Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 256: The Strongest Demon (1)

“It’s quite something… to think I would set foot here once again.”

Ten days have passed since I was asked to demonstrate my strength. During that time, my opponent seemed to have been selected and I was brought to a place both nostalgic and loathsome for me… the waiting room of the battle arena.

I had assumed that the event would take place somewhere in the royal castle, but it was decided that the arena where one could fight more freely was a better choice. However, there were hardly any regular spectators; mostly just civil and military officials gathered. It seems only those interested in seeing my abilities gathered here.

I haven’t been told anything about my opponent. It appears that information was kept strictly confidential from those related to me, like Liselotte and Crus.

“Is that so? Come to think of it, this place holds some history for the boss, huh?”

“However, it seems you’re not too bothered by it.”

My comrades who had come to the royal capital with me were currently in the same waiting room. Just like me, they were effectively under house arrest in a room in the royal castle, and apart from not being able to go out freely, they seemed to be living comfortably enough.

However, we only had servants visit us around meal times, but it seemed that Zald’s room had servants… or more precisely, maids visiting several times a day. By the standards of human beauty, Zald was considered exceptionally handsome. It was likely that the maids made up reasons to come by, hoping to catch a glimpse of his face.

“Ah. Of course it’s not that I feel nothing, but… I don’t feel much irritation either.”

Let’s set aside the circumstances of my comrades for now. The arena was supposed to be a place filled with negative memories from my scorpion days, including the so-called training which was more like abuse by Georg and the deadly battles with ferocious beasts. Now that I’m remembering it, there’s no doubt that I felt uncomfortable.

Yet… surprisingly, my discomfort was minimal. It was as if I was looking down on someone else’s memories. I have a theory about why that might be. It’s probably because I’ve become a demon.

Both the me from my scorpion days and the me after becoming a demon are certainly myself. However, having lived in my current body for so long, my past self during my scorpion days seems almost like it happened to someone else.

Nevertheless, the gratitude I felt towards Chris who was kind to me back then, the friendship with the Popi person, and the bond I had with Woodsorrel whom I met during the rookie tournament, were deeply engraved in my heart. The feeling of it being someone else’s life applies only to my own experiences.

“…. Come to think of it, you mentioned seeing the memories of the one you were synthesized with. That might be the reason.”

“No, Orvo was adamant that souls do not mix. There’s no way his soul remains within me. He said that having multiple souls in one body is what causes synthetic beasts to go berserk. So, his soul shouldn’t be inside me.”

“Even if his soul isn’t present, perhaps viewing those memories has had some influence on you?”

“Besides, the shape of your body has changed significantly. It might just be that.”

“…Regardless of what we say here, we’re not scholars; it’s beyond us. You may as well go to sleep and it would be more meaningful.”

“””Ugh…”””

It was Rinne who sharply silenced the men debating this way and that. Her point was valid and we had no choice but to fall silent.

Even though a battle was about to take place, the atmosphere in the waiting room was extremely relaxed. Part of it was because we were used to fighting, but more so because no one expected me to struggle against any of the creatures prepared here.

From the waiting room across from mine, I could definitely sense a strong fighting spirit and spiritual power even in a relaxed state, suggesting that this opponent of mine would be even stronger during battle. The creature was contained in a cage that was enchanted with spiritual arts that helped conceal its exact shape, but the cage itself was quite large. The creature was definitely larger than Shuu and Apao.

However, in both fighting spirit and spiritual power, neither the quality nor the quantity matched mine. My comrades seemed to sense this as well. Knowing that the battle would not be too difficult, there was no need for any of us to be overly concerned.

“You seem quite at ease, Antares.”

“Is that you, Chris?”

I had thought to simply wait in relaxation until the time for battle arrived, but an unexpected visitor came. It was Chris, who was supposed to be by Lieselotte’s side. Why was she here?

Chris seemed well aware of my doubts. She quickly conveyed her message directly.

“His Majesty and the young lady have sent a message. First, from His Majesty. Those prepared for you are quite confident, so feel free to crush them without holding back.”

“To disgrace them… or rather, he wants me to show my power?”

It seemed that those who disliked me had great confidence in the opponents they had prepared. It was clear that the creature was quite formidable, yet King Carl was telling me to crush them. It appeared he had a high regard for my skills.

Even though King Carl seemed to hold me in high regard, I didn’t feel particularly honored. After all, no matter what, King Carl was merely the king to my benefactors, Lieselotte and Chris, and to me he was nothing more than a source of trouble.

“That’s the situation. And as for the young lady’s message… His Majesty has agreed to place you and the others under the young lady’s supervision.”

“That’s a relief.”

