Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 334 : In the name of Sloth (7)

Eerie shrieks escaped the ghostly pale creatures as they launched into a ruthless slaughter of the shadowy forms surging towards the troops.

Dozens of shadowy shapes were smashed by their bone-white lances while they pressed forward.

Still, the dark entities born from Sloth kept reforming in some hidden spot inside the domain.

These shadows leaped at the pale warriors wielding their lances and struck back fiercely.

Resembling helpless animals chased by hunters, the white figures got ripped apart and vanished in a flash.

Nevertheless, despite the endless stream of black forms rushing forth—

The pale figures, known as the “Apostles,” showed no signs of weakening.

Quite the opposite, over time, their ranks swelled even more.

“……”

One soldier gaped in stunned silence at the unfolding chaos.

He witnessed a shadowy form impaled by a sweeping white lance break apart, only to reform as another ghostly pale entity.

The demise inflicted by the Apostles birthed fresh bone-white creatures.

A bizarre loop of endless rebirth.

Celaime and Parkline breathed out in relief, all while they gazed in awe at the spectacle.

For these entities weren't foes to them.

And before long, their—

No, all eyes converged on Sloth and Radan.

Differing from earlier, with no noticeable shift, Radan now looked markedly altered.

His ebony armor radiated a sinister presence with a single look, and those crimson eyes brimmed with immense might.

Most notably, simply by standing still, a subtle yet menacing force emanated from him—a type of mana eerily akin to Sloth’s corrupting essence.

Though it was obvious Radan posed no threat, his fearsome vibe still made everyone stiffen in fear.

“....”

Sloth, whose eyes had bulged at Radan’s sin-fueled awakening, had settled back into his typical blank face.

He gazed at Radan without a word.

Yet Alon sensed that Sloth’s detachment wasn’t genuine.

For now, traces of torment and deep thought flickered in his gaze, unseen before.

“Are you… going to continue to ‘exist’ here from now on?”

Sloth at last broke the silence.

A question that came totally out of nowhere.

But Radan offered a soft smile, like he’d anticipated it all along.

“No.”

“Then?”

“Maybe twenty minutes, then I’ll disappear.”

Radan revealed the fact with utter casualness.

“I see.”

Sloth gave a brief nod.

Only a single phrase.

Yet that quiet utterance carried layers of meaning, prompting Alon to nearly voice a query when—

“In that case, I’ll simply fulfill my duty.”

Purple strands started leaking from Sloth’s form.

Right away, the black monsters’ actions sped up in an eerie, unnatural way.

Crackkk!

And beyond that— the mighty figures that had fallen earlier now rose once more, shining with a vivid purple radiance.

The horrifying purple mana, too wild to stay bottled inside their frames, erupted outward in plain sight.

And right then—

-!

Sloth faded from view.

Actually, he shifted position.

Since nobody caught the motion, it just seemed like he’d vanished into thin air.

Sloth materialized anew right behind Radan.

Seizing an unseen instant, he swung a fist straight at the rear of Radan’s skull—

Heh—

Sloth caught sight of it.

The very second his punch shot out, Radan spun around with a warped smile, like he’d been lying in wait.

Boom—!

***

The clash erupted into full fury.

Bone-white entities and shadowy hordes tangled in a brutal frenzy.

Basiliora wiped out the resurrected masses of meat.

Eliban and Seolrang held off the brought-back fighters.

Yet beyond question, every stare locked onto— the showdown pitting Sloth against Radan.

BOOOOM!

That said, only a handful could truly grasp the duel between Sloth and Radan.

Though they couldn’t track it visually, the sheer crushing force of their skirmish hit them hard.

BOOOOOM—!

In a fleeting clash of their godlike shapes, a blast wave burst out, ripping the terrain apart.

Just shifting about split the soil open.

The troops found themselves mesmerized by the display, evoking clashes of deities from ancient tales.

And at the climactic instant—

BOOOOOM—!

Following a thunderous blast that rang loud in all ears—

At last, Radan and Sloth came into clear view for everyone.

Figuring out the result proved simple.

Sloth’s state was plainly dire.

Evidently, the blows from Alon’s allies earlier had worn him down severely.

His frame hung together by a thread, scarcely operational.

On the other hand, Radan seemed unchanged from his initial appearance.

Barring some dust, no real difference showed.

It screamed a total triumph for Radan.

Spurt!

Right up until scarlet blood sprayed from the fissures in Radan’s ebony armor.

“W-What—?”

As a voice gasped in shock—

Crimson fluid gushed from Radan’s entire body, like it had timed itself for now.

Chaos gripped the soldiers.

Alon too creased his brow in astonishment.

He hadn’t witnessed the true confrontation firsthand either.

He could only vaguely piece together events by sensing leftover magic traces in the atmosphere.

From Alon’s perspective, Radan had utterly overpowered the exchange.

