A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 131

Chapter 131: Missa (1)

The interior of the Ghost Castle was hazy, cloaked in a thick fog. Epherene’s senses dulled as a deep lethargy washed over her, making it feel like she was drifting away from herself. Enveloped in this fog, she wandered aimlessly.

“Carlos! There you are!” Ganesha called out, her voice cutting through the fog.

Epherene paused and glanced back.

“Pull yourself together!”

“Stay strong!”

Ganesha, Ria, and Leo held tightly to Carlos, urging him to get up and not lose hope.

“Sis! Where’d you go, sis!” Jackal kept shouting, his voice tinged with panic as he searched frantically. Epherene forced herself to move forward.

“... Indeed, it is you.”

A voice suddenly broke through, snapping Epherene out of her daze. She turned slowly.

“I offer you my greetings.”

A man who bore a striking resemblance to Deculein stood before her. He appeared older, a faint smile touching his lips as he watched her closely.

“Daughter of Kagan, my most favored one.”

Epherene remained silent.

“Step forward,” Decalane said, extending his hand.

Epherene hesitated, then slowly stepped forward, compelled by an unseen force.

“Leaf!”

Someone suddenly grabbed her wrist—it was Ihelm.

“Stay away from him,” Ihelm said.

He stepped in front of her, blocking her from Decalane’s view.

“Ah, Ihelm,” Decalane remarked with a faint, dry laugh.

Ihelm kept his silence.

“There was a time when I was grateful for the friendship you showed my son—”

“Friendship? Our relationship was never that close or sentimental,” Ihelm cut in.

“Haha.”

“What is happening here? How can a dead man walk among the living? And where are we?” Ihelm demanded.

Decalane’s expression hardened for a moment, but he soon regained his smile and replied, “Ihelm, I am very much alive. I was never really dead.”

Madness flickered in his eyes, hovering on the brink of obsession.

Locking his eyes on Epherene, Decalane continued, “Daughter of Luna, do you know what your father desired most?”

“Don’t listen to it, Leaf,” Ihelm said, channeling mana into his palm as he readied a spell to shatter Decalane’s soul.

“If you only knew what he desired—”

As Ihelm prepared to cast the completed spell...

Ruuuuumble—!

The ground trembled violently. Epherene and Ihelm quickly scanned their surroundings, searching for the source.

“...How unfortunate,” Decalane murmured, his expression growing grim as he looked up at the sky. “It appears my son has involved himself in something reckless.”

Ihelm swiftly cast a protective barrier around Epherene and the others. At that moment, a deafening crash shook the ground, as if the earth were splitting apart.

And then...

***

Carla recalled Deculein from their childhood—a boy once hailed as a whiz kid. But that brilliance soon faded, leaving him a mediocre and pitiful friend in Carla’s eyes.

“Decu, I wonder what will happen if we try it this way?”

“... No, that won’t be necessary. And stop addressing me as Decu.”

“I think maybe you could try it the way I did?”

“I said no. Stop phrasing everything as a question. Speak clearly; your uncertainty only causes confusion.”

Carla recalled how Deculein had always struggled to follow her teachings. Her methods were far beyond his understanding, but his pride kept him from admitting it. Instead, he stubbornly blamed Carla for his failures. He was an odd one, that much was certain.

But now, Carla watched as Deculein stood before her, casting a spell so powerful that the island splintered and crumbled around them.

Ruuuuumble—!

The entire castle trembled as a massive earthquake roared from every direction. The cries of the dead filled the air, their tormented wails surrounding Carla. Some cursed their fate, clinging desperately to life, while others begged for the release of death.

In this world, ghosts had their own society called the Phantom Haven, a realm Carla had visited once before. These souls could always sense those who had taken the lives of spirits, and now, Deculein would almost certainly earn their undying hatred.

He must have known, yet he moved forward without hesitation, unconcerned by curses or the looming consequences. Deculein's transformation left Carla unsettled, unable to make sense of the change in him.

Ruuuuuuuuuuumble—!

The ground rumbled deeply as the castle crumbled, its walls tearing apart like paper and scattering into countless fragments. A wave of telekinetic force surged from the earth, rippling through the air in a powerful shockwave.

At the heart of the spell, Deculein coughed up blood, a dark stream trickling from his mouth. Blood seeped from his torn muscles, soaking into his clothes. Though Carla had only lent him a fraction of her mana, the cost of wielding borrowed power was severe.

"You're okay?" Carla asked.

Deculein offered no response, seated in his chair with his eyes fixed on his assistant professor and protégé.

“... Ugh,” Epherene groaned, stirring awake before the others.

Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused as she blinked at Deculein, her face caught in a haze between dream and reality.

"Professor...?" Epherene called, staring at him, covered in blood and exhaustion. Deculein looked so unlike his usual self that she could only believe it was a dream.

“Ah! Professor?!” Allen exclaimed as he stirred awake.

Moments later, Deculein closed his eyes slowly, causing the two to tense in surprise.

“Professor~!”

“He’s dead!”

