Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 607: Hol (2)

The sunset-colored earth, now being consumed by blackness.

The corpse hanging in the sky.

The believer who had been praying toward the temple.

Even the temple itself had vanished from that place.

“......”

[.......]

There were two people there.

No.

There was a half-human, half-sin, and a Karma seat.

“Phew—”

[.......]

The difference in their conditions was clear.

The Karma seat of Salvation maintained a state that was, overall, not very different from before.

What could be seen were only small wounds, and there seemed to be no loss of flesh at all.

In contrast, Deus was in an extremely serious state.

Because his body had already spilled more blood than a fatal amount.

At a simple glance, it was a situation where victory and defeat seemed far too clear.

However, if there was one strange thing, it was the expressions of the two.

Deus was still looking at the Karma seat of Salvation expressionlessly.

But.

[.......]

The Karma seat of Salvation did not look very good.

His expression was stiff at a glance, to the point that even the smiling clown mask could not particularly hide it.

[Why go that far?]

In the middle of that, the Karma seat of Salvation asked a question.

He looked at Deus as if he could not understand.

[It must hurt. It must be painful. You should want to faint even now. And yet— how are you standing like that?]

The voice of the Karma seat of Salvation slowly hardened.

It could be felt that his mood was dropping in real time.

“......”

In the brief silence that came after a long battle, Deus thought for a moment.

There was nothing wrong with what he had said.

In exchange for possessing omnipotent power within this space, the Karma seat of Salvation could only perform “salvation.”

In other words, unless the other party wanted it, the Karma seat of Salvation could never win against that party.

However, even so, that did not mean one could not feel pain.

“......Why am I standing, you ask.”

Deus lowered his gaze and looked at his own hand.

A trembling hand.

It was not that he could not feel pain.

Even now, he was feeling agony as though his entire body were being crushed.

With the regenerative power he had obtained after becoming half-human, half-sin, and with regeneration added due to the characteristics of this world unfolded by the Karma seat of Salvation, he could continue moving, but the pain did not disappear.

But even so, what was the reason Deus could stand?

......

There were probably many.

No, there were many.

Among them, if he had to clearly point to the reason he could stand right now.

“Because I received trust.”

That was it.

With an expression that said he absolutely did not want to.

But.

At the same time, because he had received the trust of the one who had nodded firmly, as if saying he believed in Deus.

[Ha—]

And the moment those words came out.

The Karma seat of Salvation let out a low, hollow laugh.

Then.

Slowly, he removed his mask.

Between the removed mask, the Karma seat’s face was revealed.

Unlike the smiling clown face, the Karma seat revealed a face twisted into a deep frown, and looked at Deus with eyes containing an unknown emotion.

[What the hell is this?]

[What the hell is it?]

[What the hell is it, I’m asking.]

The Karma seat murmured.

And at that point, Deus was able to feel a certain emotion from the Karma seat of Salvation.

[Why do you follow that bastard?]

[I’m asking why you trust the Star Eater that much.]

[That bastard is nothing more than human at his essence, an insignificant, uncivilized human!! He isn’t even the Star Eater! I’m saying he’s just human!!]

What was visible in those gleaming eyes was jealousy.

Jealousy toward the Star Eater.

That was gathered in the Karma seat’s eyes.

Far too clearly.

[And yet why are you all saved by that bastard?! Why do you follow him so much! Why is he different from me! What’s different between me and that bastard!!]

Rage burst out of the Karma seat of Salvation’s mouth.

A completely different appearance from what he had shown until now.

However, because of that, Deus finally realized what the Karma seat had said.

“You spoke the answer yourself, and yet you still cannot find it. Like a sage who leaves the Holy Grail before his eyes and chases only distant prophecies.”

[What?]

“You called that person the incarnation of self-destruction.”

[......And what of it?]

The Karma seat of Salvation asked, still frowning.

At that sight, Deus twisted up the corner of his mouth.

A smile created for the first time on his expressionless face.

No, a sneer.

“That is it, Karma seat.”

[What?]

“That is the very difference.”

Then Deus spoke.

The difference between the Star Eater and the Karma seat of Salvation.

“That person does not even think of it as salvation.”

The next moment.

“He simply does it because it is something that must be done.”

■■■■■■■■■■■■■—!!!!

The sheep’s head behind Deus let out a scream, and the world that had filled only the ground until just moments ago began creeping upward, starting to consume the empty sky.

[......What?]

Watching the sky become dyed black, the Karma seat furrowed his brow, then soon turned his gaze.

To Deus, standing before the sheep’s head that was giving off a violet light and opening its mouth wide.

However, even as he received the Karma seat’s gaze, Deus moved his body leisurely and looked at the world.

At the world that was slowly being devoured and would soon become like darkness.

Of course, even if the power of Sin devoured the world, the power of the Karma seat of Salvation would not change.

In the end, the power of Sin was erosion.

It only inserted itself into the original; it could not replace it. And in the end, this world belonged to the Karma seat.

In other words, even if the entire world were eroded, the Karma seat of Salvation’s power would not disappear.

[.......]

As if he knew that as well, the Karma seat of Salvation also looked at Deus as if he found him strange.

Receiving that gaze, Deus silently moved his body.

No. Strictly speaking, it was not that he moved directly.

He was controlling it.

