Reincarnated Devil's Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~ - Chapter 140

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

Chapter 140   The truth is…

With his gaze fixed on the hero Ars, he declared the final showdown at the place of beginnings.

As everyone began to ponder the significance of this, Kakyu, with a daring smile, started to speak before their murmurs could coalesce.

“First! At one time, I was the enigmatic Black Knight! Black Knight Jyoku!”

“What?!”

“Hmm.”

“…What?”

Some were astonished by his transformation into the Black Knight, which took place in the blink of an eye, while others were understanding or skeptical. The reactions were varied.

This was especially evident in the recently turned five-year-old Fradalia. Unlike her puzzled parents, she was thrilled to learn that the Black Knight from the heroic tales was the man before her, unable to contain her excitement.

Even with her brilliant mind, she had not predicted this outcome. Understandable, given she was only five.

“Second! Another time, I was the elusive informant who saved the reckless Saintess-chan’s life, Chukyu!”

One after another, the identities of mysterious figures from their past adventures were revealed. The man who saved Saintess Isha from a life-threatening curse cast on a town by marquises before she set out on her journey was none other than him.

Realizing this, Isha stepped back, covering her mouth, while Ein widened his eyes and pressed his lips tightly together. The revelation that their savior was the father of their close friend was overwhelmingly unexpected.

“Third! During the Great War between humans and demons, I was the alchemist Sun-Q, delivering crucial supplies and magical tools to the front lines!”

He transformed once more, revealing himself as the alchemist San-Q, who had saved countless lives by providing supplies just before the final battle with the demon king.

This fact was known only to his wife, Elsa, and possibly the Elder of Magic, Oldemir, who had uncovered his identity from the heavens. Ars and Mermel had a vague intuition about the connection but had not reached certainty.

Even Gaius, who had been in the know, was left gaping, exclaiming, “Is it really you, Master?!” And indeed, it was true.

“And finally, I am the invincible father who watched over all these trials from the shadows, witnessing the miracles wrought by the hero Ars. I am the most formidable demon from another world and the foster parent of hero Ars. …Kakyu.”

The low-class demon returned to his original form.

No, the best father who had watched over the hero Ars, who saved this world, had revealed his true identity.

He was a being not from this world, neither from the heavens nor the demon realm, but from another world entirely.

It was hard to accept such an incredible fact immediately. Except for those from the heavens who had prior knowledge, the surrounding reactions were filled with disbelief and confusion.

Gaius, for example, couldn’t keep up with the explanation, muttering things like, “No way, this can’t be true,” and “What do you mean by another world?”

However, the hero Ars, who had admired and followed in his father’s footsteps since birth, was different.

Ars had already understood from circumstantial evidence that there was no one like his father among humans, demons, or even gods in this world. He had wondered about it since he was small.

The demonic form, the absolute strength that could easily defeat even the demon king, and the myriad of inhuman skills—he had always questioned these.

Now, here, those questions were finally answered.

“You look like something has clicked for you, Ars.”

“Yes. I’ve finally understood the source of the unease I’ve felt all this time. However…”

“Hmm? What is it?”

Taking a moment, Ars opened his eyes, which had been lowered in contemplation, and declared:

“However, even knowing everything, my admiration for you remains unchanged. Nothing changes, Dad. You are still the strongest hero I aspire to be, and the greatest father.”

“………”

No matter his true identity, there was no wavering or doubt in the hero’s heart. All the love and care he had received, everything that had shaped him into the hero Ars, was real and sincere.

Although the values of Kakyu and the hero Ars were vastly different, with Kakyu delivering justice to save the weak and Ars seeking to save the world by forgiving sins, both perspectives were valid.

Light and darkness. Darkness and light.

Understanding that each perspective had its own merits and limitations, the hero Ars acknowledged that his father was indeed the hero he had always admired since childhood.

Yet, because of this, he wanted to surpass him. He wanted to catch up to and overtake the father he admired.

That passion still burned brightly in the hero’s chest like the sun.

“I see. …That’s how you’ve always been.”

(Man, I can’t compete with that.)

Scratching his head and looking up at the sky, Kakyu muttered to himself.

After reflecting for a while, he added, “But…”

“If you’re going to move your father to tears with such words, then there’s something I want to say too.”

“…Huh?”

“Don’t ‘huh’ me, Ars. Your father knows. I know that during the final battle in the Demon Realm, you were holding back. I’m aware of it.”

Kakyu began to speak.

Five years ago, on that day.

If the hero Ars had fought with all his might, there were actually several opportunities to land the final blow on the Demon King. However, to maximize the effect of the stage his father had prepared for the decisive battle and to somehow save the Demon King’s life, he likely calculated the moment when his father would jump out from the shadows and adjusted the power of his attack accordingly.

He also surmised that even if the stage hadn’t been set, Ars would have adjusted his power again and saved everything in his own way.

And his prediction was────.

“Hahaha… As expected of you, Dad… You saw through everything, didn’t you?”

“Of course I did. Don’t underestimate your Dad. How many years do you think I’ve been your father?”

────was spot on.

The exchange between the two not only stunned the group from the human world but also the heavenly group, including the Magic God Oldemir, Mermel, and even Elsa. The first to recover was Elsa, but she was still astonished by the trust and understanding that underpinned that incredible battle.

“But I finally understand why I was called here today. The fact that you’re a visitor from another world and the reason you specifically summoned me—all of it makes sense now. …In other words, the world has yet to fully accept you, a foreign entity from another world, right?”

Thus, he realized the reason for his birth as a hero.

He nodded, fully understanding everything, but his expression showed he hadn’t given up on anything.

“Yeah, that’s right. But as expected of my son, you’re so sharp that I don’t even need to explain. However, I also believe this:

Put aside all that and do what you want to do. Your life isn’t just for expelling foreign entities from the world; it’s primarily for your own happiness.”

Kakyu looked at his son with sincere eyes, telling him not to neglect himself. Ars didn’t fully grasp all his father’s true intentions.

But even so, he seemed to understand the passion in his father’s words. Lowering his head, he clenched his fists, wiped away his tears, opened his clenched hand, and smiled softly.

“…Yes. I’ll be happier than anyone else. With my precious friends, with everyone in this world… and with you.”

With those words exchanged, both father and son silently took their stances.

Further discussion was unnecessary. Understanding that only the result needed to be shown, Magic God Oldemir enveloped the two combatants in the otherworldly space they had spent half a year creating.

This otherworldly space prevented any interference from within or without. Inside, the two would decide the outcome in a vast world equivalent to the size of a continent. Although the Magic God himself monitored the interior through a spell that projected the events onto a screen, there was little he could do beyond that.

All that remained was to let events unfold as they may.

“Do well, Demon God from another world… no, my fellow practitioner, Kakyu.”

“Don’t worry about it, old man Magic God. I don’t know about that wicked old guy, but there’s no way my husband would mess up here. Just sit back and watch the show,” she said, winking confidently.

As expected of the princess of the Demon Realm, she spoke bluntly to the Magic God without hesitation, conveying that this was a trivial matter. Her confidence was evident.

Everyone gathered seemed to share her sentiment. Not a single person doubted the miracles performed by the hero Ars or the abilities of his father.

Then, in the next instant, the golden hero Ars and his father, revealed in his true demonic form, clashed.