Reincarnated Devil's Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~ - Chapter 32

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

Chapter 32   Devil Mode Alternative

Even after I deployed a small barrier to protect Ein from Elsa’s intense gaze, the fierce battle between the children continued.

At first glance, it may seem like Ars, having exhausted all his trump cards, is overwhelmingly dominant. However, anyone with even a bit of knowledge in martial arts or magic would have a completely different opinion.

Those individuals would realize that relying solely on such magical power to artificially boost physical abilities is not sustainable in the long run.

Indeed, Ars is already beginning to show signs of fatigue, and even from a distance, one can see the significant depletion of his stamina.

No matter how talented he is in mastering secret techniques, it’s impossible for a five-year-old’s body to withstand such exertion, especially in a stamina battle against a ten-year-old genius.

“Huff… huff… Why…!”

“…………”

“Why…! Why can’t…! My…! Sword…! Reach…!”

For Ars, who has never encountered someone worthy of being called a rival until now, this is his first real struggle.

That’s why this slight difference in strength, where victory seems within reach but remains elusive, is so frustrating for him.

Unconsciously, tears of frustration streamed from his eyes.

“That Ars…”

“Oh…! I can’t bear to watch anymore…! Ars, forgive me for causing you such anguish…”

Elsa, who had been passionately cheering until a moment ago, finally covered her face as she watched Ars shed tears of frustration.

Well, I can understand that sentiment, and I sympathize with it.

Surely, if this match had been held a few years later, Ars would have overcome the gap in their abilities and emerged victorious.

Elsa herself is probably apologizing for misjudging the timing of the martial arts tournament and pushing Ars to challenge it at the unreasonable age of five.

But that’s one thing I cannot accept.

“No, Elsa. You must watch this properly. Turning away from this match is unforgivable.”

“Husband…”

In this fight, turning away is absolutely not an option.

Because Ars isn’t crying out of frustration from losing in the finals.

He’s probably crying because he’s afraid of disappointing us, who sent him out believing in himself, and his first potential friend-turned-rival might be disappointed in him for the first time.

“Listen well, Elsa. Before the martial arts tournament, I told him not to disappoint his friends.”

“…………”

“If he doesn’t want that to happen, I told him not to give up until the end.”

That’s why my son is still swinging his sword with all his might, enduring the recoil, and doing everything he can to win.

To turn away from this match, where he continues to fight to fulfill our expectations, would be a betrayal of our past selves who sent him to the martial arts tournament believing it would be for his own good, and most importantly, a betrayal of Ars, who believes in us.

That’s what I believe.

“So take responsibility for the outcome of this match until the end. That’s the battle we adults sent Ars into, right? Right, Elsa?”

“Yes… As you say, my husband.”

Her head must have cleared.

Elsa, who had wiped away her tears and regained her composure, nodded and turned her gaze back to the stage.

“And besides… It’s not like the outcome of the match has been decided yet. He might lose the match, but…”

“My husband, what do you mean by that?”

“Well, that’s something you’ll have to see for yourself.”

Elsa was perplexed by my cryptic words, but there’s no need to rush; the answer will come soon enough.

Ars, who has already accumulated damage from the recoil of using his secret techniques, and Ein, who is gradually losing stamina while enduring Ars’s overwhelming attacks in the endurance battle.

Now that they’re both worn out and have mostly exhausted their tricks, it’s the perfect time to use them.

If there’s ever a moment to make a move, it’s now.

“Now, Ars. Show them what you’ve got.”

And etch it into the memories of everyone gathered at this tournament.

The power that you’ve been striving to master since you admired your old man back then.

Release the ideal that you once wished to embody…

“Gaaahhh!!! I won’t lose, damn it!!!”

“Heh, fool! In this endurance match, resorting to a simple charge at the very end…! You’re rushing things, Ars! With that momentum, you won’t escape from my counterattack!”

No, Ein.

You’re probably trying to pinpoint the moment when Ars, lacking the spare energy even for evasion and unable to move, is vulnerable, aiming to deliver a final counterattack. But you’re being naive.

