Raising Villains the Right Way

Right after the world was dyed in light, Alon’s body immediately began to fall toward the ground.

”!”

Alon ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍was briefly startled, but soon understood his condition.

‘As expected, I maintained Reverse Heaven longer than necessary.’

Basically, Reverse Heaven placed an enormous burden when used.

Even if one became accustomed to it, that did not change.

As one grew accustomed, it only meant they could use it more efficiently and extend its duration, not eliminate the burden itself.

‘…I did use it a bit too much.’

As he fell, Alon looked up at the sky.

The clones he had created to fill the sky disappeared as if they had never existed the moment Reverse Heaven ended.

It was only natural.

The clones he had created with Phantasmal Panorama, each indistinguishable from the real thing, could not have been used in this way without Reverse Heaven in the first place.

‘To convert all mana spheres or matter containing a certain level of mana into illusions, huh.’

Alon recalled the hundreds of clones.

Each one possessed mana similar to what Alon outwardly displayed.

Thanks to those clones, Alon had been able to deceive ‘Drawing-In Night’ and implant a ‘misconception’ in them.

By lowering the mana of the other clones ever so slightly, he made it seem as if Alon was trying his best to hide.

That he was desperately struggling, knowing nothing, trying to land a single hit among hundreds to somehow win.

That very misconception.

And that misconception subtly cracked the otherwise perfectly maintained defense of ‘Drawing-In Night.’

With that, Alon had been able to seize victory.

‘I’m tired.’

Even as he fell toward the ground, fatigue overwhelmed his body.

The number of spells he had used to face ‘Drawing-In Night’ had exceeded dozens and reached the hundreds.

It was only natural that exhaustion beyond imagination would follow.

Still, he couldn’t just crash into the ground like that, so Alon let out a deep sigh and twisted his body.

Just as he was about to forcibly use Reverse Heaven once more—

Thud!

Someone caught Alon’s falling body.

[Meow-!]

It was Blackie.

Perhaps because it had absorbed mana from Reverse Heaven, Blackie was still in the form of the Poison Swallower as it caught Alon and landed on the ground.

“Lord Alon!”

“Are you alright?!”

As soon as Blackie reverted to the form of a cat and set him down, Penia and Evan came running from afar.

Just as Alon was about to wave his hand slightly to reassure them—

Suddenly, his vision was engulfed in red and blue light.

Naturally lowering his gaze, Alon noticed light pouring out from the inner pocket of his coat.

[Meow!?]

Blackie, beside him, showed a startled expression, and as if entranced, Alon reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

At that moment, Alon realized the identity of the glowing gem.

‘This is—’

It was the gem he had received from Yutia.

More precisely, the gem that had appeared after the Father of Maggots disappeared.

It was emitting a brilliant light.

“!?”

“Lord Alon!”

Thinking something had gone wrong, Penia and Evan rushed even faster—

Tuk—

The world stopped.

Blackie, who had been startled by the intense light, froze.

Penia and Evan, who had been calling out Alon’s name as they ran, froze as well.

Even the countless fragments that had been falling from the sky after the death of ‘Drawing-In Night’ stopped.

A sudden situation.

Alon tried to move his body, but—

‘It won’t move.’

Unfortunately, it was impossible.

Only Alon’s mind could continue thinking.

As if to prove that he too was trapped in this frozen time, his body did not respond.

‘What in the world is this—’

Just as anxiety unconsciously appeared on Alon’s face—

Tok—

A faint sound reached his ears.

A very small sound.

Yet one that was unmistakably clear.

Tok—

The next moment, Alon realized it was the sound of someone approaching.

Tok—

As it became clearer, he realized it was the sound of footsteps.

For some reason, it sounded familiar.

Tok—

The sound grew closer and closer.

But Alon could do nothing.

In a place where time had stopped, he could only remain still and listen to the approaching sound.

And when the footsteps stopped—

Alon realized that something had reached behind him.

Srrk—

……?

?

Soon, he felt a hand gently patting his head.

It wasn’t just once.

Several times, the hand stroked his head.

Yet for some reason, it carried a deep sense of longing.

At that strange touch, Alon wanted to turn around, but he remained frozen.

At the final moment—

[............Whatever it is, the answer is what you choose.]

A voice echoed by his ear.

Filled with longing.

…A murmur tangled with complex emotions.

And—

Crackle—!

The world that had clearly been stopped began to move again.

And Alon—

[One who has obtained the qualification of Rhythm, speak the path you wish to take.]

He heard a voice echo within his mind.

***

Yutia silently gazed at the massive eye before her.

Endlessly alien, as if it would devour everything, the constantly writhing eye spoke to Yutia.

[I expected you would come.]

“Oh my, is that so?”

[Yes. You interfered with my work before.]

“Then that makes things easier.”

Yutia’s calm voice.

However, the ‘Gazing Void’ replied without hiding its amusement.

[What’s easier about it? Don’t tell me you’re going to spout nonsense like I’ll let you die comfortably if you stay still? Hm?]

Hehehe!

Laughing, Void exclaimed cheerfully.

[Too bad, you monster bitch! You’ve fallen into a trap.]

“A trap?”

[Of course! You’re already too late!]

Kwachik! Kwaddeudeudeuk!!!

