Chapter 435. Strange (6)
Of course, Alon Palatio already had a plan on how he should handle the Father of Maggots. He wasn't strong enough to face a Divine Blood without any preparation.
And he had reviewed that plan over and over again.
...Until just a few moments ago.
He was staring blankly, dazed.
In the distance, a battle worthy of a myth was unfolding, a fight between enormous monsters impossible to imagine.
A Divine Blood, covered in a black cloak as if wearing a robe made of grotesque masks hanging all over its body, wielded a horrifying sword against the Father of Maggots floating in the sky.
The dragon soaring through the air avoided the sword slashes as best it could, and from the countless mouths on its body, it ceaselessly launched something toward the ground.
Kwa-ga-ga-ga-gak—!!!
The ground exploded, and the vibrations reached where Alon was standing.
But unfortunately, the Father of Maggots' attacks could not continue.
A Divine Blood with horrifying arms grabbed it and tore it from the sky.
The Father of Maggots fell to the ground with a thunderous crash, and immediately began receiving a one-sided beating again. Alon, watching the scene, barely managed to murmur:
"...What the hell is happening?"
"They seem to be fighting everywhere."
"Yes, it seems so."
Evan and Penia responded with blank stares.
"...I think I see it that way too... maybe?"
Even Yutia Bloodia frowned, unable to understand anything.
Alon thought to himself:
'Is it... good luck?'
Of course it was.
If the Divine Bloods killed the Father of Maggots, Alon could take all the profit without suffering any loss.
But even so, he felt a vague and unpleasant unease.
Even if it was a good thing, in his life he had never had such luck without paying a price.
Just as his internal conflict was growing—
"Ah..."
"This is—"
Alon, Evan, and Penia let out a groan at the same time.
One of the Divine Bloods beating the Father of Maggots had seen them.
Although he was far away, the fixed gaze directed at them was unmistakable.
Alon frowned behind his changeless expression.
'Of course... It couldn't be that easy...'
With that thought, he formed a seal behind his pocket, cautiously.
Yutia also seemed to be debating, but she began to accumulate divine power in silence.
But then, the Divine Blood that had looked at them—
Kwaaaaa—!!
Turned its head as if it hadn't seen them, and started hitting the Father of Maggots even more fiercely.
Alon's group was bewildered.
The Divine Bloods kept hitting the Father of Maggots increasingly brutally and—variedly?—as if showing off.
Giant hands lifted it from the ground and slammed it down again.
The odd-eyed skull, which until now had fought only with a sword, suddenly drew another one and released divine darkness in all directions.
...Techniques one would use as a last resort when losing, the Divine Bloods were using when they were already completely winning.
"Oooh..."
At the colorful and exaggerated explosions, Evan let out a slight cry of amazement.
Until now, the fight had been quite straightforward, but now—
'WWE...?'
It was as if they were putting on an unnecessarily flashy show.
Alon and the others thought the same.
They continued watching in astonishment as the Divine Bloods mercilessly beat the Father of Maggots.
And finally—
The Father of Maggots let out a ghastly scream and died when its neck was cut.
Then—
Alon felt the Divine Bloods' gazes upon them again.
They looked clearly, as if acknowledging their existence.
Alon hesitated whether to escape, but shook his head immediately.
It would be useless; if they wanted, they could easily catch them.
'...Five.'
Instead, he prepared to cast the magic he had ready at any moment, hiding his gaze.
Would he have any chance if they all attacked together? It was possible.
Then—
Just as Yutia slowly raised her index finger, resigned—
Thud.
The Divine Bloods looking at them turned at once and began walking away in another direction.
Alon, who was expecting a confrontation after the death of the Father of Maggots, was disoriented.
"??"
Yutia was also confused, but the Divine Bloods, once turned, did not look back at them and moved further and further away...
Until they disappeared completely.
After they left—
Just in case, really just in case it was a trap, they waited a long time before approaching the place where the Father of Maggots had fallen.
And then—
"...They really left."
"That's right."
They had confirmed it: the Divine Bloods had really marched away.
Their expressions turned strange.
It was a good thing.
They avoided a fight with the Divine Bloods and would also obtain benefits.
But it didn't feel real.
That things had resolved like this...
So they remained dazed for a moment.
"Sir Alon, then, what should we look for here?"
Penia broke the silence.
Alon regained his composure and remembered the words of the Seeker of the Path, but then tilted his head.
After thinking about it... he never said exactly what they should find.
"...What are we supposed to look for?"
"Eh? Didn't we come just to find something?"
"Well, yes, but—"
What was it they were looking for? He barely asked himself that when—
Among the ruins,
A small black lump came crawling out from Alon's chest.
It was Blackie, who hadn't come out even once in a whole month since the trip began, except to eat.
[...]
Blackie froze upon seeing Yutia stuck to Alon's side.
But soon, determined, he jumped to the ground and walked toward the corpse of the Father of Maggots.
And then—
With a strange sound, the Father of Maggots' body began to be absorbed by Blackie.
Just like with Rakrakkamur before.
Alon set aside his curiosity and got to work.
"Let's split up and search."
Perhaps there was something useful in the blackened territory of the Father of Maggots.
"All right."
"I will search too... although I don't know if we'll find anything."
Alon checked the area.
Evan was right.
It seemed impossible to find anything useful here.
Nothing was intact.
The place where he was standing, which had probably been a territory or domain before the Father of Maggots occupied it, was now nothing more than collapsed ruins.
"...Let's go."
Since they couldn't stay still, the group split up to check the rubble.
Alon also went into the ruins hoping to find something.
After some time—
"Haa..."
Alon sighed.
He already expected it: there was absolutely nothing here.
'Maybe... it disappeared when the Divine Bloods fought?'
He thought about it for a moment with displeasure.
Then he saw something strange through a gap in the ruins.
In the nearby meadow, in the distance, he saw an unsettling scene.
To be exact: he saw Divine Bloods standing there—
"Master?"
While he was observing that fleeting image, Yutia's voice broke his concentration.
He didn't know when she had arrived, but she was smiling by his side.
"...Yutia?"
"What were you looking at?"
Alon remembered what he had seen and turned his head to point at it—
"...Hm?"
But there was nothing there anymore.
Only an empty meadow.
Alon, bewildered, finally replied:
"No, I think I saw an illusion."
"Really?"
"Yes. More importantly, why are you here?"
Yutia took a step forward.
"It's just that I think I found something."
She handed him an object she had found among the ruins.
"...This is?"
Alon's eyes widened in surprise.
While that was happening—
The Divine Bloods, who had left the Father of Maggots behind without saying a word, walked in silence through the meadow for a long time.
Until they completely left the Father of Maggots' territory.
And when they finally left it behind—
[...Did everyone confirm it?]
A Divine Blood spoke.
[Yes.]
[I saw it too.]
[Confirmed.]
[That person was undoubtedly the Star Eater.]
Everyone nodded.
And then—
[Did you see it? Did you see it well? The Star Eater saw how I slammed the Father of Maggots against the ground!]
[Hmph. That was just one hit. He saw how I stomped him into the earth.]
[No, no. The Star Eater clearly saw how my black flames burned him. It was me he looked at.]
[No, he saw me!]
[It was me!]
[Me, I say!!]
In an instant, a heated argument broke out among them.
But it didn't last long.
[Enough, everyone!]
At the shout of the Darkness-Eating Sword, everyone turned toward him.
He swept the place with his gaze, calming the dispute.
And then he said:
[The Star Eater saw how I defeated the Father of Maggots.]
He let out a brief laugh, remembered the moment he killed the Father of Maggots, and added—
[I tore him apart.]