We could lend our strength to the kingdom as subordinates of Lieselotte rather than the king himself. This arrangement would allow Lieselotte to offset any trouble caused by her family’s conflicts with her achievements and enable us to follow someone we trusted rather than a king we hardly knew. It seems things have worked out well.

Incidentally, it appears that the uncle who plotted to assassinate Lieselotte has been spared the death penalty. This was due to Lieselotte’s plea. However, this was not out of mercy. Officially, her uncle was declared to have died from illness, but in reality, he was sent to work as a slave in some mine.

In essence, Lieselotte has sentenced him to a punishment equivalent to working to death as a slave in a dangerous mine. The reasoning was that it was more economical than killing him outright.

This thought process is a bit… no, quite scary. She must have harbored strong feelings of resentment towards her uncle, and rightly so, considering he targeted her life. Retaliation was to be expected. However, the perspective of coldly viewing a criminal as a tool is something I did not possess.

We only knew the kind-hearted side of Lieselotte, which likely represented her true nature. This was evident from the way Hilda and Chris admired her. However, she also possessed the qualities of a noble. I shouldn’t provoke her in the future.

“And finally, this might be a more difficult request.”

“Oh? What sort of request?”

“Seems like she wants you to avoid killing the opponent as much as possible. It’s partly because the young lady is kind-hearted… but you understand that she’s also being considerate of you, right? I suppose you intended to do so even without being told.”

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

I couldn’t help but smile bitterly at the fact that Chris had seen right through me. Lieselotte had probably been considerate of my past as a battle beast. Her unwillingness to have me harm creatures who shared a similar fate was undoubtedly a reflection of her kindness.

But Chris went a step further and already figured out that I had never intended to kill from the start. As expected of her, Chris seemed to have me all figured out.

“I wouldn’t hesitate if the opponent was a criminal but it seems that’s not the case. I would find it difficult to kill those who share a similar fate to mine.”

“I thought as much. But are you sure? His Majesty seems to want you to show overwhelming power while winning.”

“I’ll manage somehow… It’s about time, isn’t it?”

Contrary to her words, Chris didn’t seem overly concerned. This wasn’t because she didn’t care, but rather because she had placed her utmost trust in me. While the expectations of King Carl were of little concern to me, I felt compelled to live up to her expectations with all my might.

As we were engaged in this exchange, it seemed the time for battle had arrived. The sound of multiple footsteps approaching our waiting room could be heard. I stood up and fastened my twin swords which had been leaning against the wall around my waist.

◆◇◆◇◆◇

“Well, it seems the time has finally come. I’ve grown tired of waiting.”

King Carl remarked with an unmistakable sense of excitement in the arena’s VIP room. Even though he was the young king and the hero of the kingdom, he displayed a childlike innocence. The reason, of course, was the anticipation of catching a glimpse of Antares’ power.

He was aware that this one-sided test of strength was unwelcome to Antares and that it had prevented Antares from serving him directly. The compromise of having Antares under the indirect and non-absolute supervision of Lieselotte, rather than a direct command, was something he still regretted.

Yet honestly speaking, King Carl was irresistibly excited about the prospect of witnessing Antares in battle with his own eyes. For King Carl who had originally planned to serve the nation as a warrior the strong were not only objects of respect but also important people he had to keep by his side.

Antares was a demon who had distinguished himself in the war and was the leader of the strongest demons. For King Carl, he was a figure deserving of the utmost respect and someone he desperately wanted to ally with. If they had been alone, it’s likely Carl would have cast aside all pride and courtesy to bow before him.

“If only I hadn’t made such a half-hearted effort…”

“There’s no use dwelling on what’s done, Your Majesty.”

“Yes, I know, but… Oh! Here he comes!”

As King Carl continued to lament his past mistakes, Adelheid scolded him, just as Antares appeared in the arena. He was dressed as he had been when he met King Carl in a simple outfit and a long cloak.

Some of the civil officials might have scoffed at his unimposing appearance, deeming it almost ragged, but not a single military officer underestimated him. The reason was clear: even as he stood still, there was an intimidating lack of openings about him.

Although there was no killing intent to be felt, there was an undeniable certainty that anyone who dared to attack would find themselves humbled and face down on the ground. Everyone here knew better than to underestimate the title of the strongest demon.

“Look there, Addy. See the one trembling with fear with a face pale? He was the one boasting about how we should have disposed of Antares when we first met him.”

“That’s rather distasteful Your Majesty, isn’t it? Considering he is one of your own subjects… Ah, it seems his opponent has also made an appearance.”

“Ah, this is… I can see why they were so confident.”

“GYAOOOOOO!!!”

As the opponent made his entrance, shaking the ground with each step, King Carl hummed in admiration at the sight of the towering figure that appeared in the arena. The creature that let out a roar towards the sky was one of the dragon race known as the Fire Dragon.