I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain
Chapter 475

Chapter 475

The bright yellow line, soaring with a shimmering afterimage, transformed into a dazzling trajectory that shot outward in the next moment.

Thwack—

A reddish-brown silhouette came flying through the sandstorm, only to be split clean in two. The severed silhouette scattered like dust and vanished from sight. Without even a moment to register the sensation of slicing through tofu, Ian swung his raised right hand again.

Slice, Shwaak—

The Light Sword's trajectory cut the reddish-brown silhouettes flying in pursuit.

The blade, formed of draconic magic, felt far more dazzling than it appeared to the naked eye. As Ian brushed past the scattering afterimages, the sensation of bodily fluids spattered across him.

I feel like a blind swordsman.

Even as the thought crossed his mind, Ian pressed forward, undeterred, as if climbing against a raging current.

He readjusted his grip on the sword hilt, steadying his stance. The swarming reddish-brown silhouettes were now beginning to charge in earnest.

It was only then that the Platinum Claws began tearing dazzling streaks through the reddish-brown wave. The wave of larvae, swarming like a school of piranhas, could not halt Ian's advance at all.

They merely rushed in like moths drawn to a flame, only to be shredded by the chaotically swirling bright yellow trajectories.

Of course, he couldn't afford to focus solely on cutting them down.

Swoosh—

His companions were, amidst all this, still being swept away by the sandstorm. Even while moving, Ian's consciousness scanned their direction.

Beyond the swirling trajectories of the Light Sword and the exploding reddish-brown afterimages, the silhouettes he sought grew increasingly distinct.

—To think you've managed this much on your own. Impressive, sure... but a shame. I thought it was finally my time to shine.

Ignoring the continuing whisper, Ian focused on Moro's condition. The sight of the creature, pressed to the ground and enduring the storm, reminded him of the ghost horse he had encountered in the past.

—Still, well. It seems I'm not entirely without a job to do.

The silhouettes of his companions gathered around Moro weren't much different. Seren, prone on the ground, looked like a shadow person of intermingled indigo and purple, while Lucia felt almost like a human torch.

Lucia hunched low, wrapping her arms around the air as if shielding something. There was no need to mull over what she was holding—Diana.

I can't even see her.

Likely because she carried no chaos, no divinity, and perhaps not even enough magic to register.

In any case, ‌ Lucia's plan had worked. If not for that, the shockwave would have scattered them; even if it hadn't, they wouldn't have stayed grouped together like this until now.

Of course, that didn't mean it was a situation to be relieved about.

They won't last long.

Sooner or later, they'd lose consciousness, and the storm would bury them.

He couldn't even be sure if he could cast the spell on the first attempt. No matter how much the pressure had lessened, he was in the middle of a sandstorm, and his body was filled with circulating chaos.

As the reddish wave pressing in from all sides finally began to recede, Ian didn't hesitate any longer. He cast the spell.

Swoosh—

To his relief, the magic flowed effortlessly through his veins. Rather, the chaos seemed to envelop it protectively, even seeping between the threads of magic to amplify the spell.

—Tell them all to stay sharp and hold on. Ian is on his way.

Yog's whisper followed lazily.

It was right after that the silhouettes of the groups stirred. Its whisper was clearly being transmitted, even in the midst of the chaos-laden sandstorm.

—-And you too, friend. It doesn't seem like you should only be worrying about that direction.

With a chuckle, the creature whispered.

—Because something big is coming.

Ian's awareness, previously fixed solely on his companions, suddenly widened.

It wasn't difficult at all to find what Yog had seen. Far off to the right, a massive reddish silhouette was swimming through the sand. Even from a distance, its size was unmistakable.

Yanar, having completed its turn at some point, was returning toward him, not the group.

—Looks like… you've been killing its young, my friend.

Even as he inwardly muttered that it might indeed be true, the speed of Ian's Light Sword didn't lessen in the slightest. There were only a few larvae left.

Thwack—

Finally slicing down the very last one, Ian lowered the Light Sword. His field of vision, now steeped in relative darkness, tangled into swirling streaks drawn by the sandstorm's violent current.

—Hurry before you get swept away first.

