Chapter 474 : Astarote (5)

“Basiliora.”

[Speak.]

“Once ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍I transform from now on, take Penia and Evan and move back with all your strength.”

[Understood.]

At ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Alon’s serious command, Basiliora also firmly nodded her head.

“……Lord ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Alon, wouldn’t it be better if we escaped together?”

“That’s ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍right. Honestly, it’s too dangerous right now.”

The worries of Evan and Penia continued one after another.

However, Alon shook his head.

“No, it’s fine.”

“Do you have a method?”

At Penia’s question, Alon’s head moved.

“A method.”

Coldly speaking, no method had come to mind right now.

To begin with, he had not even grasped Descender’s exact abilities properly enough to find a method to defeat him.

However, despite clearly recognizing that, the reason Alon did not flee was this situation itself.

Alon looked at Descender.

By reviving Red Conviction and Clinging Eye, whom he himself had killed, he had plunged the divine-bloods into confusion and fear. However, Alon instead felt that something about that action caught at him.

More accurately, it would be right to say he had discovered a bizarre contradiction.

A contradiction that anyone could think of at least once if they thought calmly.

‘If Descender were truly positioned among the strong, there would be no need for that.’

Alon looked at Descender.

Even now, he was still transforming the divine-bloods he had killed into black-armored divine-bloods—Astarotes.

Alon rapidly began thinking.

The little information regarding Astarote that existed inserted itself into his mind.

And together with it, his thoughts began.

According to the information network gathered by the subjugation force, Descender had become capable of endlessly absorbing fragments, but in exchange, the time required was extremely long.

However, Descender was moving right before their eyes as though that information were false.

Displaying overwhelming strength, and with abilities completely different from the information possessed by the subjugation force, he was fully showing the power of a divine-blood that had ascended to the next stage.

Thus, together with abilities never seen in the information, Descender appeared to have already absorbed a considerable number of fragments, and absorbed them perfectly at that.

Yes, on the surface.

Alon’s gaze still remained fixed on Descender.

The opponent was, at this very moment, clearly standing in the realm of the strong.

Because he had instantly killed countless divine-bloods without much struggle.

Therefore, if he truly were that powerful, there was no need for him to bother conversing with the divine-bloods who had come to subjugate him. Of course, if he wanted to keep the divine-bloods alive and absorb their forces, then Alon’s deduction would become meaningless.

However, Descender had clearly declared it.

That rather than sparing the divine-bloods, he would kill them all.

The moment he possessed such an objective, there was no longer any need for conversation.

Because no matter how deeply consumed by fear they were, there was no one here who wanted to die.

Alon’s eyes narrowed.

Because yet another contradiction had appeared here.

‘Could it be a lie?’

Alon thought that perhaps Descender was lying.

If he were truly strong enough to kill everyone here, there was no need to deliberately buy time through words.

But Descender’s words were strange.

The words he spoke were not meant to buy time.

For words meant to buy time, they lacked far too much ‘hope.’

As though, rather, they were provoking the divine-bloods to fight even more desperately.

[Kill him!]

While that unpleasant contradiction rolled around in Alon’s mind again and again, a divine-blood’s shriek rang out.

When Alon came back to his senses because of it, one divine-blood had already opened his mouth there.

[Most of the Four Great Factions bastards are already gone anyway, and the fragments are here too! Are you planning to let this chance slip away just like this!?]

At his encouraging words, fighting spirit once again ignited in the expressions of the divine-bloods who had been filled with fear just moments ago, and—

[That bastard is alone anyway! And no matter if he’s second-stage, there’s no way he can use that kind of power without consequence! There must definitely be a penalty!]

The moment those words ended, countless divine-bloods began rushing out as though they had been waiting for it in order to seize him.

And once more, battle began.

-!!!

Together with horrifying shrieks, attacks rained down upon the place where Descender stood.

Puhseok—!

Toward the place where he stood, Descender appeared before the divine-blood who had attacked and shattered his skull without hesitation.

And afterward, it was the same.

Descender leisurely avoided the crazed attacks pouring toward him while reducing the divine-bloods one by one. As though playing around.

At times quickly,

And at times slowly—

As though giving hope to the divine-bloods.

And at other times, as though planting despair into them.

Like playing a game, he was reducing the divine-bloods one by one.

And then.

“Lord Alon! Even now, run away! In this kind of chaotic battle, we can escape immediately!”

“I agree as well!”

While listening to Evan and Penia’s voices and watching the battle between the divine-bloods and Descender, Alon—

“!”

—reached a realization.

An unmistakably certain realization.

And the thoughts born from that realization—

“I found it.”

—provided Alon with the answer.

***

The divine-bloods fell.

Bodies split apart.

Bodies were pierced through.

Heads exploded apart, and the divine-bloods met death.

And thus, what bloomed among the divine-bloods was fear.

However, despite that, the divine-bloods did not stop attacking Descender.

