Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 545: Black Flesh (3)
Previously on Became the Patron of Villains...
Right after white light burst forth and the world regained its original colors once more.
Before Alon’s eyes—
A massive path had been carved straight through the center of the gate.
Piercing through the thick flesh masses.
And beyond that, a gigantic tunnel-like path that had pierced even the cliff-like gate itself, something no famed mage would likely have been able to break through.
“!!”
“E-Everyone, move!”
“A path has opened!”
And with that, the soldiers’ breakthrough speed, which had started slowing little by little before the gigantic cliff just moments ago, accelerated once again.
“Let’s go—!”
Soon, seeing Penia confidently extending a hand toward the briefly stunned Alon, he nodded and moved forward.
Thus, though Alon’s group and the army endured some damage while cutting through the endlessly pouring flesh masses, they were ultimately able to reach the gate.
“Lord Alon! We’ll leave things from here onward to you—!”
Hearing the voice that rang out as though it had been waiting for this moment.
“Understood.”
Alon nodded and looked ahead.
Even now, nothing existed within the scenery before him.
There was only flesh.
And yet despite that, Alon’s heart felt much lighter.
“Over here— help!”
“Die, you bastards!!”
“I’ll give first aid!”
Because the soldiers were no longer drowning in despair.
Because they had gained hope and were struggling harder than anyone else to survive, to protect this world.
And so.
“I will end this as quickly as possible.”
“I’m counting on you.”
Saying that, Alon turned around without hesitation.
To deal with Al-Akulakka and defeat the Karma of War so they could return to the future.
To ensure the soldiers’ hope was not wasted.
“Let’s go.”
He moved forward.
####
Leaving behind the endlessly surging flesh masses, what greeted Alon after entering through the broken gate was—
“Ugh—”
“......It’s completely just a lump itself.”
A mass of organs.
A gigantic lump of organs pulsating while swallowing the entire castle, a castle even larger than those enormous walls.
Alon stared at that horrifying yet strangely overwhelming giant structure for only a brief moment.
“We move immediately.”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
The group immediately began moving.
And among them, watching Evan draw his sword as though he had been waiting for this and carve open the entrance while making a path forward, Alon recalled what Sia had told him.
‘Assuming we successfully guide you to the walls, once you enter inside them, you will see a gigantic castle.’
‘The castle Al-Akulakka used?’
‘That’s right. You could practically call it his temple. Head for the center of that castle. More specifically, the uppermost layer at the very end. That is where Al-Akulakka’s “core” is.’
‘And that—’
‘Yes, please destroy it. Something we cannot do, but something humans like you can.’
Recalling those words, Alon looked toward the sky.
At the end of the castle wrapped in flesh masses as though embraced by organs, he could see a gigantic circular garden.
A garden that would probably have looked rather beautiful before being consumed by flesh masses.
But now looked unbearably grotesque.
Looking at it—
“Let’s go.”
Alon entered the castle.
■■■■■■■■■■■■-!
The moment they entered, what they saw was a horde of flesh masses pouring toward them as though they had been waiting for Alon.
Unlike the creatures outside the castle, these flesh masses moved in perfect order, clearly under control as they shot toward them while emitting their grotesque screams.
However.
Slice—!
The flesh masses that flew at them never reached Alon.
“I’ll break through them!”
“I’m counting on you.”
Because Evan was cutting down every single flesh mass heading toward Alon.
Each time Evan’s sword moved, flesh masses were swept away.
Watching that sight, Alon unconsciously revealed a surprised expression.
As far as he remembered, Evan had never been this strong.
But regardless of whether Alon thought that or not, Evan continued cutting down the endlessly pouring flesh masses as they advanced upward.
And after advancing for some time—
When Alon’s breathing had started catching in his throat.
And when the number of flesh masses Evan had cut down had clearly exceeded several hundred.
“There it is!”
Alon finally arrived at the sky garden Sia had spoken of.
Craaash—!
Riiip—!
As Evan cut through the door, the sound of wood shattering and flesh tearing echoed out.
And once Alon’s group reached the inside, every one of them could not help but frown deeply.
“What the fuck is this—”
“Ugh—”
Evan cursed while Penia grimaced sharply.
And understandably so, because inside the sky garden—
“What the hell is that disgusting thing......?”
There was a gigantic sphere.
But it was difficult to call it a normal sphere.
Because it was—
Save me-save me-save me-save me-save me-save me-save me-save me-save me-save me-save me-
Let me out-let me out-let me out-let me out-let me out-let me out-let me out-let me out-let me out-let me out-let me out-
I was wrong-I was wrong-I was wrong-I was wrong-I was wrong-I was wrong-I was wrong-I was wrong-I was wrong-I was wrong-
Kill me-kill me-kill me-kill me-kill me-kill me-kill me-kill me-kill me Kyaaaaaaaah--■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■-!!!!!!!!!!!!
