Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 475: Astarotte (6)

[Impressive. Star Eater.]

“......”

In response to the Descended One’s voice, Alon remained silent, observing.

The Descended One appeared unchanged from before.

Its gaunt, skeletal form.

The twin spears lodged where its head ought to be.

Even the robes, reminiscent of a monk’s attire.

Not a single detail had altered.

Yet, Alon sensed the difference.

It had undeniably transformed.

Its voice was no longer that of an aged man.

It no longer addressed Alon as “brother.”

Furthermore, its speech pattern had shifted, moving from the tone of a devout follower serving a deity to one laced with cynicism.

[I concede. You are indeed someone who merits the notice of high-ranking Divine blood. However—]

The instantaneously regenerated body and the altered aura spread tension once more across the faces of the Divine blood, who had been thrown into dismay.

[-So, what is your next move?]

In stark contrast, the Descended One exuded composure.

[You have deduced correctly. That the fragments serve merely as bait, that my objective was the subjugation force itself, and most crucially, that I cannot ‘absorb’ without witnessing the opponent’s abilities—all these points are accurate. But should there be one aspect you failed to consider—]

Crush—!

The head of a Divine blood, moments prior frozen in anticipation, exploded.

[-Regrettably, the ‘conditions’ have already been met.]

The Descended One cast its gaze down upon the Divine blood that had collapsed, its head obliterated.

Then, its attention shifted back to Alon.

As if the other Divine blood individuals were utterly insignificant.

[Star Eater, do you comprehend? Why does Divine blood of only the first tier manage to devour merely a handful of fragments?]

After posing this inquiry, the Descended One—

[There are countless explanations. But they converge into a single, exceedingly simple truth. A first-tier Divine blood is simply far too frail to accommodate more than two fragments.]

“……!”

provided the answer.

And within its words, Alon perceived its intent—and simultaneously, witnessed its manifestation.

[In other words, if one possesses sufficient power, absorbing fragments becomes feasible.]

On the hand of the Descended One, a ‘fragment’ shaped like a spear had materialized at some point.

[Ah—]

Gazing at the newly formed spear, the Descended One adopted an expression of rapture, idly toying with the blade’s tip.

[Initially, there were two brothers devoted to Astarotte. Yet, that proved insufficient.]

From the spear’s point down to the guard.

[Next came Astarotte’s brethren. But that, too, was not enough.]

From the guard down the shaft.

[Consequently, I then consumed the brothers who had retrieved fragments, but even that did not satisfy my needs. However—]

At that precise instant—

the Divine blood acted on pure instinct.

For they were all aware.

The entity before them.

They had to impede the Descended One, now clutching the fully formed spear firmly in both hands.

The moment this realization dawned, the Divine blood sprang into action.

From the mouth of the leading Divine blood, a terrifying blade erupted forth.

Another Divine blood grotesquely enlarged its physique, while the «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» individual beside it splayed its limbs outwards in all directions, resembling an inverted star.

The powers they had deliberately held back until this moment, to protect their allies, were all unleashed simultaneously.

Nevertheless—

[Now, finally… I shall realize the grand design.]

Imbued with ecstasy, the Descended One moved a single step faster than the Divine blood—

and without the slightest hesitation, brought down the spear it wielded—

KWA A A A A A NG—!!

—yet its descent was halted.

Crackle—!

Golden lightning erupted and scattered in every direction.

Within the chaotic display—

even through the swirling dust cloud—

golden hair that retained its radiant luster.

And eyes that blazed with unparalleled intensity amidst that brilliance.

And—

“Rangchang rangchang—”

The descended Thunder God murmured softly.

[This is naught but a futile struggle.]

Even after enduring Seollang’s fearsome, impossibly precise strike, the Descended One emerged unscathed and composed.

Crunch—!

The battle commenced in earnest.

####

Crackle—!

With a surge of terrifying lightning, Seollang’s form vanished, marking the true beginning of the conflict.

KWA A A A A—!!

Brilliant golden lightning and concussive blasts erupted in rapid succession.

Amidst the chaos—

the Divine blood rushed forward, aiming to assist Seollang in vanquishing the Descended One.

However, the tide of the battle did not appear favorable.

Even when confronting both Seollang and the Divine blood concurrently, the Descended One was systematically eliminating them one by one.

Yet, even in this dire circumstance, Alon detected a flicker of hope.

‘Still insufficient.’

Alon’s gaze remained fixed on the Descended One, which continued to dispatch Divine blood individuals even at this moment.

Despite having ample opportunity to embed the fragment within itself, it refrained, choosing instead to press its assault on the Divine blood.

This indicated, unequivocally, that the Descended One was not yet prepared for the absorption.

