Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 604: Direction (6)

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Everything burns.

The trees that had been painting the scenery of Peach Blossom Spring.

The stone mountains drawn like a painted canvas.

The soil holding the ground together.

The air.

───The world burns.

And within that horrifying inferno, the Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation opened both eyes wide with a flustered expression.

‘He’s different.’

The Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation recalled the Star Eater.

The Star Eater in her memories had something different from the Star Eater she was seeing now.

First, his face.

It was not that his appearance was different.

The Star Eater she remembered had always been grinning no matter when it was.

A light—

And yet not sly-looking smile.

But the Karma seat could not find any other difference beyond that in the Star Eater.

If there was one more difference, it would be the degree of his strength.

[.......]

It was true that the Star Eater had clearly become stronger than “before.”

However, even then, that point alone could not produce any emotion beyond surprise.

In other words, “the Star Eater who was no different from before, except that his emotions had grown duller,” was the opponent the Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation had defined.

[!]

Until just now.

The Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation, who had been wearing a faint smile, hardened her face.

What was still visible to her eyes was the endlessly burning world.

The whole world was literally burning.

As though it were devouring this world.

But the flames devouring all of it could not pierce through the defense the Karma seat had unfolded.

The Original was the same.

The scattering cherry tree maintained its proud original form even while everything burned hot around it.

But even though that fact was clear, the reason the Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation was flustered was—

‘The stars aren’t disappearing.’

The stars rising into the sky were not disappearing.

No, rather, they were multiplying.

[-]

The Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation’s gaze moved busily as she searched for the Star Eater’s location.

At least as far as she knew, when the Star Eater used large-scale magic like this, all the stars disappeared.

Because when he used one spell, he poured every last bit of magic he had into it.

But now?

The stars were not disappearing.

Rather, they were growing even more numerous.

Fwoosh—

[.......]

Even after he had launched an attack powerful enough to pierce the Karma seat’s defense, if only for a very brief instant.

[!]

The Karma seat, who had been moving her gaze here and there, soon saw Alon’s figure beyond.

Alon, standing within the burning world he himself had placed inside the range, holding out his index and middle fingers together toward the Karma seat.

He seemed to have defended himself in his own way, but perhaps it was insufficient, because his black coat was burning.

However, as though he did not care about that, Alon immediately began gathering magic and—

“Heavenly Mandate.”

He recited the phrase.

“Hit.”

─────────!!

At the same time, Alon’s fingertips turned into a vacuum for an instant.

With the flames that burned anything disappearing for a moment, the world visible at his fingertips briefly returned to normal.

“Karmic Retribution.”

And so.

When the vacuumed world shrank.

“Yearning of Return.”

The ordinary world in Alon’s hand disappeared.

And then.

Third-tier magic.

The original form of Air Buster.

True Vacuum Line Wave.

Pft—!

[?]

The Karma seat could hear a very small sound.

A tiny sound, the sound of something far too small bursting out.

At that, the Karma seat naturally lowered her gaze.

[......Huh?]

And soon, she could see it.

Near her heart, a small trickle of blood was not merely flowing.

Splashhhhh—!

It soon poured out, dyeing her clothes red—

‘My defense—!?’

The Karma seat was shocked.

For a brief moment, the Karma seat’s eyes widened at the sight, which was in a completely different dimension from what he had shown earlier.

Then she soon saw Alon’s condition.

Alon was coughing up blood from every hole blood could come out of, even though the Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation had not attacked him at all.

At that sight.

[.......]

The Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation frowned and swung her fan.

####

The fan held in the Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation’s hand is swung.

At the same time, life begins to sprout again from the devastated land where everything had burned and nothing remained.

As though time were reversing.

Trees begin to grow at a tremendous speed, covering Alon’s martial feat.

“Kgh—”

Even while watching those trees, Alon assessed the Karma seat’s condition.

As though she had not expected this situation at all, she frowned while looking at Alon. In addition, the blood scattering around the area near her heart let him recognize that Alon’s attack had taken proper effect.

But Alon, who had actually succeeded in landing the attack, did not seem satisfied with the situation before his eyes.

‘It missed.’

The place Alon had first aimed for was the exact center of the Karma seat’s forehead.

However, even though he had clearly aimed at the exact center of her forehead, the Karma seat’s defense had deflected Alon’s True Vacuum Line Wave.

Even though Annihilating Flame Vault had surely lowered much of her defensive ability.

‘This is the worst.’

Alon’s head filled with confusion.

Could he attempt another attack?

Would his body hold out?

Even if he could attack again that way—would the Karma seat really let herself be hit a second time?

“.......”

Alon lowered his gaze and looked at the enormous lotus, large enough for a person to enter.

The lotus did not open.

Nor was it destroyed.

It was merely maintaining its shape.

[......This time, that was a little interesting?]

Hearing the voice that came at the same time, he turned his gaze, and there was the Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation looking at Alon with a hardened expression.

Was it anger at having been attacked?

Or was it a sense of danger?