"... I think he's not dead," Carla said, making them whip their heads toward her.

Epherene and Allen looked at Carla, confusion written on their faces.

“Sorry, but who are you?” Epherene asked.

Meanwhile, Ihelm’s protégés began to stir, while the sharp click of heels echoed in the distance as Ganesha approached.

“Wow, our professor is certainly intense~ How many square feet was this castle again? Anyway...” Ganesha remarked, smiling as she picked up a fragment of the shattered ruins.

Although the castle lay in complete ruin, the area around them remained intact, held together by Deculein’s Telekinesis.

"With this much mana stone, the Imperial family will be quite pleased. Though we failed to drive away the thieves~" Ganesha muttered, her gaze shifting to Carla.

Ganesha’s smile remained, but her eyes turned serious.

“Carla.”

“Carla?! You're the Carla?!” Epherene and Allen exclaimed, their faces draining of color.

Carla, like Rohakan, was a criminal graded as the Black Beast—a feared individual known as the Authority of Death, responsible for wiping an entire city off the map and causing thousands of casualties.

Ganesha suggested, "Why don't we make a deal? You can take 5%."

“I think these mana stones are made from people,” Carla said.

Mana stones took on many forms. The most common ones formed naturally when earth and mana fused, crystallizing into solid gems. Rarer types included the Deep Sea Mana Stone, which grew inside the belly of the Black Titan Whale, and the Mountain Mana Stone, found only in the high mountain peaks.

"We could simply sell it to the Floating Islands," Ganesha replied.

Mana stones formed from human corpses were known as Human Mana Stones. While most avoided them, the Floating Islands valued these stones for their use in magical experiments.

Carla shook her head and said, "I think it doesn’t feel right to me because I can’t stand mana stones made from humans."

Ganesha watched Carla in silence.

A young girl, about five foot three, approached nervously. It was Ria, hoping to establish a future connection with the named character.

“Carla, may I ask what led to your decision?”

Carla’s eyes moved silently between Ganesha and Ria.

“Why do you... choose to cooperate with the Altar?” Ganesha asked, picking up a twig from the rubble.

Carla replied, “... Who knows. I wonder if it’s because I don’t want to die.”

Suddenly, an intangible blade swept through the air.

Claaaaang—!

Jackal’s cursed sword, Muramasa, struck with force, but Ganesha effortlessly deflected it with nothing more than a dried twig.

“Whoa, Ganesha! Knew you’d, like, totally nail that, no prob!” Jackal called out, laughing from afar.

Ganesha shook her head with a sigh, then glanced his way.

"Sis! You’ve been here this whole time?” Jackal exclaimed, hopping over and pointing at Deculein, still sitting. “Is the prof, like, totally crashed or what?”

At that moment, Deculein’s eyes slowly opened.

"Oh, like, never mind, I was so wrong, haha!"

Without a word, Deculein surveyed the crowd, then turned his focus to Ganesha and said, “Ganesha, I never expected you to bring a demon along with you.”

"Not a demon, exactly, but a half-human—"

“It makes no difference,” Deculein interrupted. His body groaned, muscles aflame with pain, yet he cast Cleanse to remove the blood and grime. Straightening his attire, he called out, “Ganesha.”

“... Sir!”

As he opened his mouth to continue, another voice called out—it was Ria.

“I swear, I’ll even take an oath if I must. If Carlos becomes a demon, I’ll end him with my own hands. So—”

“Keep your mouth shut,” Deculein cut her off.

Ria bit her lip as Deculein slowly got to his feet, with Epherene and Allen quickly moving to stand beside him.

“The boy is fated to become a demon.”

“No, if we guide him the right way, he—” _{freewebnσvel.cøm}

“If you can keep it hidden, then do so. But do not speak of oaths. Do not plead with me. If he crosses my path, I will end him without mercy,” Deculein concluded.

"Ah..." Ria murmured, glancing up at him before lowering her head.

Deculein turned away from the girl and focused on Ganesha.

Ganesha gave a faint, bitter smile and said, “I apologize for not telling you earlier. But he is part of the family now.”

“Do you honestly believe a demon can belong to a family?”

“... We will make certain he doesn't become one.”

Deculein's expression hardened. He muttered a curse under his breath, gave a slight head gesture, and said, "... Epherene. Allen."

“... Oh,” Ihelm murmured as he turned to Deculein, giving a nod. “Right. Are we leaving? Is it over...? Um, what exactly happened here?”

[The body of the Iron Man has gained Comprehension of the mana from the Authority]

[The body of the Iron Man has gained Comprehension of the mana of 'the Authority']

Carla, the Authority. Her mana spanned from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, a vast power rooted in her unique attribute—Luminous Embrace.

“... Eh?” Epherene murmured.

Snap—!

“Eh? Why?! Out of nowhere?!”

“Aaagh!”

— Today is Veron’s funeral. I’m glad you made it just in time.

— Please proceed directly to the funeral at the Freyhem Knights’ Order~ And do remember to play your part, brother-in-law~

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