and relied heavily on brute force rather than skill.

'....' Ryuk, standing just in front of Esme, who was placing her hand on Jenny's head while seemingly lost in her own world completely, tightened his grip on the sword, which was leaking a clear malicious intent to devour. Ignoring it, since it didn't have any effect on him, he focused on the woman in front of him.

Currently, considering the circumstances, he found himself at a disadvantage if he were to confront Lady Yu directly.

Despite him possessing brute strength, this woman was the matriarch of a cultivation family, successfully defending against most external threats. Additionally, she bore the title of one of the two swords of Jade Dominion, underscoring that this confrontation was a contest of skill versus sheer power.

"Have you finally decided to show yourself, Lady Yu?" Narrowing his gaze as he observed how she seemed to be analyzing things with composed demeanor even though her granddaughter was like a hostage right now, Ryuk called her out.

"Waking up just a few months ago, you seem to be a loud buzzing bug." Despite her calm demeanor and those words that seemed impassive, the sheer power she radiated sent waves across the battlefield, silencing the whole atmosphere enough to fill it with intense pressure that made it hard for anyone to stand on this battleground.

"A bug? Quite the word coming from someone who runs away out of fear." Ryuk didn't hesitate to mention the event that had occurred in Selvius's kingdom during his childhood when this woman's soul projection had arrived and then left after trying to execute a soul attack but failing and noticing his eye color. Seeing no reaction on her face, he inquired, '....Anything useful?'

[ Host, she isn't showing any reaction to your words; her mental strength is too high. ]

[ Analyzing for weaknesses. ]

The system began to analyze any weaknesses hidden within Yu Shao-Yan. However, this approach was impractical in battle because it took too much time to identify any weaknesses without letting the target become aware of it, which posed a significant disadvantage in a short fight, as had been the case previously in Ardoros.

At that time, when Ryuk faced Drishti Devereaux, her strength was so overwhelming that in a fight, if it occurred, not even one minute would pass before the battle ended, which prompted Ryuk to solely use his own strength instead of the system's.

Time was crucial at that moment given the enemy was too overwhelming, but right now, looking toward Lady Yu, he at least was able to hold his ground for two minutes or more.

Indeed, defeating her alone was out of the question given he was not strong enough, but who needs to be strong when you are in an advantageous position?

:: Liege, should I help? ::

'....Call back all the members of your battalion,' Ryuk ordered instead of having Regina help him. He instructed her to call back the members of the Devereaux family's first battalion stationed outside the continent, with a clear intent to not risk a single thing.

Right now, he was not just looking at a single enemy in front of him. He was well aware that those who had infiltrated and attacked the Celestial Phoenix Order were from the faction that killed the Empress.

This made it clear that if a battle occurred, where he sacrificed his health and energy, even if he defeated her, the end result would be fatal if suddenly a third party ambushed him.

:: Liege, what if we get surrounded from outside? ::

Regina seemed to weigh the pros and cons of the issue which could occur if someone from the outside attacked them when they were dealing with things inside.

'Hm, so we need a shield, isn't it?' Ryuk, hearing the words from Regina, understood the chances of getting surrounded, given that the battleships were also stationed outside, and it would be a hassle to use them in such a situation.

This prompted him to form a smile thinking about a meat shield which could provide great help in such a situation, adding, 'If something like this happens, we would just rush through them while keeping Jenny in front.'

[ Woooaaahh! What a masterpiece plan, Host; you are a true genius 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜 ]

'....' Ryuk, hearing the system's tone which sounded more like mocking, really felt that the system was underestimating the strength of plot armor, not understanding how, even possessing so much strength himself, he had a hard time dealing with even this woman, who should have been the easiest one to kill in his past life.

To be exact, in the battle of his past life he noticed how whenever his sword was about to cut Jenny, suddenly Edward or someone always arrived, deflecting his sword strike, leaving the easiest target among the group unscathed until the end after Maria.

After all, only Jenny in the last life's battle remained standing.

All of them were either lying down in a bloodied state or had almost lost their lives. But she was struggling while standing, even though she was the weakest after Maria in the group, making it clear how strong her plot armor was. (Chapter 1 for evidence).

In short: A perfect heaven-blessed meat shield.

"Bringing someone from Sword Valley, aren't you making your last struggle?" Yu Shao, who stood while not even trying to attack, sensed the presence of a woman with a very sharp sword intent. It was far overwhelming, comparable to her own. Both of them could be considered a match in sword prowess.

Given that the woman belonged to the Devereaux family and was from Sword Valley, she must have held a very strong position, making it clear she would also have experience with the ways the Devereaux family operated—committing genocide, destroying races, and killing people—proving how, at this disadvantageous position, there was a clear difference between her, who killed monsters, and that woman, who killed humans.

Killing humans and monsters are two different things, and Yu Shao was just holding her blade back due to the presence of that woman; otherwise, there was no reason for her to stay put and not deal with this young man who was nothing but a child with a strong sword—a child who had a weapon but lacked the skill to use it.

"How dare you underestimate me! Regina, leave this place! I, Ryuk Devereaux, shall put this woman in her place."

[....]

"....I understand, My Liege." Regina, suddenly hearing words from her liege while noticing how he had pointed his sword towards that woman while using a tone that he didn't normally use, felt confused, as even he seemed to force himself to say those words like that.

But being an obedient subordinate, she just nodded before her body once again turned into a streak of light and returned, leaving the inner pavilion with the intent to call back other members of her battalion.

'What about now?' Ryuk, pointing his sword in front, knowing well that his acting must have some effect on the woman who had such strong mental fortitude, inquired, thinking that now she might start attacking him while not remaining on guard or thinking there were more members from the Devereaux family waiting outside the Jade Dominion.

A perfect plan to let her guard down.

[...She didn't fall for it (⁠￣⁠ヘ⁠￣⁠;⁠) ]