Reincarnated Devil's Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~ - Chapter 116

Reincarnated Devil’s Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~

Chapter 116   This is your final test

When the fingertip of the goddess touched Ars’ forehead, who had overcome the trials of the hero, in an instant.

The vast cosmic space where darkness and light had intersected until now suddenly transformed, and a colossal arena spread out before Ars’s eyes.

Each pillar forming the arena was on a scale so immense that one could mistake it for giants battling.

If a certain low-class demon were to compare this place to a stadium from his past life, he would surely evaluate it as “about twenty Tokyo Domes worth.”

That’s how massive the size comparison was there.

“Th-this place is… huh? Where on earth did the goddess go…”

Moreover, the goddess who had been in charge of the trials until just now had suddenly vanished, leaving behind what seemed to be some kind of magical device resembling an hourglass and faint traces of people around.

Above all, the sky was as red as blood.

From afar, strange cries, indiscernible as to what living creatures they belonged to, echoed, and the air felt stagnant.

Hesitation crept in as if stepping into the depths of the demon realm.

Certainly, this was not a place prepared by holy beings like gods or goddesses.

And just as Ars wondered where exactly this place was, a familiar voice resounded.

“The scenery I prepared doesn’t have that Goddess here. I forcefully drove her out so she wouldn’t cause any trouble in the final trial.”

“Huh? …Wha!? F-father!?”

“Hey there! You’ve grown quite a bit since I last saw you, Ars. It shows just from looking at your face.”

There, to Ars’ surprise, stood his father, Kakyu, whom he faintly felt between the realms of darkness and light.

Casually waving his hand, Kakyu greeted, “Hey there!” But he was visibly bewildered, unable to grasp the sudden turn of events.

What did Father just say?

Ars distinctly heard the words “final trial” and “forcefully driven out” ringing in his ears.

Could this be the concluding stage of the trial devised by the goddess? Ars pondered, but…

“No, no, that’s not it at all,” Kakyu interjected.

With a dismissive wave of his hand, Kakyu implied that this had nothing to do with the goddess’s intentions.

“That goddess, she was going to reward you for overcoming your past and increase the output of the Brave Engine, blabbering about it being your reward. She has no clue. Did she really think she could make my son stronger with such nonsense? Fool.”

With a sigh that seemed to say “oh boy,” Kakyu’s demeanor exuded a sense of relief and warmth despite the absurdity of the situation.

It was as if intervening in the goddess’s trial was no big deal.

It was understood that, both in terms of power and scale of action, Kakyu was an extraordinary being.

However, increasing the output of the Brave Engine directly correlated with enhancing abilities.

In fact, the energy coursing through Ars’ body, having overcome the goddess’s trials, was fiercer than ever before.

This likely resulted from the hero’s strength, which grew in proportion to the power of his convictions, reinforced by the mental strength gained from overcoming the trials, and further enhanced by the energy conversion efficiency of the Brave Engine adjusted by the goddess’s skill.

Seeing his father’s complete dissatisfaction with this immense enhancement, Ars couldn’t help but wonder what more he could possibly desire.

Perhaps sensing Ars’ sentiments, Kakyu finished his sigh and began, “Listen carefully…”

“It seems like that goddess implanted something in you, but don’t be deceived by such exchanges, Ars.”

“But…”

Knowing that the power surging through his own body was extraordinary, Ars couldn’t simply dismiss it and attempted to argue back. However, his father, with a look of disbelief while absentmindedly scratching his ear, continued the conversation without listening to any objections.

“With the enhancement of the Brave Engine’s power, you’re certainly strong. You’d be able to hold your own against Hades-chan when she goes all out. You’d just about manage to defeat the Demon King with the help of your comrades, as usual. But isn’t that just it? Think about it.”

It dawned on him as he was spoken to.

Though he had been swayed by the exchange with the goddess until now, he remembered that he didn’t become strong just to defeat the Demon King.

If he had become strong for the sole purpose of dealing with the Demon King, his training would have taken a completely different form.

What was the reason he wanted to become strong in the first place? What was his original goal?

Digging through his memories from childhood, Ars reaffirmed his starting point.

Because…

“What’s your goal? Is it to kill the demon king to save the world? Or is it to revel in wielding special powers? Those are all well and good, but… Your goal isn’t something like that. With such a modest goal, you can’t even see the target right in front of you or your old man’s back.”

That’s right, Kakyu said.

And indeed, that was the case.

Because the initial spark that drove Ars to become strong was, above all else, his admiration for that back.

Whether it was the first time he saw Devil Mode or the first time he witnessed his father repelling demons…

When he glimpsed that pinnacle of strength, he wanted to catch up someday.

In heart, in skill, in power, in everything.

For Ars, that figure was an object of admiration.

That’s why he wanted to reach the end of that adventure someday, alongside his comrades.

To reach that pinnacle of strength.

“Now, Ars, it’s the final trial. Don’t waste this opportunity. Right here, right now, try to reach even just a little closer to your goal that you’ve set for yourself… with me.”

“…!!”

“If you can even land a scratch on me at full strength, I’ll let you return to your comrades.”

In an instant.

From the devil who smirked with a sneer, a terrifying surge of magic power swept through, making one’s soul tremble with the desire to flee.