Ian charged straight through the center as if tearing a path through.

Yanar was closing in faster and faster, moving with a speed that didn't match its massive size. It was a kind of motion only possible within this ocean of sand. Ian was gaining speed as well, but there was no way he could outpace that enormous sand-swimming eel.

Fwoosh—

Less than a few seconds later, the creature burst out from beneath the surface. It was half a beat faster than Ian had expected.

The giant reddish-brown silhouette surged forward, tearing the sandstorm apart in all directions.

Ian, gritting his teeth, kicked off the ground with all his might almost simultaneously.

Crash! Rumble!

Yanar's enormous body arced through the air, barely missing Ian as it crashed down behind him. Of course, Ian couldn't avoid the shockwave and violent gust that followed. He twisted in midair like a bent bow.

Fuck!

Even as his breath caught in his throat, his gaze remained fixed beyond, on the silhouettes of his companions clutching Moro.

Remarkably, the completed spell hadn't even broken. It was thanks to the few Vision spells he had raised to escape the underground ruins, and the chaos power filling his body, maintained the flow of magic.

Gripping the hilt of the sword in his right hand as if to crush it, Ian extended his left arm.

Shwaaa—

The wave of magic bursting from his grasp instantly pushed back the reddish-brown chaos engulfing his companions.

His magic, fiercely rotating in a spiral, became visible to him.

Swoosh—

Crashing hard into the ground, Ian skidded forward, sand spraying in all directions. Even through the dizzying impact, he still fiercely clenched his left hand, which was raised toward his companions.

Thud!

The swirling magic instantly enveloped the group and solidified. Ian, who had been plowing through the sand like a human plow, finally came to a stop.

Woosh…

The deafening roar and dull impacts that had followed from behind subsided. Yanar seemed to have completely burrowed back into the ground. However, Ian's gaze remained fixed on the solidly condensed Sand Prison.

Only after observing his companions' much fainter silhouettes moving beyond the outer wall did Ian finally lower his head.

His entire body throbbed, and he tasted metal in his throat. It wouldn't have been strange at all if various parts of his body had been torn open and were bleeding profusely.

Still, finally….

However, Ian, using his right hand still gripping the sword to push himself off the ground, rose as if nothing was wrong.

I can relax a bit.

The Light Sword, which had been wavering somewhat, flared brightly again. Even when not being swung, the magic in its Mantra circuits was diminishing at a much faster rate than usual. It was likely because he was in the heart of the sandstorm.

Still, right now… I can't do without this.

Readjusting his grip on the sword hilt, Ian looked back again. Underground, the writhing silhouette of Yanar was already receding into the distance. It was probably preparing to make another wide turn and come back.

Swoosh— Swish—

The deafening roar and pressure created by the sandstorm battered him.

Ian realized that the density of the chaotically swirling lines had lessened considerably. Far behind him, it was complete darkness. The moment the sandstorm would completely pass through the area was not far off.

—We might not have to fight after all. That worm… seems to enjoy being inside here more.

Yog, too, seemed to have realized the same fact.

—From the feel of things, one more dodge should be enough. What do you think, friend?

What else?

Ian said nothing aloud. He simply kept walking forward, eyes fixed on the massive, reddish silhouette beginning its return. It was moving faster now as if it knew its time was running out.

—Hmm.

Yog let out a low hum, catching on to Ian's thoughts.

—Sometimes I really wonder how you can be so fearless...

Ian inwardly clicked his tongue.

It wasn't an emotional decision at all. He had already spent too much to let it go with only the experience points from its larvae. He needed to absorb Yanar's experience points, and of course, its chaos as well.

—Don't worry too much. As long as it doesn't kill you outright, I should be able to save you once.

It clearly wanted to try out its newly gained skill, one way or another.

Of course, Ian had no intention of letting that happen. Just from the brief explanation he'd heard from the creature, it sounded like it would consume an enormous amount of chaos power.

So right now….

Clenching his left fist tightly, he fixed his eyes on the reddish-brown silhouette approaching from the front.

He moved without stopping to create sufficient distance from his companions. The Sand Prison's magic supply from him would soon end, but it wouldn't immediately fall apart.