His body, with his ability.

He pulled his body back.

Along with that, the place Deus fixed his gaze on was the sky.

The sky that had begun to be eroded black.

And.

[-!]

The sky, where the boundary of this world was weakest.

[You bastard—!]

The Karma seat of Salvation, who seemed to realize what Deus intended to do, cried out in shock, and at the same time, his body appeared before Deus.

However, Deus stepped into the sky without hesitation.

A world that had originally been perfect.

But had become imperfect due to erosion.

Perhaps—

If it was Deus at full power, then even if it would not break, the world could be cracked—

Yes. It would probably be impossible with just once.

After that, the Karma seat would likely try to stop Deus’s actions by any means possible.

But it was all right.

Even if the Karma seat blocked him.

“First, once.”

Because Deus would not give up.

───────────────!!!!

......Crunch—!

And the world began to crack.

####

“It looks like this is as far as I go.”

At Penia’s words, which came out with a dry laugh, Alon froze for a moment. Then, with difficulty, he opened his mouth.

“What do you mean by that, Penia? As far as you go?”

Alon turned his body toward Penia as he tried to move his steps.

However.

“Don’t come, Lord Alon.”

Penia firmly held out her hand and continued speaking.

“The space around me has already broken apart. If you come any farther, you’ll get caught up in this distortion field with me. So—”

Don’t come any closer than that.

Seeing Penia continue with a dry smile, Alon wore an expression that said he could not possibly understand.

“......What exactly is the problem?”

Even at Alon’s question, Penia still maintained her smile.

However, it was an awkward smile somewhere.

She slowly continued speaking.

“Wow— once I went inside the lotus, the more I trained to get out quickly, the hungrier I got. It felt like I was going to starve to death just like that.”

“......”

“So— I had no choice but to eat them. The fruit and stream made from my personality and memories.”

“......What?”

“I didn’t eat much, and I tried hard to get out as quickly as possible, so I didn’t eat all of it. But still— it looks like there’s a bit of a problem.”

“What—”

Alon started to speak, then stopped.

Because only now did he see it properly.

Penia’s eyes.

“......”

A red energy had begun to linger in the eyes that had once only been blue.

Along with that, what he felt was the scent of peaches he had smelled in Peach Blossom Spring.

Even though Peach Blossom Spring had vanished, that scent was continuing.

......Because of none other than Penia.

“To be honest, I’m about at my limit. When I came out, I was deliberately suppressing myself a little...... but it looks like maintaining it will be impossible.”

Kwajijijik—!

Along with Penia’s words, the distortion field grew even larger.

At that, Alon recalled the words of the Karma seat of Immortal Cultivation and shouted urgently.

“Penia! There is a way! You don’t have to make that choice!”

He truly had a way.

Because he had a law.

If it was his law, then by paying the price, he should be able to blow away even the flaw placed on Penia.

But—

“No.”

Penia refused firmly.

“What......?”

Alon asked back with a blank expression.

Penia wore an expression that was complicated and subtle.

As if she was hesitating to say something.

A complicated and subtle face.

However, that too was only for a moment. She soon smiled.

Unlike before, it was not awkward, but a bright smile.

“It’s all right, Lord Alon! True, I was basically half-forced into becoming a cultivator...... but I quite like this power.”

A smile that perhaps looked a little refreshed.

“It would be a waste to throw this power away, wouldn’t it? So— I’ll come back after I’m able to control myself properly.”

Her blue eyes began turning more and more red.

“There is no need for you to take that kind of risk!”

Alon shouted.

However, from that place where the distortion field multiplied further and further—

“It isn’t a risk. For me, it’s an opportunity.”

“Penia!”

“Come on— don’t call me that desperately. If you call me like that— it really feels like we’ll never see each other again.”

Penia was still smiling.

And looking at Alon.

His endlessly distorted expression was reflected in her red eyes.

“......”

Soon, the faintest trace of a true smile lingered at the corner of her lips.

“Lord Alon.”

“......”

“Let’s say goodbye. Just lightly, like usual.”

Penia said.

“Lord Alon, I’ll be going to the Mage Tower for a little while.”

In her usual tone.

Lightly.

Alon moved his lips.

Moved them.

And moved them.

“......Mage...... Tower?”

In the end, he answered.

Her request.

He granted it.

“Yes. It might take some time. It’s a Mage Tower that’s a little— far away.”

And so Penia.

“......How long will it take?”

“I wonder....... I think it might take a little while....... But I’ll try to come back as quickly as I can.”

With her usual gestures.

“Do you have to go?”

“Yes. I don’t think this is something I can help. It’s important to me.”

With her usual gaze.

“Ah, and when I come back, there’s something I want to tell you.”

“......Something to tell me?”

“Yes, something very important. Maybe something Lord Alon might like, too. And it’s something I definitely want to say.”

“That does make me curious.”

“Right? So please wait for me.”

With her usual intonation.

“And don’t forget me.”

With her usual face.

“As if I could forget you. You’ll be back soon.”

“Ah, that’s true. I said something silly. Anyway—”

With her usual smile.

“I’ll be back!”

With a lively smile wide enough to show her small fang.

At the sight of Penia tilting her head and smiling.

“......All right.”

Alon answered.

And with that as the end.

─────────......

Space closed.