In other words, at the very last moment when its purpose had been revealed by Alon, it had hastily concocted a desperate plan.

The intent was to instill an unbearable sense of crisis within the Divine blood, compel them to utilize their powers, and subsequently absorb those abilities.

‘There’s still time available.’

Alon calmly evaluated the unfolding situation and arrived at a conclusion.

Having already assimilated the Divine blood that had followed it—as well as the preceding subjugation force—its current strength was undeniably formidable.

The Descended One was not faltering at all, even while enduring the assaults from both the Divine blood and Seollang.

Should it succeed in absorbing all the remaining Divine blood, it would likely become an opponent that was virtually impossible to stop.

This was precisely why it had to be halted at this juncture.

Within this limited window of opportunity, before it could achieve the strength necessary to absorb the fragment.

“...Hoo—”

Alon verified that the ‘preparations’ were nearing completion and, simultaneously, recalled two new deductions as his gaze settled upon the Descended One.

‘When it engages in combat at its peak capacity, it is unable to summon the Divine blood it has previously absorbed.’

If summoning them through mere absorption of Divine blood, whose abilities it had observed, were possible, it would have undoubtedly done so already.

Regardless of how diminished the summoned entities might be, the sheer difference in numbers could not be overlooked.

Therefore, at this present moment, it was a reasonable assumption that it could not call them forth.

‘Furthermore, judging by its own declarations, its power likely escalates in proportion to the quantity it absorbs.’

Recalling the pronouncements made by the Descended One, Alon shifted his focus towards Seollang.

Previously, he had been able to track her movements with residual afterimages—

but now, even that was beyond his capability, as she moved with astonishing speed.

Even with the assistance of other Divine blood, she persisted in battling a second-tier Divine blood entity.

...Although, in all honesty, she was merely functioning as a time-buying force.

For a fleeting instant, Alon managed to catch sight of Seollang’s indistinct form.

Despite being enveloped in brilliant golden lightning, her physical condition did not appear favorable.

A lengthy gash coursed across her right arm, causing blood to spray, and her entire body was a tapestry of wounds.

And finally—

a profound exhaustion, evident even to Alon’s eyes.

It clearly indicated that she was approaching the very edge of her capabilities.

Naturally.

No matter how much her strength had increased, even with the reinforcement from other Divine blood—

her adversary was an entity that had attained the second tier, having absorbed the essence of dozens of Divine blood.

The instant this thought materialized in his mind, Alon observed Seollang’s gaze turning towards him.

Still retaining her characteristic demeanor—

yet simultaneously different.

Meeting her gaze, Alon offered a nod.

A nod—

Upon receiving Alon’s tacit approval, Seollang responded with a nod of her own.

####

A disturbing sound emanated from Seollang’s arm—

Crunch—!

“Ugh—!”

Suppressing the involuntary cry that threatened to escape, Seollang fixed her eyes on the Descended One.

‘Victory is impossible.’

Winning was simply not an option.

Gazing at the Divine blood entity before her, Seollang’s assessment was coldly pragmatic.

The conclusion she had reached would remain unaltered, even by the slimmest chance.

This was because it was a judgment formed not solely by her, but in conjunction with the inheritors who had preserved this essential knowledge through the ages.

Nevertheless, even if assured of defeat, Seollang harbored no intention of relinquishing this confrontation.

From the outset, her objective had never been to achieve victory.

Seollang’s true purpose was—

Boom—!

to effectively buy precious time.

Nod.

And now—

there was no longer any necessity for that strategy.

Crackle—!

Having confirmed Alon’s affirmative nod, Seollang unleashed lightning once more.

However, the energy now enveloping her was not the familiar golden lightning—

but instead, crimson lightning.

Among those who had inherited its essence throughout history, this was the lightning wielded by the 13th inheritor—a power capable of temporarily pushing physical capabilities to their absolute zenith, now surging around her.

[At last—!!?]

During that brief moment of opportunity, Seollang struck down another Divine blood entity and drove her assault into the shoulder of the Descended One, which wore a smug smile.

KWA A A A A A NG—!!!

With a concussive explosion that erupted instantaneously, Seollang expelled crimson blood from her mouth, a consequence of wielding that fierce lightning even for a mere instant—but she paid it no heed.

For with this act, all that she was required to accomplish was concluded.

Seollang’s gaze then shifted back to the Descended One.

The Descended One, violently propelled to the ground by her strike, momentarily froze in sheer astonishment.

Subsequently, it raised the dark fragment it had been clutching, intending to plunge it into its own head—

[!]

—and abruptly halted.

[What—!]

For the first time, palpable agitation flickered across the Descended One’s visage.

And concurrently—

stars began to emerge in the celestial expanse, which had been obscured by oppressive dark clouds.

