Chapter 334

C334. A Name Called Sloth – (7)

The white and grotesque existences letting out strange screeches began to massacre the black things rushing against the soldiers.

Their pure spears destroyed dozens of black figures as they advanced.

But the black forms Sloth had created kept regenerating without rest at some point in his territory.

And they ran toward the white existences wielding the spears, confronting them.

Like prey hunted by a predator, the bodies of the white ones were torn to pieces and disappeared in an instant.

However, even as the black forms kept sprouting…

The white existences, the “Apostles,” did not retreat.

No, in fact, the more time passed, the more their numbers increased.

A soldier stood watching the scene, stunned.

The moment a white spear pierced a black form, it cracked, splintered, and then was reborn as a new white existence.

The death granted by the Apostles summoned another white existence. An irrational cycle of reincarnation.

Selaim and Parkline observed the scene with astonishment, letting out a sigh of relief at the same time.

Because such beings were not their enemies.

And soon…

No, rather, all eyes gathered there turned toward Sloth and Radan.

Unlike when he showed no change at the beginning, Radan‘s appearance was already very different.

The dark armor he wore inspired a bad premonition just by looking at it, and his eyes, dyed completely red, contained an overwhelming force.

And above all, even just standing there…

The faint energy emanating, similar to the magic of the Sin of Sloth, made anyone’s skin crawl, even knowing Radan was not an enemy.

Sloth, who at the moment of his awakening as a Sin had looked at him in surprise, now observed Radan with an expressionless expression. He simply contemplated him.

But Alon Palatio perceived something else. He noticed that, in those previously empty eyes, there was now concern and conflict.

“Then… are you going to continue ‘existing’ here from now on?”

Sloth asked, out of nowhere.

Radan smiled as if he had expected that question.

“No.”

“Then?”

“At most, twenty minutes. Afterward, I will disappear.”

Radan spoke the truth as if it were nothing.

“…I see.”

Sloth nodded briefly.

Just one phrase.

But it contained too many things. And just when Alon was about to wonder about the meaning of that murmur…

“In that case, I will only fulfill my role.”

Purple threads began to sprout from Sloth’s body.

The black things began to move abnormally fast.

Crac-crac-crac—!!

Not only that: the powerful ones who had fallen before stood up once more, radiating a vivid purple. The purple magical energy, too intense to be contained in their bodies, overflowed like a monstrous light.

And in that very instant…

Sloth disappeared. No… he moved.

Because no one could perceive him, he seemed to disappear.

When he reappeared, he was behind Radan.

In an instant that no eye could catch, Sloth threw a punch toward Radan‘s head.

But—

Hihih—!

Sloth saw clearly…

Just as his fist advanced, Radan spun as if he had been waiting for him, giving him a twisted smile.

KWAARRRRR!!

The combat began.

The Apostles and the black forms intertwined in a chaotic battle. Basiliora annihilated the pieces of flesh that revived. Eliban and Seolrang blocked the advance of the revived powerful ones.

But everyone’s eyes inevitably turned to the clash between Sloth and Radan.

KWAHAAAAA—!!

Even so, among them there were very few who could really comprehend the combat.

They couldn’t see it, but they still felt the overwhelming oppression emanating from the fight.

KWA-ANG!!

For a brief instant, both their bodies collided and the shockwave burst the ground. Just moving caused the earth to crack.

The soldiers couldn’t help but fix their gaze on that scene worthy of a battle between mythological gods.

And finally, in a last thunderous roar…

KWAAAAANG!!

A sound so explosive resonated that everyone’s ears were left ringing.

Only then could they see Radan and Sloth clearly.

And they could determine without difficulty who held the advantage.

Sloth was in very bad shape.

Taking the attacks of Alon Palatio and the others several times had been a huge burden. His body was so wrecked it seemed unable to continue functioning properly.

In contrast, Radan remained practically the same as at the start.

Aside from the dust that had stained his armor a bit, there were no major differences.

It seemed like a clear victory for Radan.

…Until—

Psshhh—

Red blood spurted from several points of Radan‘s dark armor.

“Eh—”

With the horrified murmur of someone, blood began to gush all over Radan‘s body, as if it had been contained waiting to come out.

The soldiers panicked.

Alon frowned, unable to understand.

He hadn’t seen the combat clearly either. He had only followed the traces of magic to deduce what had happened.