Sure, due to the difference in stature, Ars, at a disadvantage in reach, likely felt he had to pull off a big move to settle the match in one blow against you, who are superior. So you think he’s staking everything on this full-force charge attack, right?

Too naive. Way too naive.

There’s no way Ars, whom we’ve nurtured and trained, would lose to such a trivial tactic, right?

“I’ve won this match, Ars! Opposing Power-Flow Sword Technique, ‘Charging Reflex’!”

Ein’s sword technique, aimed at Ars, who bet everything on a single blow to nullify the advantage in stature, approaches.

No, it’s not just a sword technique; it’s more like martial arts. By thrusting the tip of his sword forward, he’s trying to restrain Ars’s charge and, in desperation, to land the decisive blow when he veers off course.

However…

“Now’s the time!! Do it!! ────Ars!!”

“This is my all-out effort right now, Ein! ────My father’s secret technique! Devil Mode: Alternative!”

In an instant, magical circuits throughout his body form a special circuit, and shining wings of light emerge from Ars’s back. These wings emit particles of shining magic while nullifying the propulsion of the charge, allowing Ars to soar into the air at super speed, moving freely in every direction as if unaffected by inertia and gravity.

“What the──!?”

“You left yourself wide open, Ein! Take this!!”

“Gugh!!”

And just like that, Ars’s merciless mid-air roundhouse kick landed cleanly on Ein, who had suddenly changed his course and found his stance turned against him.

With that kind of reception, he probably won’t be able to get back up.

“Well, that settles it.”

“W-What on earth, Husband!? What were those wings of light!?”

“That’s right, Master! Are humans able to transform like that!? Teach me that technique too!”

Come on, Gaius, it’s fine to be amazed, but in the end, you want to learn it too, huh?

Well, having a desire for improvement is a good thing, but that’s probably impossible even for you.

“Regarding Elsa’s question, that’s an as-yet incomplete secret technique, Devil Mode: Alternative. It’s not like the commonly known incantation magic; it’s a kind of inherent ability that arises from forming a special magical circuit within the body. And Gaius, I taught it, but I think only Ars can master it among humanity. Even if you have the aptitude, you need to undergo magical circuit modifications from a young age with a flexible body.”

If Gaius were to undergo the same magical modifications, his body would likely reject them, and he’d probably lose his life before even activating the technique.

Also, Ars apparently wanted to dye his wings black like mine, and he even wanted to grow horns and a tail, but I didn’t allow him to go that far.

That’s why Ars isn’t fully satisfied with this technique and keeps calling it “Alternative.”

As a matter of fact, calling that “Devil Mode” seems quite misleading.

With the wings shining brightly, terms like “Hero Mode” or “Brave Mode” seem more appropriate, but I wonder how accurate that is.

Even I can’t make my wings shine.

And why is Ars’s Devil Mode shining anyway?

I have no idea…

There’s probably some factor unique to Ars that’s involved, but the details are unclear.

“Now, as for the match…”

“Th-That’s right! Our Ars, to think he’d achieve a come-from-behind victory here…!”

“No, what are you saying, Elsa? This match is Ars’s loss.”

“Huh…?”

And then, unable to stand up due to accumulated damage and fatigue, Ein, who had fainted, and Ars with his wings, were judged by the referee.

“In this match, due to Ars’s use of magic resulting in foul play, the winner is Ein!!”

Well, that’s how it goes.

I mean, this clearly isn’t just physical enhancement.

Strictly speaking, it’s not the kind of magic humans use, but I doubt anyone would make that distinction.

“That’s how it is. It’s a fair outcome.”

“Huh…? Oh…? Huh…?”

Ignoring Elsa’s bewildered expression, I nod in agreement with the referee’s decision that I find reasonable.

Well, he lost the match, but winning the battle was more about this kind of thing.

But Ars…

He used Devil Mode at the very end, yet he’s making a face like, “Why did I lose even though it’s not an incantation spell?”

I’ll have to explain later that to others, it might look like some kind of grand magic.