Chapter 366: About the Sins (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 366: About the Sins (4)
The world stopped.
The red sky, which until a moment ago had been thick with dust, vanished in an instant.
In its place was something else.
A darkness like an abyss.
A void containing nothingness had swallowed the heavens.
And within that overwhelming spectacle.
“…….”
Alon stared at the being before him.
To be honest, the current situation was filled with things he couldn't understand.
He couldn't understand why he, who had been aboard a ship just moments ago, was now standing on this ground.
Nor could he understand what the entity before his eyes was.
As far as Alon knew, the Sin of Wrath did not transform into such a form, even if it entered its second phase.
“…….”
Alon stared blankly at the figure.
It was more alien than any Sin he had ever seen.
The knight standing before him was not as flamboyant as the other Sins.
It wasn't as overwhelming, nor was it as destructive.
It was simply quiet.
Like the hollow abyss visible through the gaps in its armor.
The sight of it, a one-armed figure holding a single greatsword, was excessively peaceful and still.
───────And that was precisely why it looked so dangerous.
[I ask you once more.]
While he was lost in thought, a voice reached him, and Alon reflexively turned his gaze toward it.
[Can you bear the karma of sin?]
It was the same question as before.
The inquiry, as calm as the void seen through the armor, lingered in his ears, but Alon could not answer.
He had no idea what these words meant.
Nor did he recognize the entity before him.
He had never seen it in Psychedelia to begin with.
Therefore.
“What exactly… are you?”
Alon asked back.
The entity, which had been watching Alon in silence for a while, spoke.
[Why do you ask? You already know.]
It muttered lowly, then looked down at Alon.
[I am the Sin of Wrath. At the same time—]
It raised its single arm.
[I am also ‘The Burdened One’.]
Woooong—!
As the arm, which looked as though it were nothing but gaunt bone without muscle, was raised, a red light began to flow from the greatsword.
“Mentor!”
“Marquis!”
At that moment, the voices of Seolrang and Ladan, who had been staring blankly until now, rang out.
Familiar figures rushed to block the space between The Burdened One and Alon.
However.
Crunch—!
The sword, raised by the one-armed entity’s skeletal limb, was not swung but thrust into the ground.
Kragagagagak—!!!!
The earth exploded as thorns began to surge upward.
Thorns so massive they could pierce through the body of a giant monster erupted in all directions, throwing the ground into chaos. The grotesque noise and the screams of soldiers echoed simultaneously.
And then.
“Are you okay, Mentor?!”
“Yeah.”
The ground had turned into something resembling giant vines.
The moment Alon, who had escaped with Seolrang’s help, turned his head toward The Burdened One—who was now some distance away—he saw it.
The Burdened One was floating loftily in the sky, having already pulled the sword from the ground.
And its gaze was fixed exactly where Alon stood.
[The test begins now.]
The Burdened One’s voice echoed calmly, and the sword in its hand began to exhale a blue haze.
[To see if you can truly bear our karma, as he said.]
Crack—! With a bone-chilling sound, cracks began to form in the abyss that had swallowed the sky.
One line,
Two lines,
Four lines—
Soon, countless fractures covered the sky that had been filled with the abyss.
As the cracked sky shattered with the sound of breaking glass, what appeared was—
[To see if you can save this world.]
It was the Milky Way.
A massive galaxy filling the night sky—one so grand that no one could have ever seen its like before.
[To see if I truly have no need to destroy it.]
With the infinitely bright sky at its back, The Burdened One made its demand while holding the greatsword.
[Prove it.]
* * *
The soldiers who had been screaming in terror just a moment ago.
The knights who had drawn their swords but were trembling despite the escalating situation.
The mages who were debating whether they should cast barrier magic again.
The eyes of everyone present turned toward a single point.
Toward The Burdened One, standing arrogantly with a single remaining sword against the backdrop of the stars.
Everyone here knew.
That the being before them was a monster.
That this entity was a calamity possessing unprecedented power, capable of crushing them like ants at any moment.
And yet, no one could take their eyes off it.
Why was that?
Was it because it looked venerable?
Was it because it looked overwhelming?
Because it looked desperate?
Because they felt terror?
Because they felt a sense of liberation from it?
─────Or was it because they felt sadness from it?
“…….”
Alon kept his dizzy head as calm as possible.
He still hadn't grasped what that thing was.
No, it was only natural that he couldn't.
Neither the entity’s existence nor the words it spoke made any sense to Alon.
As far as he knew, the ending of Psychedelia was to eliminate all the Sins.
By doing so, the world would be at peace from sin, and a happy ending would arrive.
That was the ending of Psychedelia that Alon had known all this time.
Yet, contrary to his existing information, The Burdened One was telling Alon something entirely different.
‘Whether I can bear the karma of sin…? Whether I can save the world…?’
To Alon, these were words with no clear meaning.
“!”
