Chapter 473

C473. Astarotte (4)

How much time had passed since they began moving to subjugate Astarote?

Alon noticed an anomaly.

“…The sky is dark.”

“Yes, it is strange.”

Until a short while ago, even with countless Divine Bloods covering the sky, the sunlight still filtered through the gaps.

That sun… no longer existed.

In its place, the sky was covered by dense black clouds.

‘…That is not… a normal cloud.’

It was so dark that it was impossible to simply call it a cloud. Alon observed it in silence before turning his gaze toward Seolrang.

She was also looking at the sky with a strange expression, as if she were contemplating something out of place.

Furthermore, the further they descended toward the south—toward where Astarotte was located—the darker the sky became.

Alon thought for a moment if there was something inside those clouds, but…

“Alon-nim, look there—”

At Evan‘s words, Alon shifted his gaze and saw, in the distance, at the edge of the horizon, a territory in ruins.

A place that had once been inhabited by humans.

But now it had changed to the point that no one could live there. Only the skeleton of the walls remained, indicating that a domain had once existed in that spot.

And when both the Divine Bloods and Alon’s group confirmed the ruins—

“!”

Suddenly, where nothing had been visible before, a Divine Blood appeared.

A figure wrapped in black armor, emerged as if it had sprouted from the void.

The confusion took the Subjugation Squad by surprise.

It was logical to ask:

[…What is that?]

Because one after another, more and more black-armored Divine Bloods began to appear out of nowhere.

First two.

Then four.

Then eight.

And in the blink of an eye, so many that even the Divine Bloods present could not count them at a glance.

The momentary chaos was inevitable.

They appeared without coming from the horizon… they just appeared, as if they had been created right there.

While the Divine Bloods watched in bewilderment—

[Attack—!]

Red Faith regained his senses and shouted.

It was a hasty judgment… perhaps too hasty.

But the Divine Bloods did not hesitate and immediately threw themselves against the black-armored ones.

Even if it was rushed, everyone knew that there was something extremely suspicious occurring.

Thus, with aligned interests, the Subjugation Squad and the Divine Bloods clashed against the bearers of black armor.

KWAANG!!

The noise of the collision would make anyone’s skin crawl.

If a common human had been nearby, they would have been disintegrated instantly.

Repeated explosions burst everywhere, and soon, earth-shattering noises filled the area.

The battle had begun.

A battle that, without any prior warning, exploded as soon as the black-armored Divine Bloods appeared.

But the development of the combat was… different from what Alon expected.

‘What is… this?’

He had been worried about how to face Astarote’s Divine Bloods.

But the result completely deviated from his assumptions.

Even though they were with the Subjugation Squad, Alon expected considerable casualties. Based on the information alone, Astarote was an extremely dangerous enemy.

But—

“…Alon-nim.”

“What is it?”

“Isn’t this too easy?”

—Strangely, the development of the battle was too favorable.

Alon looked to the front.

There were the leaders of the combat: Red Faith and Clotted Eye, slaughtering the black-armored Divine Bloods without mercy.

That was not a battle.

It was a unilateral execution.

A black-armored Divine Blood approached Red Faith and let out a gruesome shriek as its body began to melt.

KWAJIK—

The armor and black flesh melted in seconds while Red Faith unhesitatingly decapitated the creature, his red cross intensifying as he melted all enemies within his reach.

PASEK—

Beside him, Clotted Eye eliminated the black-armored Divine Bloods as if they were nothing, wielding his weapon toward the void as if he saw everything even though his eyes were closed.

There were some Divine Bloods that fell at the hands of the black-armored ones, but the majority overcame them with ease.

Too easy.

Too light.

And shortly after—

“……It seems it ended, right?”

The battle ended in a ridiculously anticlimactic manner.

The Squad had won.

‘…Does this make sense?’

Alon could not understand it.

The fight against Astarote had ended in a resounding victory, and some were already celebrating the successful subjugation.

Actually, it wasn’t that strange.

According to the information, the strongest leader among Astarote’s followers—the Spirit Invoker—could not move due to the digestion of the fragments.

[… ]

Although many, like Alon, frowned at such an easy victory…

“Master.”

Suddenly, Seolrang spoke after having watched in silence.

“Those… are the same as last time.”

“The ones from last time?”

“Yes.”

Alon blinked, confused for a few moments, until he understood what she meant.

“The ones that looked like Divine Bloods, but weren’t really?”

“Exactly.”

Seolrang nodded.

