I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain-Chapter 448

Moro accelerated immediately.

Diana tensed inwardly, caught off guard, but the beast didn’t charge straight toward the Amalgamation of Chaos. Instead, it seemed intent on circling the periphery, tracing a wide arc like a whirlpool.

Clip-clop, clip-clop—

Holding Lucia's waist with one arm, Diana's body naturally tilted sideways. The whole area had changed, seeming to sink inwards around the amalgamation. The entity was simultaneously compressing the space around it while also pushing it away.

“Damn it…” Feeling like she had stepped into a giant antlion pit, Diana let out an involuntary groan. The reality probably wasn't much different—especially the part where stepping further in might mean never getting out.

“I should try praying to the Sacred Blood,” said Lucia, with a calm voice.

Diana’s head snapped around to look at the back of Lucia’s head. “What? Now? In this situation?”

“Exactly because it’s this situation. It'll only take a moment. Protect me, Diana.” With that, Lucia placed her right hand on her breastplate, lowered her head slightly, and closed her eyes. Her left hand still held Moro’s reins firmly.

“But... even if you ask me to protect you....” Diana muttered blankly.

All she could really do was hold onto Lucia, maybe shield her with her own body.

Is that what she expected in the first place?

Diana clicked her tongue at the thought. She readjusted her grip on the Truesilver Steel Sword in her right hand and turned her gaze back toward the hill.

Crack!

At that moment, a purple streak appeared, climbing the fleshy hill beyond them. It was Ian. He was halfway up the ever-swelling slope, swinging the sword at an attacking demonic beast.

Swoosh—

The purple arc, shimmering like a saw blade, tore horizontally through the beast's maw and dug deep into the torso below. But the beast didn't die, even with its head split wide open. It stretched a foreleg, mutated long like a beastfolk arm, toward Ian.

Almost simultaneously, the blade of the sword embedded in the creature's torso glowed red hot.

Boom!

An explosion erupted from the blade, blowing the beast's upper body into pieces. Its lower half, resembling thick, long intestines, recoiled violently, spraying fluids.

All the demonic beasts seemed to have mutated into crude beastfolk forms and were connected directly to the fleshy hill. That must have been why they didn't die even when their heads were split open. They were merely puppets of the amalgamation.

Though Dianna saw the tendrils bubble and regenerate, Ian ignored them, hurling himself past the remnants of the explosion.

Snap!

It was because a pitch-black tentacle was striking down from the side. It hit the ground like a whip, then instantly lashed sideways toward Ian. Almost simultaneously, Ian sprang up as if bouncing off the ground and twisted his body backward.

Skreee—

The falling purple trajectory instantly sliced through the thick tentacle that rushed toward Ian like a log. Fluid sprayed from the severed end, splashing past Ian's body.

A tail?

Diana frowned, watching the tentacle flop about, its tip curled inward. Although it had sparse patches of fur and was much thicker and longer than usual, its flexible movement reminded her of how beastfolk used their tails. freeweɓnovel-cøm

Scrape!

Right after that, Ian slid sideways, scattering golden sparks from his barrier and purple arcs from his sword. Another demonic beast had charged him from the side before he could even recover his stance. The golden sparks flared where the beast's long foreleg struck the Platinum Barrier.

Grrrrowl!

That was the last Diana saw before the curve of the fleshy hill hid Ian's figure. It was unavoidable since they were circling its base.

Diana's gaze, which had been watching the demonic beasts being pushed aside and new tentacles writhing upwards, suddenly shifted forward again.

Woosh....

A gentle warmth was now radiating from Lucia. That was probably why Moro was growling uncomfortably and shaking its head.

She really did it.

Diana swallowed a dry laugh, noticing the faint halo of light spreading from the gaps in Lucia's breastplate. She had heard that communing with the source of the Sacred Blood wasn't easy, even for an Apostle of God.

Boom! Crack! Sizzle!

It was then that other battle sounds drew closer. Diana's head turned to the side.

They were already rounding the opposite side of the hill. Dark blue shadows climbed the mound of flesh—Hyked in the lead, followed by the two Black Lions.

Snap! Scrape!

They too were clearly fighting fiercely. They weren't just swinging swords and shields;they were throwing punches and even head butting demonic beasts with their helmets.

“Don't stop— The high ground is in sight!” Hyked roared.

Regardless of the struggle, they had climbed higher than Ian, at least. At this rate, it seemed they would reach the main body of chaos first.

Just as a careful flicker of hope dawned in Diana's eyes, Hyked suddenly stretched a hand out above the hill. Darkness burst from his body like ink, enveloping him and the Black Lions.

