Reincarnated Devil's Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~ - Chapter 20

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

Chapter 20   Ars, childhood memories

As I turned my attention to the wriggling magic circle, it seemed that there were signs indicating the imminent appearance of additional demons.

Perhaps it’s the boss of the demon we just killed earlier or something, but I can feel a power that’s incomparable to before.

“…Something’s coming.”

“What!?”

“Master!?”

My words elicited a strong reaction from everyone except Ars.

Probably, both the skilled warrior and assassin have sensed something about the opponent’s strength.

Gaius remains vigilant to protect everyone with his own strength, while Elsa, faced with the presence of a demon that she can’t handle on her own, looks worried and her face turns pale. It’s a fresh feeling to see Elsa, who’s usually quite sadistic, wearing such an expression.

Well, it’s a perk, a perk.

“Hmm, is this the human realm…? When my subordinate’s corpse was sent back, I thought it was a retaliation from the heavens, but hmm…?”

Appearing before us was a mysterious being clad in butler attire, with a physique resembling that of a cockroach.

Most likely, in terms of strength, it would surpass anyone present here except for me. Its strength far surpasses that of the demon we encountered earlier.

Perhaps it even has the power to contend with a flock of Snow Dragons.

But well, there were plenty of monsters like this in the underworld, so it’s not particularly surprising. After all, they’re still demons. If they’re the ones picking a fight with the heavens, they wouldn’t pose a challenge unless they were at least this strong.

However, the cockroach demon should have noticed us, yet it shows no signs of paying any attention at all. Could it be that it hasn’t even realized I’m a demon?

Certainly, I come from a different background than the demons in this world, and I may seem foreign, but wouldn’t it notice at least the fact that I’m concealing my demonic energy and disguising my appearance as a perfect human?

Huh?

Could it be that this creature is weaker than I initially thought?

“Hmm. I don’t understand. Well, perhaps if I directly probe the minds of those humans over there, I might find some clues. Hey, you there, pretty boy, hand over your brain for a moment. I’ll sip on that knowledge.”

Oh, me? Well, sure.

It’s fine, though. Convincing it with body language will save me the trouble of sending it back.

“Hus…band!? Please, take Ars and flee! I’ll buy us some time with my life!”

“Don’t interfere, woman. It’s unpleasant.”

Whether she accurately understands the difference in our abilities or not, Elsa, on the verge of hysteria due to overwhelming fear, attempted to step forward in front of me. However, finding her actions distasteful, the cockroach demon shot a concentrated blast of magic from its claws, aiming to attack.

So-called neutral magic bullets.

Hey, hey, hey.

What are you doing, Elsa? This isn’t like you, always so composed. If that magic bullet hits directly, there’s no way you’ll survive.

And if you die, won’t Ars cry?

You should take better care of yourself.

Elsa is my wife and Ars’s mother, after all.

It can’t be helped, so I decided to step forward even more and intercept the magic bullet.

A direct hit.

“Husband!!! No!!! Husband!?”

“Hmm? Oh dear, have you died? Oh well, next, you there, woman, step forward. As one of the Demon Lord’s Four Heavenly Kings, I shall directly sip on your brain.”

No, don’t just go around killing me.

Although the recent blow caused quite an explosion, with smoke billowing around me, making it impossible to see inside, there’s no way I’d be damaged by such a jab. But seriously, isn’t it a bit much for that cockroach to be talking about being one of the Four Heavenly Kings? Isn’t it too harsh on Elsa and the others?

Could you not make such a despairing face?

Otherwise, I might get annoyed with this cockroach and want to kill it for no reason.

I was trying to send it back peacefully, after all.

“Mother, what’s wrong? Why do you look so sad?”

“Ar… Ars… Run…”

“Mother?”

Look, because you’re making such a sorrowful expression, Ars is completely bewildered. Oh, it seems my son is the only one waiting for me and believing in me.

But hey, my dear son, you could worry a bit more, you know? Well, I’m glad you believe there’s no way your old man would be taken down by an attack like this.

