THE VILLAIN'S POV Chapter 705: The Path Stained in Violet

— Frey Starlight’s POV —

Only a few hours had passed since I arrived on the soil of the Empire.

In truth, I had barely seen anything of this land since my reincarnation into the body of Frey Starlight.

My recollection of this place was practically a blank slate.

The vast majority of my existence had been confined to the Temple or the desolate Nightmare Lands.

Consequently, traversing these streets felt like exploring an entirely alien world for the very first time.

In every direction, I witnessed humans struggling for their lives—vulnerable people who possessed no means of protection.

They were hunted by mindless corpses, puppets animated by the 13th Upper Demon, Geppetto.

Mixed among the walking dead were true demons—hollow-eyed, gray-skinned monstrosities with elongated horns. Primitive demons.

While they were formidable compared to ordinary humans, who stood zero chance against them, they were nothing more than minor nuisances to me.

SLASH!!

Occasionally, beneath the shroud of night, a violent burst of purple radiance would tear through the darkness, vibrating throughout the entire district.

A second later, the demons and corpses were reduced to nothing but shredded remains littering the pavement.

The fleeing survivors would freeze in shock, unable to process what had occurred as they searched for the identity of their mysterious protector.

But I was long gone before they could blink.

I lacked the time to act as their savior or escort them to safety. Their survival was their own responsibility.

"You claim to be abandoning them to their fate... and yet, you are the one who just saved them."

The voice of Nameless resonated in my mind, challenging my internal logic.

"I simply happened to cross paths with them. It isn't as if I went out of my way for a rescue mission," I replied curtly.

Nameless countered immediately. "So, human lives are worthless to you? Or is that merely the lie you tell yourself?"

"...What are you implying?"

Silence followed for several long seconds before Nameless spoke again, his deep, frigid voice piercing through my thoughts.

"By slaughtering those corpses, you alert their master that something is wrong. You have significantly increased the likelihood of the enemy detecting your presence."

Geppetto’s power provided him with a direct link to every corpse he controlled. The moment one fell, he would know.

Nameless had previously instructed me to avoid combat until we located Ada, yet I had disregarded him, killing every demon in my path.

"Your reckless behavior may compromise the mission to rescue your sister. You have ignored my guidance. From this moment on, you will engage in combat exactly as I dictate... no arguments."

The sheer authority in his tone grated on my nerves instantly.

"And what sort of 'command' do you intend to give?" I inquired, genuinely curious.

The response from Nameless made my face twist in frustration.

"From this point forward, your standard aura is forbidden. You are permitted to fight using only Black Hole Aura."

I came to a dead stop the instant those words registered.

"Are you being serious? I can't maintain Black Hole Aura indefinitely. It consumes energy far too quickly."

"Then you must learn to adapt. It is your only viable weapon against high-level demons, given that the advanced stages of Shadow Adaptation are still unavailable to you."

"Starting now, Dark Aura and Shadow Aura are off-limits. Use only the Black Hole."

He reiterated the order, and I fell into a brooding silence. Black Hole Aura drained my reserves at a terrifying speed—at least fifty times faster than any standard aura. Even with my SSS-rank aura capacity, I wouldn't last an hour if I relied on it exclusively.

What was Nameless playing at? It seemed completely illogical, but I was backed into a corner. If I required his assistance later, I had to comply with his demands now.

Slowly, the purple glow surrounding me dissipated, replaced by a light as dark as a dying star: the Black Hole Aura.

My power surged instantly, multiplying several times over, but the physical strain on my body grew just as heavy. Since I wasn't in Dark Ascension—which would grant my vessel an SSS-rank output—handling the Black Hole's intensity was grueling. My base state was only SS, after all.

"Forget about saving Ada... I won’t even be able to reach her under this kind of pressure..."

Black Hole Aura was meant to be my final card, reserved for the deadliest foes, not for constant use while traveling.

"That very mindset is why you cannot transcend your boundaries. It is the logic of the defeated."

The cold voice of Nameless echoed within me, and suddenly, I was pulled into the dark void of my own consciousness.

Deep within my inner world, Nameless stood with his hands behind his back, his violet eyes glowing intensely behind his mask.

"At the height of my power, I could maintain Black Hole Aura without end. Forever, if I wished. Do you understand why?"

It was a question that gave me pause. "Because your aura reserves were bottomless?"

That was the only logical explanation I could find, but Nameless was clearly unimpressed.

"There is no such thing as infinite aura... unless one possesses a world-altering ability. I have never encountered such a thing."

"My aura capacity was never the greatest. In truth, I didn't even rank among the top ten in terms of volume."

Nameless spoke while toyed with a flicker of aura above his palm.

"The Demon King Agaroth, for instance, had an aura pool vastly larger than my own... yet he was the one who ran dry first during our battle."

Even though Nameless possessed less raw energy than Agaroth, the Demon King had exhausted his power much faster.

"The secret... is control."

A circle began to manifest around Nameless, its perimeter glowing as ripples of aura flowed outward. They looked like the surface of a stormy sea, churning and reshaping themselves in a constant loop. The waves never settled; instead, they seemed to grow more intense with every rotation.

"Agaroth had more raw capacity... but I was far superior in manipulation. By mastering the value of your aura and exerting perfect control, you can minimize consumption to nearly zero."

An incredible sight unfolded before me. Nameless was expending aura at a frightening pace, draining his energy rapidly—yet those reserves were being replenished almost instantly, as if they had never been touched.

That was the function of the glowing circle. The aura exiting his body was immediately pulled back from the surrounding air and the void, allowing for infinite reuse.

In essence, every time Nameless attacked, he was clandestinely reabsorbing the energy of that attack.

It sounded simple in theory, but it was practically impossible for anyone else to achieve. It was as if Nameless held absolute authority over all aura in his vicinity, forcing it into a perfect, eternal cycle.

If Nameless had an aura pool of "1000" and his foe had "10000," the enemy would eventually hit zero, while Nameless would remain at a full "1000."

"Unbelievable..." The word escaped my lips. What I was seeing was beyond anything I had imagined. How could someone even conceive of such a technique? And more importantly, how could I possibly replicate it?

"You are capable of this as well, Frey Starlight. Aura is naturally drawn to you, just as it is to me."

Reading my uncertainty, Nameless swept aside my doubts. "Mastering it is not impossible... provided you commit yourself entirely."

I remained silent for a moment before giving a resolute nod. What Nameless had demonstrated was more than just a skill. It was a stark reminder that even in this broken, fragmented state, the entity before me was the same warrior who had once defied the heavens.

With such a monster as my guide, I finally felt that I could truly change my destiny. Following his lead, I pressed on through the Empire, using only the Black Hole Aura. I pushed my limits to grasp his method of manipulation, searing the concept into my mind.

My trek through the Empire continued, searching for any sign of Ada.