Fwoosh—

A gray beam of magic swept over them. It shot past the hill, scouring a straight line across the slope beyond—the exact spot Moro had passed just seconds before.

Crackle, rumble!

Gray magic rose like a wall of steam where the beam had passed. Moro staggered from the shockwave. Diana hugged Lucia's waist even tighter, her gaze instinctively drawn to the top of the hill.

Insane.

Her mouth fell open blankly behind her mask.

Beyond the gray magic dissipating like fog, a large silhouette that had suddenly risen was becoming visible. And right in its center burned a red eye-light, shaped like a cross.

Swoosh—

Following that, the silhouette's form sharpened. It was a massive head-like lump, covered in sparse black fur. The shape resembled a demonic beast's head more than a beastfolk’s. But it seemed like only a rough outline, lacking even a mouth. A single, enormous eyeball with a cross-shaped pupil was embedded right in the center. Pointed ribs still encircled it like eyelids.

Gurgle... squish…

Even more unsettling, a neck resembling a spine had formed beneath it. It was still growing, rising higher even now.

No way.

Diana finally realized that not only the hill of flesh but the main body of chaos itself was continuing to mutate. It was clearly trying to create a new vessel for itself, using Inaskurgl’s original body as a foundation.

But if that's the case, why...

Her gaze shifted to the gray ring swirling above the amalgamation's head, endlessly drawing in magic.

Crack, creak!

It had to be related to the distortion of the surrounding area and the increasingly loud, unidentifiable, ominous sounds. It seemed it believed that it could achieve transcendence before destruction arrived.

While Diana struggled to make even the slightest sense of the phenomenon, dark blue shadows coalesced within the dissipating gray magic. Hyked and the Black Lions were getting back up. They had withstood the magic beam.

However, their situation didn't look good. Not only was the darkness enveloping them flickering unsteadily, but gray magic—manifested as tentacles and demonic beasts emerging from the fleshy hill—was creeping toward them from all sides. The chaos entity's beam seemed to have empowered its minions.

“Forward— Even if death awaits us!”

“We follow willingly!”

“For High Highness the Crown Prince—”

Hyked and the Black Lions charged forward, roaring, but their figures were once again obscured by the swarming enemies.

This is getting crazy...

Diana sighed. It wasn't that she was worried about Hyked. She was seriously debating whether she should jump off Moro right now and try to run away.

“Thank you, Diana.” Lucia’s voice reached her just as she was about to decide.

Lucia turned to look at Diana, who had momentarily paused. Lucia's eyes met hers, filled with a smooth, clear orange light. “For holding on, for not running away.”

Diana’s ears twitched at Lucia’s added words. But only for a moment.

“This is no time for thanks. We're all about to die.” Diana turned away, gesturing toward the top of the fleshy hill with the sword.

Lucia’s head snapped in that direction. The amalgamation's head was turning sideways. It required no thought to guess its next target.

“Let’s go, Moro. A little closer,” Lucia commanded immediately. Within the gleaming orange of her eyes, reddish magic swirled like paint mixing in.

Grrrrowl!

Moro snarled irritably and sped up, gradually closing the distance to the amalgamation. Rather than charging straight in, it appeared to make a wide circle around the perimeter.

Almost simultaneously, Lucia raised both hands above her head. Diana frantically tightened her arm around Lucia’s waist.

Fwoom—

Divine power and magic erupted from both of Lucia's hands at once, forming large, orange fireballs one after another. The fiery orbs hovered between her outstretched hands, keeping pace. Just as the amalgamation's head tilted down toward the slope below, Lucia swung her arms forward.

Fwoosh!

The fireballs launched in quick succession, etching dazzling orange trajectories across the air.

The amalgamation paused, turning its head almost instantly. Its red, cross-shaped pupil came into view. From its center, a ripple of magic pulsed outwards like a shockwave.

Boom—

The fireballs, created from holy fire, exploded violently in mid-air, scattering like fireworks.

Right after the explosions cleared, Ian came into view again, having climbed even higher. Diana's eyes widened.

“Keep going! Sir Ian!” Lucia shouted at the top of her lungs, raising her hands again. Divine power and magic surged hotly, twisting together to form new fireballs in the air.

Ian didn’t answer or look back.

Slash!

He simply pressed on, cutting down another demonic beast that lunged at him even more fiercely. Behind him, Lucia swung her arms once more.

Whoosh!

Several newly formed large fireballs shot out like arrows. They weren't aimed at the amalgamation's head, but rather at the slope above Ian, trajectories clearly meant to clear a path for him.

