Reincarnated Devil's Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~ - Volume 2 Chapter 6

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

Volume 2 Chapter 6   The dormant power

Something massive emerged from the lake. It was white and enormous, resembling two flat rocks stacked upon each other, radiating a solemn presence. The sheer magnitude of the creature left the two children breathless, aware of the formidable foe they faced.

Kakyu, who was secretly watching over the children, muttered to himself, “Why is there a giant scallop…?” But to the kids, this was an unknown life form.

Having never left the city, neither child had seen a scallop, let alone recognized the ten-meter-wide rock-like creature as one.

“This is bad. Hey, Abel, you know what to do, right?” Ekina said.

“Yeah! Wow, that thing looks so cool!” Abel replied, his eyes shining with excitement.

“What…?” Ekina couldn’t comprehend Abel’s excitement. While she was contemplating the need to flee from the obvious superior threat, Abel seemed thrilled, as if he were watching a monster movie featuring a dragon.

As a spirited girl, Ekina was bewildered by Abel’s reaction. She wanted to slap some sense into him but realized that escaping with an unconscious Abel on her back was impossible, so she restrained herself.

What puzzled her was that Abel seemed to instinctively sense that the enormous creature wasn’t a threat, and thus felt no need for caution. If only she could understand why he felt that way, she might also feel reassured. However, being the cautious and clever girl she was, Ekina refused to let her guard down just because someone else did.

While trying to figure out how to escape with Abel’s foolish enthusiasm in mind, the previously stationary creature made its move. It seemed to be using magic.

The scallop manipulated the lake water into tentacle-like shapes with its magic and, aiming at the unguarded Abel, launched a sharp water tentacle punch.

“Abel!” Ekina shouted.

“What…?” Abel barely had time to react.

As the water tentacle attack closed in, Ekina pushed Abel out of the way with a sudden force, taking his place and getting entangled by the water tentacles.

The tentacles wrapped around her, mocking her desperate struggles, and even absorbed the magic stones she had hidden, sealing her abilities.

For a five-year-old with limited abilities, magic stones were crucial for performing alchemy and served as essential magic reservoirs. Without them, Ekina was just a powerless child, no stronger than any other kid her age and certainly no match for a grown farmer.

They were completely out of options.

“Ah… E-Ekina!”

“What are you doing? Run, you idiot! Run and get Dad and the others, quick… Gah!”

Seeing Abel’s distress, Ekina scolded him, knowing this was no time to be distracted. But it was already too late. The creature, irritated by Ekina’s continued resistance, sealed her mouth with a tentacle, rendering her completely immobile.

Though the creature seemed to have a habit of capturing its prey alive, as it only covered her mouth, allowing her to breathe, it was little consolation. Drained of energy, Ekina lay limp, her consciousness fading as her magic was siphoned through the tentacles.

Abel, realizing the dire situation, felt a surge of hopelessness. He bowed his head in despair, though it was more than just despair—it was a deep-seated, dark malice rising from within.

“Damn it… It’s all my fault again.”

This anger, sticky and profound, bubbled up from the depths of his being. It was a silent, burning rage. Abel couldn’t discern its exact source—whether it was anger at the enemy, frustration at his own failures, or fury over Ekina’s sacrifice for his incompetence.

He didn’t know. But he felt something non-human emerging from within him, something he had unconsciously suppressed all this time. With each heartbeat, his once golden hair, inherited from the hero Ars, turned a deep red, and his clear blue eyes transformed into a split green and blue, forming demonic eyes.

Unbeknownst to him, this was the unmistakable influence of the demon king lineage, awakened by intense emotions.

Kakyu, watching from behind, was struck by the change in his grandson’s soul. He hesitated, considering whether to intervene, but ultimately decided to trust and observe a little longer. Meanwhile, Mermel, reminded of the tension from the battle against the demon king, felt a slight urge to urinate and stood with her legs crossed, trying to hide it. It was only a tiny amount, so it didn’t leave a stain, but it was still embarrassing.

Despite her status as a high-ranking angel, she seemed rather weak in shocking situations.

As Abel’s transformation completed, he stared down the enormous creature, paralyzing it with his demonic eyes alone. Finally, he drew his sword, cloaked in a crimson aura reminiscent of the awakened demon king Hades, and began advancing toward the creature, declaring its death with each step.

“I am useless…”

Overwhelmed by anger, Abel’s words flowed naturally, as if his true consciousness had faded.

— Despite being Dad’s son, I lack his talent.

— Despite inheriting Mom’s blood, I can’t use magic properly or think strategically.

Each word carried his frustration, despair, and anger, resonating with a powerful magic that made the air tremble. His overwhelming magic dyed the surroundings red, and the enormous creature, affected by the demonic eyes and crimson magic, lost the will to fight and couldn’t maintain its magic.

The creature’s water-formed tentacles disintegrated, freeing Ekina, who stared wide-eyed at Abel’s transformation.