Kkudduk—

And then the anomaly occurred.

Very slight, but sufficiently visible to Alon and Seolrang.

The corpses of the black-armored Divine Bloods, which just a moment ago lay cold on the ground…

began to crush.

[!]

Red Faith, who had also noticed something strange, saw it just in time.

KKUDUDUDUK—!!!

The completely crushed bodies compressed until they became small spheres…

and then were shot toward a point, gathering in front of Red Faith.

They grouped together in seconds, taking a humanoid shape.

[!]

Red Faith, without hesitating, dyed his cross red again and brought his sword down upon the black mass.

KWAAAAAANG—!!!

A brutal explosion.

A force capable of destroying an entire village was released at once.

But—

The Divine Bloods remained paralyzed.

Because in the place where Red Faith had attacked…

There was a person.

No—

Something shaped like a person.

It wore old clothes, like those of an elderly monk. Its body was emaciated like a mummy, with a hole in the center of its chest, and although it retained a human shape, no one could call it a “person.”

Because it had no head.

In its place, two spears were stuck into its shoulders, crossed in a way that they occupied the spot where its head should be, blocking Red Faith’s attack with a single finger.

A single finger.

[Spirit Invoker]

And when Red Faith recognized him, horrified—

[The range of my ‘brother’s’ ability is not that great, apparently. It took a long time to inflict true damage.]

The old man’s voice rang out.

And the next instant—

PASEK—!

Red Faith’s head exploded.

Burst by a grotesquely large spine that emerged from the old man’s back.

[!]

Clotted Eye tried to retreat—

Fu-!

But the old man appeared in front of him instantly.

[Your ‘brother’ cannot use his ability if he does not touch his target, right?]

With those words—

KWAJIK—!

He dealt a direct punch.

PASEK—!!

Clotted Eye’s heart exploded.

The Divine Bloods stood frozen before the scene.

But it was only the beginning.

[Your ‘brother’s’ ability is useless if he does not concentrate for a time.]

The old man—or rather, the Spirit Invoker—appeared before another Divine Blood.

And killed him.

One.

And another.

[Your ‘brother’s’ ability is strong, but easy to avoid.]

One.

After another.

[Your ‘brother’s’ ability—]

With absolute calm.

“Eya-diya…”

Alon understood two things.

First: the Squad’s information was wrong.

And second:

PASEK—

The reason why the Spirit Invoker had created the black-armored Divine Bloods—which were destined to lose from the beginning—and sent them to fight.

‘It was to analyze their abilities…’

Alon understood it just as the old man stopped attacking.

It wasn’t that he had stopped.

But rather that he had finished the first cleanup.

A cleanup of all the Divine Bloods that had used their abilities during the battle.

Alon noticed that almost all the corpses belonged to those who had been massacring the followers of Astarotte.

[Allow me to make a proposal to you, brothers.]

The Spirit Invoker spoke.

[How about you all serve the great Astarote?]

He said the phrase with total serenity.

[If you abandon the heretical path and serve Astarote, we will be delighted to receive you as part of our family. Just like the previous ones.]

A quiet offer.

An unsettling offer.

[The… previous ones?]

[Yes. Your companions.]

[…Are you talking about the ones you just killed?]

The Spirit Invoker shook his head.

[Kill…? Why would you say such a thing?]

[They have simply… become my brothers.]

[What bullshit are you—]

The Divine Blood frowned…

But he fell silent.

Because the corpses that were lying on the ground a few moments ago…

Disappeared.

[Observe.]

And in their place, they began to reappear.

Alive.

Covered in the same black armor characteristic of Astarotte.

[They have risen… as servants of Astarote.]

[Inside of me.]

Then—

[That is…]

[It can’t be…]

[The information—]

Fear spread among the Divine Bloods.

They had seen with their own eyes Red Faith and Clotted Eye… two leaders… being crushed without being able to resist.

Although the group’s strength did not depend only on them, the death of their leaders in an instant would shake anyone.

[Did you eat even the Divine Bloods that followed you?]

[I beg you to choose your words well, brother. We simply… became one. To receive Him.]

The collapse of the information they had only increased the terror.

“…Shouldn’t we flee right now?”

“This looks really bad…”

Evan and Penia were trembling.

But Alon, still looking at the Spirit Invoker, shifted his gaze toward Seolrang.

She was also looking at him, in silence.

Alon finally made a decision.

“…That won’t be necessary.”

He said, with a small but firm conviction.