Diana, looking past the explosions toward the top of the hill, frowned slightly. Around the amalgamation's head, tall, sharp spines had suddenly sprouted, resembling a high palisade.

Boom!

The fireballs struck the upper part of the hill and exploded just then. The amalgamation, perhaps momentarily blinded by the previous explosions, failed to react. Tentacles and demonic beasts caught in the holy fire began to sizzle and burn.

“I wanted to blow it to pieces…” Lucia muttered, clicking her tongue as Ian’s figure became obscured again while he climbed. She raised her arms again before suddenly swaying.

“Lucy?” Diana tightened her grip around Lucia's waist.

Lucia turned her head slightly. “I'm okay. Just got dizzy for a second. I probably shouldn't use any more magic.”

Diana swallowed hard. Using divine power and magic simultaneously was something she’d never even heard of, but it wasn’t hard to guess the backlash would be immense. Yet Dianna didn’t stop her—this wasn’t the time or place for that.

“If, by some chance, we make it back alive—” Diana watched Lucia raise her right hand again for a moment, then finally mumbled, "I'll definitely repay this debt."

"Okay," Lucia replied without looking back, conjuring holy fire in the air as she added, "I was taught never to trust a fairy’s promise... but this time, I'll believe you."

Just then, Moro turned sharply. Tentacles that had been writhing nearby lashed down like whips.

Boom, boom, boom.

The tentacles struck the ground repeatedly. Lucia and Diana leaned sideways again as Moro maneuvered. The slope felt even steeper than before;proof that the spatial distortion was getting worse. It was also a sign that the area's destruction wasn't far off.

Clip-clop, clip-clop—

Despite the tilting ground, Moro ran on without losing balance or slipping. This angle wasn't entirely bad for Lucia either;it made it easier to aim higher up the hill.

Fwoosh!

Lucia thrust her hand forward, and the holy fire, glowing a distinct orange, shot out like will-o'-wisps. It flew toward the area above Hyked and the Black Lions, who were struggling to advance.

Fwoom—

The holy fire burst with relatively modest explosions, spewing orange flames everywhere. The results, however, were not modest. Demonic beasts touched by the flames melted like sticky tar. Lucia had aimed away from the knights deliberately, likely to avoid hitting them.

"Thank you! Charge— The way is open!" Hyked shouted, raising his sword toward Lucia before plunging back into the fray. The battered Black Lions roared in response, charging forward.

Rumble…

Almost simultaneously, an earthquake-like tremor shook the area. Following that, from the far side of the hill, tentacles, demonic beasts, and blade-sharp bones shot upwards, trailing gray arcs through the air.

“What now?” Diana’s mouth fell open as she looked up.

Swish!

A long, black arm wreathed in magic soared upwards, slicing through the air. Its surface looked like hardened tar, with sharp bones, tentacles, and mutated demonic beasts writhing across it. The hand at its end, tipped with blade-like claws, seemed unfinished, dripping chunks of flesh.

“Oh, god.”

From the mound of flesh, an arm, previously hidden, rose. The reason required no deep thought—a golden trajectory, caught in the swirling gray magic, was soaring high into the air.

Shatter!

The golden light, tinged with purple, broke apart like glass, dissipating into a shower of shimmering shards.

Ian became visible, his left arm raised before his face. The Mantra circuit engraved on that hand was losing its light—the magic must have been depleted.

“Sir Ian!” Lucia cried out in alarm.

Moro panted, accelerating even faster.

Diana’s gaze dropped to her right hand the instant Ian stopped rising. A gut feeling flashed through her mind—this was the moment he needed the sword.

“Lucy. Hold me steady.” Spitting out the words, Diana abruptly stood up on the back of the galloping Moro—a feat only possible due to her fairy sense of balance.

“Diana?” Lucia snapped her head around, looking up at Diana, who had braced herself with her left hand forward and her right arm drawn back over her shoulder. Diana stared intently at the falling Ian, gauging the distance.

She swung her right arm with all her might. The Truesilver Steel Sword left her hand, tracing a pure white arc through the air.

“Ian—” Diana shouted, already losing her balance and tumbling backward. She even pushed magic into her voice to make sure it carried.

Lucia frantically reached out, grabbing the back of Diana's belt just in time.

Ian, falling, turned his head. His eyes widened. He reflexively shot out his left arm, twisting his body.

Thwack!

His left hand snatched the incoming white trajectory from the air, closing precisely around the sword’s hilt. Even while spinning in mid-air, the corners of Ian’s mouth turned up slightly.

She really is a good thrower.

The next moment, a golden Mantra blazed dazzlingly along the sword's blade.

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