THE VILLAIN'S POV Chapter 732: The King’s Eye vs The Hand of the Ruler (1)

Wesker, the Fourth Rank of the High Demons and possessor of the King’s Eye, was a creature of ancient origins. Throughout his nearly eternal life, no one had ever truly threatened his existence or brought him to the brink of death.

What is actually required to slay such a being—one who has endured for millennia by meticulously calculating every move he ever made?

Gehrman sought to find that answer on this day. Taking advantage of this rare moment, he intended to display a fragment of his genuine strength and build upon the psychological triumph he had already secured over Wesker in their mental struggle.

The Fourth-Rank Demon’s demeanor had shifted significantly following the realization of Zibar’s demise. His characteristic smirk had vanished, replaced by a ghastly expression that betrayed his profound fury and newfound seriousness.

Extending his arm toward Gehrman, Wesker unleashed his aura, which expanded into a gargantuan hand that nearly obscured the heavens above.

Gehrman continued to fight while burdened by a massive disadvantage compared to his foe, who had maintained total superiority since the start. A solitary direct strike would be sufficient to finish Gehrman and seal his loss.

Consequently, he had no choice but to dodge Wesker’s strikes or meet them with a force of equal—or perhaps superior—magnitude.

The man with blue eyes utilized the strength he had requisitioned from Vulgar. Though it was magnificent and overwhelming, it was merely a temporary power.

The Engineer understood that every scrap of aura was precious, so he opted to evade the coming blow by utilizing his incredible speed.

Avoiding that massive hand should have been a simple task... or so he presumed.

As Gehrman tried to shift his position, he suddenly became paralyzed. A crushing weight plummeted onto him, making his body feel incredibly heavy and locking him in place.

“...Is this gravity?”

Wesker had employed his wave manipulation to exert a suffocating gravitational pressure on Gehrman from every angle.

The intensity of that force was horrific, capable of twisting and pulverizing even the most resilient metals. Now, Gehrman was forced to resist it while trapped in his failing vessel.

Just as the massive hand was about to crush the immobilized man at the final second...

A massive blade of light descended, slicing through the hand with perfect precision.

The luminous arc surged forward, detonating high in the atmosphere and flooding the area with light, temporarily banishing the midnight gloom.

In that heartbeat, both Gehrman and Wesker shifted their gazes toward the source, immediately identifying the individual responsible for the strike.

However, he had already moved; his speed was simply too great.

Within a fraction of a second, he materialized like a ghost behind Wesker, swinging a heavy sword forged of concentrated light.

It was a flawless opening. Wesker’s primary eyes were still focused downward... but that only applied to his natural sight.

In contrast, the King’s Eye was already locked onto Abraham Starlight, watching him with a malicious intensity and emitting a sinister crimson light.

Simultaneously, Abraham’s glowing blade was halted inches from Wesker’s face, stopped by one of the translucent shields guarding the demon’s form.

“You still cling to existence, even though life has already turned its back on you, human...”

Wesker reached out, and a howling torrent of dark energy blasted toward Abraham at point-blank range.

The deafening explosion seemed to consume Abraham entirely... at least, that was Wesker's impression. In reality, the Star of the Starlight family had already shifted to his flank, leaving a stellar afterimage that marked his lightning-fast path around the demon.

“As long as I have something precious to protect, I will hold onto life with every fiber of my being... down to my very last atom.”

Slash!!

Abraham unleashed a more powerful strike this time, which Wesker intercepted using his other hand, now saturated with a massive volume of dark aura.

“The result will be the same; you will die.”

Wesker surged his aura, quickly overwhelming Abraham’s blade... yet he was unable to land a fatal blow because his other adversary remained close by.

“Do you truly believe you can look away from your other enemy, Wesker?” the Engineer roared. Wesker countered instantly,

“No... I was waiting for you. I was waiting for you to get within reach.”

Gehrman launched another strike with his left hand, which was wreathed in a terrifying swirl of frostfire aura. The retaliation was immediate: dozens of crimson spikes shot out from Wesker’s frame with blinding velocity, wrapping around the Engineer’s limb.

The King’s Eye provided Wesker with total perception of every minute detail on the field, rendering him immune to ambushes or surprise maneuvers.

The spikes of blood quickly smothered Gehrman’s frostfire and threatened to pulverize his arm and then his entire body. Even a minor technique from a Fourth-Rank Demon was now enough to take the Engineer down.

Gehrman made a split-second decision. Without a hint of doubt, he lopped off the arm caught in the spikes. In that same blink of an eye, frostfire swirled around the stump, manifesting a new hand composed of burning ice.

This entire sequence took less than a second, showcasing Gehrman’s masterful command over his abilities.

He didn't stop at blocking; he immediately countered with a rapid punch that sent Wesker skidding back several meters.

The Fourth-Rank Demon stabilized himself quickly, hovering in the air as he faced both Abraham and the Engineer.

The two allies shared a quick look before turning their full attention back to Wesker.

“I never thought... even in my wildest fantasies, that I would be standing beside you to fight him again,” Abraham remarked with a strained grin.

“Don’t act so shocked,” Gehrman answered. “Destiny often orchestrates the most bizarre scenarios for us.”

At those words, Abraham gripped his sword more firmly.

“...You... don't tell me you orchestrated this from the very start?”

Based on Gehrman’s sudden arrival and his composed behavior across the battlefield...

It appeared as though he was privy to every single detail, no matter how small. Everything seemed to be moving according to his script... and that caused Abraham to question if the Engineer had designed the entire situation.

‘No... that's not possible.’

Abraham pushed the thought aside. He clearly recalled Gehrman’s panic when Wesker first appeared years ago—when he nearly snatched Frey while the boy was still a baby.

The Engineer surely couldn't have known Wesker was coming back then.

On that particular day... Gehrman had arrived in a state of terror. He had warned Abraham that Frey was in peril... that a cursed demon had arrived to take the child's life.

A demon by the name of... Wesker.

As he replayed that memory, Abraham’s eyes widened slightly.

“He... knew...”

Even now, in the heat of combat.

Even with Wesker standing right before him.

Abraham couldn't prevent those dark suspicions from taking root in his mind. He was naturally perceptive and sharp.

Previously, his only focus was the safety of Frey and Ada. But now—now that he was engaged with Wesker alongside the Engineer—

Abraham was starting to piece it all together.

In the past, Gehrman had stayed close to Anna Starlight during her entire pregnancy. He was always there—guarding her until Frey’s birth and watching over the boy constantly.

But during the conflict between the Empire and the Ultras, while Abraham was locked in his final struggle with Dragoth...

The Engineer had suddenly vanished.

He had left Frey unprotected.

And in that precise window of time—Wesker had appeared.

As these facts clicked into place, Abraham’s face grew grim.

“Are you trying to convince me that all of this... is just a coincidence?”