And according to what he understood…

It had been a crushing victory for Radan.

Which meant—

‘…This isn’t external damage. It’s internal damage.’

While Alon drew his own conclusions, Radan observed the blood flowing down his armor and frowned slightly.

“I guess forcing myself without my relics was too much, huh? I thought I’d be fine if I didn’t use my ‘power’.”

Radan scratched his head.

Even so, his expression showed no true concern. As if that wasn’t important.

And then—

Without anyone noticing…

Above Sloth’s shattered head, a gigantic skeletal ram’s head appeared.

From the head, purple threads extended and began to form a body as if they were veins.

They overlapped again and again, weaving until they formed a huge figure made of threads.

Alon understood instantly.

Sloth was entering his Aberration Phase.

And at that moment—

“Brother.”

A voice appeared suddenly.

Alon turned around as if hypnotized.

There was Radan.

But not the Radan Alon knew.

His hair was black.

His eyes glowed red.

But his special smile was exactly the same.

“Is everything ready?”

…Even his light and jovial tone was the same.

Radan treated him naturally, as always.

Alon understood instinctively:

He was not the original Radan. He was Radan from a future timeline, from the world where they had saved the villain.

Several questions arose in Alon‘s mind.

But there was no time for any of that.

“Yes.”

“Then I leave it to you, brother. It seems I couldn’t bring the relics after all.”

I managed to leave the Treasure open, but oh well…

He spoke as if he knew all of Alon Palatio‘s plans.

Alon took a deep breath and turned his gaze back to the front.

Sloth was completing his aberrant transformation, using his black territory and purple threads as a body.

When his aberration was completed, the balance of the battle would tip again.

Future Radan, for some reason, could not use all his power.

While aberrant Sloth would be stronger than before.

But Alon had been waiting for this moment.

That single instant…

When Sloth would be immobile due to the aberration.

The only moment when his attack would never fail.

“Haaa…”

Alon exhaled deeply and looked at Radan.

“Radan.”

“Yes, brother.”

“I think you can ‘show it’ now.”

Radan smiled widely.

My God—

He snapped his fingers.

A light act.

But at the same time, the blue crack widened even more.

And something began to appear from within.

“That- that is—”

“A… ship…?”

Just as one of the mages said, what was emerging from the blue crack was a ship.

The Treasure, the ship Alon had traveled in.

Since he got off the ship, Alon Palatio had done absolutely nothing.

Not when Sloth appeared and told them to attack for a minute.

Not when the minute ended and Sloth attacked the powerful ones.

Not when Radan appeared.

Alon only kept silent.

Because he knew.

He knew that a Sin cannot die with a simple attack.

That is why, from the first day he imagined a confrontation against Sloth, he had prepared this plan.

A plan made uniquely and specifically to kill a Sin.

As long as Sloth could not perceive the threat.

As long as he himself was not considered an enemy by Sloth.

Even getting off the ship to remain undetected…

FWWAAAAAAAAA!!

The ship finished emerging from the crack, radiating a white light.

And that light spread, illuminating the whole world.

What formed was…

A colossal figure of light, like a gigantic nebula.

“That…?”

“What the hell is…?”

Alon joined his index and middle fingers, pointed toward Sloth in the middle of aberration, and then looked up.

There was the ship, shining like a sun devouring the blue sky.

…In reality, creating a spell manifested in another place like that was impossible. Of course…

[Kyuu~!]

…were it not thanks to Blackie.

At the tip of the huge ship, Blackie tilted his head with curiosity.

Normally, it was impossible to make Blackie cast a spell.

Something so complex would overload him.

But this spell was not complex.

Magic Bolt did not require complicated magical calculations.

Its essence was simply:

Converting mana infinitely into physical force without any restriction.

“Cough—”

That is to say,

As long as there was an infinite supply of mana…

It was totally possible.

Alon turned his gaze back to the front.

Sloth’s aberration was almost complete.

The purple threads extended everywhere, seizing control of anyone they touched.

His body made of the black territory was larger than a mountain.

And the ram’s head representing Sloth moved the purple energy, forming a huge sphere like a meteorite in the sky.

But Alon was calm.

He was fully certain.

This blow…

“Memory Shot—”

…would reach the Sin.

Alon pronounced his words with conviction.

And the nebula…

Fell.