I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain-Chapter 716

Fwoosh—

Light flooded his vision, surging and rolling as a faint rush of wind followed.

Biting cold and vertigo came next. Only when the quest completion window snapped into sharp focus did Ian realize he had returned to reality.

Suppressing the wave of nausea, he closed the window. As his vision cleared, violet waves and churning dark clouds rushed back into view. The sensation of being thrown had been no illusion. He was soaring through the sky, tracing a wide parabola.

Sizzle—

A thin veil of red divinity spread over him as he looked down. The shockwave that had hurled him away had clearly been the result of the eye of chaos exploding.

Rumble—

Below him, amid the scattering remnants of the blast, lay the avatar, engulfed in azure sacred fire. At a glance, it looked much the same as it had before he plunged into the eye.

Was it only an instant in reality?

Ian wondered amidst the lingering vertigo.

Yet the scene was not entirely unchanged. Cracks spider-webbed across the creature’s entire form as it burned, vomiting violet sparks from every fissure.

—Too tired... friend. Our talk... later...

The whisper barely lingered before fading away. At the same time, the fluttering hem of Ian’s cloak wrapped around him.

His fall had begun.

Rumble...

Almost simultaneously, the avatar’s burning form crumbled and collapsed. Remnants of chaos and blue sparks tangled together as they scattered into the air.

I have the Blessing of Battle. At least my neck won't break.

He fell helplessly into the center of the debris. The dizziness had yet to fade, and his entire body felt numb, refusing to respond.

Whoosh—

All he could manage was to turn his head slightly, staring up at the ground rushing toward him at a terrifying speed. Below, terrain blanketed in tentacles spewing violet sparks was closing in fast.

Rumble...

A deep vibration spread through the earth amid the roaring aftermath. Distorted spacetime finally settled back into place. Thankfully, the catastrophic collapse that could have followed did not occur.

Shweck—

The sound of air being sliced apart came from behind him, sharp and fast, like an arrow. Ian turned his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

A dark crimson streak tore through the air like a comet. From within the sticky mass of divinity emerged the figure of a warrior in full plate armor, arms stretched forward.

Crunch...

Mev twisted in midair and swept past him, pulling the falling Ian into her arms. Fragments of his already tattered armor shattered and scattered, while Mev tightened her grip around his back and thigh even as she spun.

Thud, thud, thud—

She landed on one knee, crouching to shield him with her body. Together, they slid across the ground, plowing through the debris of collapsing thorn tentacles.

Thud...

A dull impact and vibration rolled through Ian. Even through the haze, he knew it was nothing compared to what Mev had absorbed in his place.

"At this rate, I think I might develop a habit of clinging to you whenever things get dangerous," Ian said once they finally came to a stop.

The armored arms around him loosened, and Mev lifted her crouched upper body.

Rumble—

Amid the tremors and the violet sparks spiraling into the sky, a dark red glint shone through her visor. Her eyes curved gently as she looked down at him.

"Then I suppose we’ll have to keep fighting on dangerous battlefields."

"I thought you’d say you’d hug me more often in general," Ian replied, the corner of his mouth lifting into a mischievous smirk.

Mev answered without hesitation. "If you want, Ian."

Ian paused, caught off guard, before his smile deepened. Lifting his right hand weakly, he reached up and gently cupped one side of Mev’s visor, as though stroking it.

Fwoosh...

The dark red divinity clinging to Mev scattered like fine powder, and the glint in her eyes faded with it.

Ian stared quietly into Mev’s eyes. "It seems it’s finally over."

"Yes... but why did you run into that ominous eye?" Mev asked softly.

Rather than pulling away from his touch, she adjusted her grip on his thigh and laid her gauntlet over the hand resting against her visor.

Ian tilted his head. "I had to take revenge on the one behind this mess."

"And you succeeded, I assume?"

"My familiar did. Most likely."

The exact damage Dharmaraja had suffered would only be clear once Yog awoke, but the reaction at the end suggested it had been severe.

Mev smiled, as though she had expected nothing less. "But something important remains, Ian. The declaration of victory."

Ian blinked, then frowned slightly. "Why such bothersome—"

"It is something you must do," Mev cut in firmly, her gaze unwavering. "Can you stand? Shall I support you?"

"... I can manage on my own," Ian replied after smacking his lips. His limbs felt heavy and the ground was still trembling, but the dizziness had mostly passed.

"Then wait a moment. I will retrieve your sword." She helped him sit up, then rose to her feet.

Without waiting for a response, she turned and ran off. Ian watched her retreating back before letting his gaze drift across the battlefield.

Swoosh—

A massive remnant of the avatar, burning down into ash beneath the flames of judgment, caught his eye. It was the main source of the violet and azure embers spreading through the air.

Of course, it was not the only one.

Rumble—

Across the flattened ground nearby, violet sparks still sprayed from the spiked tentacles scattered everywhere. Beyond them, remnants of chaos embers continued to surge and churn in disarray.

The vassals are all dead, too.

With that thought, Ian braced one hand against the trembling earth and staggered to his feet. His body creaked, and not only because his armor was in tatters. He looked toward the wall, where haze-like sparks drifted, then up at the dark clouds, which were finally shedding their oppressive glow.

Clank— Clack—

Mev returned, ash scattering in her wake. She carried the divine sword, its bluish light shimmering faintly. Despite having been swallowed by the avatar, the blade was flawless, its luster undimmed.

Rumble...

As the tremors eased, Mev reached him and kneeled on one knee. She raised the Blazing Judgment above her head with both hands.