Those thoughts flashed through his head, but Alon soon pushed them off into one corner.

“.......”

A plan formed inside his head.

Naturally, it was still too early to give up.

No.

He had no intention of giving up in the first place.

Because even if the worst of the worst came, in the end, there was a plan.

Cough—

Coughing up blood, Alon formed hand seals.

......Once again, stars rose.

####

The infinitely multiplying stars become magic and fall.

The pouring thunderstorm and cherry blossom petals spread across the sky.

────────!

Time flows.

And within that time rushing past in a frenzy, the Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation realized at some point that Alon’s course of action had changed.

Was it because his condition was not normal?

[.......]

It made sense.

Alon and the Karma seat were currently continuing an extremely long fight.

A fight so long it was incomprehensible why Alon, who was pushing himself that far at this point, had not collapsed.

But the next moment, the Karma seat firmly erased that speculation.

Because—

[!]

For a very brief instant, Alon, covered in blood, fired True Vacuum Line Wave at the Karma seat, then shot toward the flower petals that were slowly opening, as though they were about to bloom any moment.

And while Alon headed toward those flower petals and looked at her, the Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation frowned as though she could not understand.

When Alon’s head turned and faced only the flower petals—

the Karma seat—

[.......]

Grinned—

—she smiled.

A smile different from any she had worn until now.

An utterly ecstatic smile.

[Aah—]

A small exclamation flowed from the Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation’s mouth.

As though she were enjoying this far too much.

An ecstatic exclamation.

Of course.

Because what the Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation had been waiting for from the very beginning until now was—

this very situation.

The situation in which the “Star Eater” would abandon his divinity through his own law, become a human capable of cultivating, and become a “cultivator.”

[......Heh.]

It had all been prepared for this one scene.

The reason she spoke as though she wanted some insignificant mage.

The reason she joined hands with an idiot who, like a child, ran around trying to save every world with a twisted ideology.

The reason she used her ability the moment she saw the Star Eater instead of driving as many humans as possible inside.

Everything was for this one thing.

To make the “Star Eater,” whom she had targeted even “before,” her successor this time without fail.

The Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation looked at Alon.

Did he know?

That the reason she had frowned was not because she had been attacked, but because the Star Eater had been hurt.

Did he know?

That the reason she had given him this much time was to deceive him.

Did he know?

That he himself had fallen into a trap.

Did he even know that everything was happening exactly as scheduled on the palm of her hand?

[.......]

Yes, perhaps he did know, she thought.

Because he was wise.

But even so, it did not matter.

Grin—

Even if he knew, in the end, his choices would not have changed.

[As expected, you make the same choice♥]

Deep greed and affection could be felt in the Karma seat’s voice.

As expected, he was different.

Different from the disgusting humans.

Different from the disgusting cultivators.

Different from the disgusting children.

He was simply sublime.

With mercy instead of cold-heartedness.

With compassion after abandoning heartlessness.

With warmth after closing his eyes to composure.

With humanity instead of ruthlessness.

He took a burden he did not need to carry onto his back without hesitation and reached out his hand.

Like a saint.

Truly.

──────Like a savior.

Always.

In any situation.

Unchanged.

He made the same choice.

Just like now.

[.......]

That was why she was looking forward to it.

To the Star Eater falling into humanity.

Abandoning mercy.

Abandoning compassion.

Abandoning warmth.

Abandoning humanity.

And finally becoming a cultivator—

“Aah—♥”

Unable to bear the anticipation, the Karma seat let out an ecstatic and delighted exclamation.

And at the very moment Alon’s hand touched the lotus just as the Karma seat wished.

.

.

.

.

.

[Ah?]

An incomprehensible voice burst from the mouth of the Karma seat, whose expression had been ecstatic.

As though she had seen something she had never expected.

And in the direction of the Karma seat’s gaze, there was the Star Eater and—

Fwaaaaaah—!

The lotus opening wide.

[What—?]

The Karma seat’s voice was mixed with an emotion that said she could not possibly understand.

Of course.

That lotus had merely been made by the Karma seat to look as though it would open at any moment, and it could absolutely not open that quickly.

Entering that lotus meant not only becoming a cultivator, but also accepting part of her power.

In other words, there were two ways to come out from inside it.

The first was to accept her power, forcibly injected without effort, and emerge one week later as a cultivator.

The second was to emerge by rapidly absorbing all of that power through training.

And when she herself had entered that lotus a very long time ago, the time it had taken was—

[Impossible—]

—three days.

Fwaaaaaaaah—!

The lotus blooms.

And along with it, Penia’s figure comes into view.

Her long hair dragging all the way to the floor, as though a long time had passed.

Then the faint Milky Way visible inside her slowly opening eyes.

And finally.

“It’s nothing much.”

A voice that seemed somewhat emotionless.

And—

Slide—

“Cultivation, I mean.”

Penia, raising her hand toward the Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation without the slightest hesitation.

And soon.

Woooong—

A star rose.

A deeply blue star.