Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 260: Father-son Quarrel

Tigar and Leo had begun what seemed like a father-son quarrel, but their clashing swords were almost akin to a fight to the death. From Tigar’s great sword, purple lightning flashed, while heat haze rose from Leo’s sword.

Even for a family dispute, it was excessive. I intended to intervene to calm them down but someone stopped me. It was Sharl, Tigar’s wife and Leo’s mother.

“Sharl?”

“Not yet. Let’s wait and see a little longer.”

“Hmm…”

Sharl’s hand which was holding back my arm was trembling slightly. And Reese who was in her arms looked up with tearful eyes; perhaps she sensed her mother’s anxiety.

Even though she was clearly feeling anxious, Sharl seemed reluctant to disrupt the two. Given that she, a member of their family, suggested we just observe, it didn’t seem right for me to intrude. Respecting her wishes, I decided to watch over the intense family conflict.

“Gaoooooo!”

“Gaaaaaah!”

Since he greatly admired his father Tigar, Leo’s fighting style bore a striking resemblance to his. It was a powerful swordsmanship in which he powerfully wielded a sword that was as tall as his own body and crushed the enemy with his might.

However, their similar styles made the difference in their abilities starkly apparent. Especially in swordsmanship where strength was key, the muscle mass throughout the body directly influenced the power of each technique. In this aspect alone, Tigar had the upper hand.

But Tigar’s superiority didn’t end there. In terms of the great sword’s length and weight, his body size, the length of his limbs, and even the sharpness of his techniques, Tigar outmatched Leo in every aspect.

“Gaooooo!”

“Ugh…!”

Given the lack of advantageous elements for Leo, the outcome was predictable. Leo was sent flying as he was unable to withstand Tigar’s mighty blow before crashing into a large tree and emitting a pained groan.

Yet Leo quickly gritted his teeth and stood up. In his eyes, there was no trace of fear, only a strong will that refused to give up. His resolve to remain in the Harlasia Kingdom with Lieselotte seemed unwaveringly firm.

“Cough, cough… I’ll never give up, Dad. If you want to stop me, you’ll have to kill me.”

“Kill you…?! You idiotic son! If that’s what you’re saying, then I’ll end you myself!”

Tigal finally became furious at Leo who did not bend his will even though he was coughing. With a roar that seemed to shake the entire forest, Tigar raised his great sword high above his head and charged at Leo with the speed of lightning. The campsite and its surroundings were soundproofed with spiritual arts, but without them, the roar might have reached the far royal capital.

The force behind Tigar’s attack was so immense that it felt like it could shatter even my hardened exoskeleton. A direct hit would surely kill Leo. Although Sharl had forbidden intervention, this was something I couldn’t just overlook. Others who were skilled in combat, like Gora and Linardo, seemed to share my thoughts and began to move to intercept.

“I knew you’d come at me like that, Dad!”

“What… Gah?!”

However, our intervention turned out to be unnecessary. Leo quickly threw his sword. Though it wasn’t as large as Tigar’s great sword, Leo’s weapon was still considered a great sword by normal standards because it was long and heavy. At that moment, Tigar was not wearing armor, and if he hadn’t blocked it, the thrown sword would have pierced his chest with the tip protruding from his back.

Tigar had charged with such momentum that evading became a challenge. With his greatsword raised high above in a grand stance, he had no choice but to come to an abrupt halt and swing it down. Caught off guard by the unforeseen circumstances, Tigar’s movements froze, and he ended up swinging his sword down. Naturally, to swing the sword again, he would need to raise it once more.

However, Leo would not allow it. As he threw his sword, he simultaneously dashed forward and before Tigar could raise his greatsword again, Leo stepped on it from above before driving it into the ground.

“Gaooooooooooh!!!”

“Guoooooooh?!”

Using the blade of the greatsword as a platform, Leo leaped up and broke Tigar’s thumb that was gripping the handle with his left foot, while his right foot delivered a powerful kick to Tigar’s face. Tigar who was known among us for his toughness staggered and let go of his greatsword since he was unable to stand the pain.

Seizing the moment of Tigar’s falter, Leo kicked the greatsword away and lunged at Tigar with a clenched fist. But Tigar was not one to be easily defeated. Clutching his bleeding nose, he glared fiercely at Leo and countered with a front kick.

“Goaaaah?!”

“Hmph! You’ve gotten better, haven’t you? But I don’t approve!”