The thing forming the sphere was hundreds of heads.
Hundreds of heads with melted skin fused together into a massive sphere while screaming madly.
In a way that made the skin crawl.
......And was utterly revolting.
According to Sia, the moment that thing burst, Al-Akulakka’s ascension would fail.
Others might still not be able to deal with it even after reaching this point, but attacks from humans could absolutely shatter that core.
And indeed—
Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?Human?
Why-Why-Why-Why-Why-Why-Why-Why-
This is bad-This is bad-This is bad-
I don’t want to die-I don’t want to die-I don’t want to die-I don’t want to die-I don’t want to die-I don’t want to die-I don’t want to die-I don’t want to die-I don’t want to die-I don’t want to die-I don’t want to die-
The core of Al-Akulakka began chattering madly the moment it recognized Alon as human.
“I will handle it.”
The instant Alon tried to use magic, Evan shot forward as though he had been waiting for it and plunged his sword into the core of Black Flesh Al-Akulakka.
And with that—
—
—
—
The faces that had been babbling madly all froze at once.
Their mouths hanging wide open as though struck by an unexpected death.
And just as Evan unconsciously began to make an expression that said I did it—
Creeeak—
The expressions on the faces changed.
From wide-open mouths.
“?”
To sneers.
Heh—
Heheheheheheheheh—
Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe────────────────
As though mocking Evan for stabbing the core, the faces laughed madly while melting apart, displaying expressions full of ridicule toward Alon’s group.
And at that moment—
[I have been waiting.]
A voice rang out.
A very familiar voice.
Yet somehow slightly strange.
The moment he turned toward it, Alon’s eyes widened involuntarily.
“......The Karma of War.”
There, the Karma of War stood.
Crunch—
Crk-crunch—
With flesh masses swelling across various parts of its body.
####
Even the moment the Karma of War appeared, Al-Akulakka’s core was still slowly disappearing.
In other words, Alon’s group had achieved their goal.
The moment the core vanished, Al-Akulakka would no longer be able to ascend.
And yet despite that, Alon felt a strange sense of incongruity.
A sense that something was wrong.
While feeling that—
[What a shame.]
At the voice of the Karma of War, Alon looked at it once more.
Its appearance had changed from the last time he saw it.
Flesh masses clung to various parts of its body, and on its torn-off left arm was an unnaturally swollen lump of flesh.
Even its eyes, which had been glowing red just moments ago, had now turned black.
More than anything, the voice was different.
Unlike the voice that had told him, “I have been waiting,” this voice now sounded endlessly dull and lifeless.
And appearing in that form, it—
“......What did you say?”
[I said it is a shame. Possibilities from somewhere unknown.]
It spoke calmly.
Yet with a slightly amused tone.
[Your goal is to kill me and stop my “ascension,” is it not?]
The Karma of War’s words.
But from those words, Alon understood.
“Al-Akulakka.”
Alon spoke.
And at that, the Karma of War—no.
[Correct.]
Al-Akulakka grinned.
“How......?”
Watching that, Penia spoke in disbelief.
Because she too knew from Sia.
Al-Akulakka should not have been able to move like this.
[Curious? Curious how I can do this?]
As though willing to satisfy their curiosity, Al-Akulakka spoke leisurely.
However, Alon did not bother waiting for an explanation.
Instead—
“Reverse Heavens.”
He summoned stars into the violet sky that was slowly fading away.
‘There is no need to listen.’
Of course, Alon was curious too.
Curious how Al-Akulakka was moving the body of the Karma of War.
But that was not what mattered now.
What mattered was time.
At a moment where time was critical, a prolonged conversation was meaningless, and so Alon used Reverse Heavens without hesitation.
And at that moment—
[Hm, what a shame. You have no intention of talking. But there is no need to be so pressed for time. If you wish to kill me and search for where the core is...... I will personally tell you where it is.]
At that, Alon briefly showed a blank expression.
But a moment later.
“!”
He realized something.
He had no certainty.
It was merely deduction.
Using the magical knowledge and understanding of Divine power he had accumulated until now, he inferred what Al-Akulakka had done.
......A deduction as close to the worst possible conclusion as imaginable.
And.
[Ho— It seems you have guessed it.]
As though finding the situation amusing, Al-Akulakka—having seized the body of the Karma of War—grinned once more and thrust its intact hand into its own chest.
[Yes. The core you seek is here.]
At that moment, Alon understood.
The law of the Karma of War already established throughout this giant garden.
And the distorted wall.
And the instant he realized it—
[Now then, if you wish to stop my ascension, try and stop it.]
Craaaaaack—!
With a tearing sound, Al-Akulakka ripped open its own chest.
Dark crimson blood burst outward.
Yet it paid no attention to that.
Rather—
Simply looking delighted.
Simply smiling with maddened insanity.
[If you can stop it—]
It revealed the “core” embedded in the center of its heart.
