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

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

Chapter 44 The power of Hades

In the magic castle towering over the Western Continent, where oddly alchemical techniques crafted by humans are noticeable everywhere.

There, in the garden of that magic castle, I was preparing for a mock battle with Ars.

As for why we’re doing this, well, there are various circumstances, but to put it simply, it was suggested by Ars old man, an evil old man, as the final test for his son.

Apparently, the training Ars underwent in the Eastern Continent was meant to confirm the results of his previous training, and it seems his old man intended to take him there with the intention of facing even tougher challenges that he would have to overcome with difficulty.

However, as it turned out, Ars exceeded the expectations of the evil old man and achieved remarkable results quite easily.

While this was a pleasantly surprising outcome, relying too much on things going too smoothly isn’t conducive to proper education…

No matter how sincere and pure-hearted someone may be, they’re bound to become conceited at some point or another.

So, while pondering what to do about this, fate had it that I, Hades Lucifer, happened to appear.

The evil old man had a revelation.

In that case, why not prepare an even stronger challenge in the form of myself, who is stronger than Ars now, and use it as a good opportunity to teach him that there’s always someone stronger?

While it was irritating to go along with this plan, well, I understand what he’s getting at.

We’ve got plenty of trash among our soldiers who become insubordinate as soon as they get a little stronger.

Of course, we’ve taken care of all that trash.

I have no intention of lumping Ars in with those trash, but if it’s to ensure that no unnecessary thoughts creep into my, um, Ars mind, then I suppose it’s for the best.

Above all, the gaze of the tan-skinned, long-eared woman, who happens to be the old man’s wife, feels extremely dangerous.

Those tan, long ears apparently heard something whispered by the old man when he returned to the castle with some kind of mysterious trick similar to teleportation magic. Upon meeting me for the first time, she immediately slipped into my blind spot and murmured words as if holding a knife to my throat, causing me to almost wet myself involuntarily.

Moreover, she said something like, “I don’t know if it’s adolescence or what, but if you dare lay a hand on my son Ars without being fully prepared, I won’t show any mercy. Understood?”

What does she mean by “lay a hand on”? I couldn’t help but wonder, but my instincts are screaming not to defy that long-eared woman under any circumstances.

My instincts are usually spot on, so surely this fear is no illusion.

Damn, I knew there were dangerous folks even in the human realm, but feeling this level of terror aside from the old man is a first for me…

That old man, he sure managed to marry such a dangerous woman…

That’s the one thing I respect about him.

Well, that aside, though.

“Alright, come at me whenever you’re ready, Ars! If you manage to land even a scratch on me, I’ll do whatever you say, alright? Well, that’s probably impossible anyway! Ha-ha-ha!”

“Yeah, bring it on, Hades-kun. Let’s both give it our all.”

With these words, Ars, my only friend, readied the practice sword prepared for training.

Hmm, not a bad stance at all.

That could probably hold its own in the demon realm to some extent. Judging solely by his close combat abilities, he’s probably equivalent to about a mid-level demon, right?

No, he’s a bit stronger than that. Probably the strength of two demons, maybe.

I’ve heard he’s only ten years old, but he’s been trained quite well.

Well, obviously?

My… Ars… is not like those random humans around here. It’s only natural, of course.

“Alright, looks like you’re both ready to go, so let’s start the mock battle. No time limit, anything goes. If things get dangerous, I’ll step in, so go all out.”

“Do your best, Ars. Although I’ve heard about the circumstances of the other child from husband, still, give it your all as if you’re borrowing the opponent’s chest.”

“Yeah, got it, Dad, Mom. I’ll give Hades-kun everything I’ve got!”

With a smile, Ars responded energetically, cheered on by the evil old man and the sinister long-eared woman.

S-So adorable.

Ehehe…

B-But, even with that cute face, it’s useless!

Even if Ars is the opponent, I won’t hold back. As the crown prince of the demon realm, it’s unacceptable for me to lose, even without my family’s eyes on me.