The front kick plunged into Leo’s stomach, sending him flying once again before he tumbled to the ground. As Leo quickly rose to his feet, Tigar narrowed his eyes at his son and expelled the remaining blood from his nose. Thanks to the demon’s healing powers, the nosebleed had already stopped.

It seemed his thumb had healed as well and Tigar who was now cracking his knuckles slowly advanced towards Leo. The latter was already on his feet and he adopted a fighting stance with his fists lightly clenched.

“Come at me. If you want my recognition.”

“Gaaaah!”

Tigar beckoned with a provocative gesture, and Leo charged straight at him. Leo threw a swift jab as a feint, but Tigar didn’t even attempt to dodge, instead countering the move.

Tigar’s iron fist smashed into Leo’s cheek, shattering several of his teeth. As Leo staggered back, Tigar mercilessly delivered another blow to his face. This second blow was so powerful that it would have knocked out or even killed an ordinary warrior, but Leo driven by sheer determination this time…. just like Tigar, he swung as hard as he could and slammed his fist down with all his might.

“”Gaoooooooooh!!!””

Both father and son, Tigar and Leo, abandoned any thought of defense and exchanged blows, their roars merging into one. When two demons fought without yielding an inch, they would both end up covered in blood in no time. And just like that, their fur became soaked and their appearance could only be described as gruesome.

Yet, that didn’t stop the two of them from continuing their relentless exchange of blows. Sharl also held us back with tears in her eyes. So all we could do was watch anxiously as these two carnivores clashed together.

The brawl seemed endless but even demons have their physical limits. Gradually, both fighters grew tired, started gasping for breath, and the frequency and power of their blows diminished.

“Huff…huff…give up already!”

“Gah? N-not yet!”

When considering how he was still in his growing phase, Leo should have been at a disadvantage in terms of physical strength compared to Tigar. However, despite Tigar’s relentless assault, Leo not only remained standing but also seemed to possess more vigor in his movements.

Although Tigar had dominated the fight until then, the tide had turned, and Leo, battered as he was, appeared to have the upper hand. For every punch Tigar landed, Leo managed to return three.

“Aaaah, you bastard! You’re so stubborn…why don’t you give up?!”

“Be…. Because someone has to do it!”

“It…It doesn’t have to be you!”

“But I’m the only one who can do it! Big brother has to protect everyone else; he can’t stay. So, who better than me, who’s become friends with Carl?”

The decision for someone to stay behind and care for the Fire Dragon was merely the catalyst for Leo’s resolution to remain. It seemed Leo had long been exploring ways to ensure those around us would not view us as enemies, and having formed a personal friendship with the king, Leo was indeed the right choice for this task.

Leo’s perspective was fundamentally different from ours, who had always considered keeping a distance from those around us to protect ourselves. And when I think about it, while Tigar and the others were wary of me at the beginning, it was Leo who bowed to me by himself and wished for Tigar and the others’ safety. Coming up with ideas different from others might be one of Leo’s strengths.

“Gah…Getting ahead of yourself, aren’t you? Why didn’t you tell anyone in the first place?!”

“Gih…. Would you have simply nodded and agreed if I had told you?!”

Just like Tigar pointed out, Leo’s failure to consult anyone was indeed his oversight. I was taken aback when he suddenly informed me so I can only imagine how much more surprised Tigar must have been.

However, just like Leo said, I could see that if he had consulted anyone, including me, none would have looked upon the idea favorably. Perhaps the only one who might have seriously considered it would have been his mother, Sharl.

“There’s no way! It’s impossible!”

“Don’t decide it’s impossible before I even try! I’m my father’s son, after all!”

“…..!”

Perhaps it was Leo’s shout that did it, but Tigar’s eyes widened and he froze for a moment. Not missing this opportunity, Leo’s uppercut landed squarely on Tigar’s jaw. The strength drained from Tigar’s knees and he collapsed onto his back before sprawling out on the ground.

Even though his knees were shaking, Leo remained upright with his fist still raised in the air. The victor was clear to anyone watching.

“I win. I’ll do as I please now… Dad.”

“…. Do whatever you want, you idiotic son.”

Though it was somewhat forceful, Leo had secured a concession. And with unsteady steps, he picked up his sword, sheathed it, and began walking out of the camp. In the end, Leo left on his own without looking back.

******

TN: It’s so tough to have a teenager demon in his rebellious phase.