“Gaius, this will probably be our final command.”

“I understand. Leave it to me.”

“Yes, we’re counting on you. We’ve entrusted our last hope to you.”

However, Elsa seemed to think that Ars just didn’t understand the situation, so she entrusted her son to the trustworthy warrior Gaius, and mustered her last strength to become a sacrifice.

Damn it.

I’m totally late to the party.

It seems like I’m already considered dead and the story’s moving forward.

No, it’s not too late yet!

If I clear away this smoke and call out, I can disrupt this atmosphere!

Ugh, here goes!

I have no choice!

Let’s goooo!

“Hey hey, stop going around killing people! I’m alive, you know! Look, I’m bouncing with health! See these muscles? They’re so healthy, right?”

“Husband!?”

“Master!?”

“What…?”

Oh oh oh.

Everyone’s reacting differently.

And you, cockroach dude, saying “What”? If you’re a demon too, you should sharpen your observational skills a bit.

The demon standing before you is a much higher-ranking demon than you.

“Oh, Dad. Mom’s been acting strange since earlier. What’s wrong?”

“It’s okay, Ars. Your mom’s just a bit shocked by the sight of that cockroach and got a bit flustered. I’m going to send that bug back now, so just wait a bit, okay?”

“Oh, I see! Mom doesn’t like bugs! Good luck, Dad!”

Oh yeah.

Leave it to me.

Alright, let’s go with one strike.

I rebuilt the magic circle with kindness to send the cockroach, who misunderstood the difference in strength, back to its original world, and I began to infuse magic into the spell of forced departure.

Even though I’m a demon of the people, what a kind response.

It’s so kind it almost brings tears to my eyes.

Well, honestly, if I had killed that cockroach going around calling itself one of the Four Heavenly Kings, it would have likely sparked a war with the so-called demon world, which would have been a hassle.

At least until Ars’s education settles down, I don’t want any vigorous activity in the demon world.

Because, you see, I’m really enjoying parenting right now.

I don’t want this slow life to be disrupted, that’s all.

“This… this human-like creature… getting cocky just because he blocked a mere magic bullet…”

“Shut up. I’ll send you back to your original world now, so be quiet for a bit, cockroach. Keep buzzing around and I’ll spray some insecticide on you.”

“…This level of insult is intolerable. Die!”

The cockroach, who had deluded himself into thinking he was one of the Four Heavenly Kings, got angry, and this time he fired stronger magic bullets than before.

Even though this jab won’t have any effect, he’s quite persistent.

Just some fireworks kicking up dust on the ground won’t damage a demon.

“Why… why isn’t it working?”

“Heh, you still don’t get it?”

“Just who are you…”

Perfect timing. With all this smoke, Elsa and Gaius won’t see, so I might as well intimidate him a bit in devil mode.

There, that’s the answer you wanted.

“Are you satisfied now? This is my true form, my full power. Even someone as dull as you should understand by now.”

“Dad, that’s so cool after all!!”

“………!?”

The cockroach, upon witnessing my Devil Mode, where I partially released my magic and revealed my true form, seemed to be flabbergasted, its mouth opening and closing like a goldfish’s.

Well, but that’s enough service for now. It’s time for you to quietly go back home.

“Well then, take care. Goodbye.”

“~~~~~~~~!!”

As I used my completed magic to send the cockroach demon back, it let out a voiceless scream and disappeared.

I hope it never comes back again. Well, I’ve erased the magic circle, so it shouldn’t be able to come back anyway.

“Phew, the evil is gone! How about it, Ars, was it fun?”

“Yeah! It was fun! Let’s do it again sometime!”

“N-no way… doing it again might be impossible… haha…”

And so, Ars’s fifth birthday present was colored with memories of Gaius’s revival and Dad’s Devil Mode, and we welcomed the next day without any problems.

In the future, Ars would cherish these childhood memories and share them with his future comrades as treasures, but that’s another story.