The silhouette, which had been approaching in a serpentine, coiling manner, straightened out.

Boom, boom, boom!

Yanar erupted from the desert like an explosion. Almost simultaneously, Ian broke into a sprint.

Boom, boom, boom!

The massive silhouette tore through the storm and closed the distance in an instant. A gaping maw split open ahead of him, and blinding red chaos flared around it, flooding Ian's vision. Instead of slowing down, Ian surged forward with even greater speed.

Fwoosh!

He leaped with all his might just after the creature's enormous, arcing maw passed over his head.

The shockwave that Yanar spewed forth rapidly closed in.

Ian, having readjusted his grip on the Light Sword with both hands, forcefully raised it above his head.

Crack!

The Light Sword tore through even the shockwave the creature emitted and plunged into it. Bright yellow magic flared dazzlingly.

Gritting his teeth against the heavy resistance transmitted through the hilt, Ian extended his raised arms to their fullest.

Crack, crunch!

However, even with that, Yanar was just a little faster. The worm had already swept past him before the strike could land at full force. Ian, bringing the Light Sword down, froze in mid-air for an instant.

Swoosh.

Of course, it was merely for a split second. Pushed by the ensuing gust, Ian spun and fell.

Boom, boom, boom!

Yanar, too, crashed down. It couldn't disappear into the sand as it had before. Its thick, long body was sliding across the sand, tilted to one side.

Was it shallow?

Even while tumbling across the ground, Ian didn't miss the silhouette receding into the distance with a deafening roar. Yanar was still twitching.

Roar—

It was screaming now, a sound like a ship's foghorn echoing across the dunes—the strike had landed.

Red-tinged chaos burst from the wound like a mirage, scattering in all directions with its every twitch.

Tap, tap, tap!

Ian, staggering to his feet, immediately ran against the storm. He was preparing a spell again.

Beyond the thrashing form of Yanar, the Sand Prison was collapsing.

Roar—

Yanar's scream grew closer. From the middle of its convulsing body, reddish-brown chaos was gushing out dazzlingly. It was undoubtedly the wound Ian's Light Sword had created.

Crunch!

The creature's long body whipped down, striking the ground like a lash, and then recoiled upward. Ian, lowering his stance, passed beneath it.

A sticky sensation clung to him—it was unmistakably the fluid that had burst from Yanar.

Disgusting… Shit!

Even as Ian muttered a quiet curse to himself, he didn't stop running.

—Keep your heads down.

Yog's timely whisper came just as Ian flung out his left hand.

Swoosh—

The wave emanating from his grasp instantly dispersed the crumbling Sand Prison that had been scattering. As the silhouettes of his companions momentarily became clear, Ian skidded to a halt and clenched his fist.

Thud, thud, thud!

The Sand Prison, once again condensing as if sucked inward, concealed the silhouettes of his companions.

Ian, having stopped, was already turning his gaze.

Roar—

Toward the still-convulsing Yanar.

As he exhaled the breath he had been holding, Yog's whisper continued in his mind.

—It will recover if you leave it like that.

I know.

Ian started running again.

Of course, approaching a giant monster flailing its body like a massive whip was something that didn't become pleasant, no matter how many times he did it.

It alone looked at least two meters thick.

Then, just how big is Yanar Tash? Is it really as big as a whale?

Muttering inwardly, Ian leaped forward.

Woosh!

A sweeping arc of reddish chaos had surged toward him—Yanar's tail, to be precise. It had curled its body like a caterpillar and slammed its tail down.

Crack, boom!

A chaos-infused shockwave erupted along with sand. Ian, who had barely rolled across the ground, used the blast as momentum and launched himself into the air.

His jump easily carried him high enough to soar over Yanar's writhing torso. Raising the Light Sword high above his head, Ian funneled chaos energy into the hilt with his right hand.

Fwoosh!

The blade of bright yellow magic surged upward as if exploding. Almost simultaneously, Ian, gritting his teeth, bent his waist with all his might and brought his arms down.

Crack! Crunch!

The massive arc of light cleaved through Yanar's thick body and carved deep into the ground beneath it.