“Abel, you…”

Ekina’s voice was hoarse with disbelief as she gazed at Abel, yet part of her wasn’t entirely surprised by what had transpired.

She knew.

She knew the frustration he felt as he continued to strive, lamenting his lack of talent, while his efforts often went unrewarded. She knew the strength it took for him to smile and act like everything was fine, trying to meet the expectations of his family and friends. She knew he wasn’t particularly interested in fighting; he simply loved the peaceful world his revered parents had saved. He was a kind-hearted boy.

Ekina had always known that her strong and kind childhood friend was truly the most incredible and admirable person.

So.

“I know you’re the spirit purifying this lake. I don’t understand why you attacked my friend. But…”

—If you harm someone precious to me, I won’t forgive you, no matter who you are.

So.

She didn’t want him to throw away his kind heart, the one he’d always protected, over something like this.

“Enough! Stop, Abel! You’ve won! It’s over…! Please, just go back to being the Abel I know…!”

“……”

As Ekina cried out, tears streaming down her face, the dark crimson hue in Abel’s hair faded away as if nothing had happened, and the sky returned to a clear blue. With his consciousness still affected by the rampage, Abel looked around in confusion, then noticed Ekina freed and the subdued creature, tilting his head in bewilderment.

“Huh? Me…? What happened? Whoa, Ekina, why are you crying?!”

“You idiot! I was so worried about you! You… you…!”

“Ouch, ouch, ouch! Stop, stop, please!”

Seeing Abel back to normal, Ekina ran up to him and began hitting his face lightly as she pinned him down. Abel, unable to grasp what was going on, was left bewildered. Meanwhile, Kakyu, who had been watching the entire scene, breathed a sigh of relief, feeling reassured that Abel had managed to hold on to himself.

Feeling that it was about time to wrap up this adventure, Kakyu deliberately made his presence known by approaching the two with loud footsteps.

“Hey, you two. You were taking so long, I came to find you. …Looks like something strange happened here.”

“Grandpa! Help! I don’t know why, but Ekina’s going crazy!”

“I am not going crazy! This is all your fault!”

As the scallop floated helplessly in the lake and the children bickered, the low-class demon, who had witnessed everything, pretended to know nothing and played along. He was quite good at reading the room.

“Well, putting that aside. Hey, little one, I know you’re there. Come down.”

“Eek!”

“Don’t ‘eek’ me. Because of your past mishaps, the dragon veins got slightly tangled, causing the spirit that couldn’t fully control nature to go berserk. Take responsibility and heal that spirit.”

“Okay…”

According to Kakyu, the giant scallop was actually a spirit of the land. While it might seem that Mermel was the root cause, there were some mitigating circumstances.

The spirit’s rampage was indeed due to the disturbance in the natural balance, including the dragon veins. However, as an angelic child, Mermel wouldn’t have caused such chaos intentionally. The real issue was the negative magic that had mixed with the dragon veins from a wicked dragon’s vast magic and resentment, triggered by Mermel’s fireworks.

In essence, while Mermel’s misfire played a part, the real culprit was the malevolent dragon’s curse that had seeped into the land’s veins. Had the children not encountered and agitated the spirit during their adventure, nature would have balanced itself out in about six months, making the situation less severe.

Even in its berserk state, the spirit’s actions were more about capturing potential threats to avoid interference rather than causing harm. Abel, perhaps intuitively understanding this due to his heroic lineage or his connection to the demon realm, had felt at ease.

In any case, as Kakyu beckoned Mermel from above, he entrusted the remaining adjustments of the dragon veins to her, bringing the situation under control.

For Mermel, who had risen to the rank of the highest angel, this was an excellent opportunity to demonstrate her growth. She swiftly completed the adjustments, humming to herself, showcasing her elite abilities.

What the spirit would have taken six more months to balance, Mermel accomplished in mere seconds, proving her exceptional control and power despite her occasional lack of common sense.

“Oh, I found something~”

“Hmm? Ah, that.”

After restoring the lake’s balance, what she discovered was a black, shining dragon scale—the final remnant of the purified evil dragon.

“I’ll keep this as a memento in my treasure box, oh…”

“Hehe! This is pretty! Sorry, but I’m taking this as compensation~”

Just as Mermel held the scale aloft with a satisfied smile, Ekina, using her assassin skills, swiftly snatched it away for her collection. Mermel adjusted her sunglasses in silent protest but took no further action.

She simply muttered, “Part of being an elite angel is also caring for children,” before flying off, exclaiming “FHOoooo!” Her usual cry lacked some energy, but an elite angel always sides with the kids.

Sometimes, things just happen this way.

With the adventure concluded, the two children were ready to return to the magic castle with the lower-class demon who had come to fetch them… except…

“For some reason, this guy followed us,” said Ekina.

Trailing behind the two children as they returned to the magic castle was the floating scallop spirit, moving slowly through the air.

Everyone present, in unison, exclaimed, “Why?!” at the bizarre sight, unable to hold back their astonishment.