One transformed into two.

Two became four.

Four multiplied to eight.

Eight rapidly escalated—

in an instant, to countless stars, beyond any hope of enumeration.

Within a night sky that had lost its Milky Way—

they began to appear.

And to the very spot where the attention of all Divine blood entities was now drawn—

[Star Eater......!]

Alon stood there.

Positioned in the heavens, meticulously forming hand seals, he gazed down upon the scene below with a solemn and composed demeanor.

Directly above him—

─────────!!!

Accompanied by a terrifying rending sound that tore through the very air,

a column of unadulterated white light descended, obliterating the dark clouds and revealing itself to all present.

Even the looks of despair that had been intensifying moments ago on the face of the Divine blood were completely consumed by the white radiance. Soon— behind Alon, six arms materialized. Hand Seals of Water and Ice, Sixfold Knot, began to form. And the stars suspended in the heavens were unleashed as pure white light in unison— Grrrrrrrrrr—!!! Their formations twisted. From a simple column of white— into the shape of a spiraling arrow. And then, that spiraling arrow— “Sniping of Oblivion—” —Revised Before the Descended One could react, the moment Alon uttered a word, it began its descent. Seollang immediately attempted to move— “!” —but found herself unable to. Thud—! Her body faltered and she crumpled, her gaze dropping. There— a black hand, conjured by the Descended One, which hadn't been there moments prior, was ensnaring her even as it was being pulverized by the surging magical power. “Ah.” Seollang let out a soft sigh involuntarily. For instinctively, she understood. She was incapable of breaking free from this grip. Had it been her usual self, perhaps escape would have been feasible. But unfortunately, at present— she had expended the vast majority of her strength. And moreover— the grievous injuries inflicted during the battle with the Descended One, coupled with the expenditure of the red lightning, had left her in a condition where she could barely muster any power. ...To such an extent that she lacked the strength to sever her own leg, which the black hand held captive. “......” Seollang lifted her gaze towards the sky. There, the arrow continued its inexorable fall. If it struck, she would undoubtedly perish alongside the Descended One. “Ah......” Death. At that word, both unfamiliar and eerily familiar, Seollang's eyes welled with apprehension. And then, utter despair began to envelop her thoughts. Because she knew. Alon would not halt that assault. ...Seollang was aware he possessed a kind disposition. But she also understood that this kindness did not equate to foolishness. If Alon were to cease the attack now to save her, that would constitute a foolish act. Should he stop it, she might live— but the Descended One would then seize the fragment. And subsequently, all hope of stopping him would be extinguished. Which implied that everyone present would perish. ...The individuals he was bound to protect. “......” Seollang shifted her gaze to a distant point. There— she could discern Basiliora, Blackie, and Evan and Penia. Those who invariably remained by Alon's side— those who were cherished by him above all else. ...Beings he had to safeguard at all costs, alongside his own existence. And in comparison to them— what of herself? Alon was already aware. That she was no longer someone who had forged a bond with him. That she was no longer someone he could even address by the same name. ...He understood it all. That she was no longer Seollang. “......” The things that must never be lost— and that which was no longer held dear. Which choice to make— was unequivocally clear. Seollang observed the black hands before her as they gradually contorted into the shape of spears. Malice, intent on extinguishing her life without allowing her a chance to live. Witnessing this, sensing her imminent end, Seollang closed her eyes. ...Contemplating a fantasy that would never materialize— of how circumstances might have unfolded differently had she been her original self. With a chilling metallic resonance— she simply shut her eyes. And then— what reached Seollang's ears— was not the anticipated sound of flesh being rent. Nor was it the ringing in her ears from auditory obliteration. Nor the deafening roar of a world disintegrating. It was simply— Crunch—! The sound of brittle metal fracturing. And upon reopening her eyes at that distinct noise— Seollang beheld it. “......Ah.” A coat hemline that should absolutely never— should never have appeared before her eyes— ...and yet one she had longed to see— was gently swaying. “...Are you alright?” A voice she believed she would never again hear— reached her ears once more. She found herself compelled to hold her breath. But only for a fleeting instant. Seollang soon gazed at Alon with eyes filled with tremors. Because she comprehended the consequence his decision would inevitably bring. “......” “......” Seollang looked at Alon, who had now directed his gaze towards her. “!” And she couldn't help but be overwhelmed with astonishment. Because the edges of Alon's usually impassive mouth had curved upwards in the slightest degree, forming a smile. As if to offer her reassurance. “I am aware of your concerns.” And then— tap— placing his hand silently upon Seollang’s head— “It will be alright.” Simply— “There is a way.” he murmured, and Alon commenced his focus. To wield the law bestowed upon him.