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Chapter 304 – All-Heaven Festival Contest Final Stage “Demon King Castle Bloody Field” (26) / I Will Never Leave You Alone (Part 2)

304 – All-Heaven Festival Contest Final Stage “Demon King Castle Bloody Field” (26) / I Will Never Leave You Alone (Part 2)

As I start to regrow my lost wing, something flashes across the corner of my head.

I rack my brain searching for the cause of this uncomfortable feeling… and I find it.

Until now, Master has been blocking my attacks and retaliating with a strong attack of his own.

Of course, there are stories of him annihilating adventurers in an instant, just like that one time he suddenly appeared during a Raid…

Would my master choose to make moves such as taking away my wings?

Sure enough, it may be true that it’s hard for him to kill me as long as I’m constantly moving around, but…

That’s it.

It feels rushed.

But the one who actually has to rush the match is me since it’s only a matter of time before my body collapses.

There’s no way that Master has waited until now to start to care about my time limit, so, does that mean that something is wrong with him?

『…Haha… I see, partner.』

I do too, Saraquel.

『You can call me “Darkie” just like always, okay?』

I’ve never called you that.

Do you feel compelled to joke around even in important situations?

Anyway, we’ve found the same thing.

But if Master has noticed this from the beginning, shouldn’t he have done something about it in the first place?

A slash that combined “Footsteps of the Demon God” and “Flames of the Gods”…

That thing certainly tore up my master’s body, didn’t it?

Didn’t you see those magic particles that imitated blood being scattered from your body?

In other words, even if it was just for a moment, Master’s body was struck by two Esoteric Arts.

The Esoteric Arts of “Destruction” and “Death” had touched him.

Flesh cannot be made from ashes. Dead things don’t come back to life.

In that case, after receiving that deep slash, Master’s body was definitely broken.

He’s the strongest Demon King in the world, so at first glance, he’s just moving as if nothing had happened.

Thanks to his extraordinary Magical Energy, he’s simply resisting both “Destruction” and “Death”.

However, the damage has definitely been carved into his body.

Just like me, Master cannot fight forever.

My goal is his chest, the part which we managed to slash at.

I have to rip off the Horn Armor that covers it and drive this fist into it.

「Have you forgotten how to speak, kid?」

「Shut up, Master.」

All of it.

Concentrate all of it.

Right now, I can’t afford even the common courtesy of speaking with honorifics.

「Saraquel.」

『…Yeah, understood. Let’s do it.』

I prepare my Black Sorcery.

And then, in the same way, a “Full Resist” works, I unleash it all — in all directions.

It was the same combination of a wide burst of Black Magic and “Full Resist” I used against Mr. Aerial in the Raid.

Just to be able to continue living for another second, Master has to devote a huge amount of Magical Energy to resist this.

Something like letting part of this Black Magic pass through and resisting the rest, just like what happened during the battle with Fenix on the 10th floor, won’t work this time.

That’s because what’s currently unfolding in this space is only my “Footsteps of the Demon God”.

There are only two options: Use “Resist” to keep yourself alive longer, or let yourself be struck by it and die instantly.

But even something like this is no more than a stepping stone.

My right arm’s Holy Fist is wrapped in every last bit of my Magical Energy save for the reserve I need in order to be able to fly.

And so, I release the Magical Energy from my wings.

And approach the strongest Demon King.

◇

Ever since I learned that Master is the Demon King Lucifer, I’ve been wondering…

Why did you take me as your disciple?

Why did you give me your horn?

It’s not normal to take care of a child you have no relation or connections with for three years.

I was desperate at that time, but now I think about it and it feels strange.

Besides, if Master is that Lucifer…

I wonder how hard it’s been for him.

Being the strongest in the world… so strong that no one can match him.

And yet, he was in the dungeon.

On the throne on the 11th floor, waiting for a Hero’s party.

But no one came.

Far from being able to fight the strongest in the world, there had been no one who managed to break through Master’s subordinates and even reach the final floor where he waited.