Thinking that far, Alon suddenly recalled something from the past.
‘What I wanted to protect was humanity.’
The final words left by the Sin of Sloth when he had been defeated.
“…….”
Recalling that, Alon looked at the entity with complicated eyes.
…To be honest, there were still many things he didn't understand.
But if there was one thing for certain, it was that there was a ‘beyond’ that Alon did not know.
And.
“……Seolrang.”
“Yes, Mentor.”
No matter how many questions he harbored, no matter how many truths he realized, the task he had to perform ultimately remained unchanged.
“Get ready.”
Alon had to stop that thing.
If he didn't, destruction would follow.
* * *
Alon reaching into his coat and The Burdened One moving its hand happened simultaneously.
Crunch—
The crystal ball in Alon’s hand shattered.
With it, a bone-chilling sound echoed across the entire ruins.
It was one of the signals Alon had pre-arranged with the Allied Forces. A signal to immediately withdraw the soldiers if this sound was heard in the event of an unforeseen situation.
As the signal flare from Alon’s hand rang out, troops began to move amidst bustling voices from all over.
At that moment—
“!?”
The Sins became visible.
The Sin of Jealousy, which had yet to appear, manifested with eight giant hands.
The Sin of Greed, which had been dealt with in Phildegrin, appeared, swirling hundreds of wings.
The indifferent man who had descended as the black calamity of Ashtalon.
The Black Dragon of Pride, who was more arrogant than anything and refused to bow.
They gradually formed their bodies and finally manifested.
“This is insane—”
“That, that thing—”
Clear agitation broke out among the soldiers.
The shock that leaked out spread like a plague among the retreating troops.
However.
Alon, who had also been frowning, was soon able to steady his heart without much difficulty.
‘They aren't the originals.’
The Sins he was seeing were not the real bodies.
Even if their appearances looked identical for now, their colors were ash-gray, like the thorns that had risen from the ground.
Furthermore, the power felt from them was significantly weaker than what a true Sin should possess.
Of course, that was only when compared to the real Sins.
Kwaaaaang—!
The Dragon of Pride, disappearing at a speed beyond Alon’s perception, instantly headed toward the soldiers of Asteria.
A speed like light, one that no one could dare to react to.
The fleeing soldiers didn't even realize it.
Even the commander standing on the spot couldn't perceive the passage of time.
In that split second, ‘Pride’ slammed its claws downward.
Zap—!
Until it was interrupted by someone.
Zzzzzap—!
Golden electricity illuminated the ash-gray dragon.
Reflected in its mindless face was the Thunder God, whose entire body had turned to gold.
“Swaying Spear—”
Time,
“Thunderstrike.”
Began to flow once more.
* * *
Kwaaaaa—!
In a moment so brief it was almost imperceptible, Pride was struck by Seolrang’s foot and vanished, smashing through the thorn-like paths. Simultaneously, as if by agreement, the other Sins moved.
Unfortunately for them, the other Sins failed to achieve their goals as well.
“……Just as I heard.”
Ladan appeared before the twisting Sin of Jealousy with a confident expression.
“I’ve already finished some of the scouting.”
Around the Sin of Greed, which was about to spread its wings, hundreds and thousands of Golden Tubes appeared as if multiplying.
“I won't let you do that.”
The Comfort of Sloth, which had expanded its Black Territory to trap the soldiers who hadn't yet retreated, was met by purple threads that began to entangle in a dizzying mess.
Each was locked in a confrontation with their designated opponent.
They had blocked the Sins, but the situation was still not advantageous.
Even if they held back the Sins, there was currently no one to stop ‘The Burdened One’.
And even if they did stop The Burdened One, victory was not guaranteed in this state.
Moreover, even if they were just puppets created by that entity, the Sins still possessed their abilities, and they even held a portion of the entity’s own power.
In other words, they could hold the Sins back for a long time, but they couldn't completely eliminate them.
Yet, despite knowing all this, Alon’s face remained calm.
Because those present were not the only ones capable of stopping the Sins.
──────────────—!
A chilling black energy spread in all directions.
From within it, black hands rose and grabbed the body of the Sin that was tearing at the Golden Tubes.
“The situation has changed—”
Ryanga, with her horns grown massive and radiating an eerie mana, slammed down on the body of Pride as it lunged toward Seolrang. With a haunting smile, she unleashed a wave of magical power.
Tch—!
Cutting through the black threads that clung to every expanding territory, Historia revealed herself with a cold expression.
With that, the balance was struck.
And.
“Teacher.”
“Yutia?”
“I’ll help too. If it’s just defense—I’m confident.”
As Yutia joined them, Alon nodded.
“Alright.”
White light scattered from her hands.
“……Diffraction.”
The battle began.
And soon.
[R-rrrrrrr-rrr-■■■■■■■■■■■■■■]
The Milky Way began to shine.
More vividly than ever before.