With Void’s words, the space around them shattered like glass in an instant.

And what appeared was—

[I’ve already absorbed all the sacrifices! Unlike last time!]

An empty, completely barren moonlit field.

A hollow, desolate plain.

However, the red liquid beneath the abyss seemed to reveal what had once been here.

Within that abyss, Yutia stared ahead.

And there stood a man emitting a chilling aura.

A man with black mane-like hair falling below his waist, dark skin, and reversed eyes.

No—

The ‘Gazing Void.’

Yutia, who had been standing silently, let out a low exclamation as if she had just realized something.

“Hm, it seems you didn’t wait for the fourth stage and devoured everything in advance?”

[Yes. Because I expected you would come.]

“But then you wouldn’t be able to recover your original power, would you?”

At Yutia’s smiling question, Void let out a scoff.

[Heh, you’re right. Even after devouring tens of thousands of sacrifices and dozens of divine-bloods, I’ve only reached the third stage. But that doesn’t matter.]

“Why?”

[Because there’s no one stronger than me on this continent right now.]

Grin—

[It will take a long time before they descend. Enough time for me to make this entire continent mine.]

“So you plan to unify everything before other divine-bloods descend?”

[Correct. And I’ll kill you, who stepped into this place, in a miserable way as well.]

Void’s eyes gleamed toward Yutia.

Still smiling, Yutia asked,

“Do you really think that’s possible? Killing me.”

[Do you think it’s impossible?]

Yutia pondered.

Then, she took something out from her pocket.

It was a pocket watch.

An old-looking pocket watch.

Click.

After glancing at the opened watch, Yutia turned her gaze forward and tilted her head.

“Certainly, defeating you right now does seem difficult.”

At that, Void, who had been blank for a moment, grinned.

Tick—

[You catch on quickly.]

“Since it’s come to this, may I ask a few more questions?”

[I’ll allow it. Though I’d like to tear you apart right now, unlike you, I am generous.]

Clearly confident in victory, Void accepted with a smile.

Yutia slowly opened her mouth.

“If I had come just a day earlier, things might have been different. What do you think?”

[Heh—then I wouldn’t have been able to defeat you. Back then, I hadn’t yet absorbed the sacrifices sent from the other side. But there’s no need to dwell on such regrets.]

“Why is that?”

[Because—]

Grin.

[That will never happen.]

At Void’s delighted sneer, Yutia thought for a moment before asking,

“Well, alright. Then another question. You said you’d unify everything, but wouldn’t that be difficult with just third-stage power? After all—the second stage will descend soon, won’t it?”

The dim moonlight illuminated her.

[Heh, don’t worry, you monster bitch. Even if I lowered myself to the third stage for faster descent, having absorbed all the sacrifices means I’m no ordinary third stage.]

“You’ve completely fallen into a trap.”

Seeing a faint light settle on her murmuring face, Void stepped forward, as if no more conversation was needed.

[I’ll tear you apart miserably.]

“Isn’t that a bit overconfident?”

[What?]

“Well, you don’t even properly know my ability, do you?”

[Do you think that matters in this situation?]

Her face, once dimly lit, was now dyed in a crimson hue.

And at that moment—

The ‘Gazing Void’ felt a sense of incongruity.

A strange feeling that something was going wrong.

“Hmm—of course it matters.”

Void stared blankly at her face.

The face that had been tinged with crimson began to shine brighter and brighter.

“It’s true I fell into your trap—”

But that wasn’t all.

Her body, clad in dark ceremonial robes, also began to shine.

The sense of unease intensified.

And—

“But you’ve also fallen into mine.”

—Tick.

At those words—

The ‘Gazing Void’ realized.

The identity of that strange incongruity.

[……Ah?]

It wasn’t that her face was glowing.

Nor was it her robe.

It was simply—

Light.

A sun that did not belong in the dark moonlit night,

The warm sunlight of midday, was shining upon her.

And the moment he recognized that, Void realized—

That the sun above Yutia’s head was moving rapidly toward the east at an impossible speed.

No—

It was reversing.

Her once radiant face began to turn crimson again.

—Tick.

[W-what?]

The crimson hue faded back into dimness.

And what it reached was—

“That’s unfortunate.”

Night.

A night with a blue moon rising.

The tens of thousands of sacrifices he had stored—

[Ah?]

—Still existed as they were.

The night from a day ago.

“The impossible has happened.”

At Yutia’s words, the Gazing Void stared blankly at her.

More precisely, he stared at this scene.

No matter how much he thought, his mind could not comprehend the situation.

But instinctively, he knew.

This was not a dream.

Nor was it an illusion.

This was—

Undeniable reality.

Before his eyes were clearly the countless sacrifices he had gathered.

And the power he had gained by absorbing them had disappeared.

As if—

[Ah.]

Time had reversed.

With that realization, he let out a sound that was neither surprise nor lament as he looked forward.

There stood Yutia.

Her reptilian red pupils glowed intensely, resonating with the crimson of countless sacrifices.

At the end of her raised arm, her index finger was extended.

And—

“Sacrifices.”

Tok.

“I’ll enjoy them.”

Crush—!

That—

Was the final scene that the ‘Gazing Void’ remembered.