Master ignored the rules of the Raid, and appeared in the lower floors of his own accord. Surely that means…

Didn’t he do that because he still wanted to fight?

However, even though he was young back then, the “Storm Hero” Aerial was unable to even make a dent in him.

Even the Four Great Spirit Contractors, who had defeated many Demon Kings in the past, couldn’t match Master’s power.

When Master learned that, his despair was immeasurable.

To know that there are enemies out there that you can’t defeat, but still want to win…

Then, once you do win, you feel happy, and wish to have another interesting fight.

That is the mentality of those who put themselves in the world of competition.

But precisely because Master was the most talented fighter in the world…

He had placed himself farthest from the joy of competition, which was the thing he enjoyed the most in this world

Then, a hopeless Master happened to meet a kid from the countryside.

Who knows what got him interested in the kid… But he trained him.

An impertinent, impolite child who doesn’t even know how to speak properly.

Even though Master had decided to take care of this child, he couldn’t even entrust him with cooking because he had no aptitude for it, and would collapse on the floor after finishing his exercises.

Thinking about it now, it really is strange.

The strongest Demon King in the world reluctantly cooked and taught me how to speak.

Even though I would be so exhausted from my training that I’d fall over in front of Master’s house, I would always find myself on my bed when I woke up the next day.

He taught me how to use honorifics correctly, even though he doesn’t care about other people’s behavior.

Even though he is the strongest in the world, he broke off one of his horns and stuck it to my head.

It took me a year to let it settle in my body.

But why?

Being the solitary Demon King that you are, maybe…

Maybe…

Master, the reason why you raised me…

The reason you gave me your horn…

If it was all for this moment…

If it’s for the sake of fighting against the person you trained yourself…

If you had even the slightest hope that I would grow to become a worthy opponent for you…

I want to respond to that.

I’ll show you that you’re the strongest in the world, but you’re not second to none.

And if I do that… Oh, if I do that, Mr. Master…

I wonder if I can crush that loneliness born from you being so strong that torments you.

I wonder if that’ll make sense out of you having raised me.

— 『They’re cool! No matter how big, how many, or how strong the enemies are, they never give up, and they’ll win in the end. They’re so cool… I wanna be that kind of hero too.』

I hear the voice I had when I was a child.

「With all the power and the bonds I’ve cultivated! From that day until now! I will end your loneliness!」

Of course, Master doesn’t try to dodge my blows and instead catches every one of them with his own fist.

The red Horn Armor lets sparks fly as if it was flickering.

「…So you plan to repay my kindness, Lem? Don’t bring such feelings into the battlefield!」

「This is me! This feeling will never make me weak!

I will beat you! Because the hero always wins in the end!

I will save you! Because that’s what I want!

I’ll never give up! This is all! I’ve decided for myself!

This feeling is what makes people stronger!」

You like to fight.

But if you go all out, you could end up destroying this world.

Just imagining such a thing feels like a nightmare.

The only way to do what you love is to be incredibly lax about it.

But you never do that.

Such a world is too lonely to live in.

I can’t even imagine how painful and boring it must be for you.

But I am determined to do this.

It doesn’t matter if you are the strongest in the world.

For me, you are someone I owe a great deal, someone I can respect, and a Master I love.

I will never leave you alone.

「Your birthplace, your “Job”, none of that matters!

I’ll prove it to you!

You, who were born as a Majin, awakened as a “Demon King”, and became the strongest…

You can’t be alone!

A human child who was born in a rural town in the corner of the world!

A fool who won’t give up being a hero even though he awakened as a Black Sorcerer!

On this chance that all of my friends gave me! With this power that you helped me raise! I’m going to defeat you!」

「Stop babbling, kid!」

「Look at me! I’m here! Your enemy is right here! Your friends are here, in this world!

Burn it into your eyes! The figure of the person who can defeat the Demon King, which he himself raised!」

「You still bark that nonsense? That you can beat me?」

「Oh yeah! Of course, I’ll bark! So shut me up! Shut me up if you can! You’re the strongest, aren’t you? Then do it! Try to defeat me! Can you do that, Red-Horned Demon King?」