Why go to such lengths? Ian thought, even as he reached out and closed his fingers around the hilt.

Cold divinity surged through the blade, and the red divinity coating him flared like a sudden fire.

Shwaaaa—

Pale red ripples burst outward from him in concentric rings, washing away the drifting sparks and the remnants of the avatar.

A series of windows followed: the completion of the quests for the Matriarch of the Snowfield, Akihatara, and the Fragment of Eternal Agony.

Ian’s brow furrowed.

Wait, this works even without a battle cry? 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Unlike before, there had been no heat pooling and boiling inside him beforehand. The color of the waves was much paler, but the effect itself felt no different.

Did Karha make me shout all this time just because he wanted me to? Dammit...

Grumbling inwardly, Ian closed the completion windows. Now wasn’t the time to curse Karha.

The embers that had been raging in every direction were dispersing now, revealing the scene beyond.

Whoosh...

Ian turned his gaze toward the brazier wagon glowing with faint light, and the mass of barbarian warriors gathered around it. Mukapa, towering among them, and Nasser, still mounted on his horse, stood out immediately. So did Seras atop the carriage’s roof, with Asme at her side.

And now, every single one of them was looking at Ian.

The same was true of the soldiers and mages on the wall.

Clack...

As Mev rose and pivoted with crisp precision to take position behind him, Ian slowly swept his gaze across the area and lifted the divine sword he had let hang at his side.

Fwoosh—

Even without activating any skill, azure sacred flames surged up along the blade, brightening the surroundings at once.

Do we really need this much flair?

Grumbling inwardly, Ian nonetheless opened his mouth.

"We have blocked the invasion of the Archdemon of the Snowfield and the Archdemon of Agony."

His voice, steeped in divinity, boomed outward. The lingering embers scattered and vanished without a trace.

"This would have been impossible for me alone."

Without glancing aside, Ian extended the raised divine sword forward and slowly swept it across the battlefield.

"Therefore, this is not my victory, but the victory of us all. It is also a victory for the North. All who fought here today will be recorded in history as Guardians of the North."

After sweeping his gaze over the Crimson Legion, the brazier, and even the high wall without omission, he raised the divine sword once more.

"Raise your weapons, Guardians of the North! Celebrate this great victory, and honor the souls of our fallen brothers!"

Shing—

A sound of steel rang out behind him. Mev, standing just to Ian’s left, had drawn her sword and lifted it high overhead.

"Ooooooo—"

The first roar came from the Crimson Legion.

"For the victory of the North!"

"Oh, Karha! Accept the souls of our brothers!"

"God Slayer of the North! Praise the Golden Demigod!"

With weapons raised, they bellowed sacred-tinged cries. And the louder their voices grew, the crimson divinity clinging to their bodies faded away, like flames being snuffed out.

"Eternal light to the Stern Goddess and the Blazing Goddess!"

"Burning passion!"

"Ooooooo!"

Before anyone realized it, the Imperials from the capital and the priests of the ember had joined in as well. Even the princess, seemingly forgetting all decorum, raised her fist and shouted in triumph.

"Long live the Golden Demigod and the Guardians of the North!"

"Great Demigod of the North!"

"Hahaha! He really killed the avatar of the void!"

Thunderous cheers were erupting from atop the wall as well.

The dispatched legionnaires, the defense forces, the mercenaries, and the fortress garrison, even the surviving mages, all leaned dangerously far over the wall, shouting until their throats were raw.

The commanders were no exception.

When did I get so used to speeches?

The sight before him was enough to make Ian smack his lips. However, that wasn’t the only reason his eyes narrowed slightly.

Shwaaaa...

Piercing through the now-quiet storm clouds, faint rays of dawn began to spill down in scattered shafts. They cast a pale light over the wall, the ruined fortress city, and the shattered gate below.

The cheers that had seemed as though they would never end fell silent immediately after.

Fwoosh...

Ian swept the divine sword he had held aloft down to his side in a decisive arc. Azure sacred flame surged along the blade and spilled outward across the ground, which had been reduced to ash.

"The most important task remains. Organize the battlefield. Recover the wounded and the dead. Rest comes only after that," said Ian, with everyone’s attention drawn back to him.

Almost immediately, Mev stepped forward with a firm stride, sword in hand.

"Begin!" she shouted, raising her blade.

The barbarian warriors snapped their heads up and echoed her command.

"Begin!"

"Begin—"

"Move! Make sure no one is left behind!"

The Crimson Legion turned as one and dispersed in all directions. Even the soldiers atop the wall were already moving, repeating the orders as they went, as though it were second nature.

Fwoosh...

That was when the crimson divinity clinging to Ian scattered and faded away.

For a moment, it felt as though a satisfied chuckle brushed against his thoughts, but Ian paid it no mind. He simply drew a scabbard from his pocket dimension and sheathed the Blazing Judgement.

"It was an excellent victory speech, Commander," Mev said, approaching his side as she sheathed her sword.

Ian did not reply. He focused on securing the scabbard to his tattered belt.

Mev continued nonchalantly, "Once the cleanup is complete, you’ll need to receive reports from the commanders as well. I’ll escort you to the castle."

Treating me like the supreme commander as if it’s the most natural thing in the world...

With that thought, Ian glanced over the fortress. It was still standing, almost miraculously so, its battered shape barely intact. Perhaps that was why Mev had insisted so firmly on the declaration of victory.

"Let’s hold the funerals first," Ian said, beginning to walk toward the inner fortress. "Let everyone rest. The reports can wait until after that."