Because Descender, who had displayed overwhelming power when the battle first began, was somehow gradually weakening.

At the sight of Descender slowly becoming sluggish as though his strength were gradually declining, the divine-bloods rushed toward him in order to somehow finish him off rather than flee.

And when they reached the end of that—

[This is insane.............]

Descender was still alive among the countless divine-bloods.

However, his body did not look very good.

Was it because countless divine-bloods had attacked him?

His emaciated body was covered in horribly gruesome wounds visible even at a glance, and his right arm dangled as though it might fall off at any moment.

[Don’t be overwhelmed! Just a little more and we can kill him!]

At the divine-blood’s shout, the divine-bloods raised their weapons despite their frightened expressions.

And the moment the divine-blood once more tried to charge toward Descender—

Puhseok—!

Suddenly, the head of the divine-blood who had been calming the others exploded apart.

Before even reaching Descender.

Which meant only one thing.

That he had been attacked by someone else.

The divine-bloods looked with shocked expressions toward the place where the divine-blood emitting a grotesque noise had collapsed.

And soon, they were able to see it.

Pajik—! Pajijijik~!

Seolrang, who had appeared before the divine-blood whose head had exploded apart.

The divine-bloods looked bewildered as though unable to grasp the situation, but only briefly.

“Everyone, stop.”

Soon, at the voice amplified with mana, they all turned around simultaneously.

And there, they saw one man.

No,

[....Star Eater?]

They saw the Star Eater.

[Heh- Thank you, brother. You gave me time to recover.]

Descender opened his mouth as though thankful at Alon’s words.

At his words, anxiety briefly flowed among the divine-bloods who could not understand what exactly was happening, but—

“Everyone, look over there.”

At Alon’s following gesture, the divine-bloods once again looked toward the corpse Seolrang had dealt with.

The corpse whose head had exploded apart.

And then.

[....Hm?]

Not long afterward, the divine-bloods were able to discover the abnormality in the corpse whose head Seolrang had burst apart.

No, they could not help but discover it.

[There’s no blood?]

And naturally so, because despite the fact that his head had clearly exploded apart and should have scattered blood like the other divine-bloods, he was not bleeding. The moment the divine-bloods sensed something strange because of that.

“I thought it was strange.”

Alon opened his mouth.

His gaze shifted toward Descender.

Descender also looked back at Alon with his body still horrifically shattered.

“You were definitely strong. Judging from the power you displayed, you were strong enough to wipe out the entire subjugation force at once. But you didn’t do that. As though flaunting your own power, you only killed some of the divine-bloods.”

Alon briefly shifted his gaze and confirmed Basiliora already retreating far away while carrying Evan and Penia.

“At first, I thought you were buying time because of the limitations of your law. But that wasn’t it. The words you spoke were the kind that only provoked the divine-bloods rather than buying time.”

[······.]

“As though you wanted the subjugation force to fight with all their strength.”

Even though there was absolutely no need for that, Alon added before continuing.

“And at that moment, I realized something. More precisely, I realized that you were only killing divine-bloods who had used their abilities.”

At Alon’s words, murmurs immediately spread among the divine-bloods.

And not long after, they realized that Alon’s words were true.

Because the divine-bloods still alive here had all, for one reason or another, not yet used their abilities.

“So I thought about it. Why, despite possessing that level of strength, were you only killing divine-bloods who used abilities? Why, instead of appearing personally from the start, did you deliberately send out the dead Astarotes you had devoured? And eventually, I reached a conclusion.”

The gazes of the divine-bloods.

Descender’s gaze focused upon Alon.

“That the fragments were bait.”

Alon spoke the truth he had realized.

[What do you mean by that?]

[The fragments were bait?]

Amid the growing confusion among the divine-bloods, Alon opened his mouth.

“Exactly as I said. Descender absorbing fragments was merely bait he created by intentionally gathering fragments endlessly. Rather, his true objective was this subjugation force.”

[The subjugation force—?]

“Yes. Because the law he possesses is not one that absorbs fragments, but one that ‘absorbs divine-bloods.’ And—”

The thing Descender had hidden—

“—unless he understands the opponent’s ability, he cannot use his law.”

He spoke the final truth aloud.

And then, the moment all the divine-bloods’ gazes turned toward Descender once more.

The old man’s voice let out a faint hollow laugh.

As though dumbfounded.

And at the same time, as though astonished.

And at that moment.

Tuk- Tududududuk~!!

Descender’s body, which had looked utterly ruined until just moments ago, began recovering as though it were a lie.

His dangling right arm returned to its original place once more.

The grotesquely spilled intestines rewound as though time itself had reversed.

The crimson blood that had flowed all over his body disappeared as though it had never existed from the beginning.

And then.

[...............I didn’t expect it to be discovered this easily.]

An endlessly cynical voice.

[Impressive, Star Eater.]