Which suggested—

...The wounds stemmed from within, rather than external hits.

As Alon pieced together his theory, Radan peered at the blood leaking from his armor and winced a bit.

“Guess I pushed it too far without any relics? I figured it’d be fine since I didn’t even use my ‘power.’”

Radan rubbed his head.

Still, urgency barely touched his expression.

As though the whole ordeal meant little.

And next—

Before reactions could form—

Over Sloth’s wrecked cranium, a huge ram-like skull materialized.

Next—

-!!!!!

Purple filaments stretched from the ram’s skull, weaving a frame akin to pulsing veins.

They twisted and overlapped in loops, crafting a colossal threaded construct.

Alon swiftly understood the development.

Sloth was shifting into his beastly stage.

In that instant—

“Brother.”

A voice rang out abruptly.

Alon’s eyes snapped toward the sound on reflex.

Radan stood there.

However, this version differed sharply from the one Alon recalled.

His locks turned pitch black.

His gaze burned scarlet.

But that signature crooked grin matched the Radan from his memories perfectly.

“All set?”

His upbeat voice stayed just as lively.

Radan addressed him with effortless familiarity.

And Alon grasped it instinctively—

This Radan hailed from the days ahead.

Not a path where he’d failed to rescue the antagonist—

Rather, a reality where the antagonist lived on.

Countless doubts surged up.

Yet dwelling on them wasn’t an option now.

“Yeah.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you, Brother. Looks like I couldn’t bring the relics with me. Even though I can keep the treasury open…”

With Radan tossing in that remark as if privy to Alon’s full scheme, Alon drew a steadying breath and gradually faced ahead.

Sloth unleashed purple strands, reshaping the dark domain into his fresh vessel and morphing into a monstrosity.

“....”

With Sloth’s change finished, the fight’s balance would flip once more.

Unlike the future Radan, limited in power for some unknown cause—

The fully beast-formed Sloth would surpass his prior strength.

Yet Alon had anticipated exactly this juncture.

To be exact, the phase where Sloth froze amid his shift.

One perfect opening where his readied blow couldn’t fail.

“Hoo—”

Alon inhaled deeply and eyed Radan.

“Radan.”

“Yes, Brother?”

“I think it’s time we show them.”

Radan grinned with full understanding at the statement.

Snap—

He flicked his fingers with casual ease.

An ordinary gesture.

Yet simultaneously, the shimmering azure tear expanded—

And an object started sliding out from its depths.

Then—

“W-What is that—?”

“A... ship?”

The moment a sorcerer stammered it, a vessel slid free from the azure tear.

The exact treasury vessel Alon had ridden.

“……”

From the point Alon stepped off the vessel, he’d done nothing overt.

Not even as Sloth popped up out of nowhere, granting a brief window for assault.

Not when that window expired and Sloth turned on the fighters.

Not with Radan’s arrival.

Alon stayed quiet throughout.

For he understood.

Sin couldn’t fall to standard strikes.

Thus, from his initial scheme against Sloth, this formed a core element.

A scheme forged purely to end Sin.

Crafted in a hidden spot too covert for Sloth to detect the peril.

To seem harmless to Sloth, he’d even ducked below decks.

FWOOOOOSH—!!!!!

The vessel burst completely through the azure tear.

From its hull, a brilliant white glow streamed out like an endless streamer, bathing the realm in vivid illumination.

And it birthed— a vast glowing shape, resembling a starry cloud.

“...That’s—”

“—?”

Alon pressed his index and middle fingers side by side, pointing them at the mutating Sloth.

Afterward, he tilted his head skyward.

High overhead loomed the vessel, beaming sunlight-like brilliance that devoured the azure heavens.

…In the usual way, unleashing a incantation from afar like this would defy possibility.

However—

[Meow-!]

Blackie’s aid made it feasible.

Perched on the vessel’s grand prow, Blackie cocked its head in puzzled display.

…In reality, Blackie couldn’t perform spells.

Handling elaborate magic patterns lay beyond it— even simple math proved tough.

But this deciphered incantation stood apart.

Magic Bolt skipped detailed magic patterns.

At its core, Magic Bolt simply— transformed mana nonstop into raw power without limits.

Cough—

Implying that with boundless mana flow—

Letting Blackie handle the incantation posed no issue.

Alon shifted his focus ahead once more.

Sloth’s metamorphosis approached its end.

The purple strands, capable of seizing hold over any they grazed, churned everywhere.

His frame, forged from dark domain, towered bigger than any peak.

And the ram-like skull bearing Sloth’s essence channeled its creepy mana to guide the purple shine—

Shaping a enormous sphere aloft, akin to a falling star.

But no worry.

For Alon held firm conviction.

This one assault—

“Sniper of Oblivion.”

Would strike true against Sin.

With Alon voicing those terms in resolute focus—

-!!!!!

The starry cloud plummeted.