And, well…

“Oh? Hey old man, are you saying you can stop me when I’m serious? That’s a pretty bold claim.”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s good to have spirit, but let’s save that for after the mock battle. For now, focus on giving it your all against Ars in front of you.”

Tch, playing it cool, huh…

I understand that this evil old man is something mysterious, but he’s really hard to pin down and it’s frustrating.

In a sense, he’s the most enigmatic force I’ve encountered since coming to the human realm.

Thinking about it again, why does such a cute creature come from this double team of evil and malice?

The world is messed up.

It’s unfair.

On this matter alone, I am absolutely certain that something is wrong.

“Well then, here we go! Ready, set, go!!!”

“Ultimate Warrior Awakening Secret Technique: Super Devil Bat Assault!!! Haah!”

“Oh, going for the first strike, huh? Not so fast, Ars!”

Ars, with his powerful body enhancement, charges in as if not giving me any chance to use magic, but I, Hades-sama, am not so easily fooled by such simple tactics.

Certainly, during the three days in the Eastern Continent, I didn’t engage in any close combat, and I admit I’m a specialist in magic.

However, how long did it take to achieve that level of physical enhancement?

Clearly, there’s a lack of proficiency in magic skills, and the activation speed is slow.

Or rather, is it a matter of human aptitude… no, perhaps it’s a structural issue?

From Ars body enhancement, I can sense the flow of magical power similar to what we demons use, but it seems like his body isn’t adapting well to that enhancement.

Well, even if you ask if there’s another efficient way to enhance the body, I can’t help but tilt my head in confusion.

“Huh!? Hades-kun! You can use Super Devil Bat Assault too!?”

“Yeah, is that what it’s called in the human realm? Well, I can use it. I think I mastered it when I was, uh, around three years old?”

“Amaz…ing!?”

Actually, it’s a technique that any demon can naturally do with just their instincts. Rather, if someone from the lineage of the Demon Lord couldn’t do it by the age of five, they’d be considered a failure.

It’s not like I learned it exceptionally fast or anything.

Well… even so, continuously dodging Ars attacks in close combat is tough. I’m not a warrior, so I’m not very skilled at using my body.

Therefore, let’s intimidate him a bit to create some distance between us.

“Well then, behold and be amazed! This is my specialty move, Dark Ball Diffusion! Kuwahaha!”

“What!?”

How about that? There’s no escaping. Gravity magic bullets, released endlessly from the fingertips of one hand, scatter and cling to the body.

Once a warrior’s movements are halted, victory is mine! After all, humans with expertise in gravity magic or dark attribute magic are rare, so perhaps he lacked the experience to deal with it?

“That’s the finishing blow. It was a good duel. …Death Ball Crush!”

“Uwaaaaah!?”

And thus, crushed by the colossal gravity ball, Ars begins to fall to his knees helplessly.

Well, this should be the end.

Over these three days, I’ve come to understand that Ars has been trained to master level in various skills such as warrior techniques, magic, assassination arts, and some specialized techniques. However, precisely because of that, he’s vulnerable to pure, high-density violence like this.

Balance implies there are no decisive openings, and it means having many options and adaptability.

However, on the flip side, not specializing in one technique to the extreme like me results in having no breakthrough when facing a superior opponent.

Generally, to defeat someone stronger, you need at least one powerful trump card to catch them off guard. Even then, victory is not guaranteed, and in fact, the odds are low. But even that slim chance doesn’t seem to exist for Ars against me.

This flaw is probably one of the concerns that evil old man had in mind.

“That settles this match! The winner is… well, obviously Hades. Both of you did well.”

And after restraining movements for a while, the old man’s judgment was made, closing this simulated battle with my victory.

“You’re amazing, Hades-kun! You’re way stronger than me or Ein!”

“Y-yeah… You think so? Ehehehe…”

And to top it off, Ars, who lost in the simulated battle, approaches and even goes so far as to shake my hand at close range.

He must have admired me for showing my best in that simulated battle just now.

B-but wait, he’s too close! Too close for comfort!

Is it really okay to get your face that close!?

“Y-you’re… handsome…”

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing at all!”