Chapter 83 – For What Comes Next

Around the time Deus was wandering around the Empire, punishing ability-supremacists, grumbling that he was being unfairly called a monster who ate hearts and livers.

At the very moment the three female students left behind in the cradle were undergoing a rigorous tempering at the hands of Astaroth.

“…Hmm.”

Had he done something foolish? Did his tongue wag too freely? Jarvis groaned, taking stock of the present predicament.

It seemed a simple enough task. Opening doors was his specialty, after all.

Astaroth, the very reason for his creation, had sought him out to ease the burden of opening doors.

Ever the epitome of laziness, she’d cleaved off a fragment of her power, birthing him into existence.

Which meant Jarvis possessed a sliver of the Hell Duke’s might, granting him the inherent ability to conjure gates. Though they differed somewhat from those opened in Hell.

Hence, he’d anticipated breaching a path to Hell swiftly. Yet, he’d overlooked one crucial detail.

‘That they would forcibly sever every portal they utilized.’

Since their dwindling energies rendered it impossible for demons to traverse, they’d simply sealed off the routes entirely.

Now, all they could manage from the other side was sending their groomed beasts, a kind of doggy door.

Evidently, they’d concluded that was sufficient. Preventing the opposition from entering while affording them the chance to gather energy, albeit less than before.

“This won’t do. This won’t do at all. If things are like this, there’s no telling how long it’ll take.”

Jarvis could only clutch his head, screaming, “Ughhh!”

Deus. Hadn’t he assured the man he’d find a solution soon?

But in this state, opening the door would be out of the question, not to mention discovering a bypass route.

Upon hearing the news, Deus would likely, no, he would undoubtedly retort.

“You can’t find a way? Perhaps your blood of Astaroth is running low. I’d be happy to provide some for you.”

Or perhaps.

“A kind word and a fist are better motivators than a kind word alone, wouldn’t you agree? Shall we test that theory?”

‘That crazy b*stard. Utterly, irredeemably insane. He should have just kept quiet. He practically begged that monster to kill me! Kreeeaaaghhh!!’

Even the thought conjured cold sweat and trembling limbs.

He knew the sensation of being struck. A single blow was akin to the agony of having one’s limbs torn asunder.

That was from one punch. Could he even endure a proper beating?

Dying in a single strike would be a blessing, in truth.

But knowing Deus, he’d likely toy with him, inflicting just enough pain to avoid killing him outright.

Hadn’t there been that pathetic demon who’d perished from a mere slap not long ago?

‘This is no good. That is no good. Damn it all. Cursed. Those dog-faced demons!’

He and Astaroth, both demons, yet compelled to curse their own kind.

They’d open the doors wide when it came to striking others, but the moment they faced retribution, they slammed those gates shut.

If they boasted about being demons, shouldn’t they endure like the prideful beings they claimed to be?

“How is it going?”

Having driven Luciel and Nefertiti to the point of collapse, Astaroth sauntered over, stifling a yawn.

Under normal circumstances, he would have offered a “Well done,” but he couldn’t afford such courtesies this time.

“Lady Astaroth.”

“What is it? Why that expression? …Ah, shit? No. Please. No. Don’t tell me this is going to be one of those ‘we’re royally screwed’ situations.”

“I regret to inform you, we’re not just screwed, we’re thoroughly and completely screwed.”

At Jarvis’s words, Astaroth buried her face in her hands. “Shit….”

“Why? What went wrong this time?”

“The demons severed all the doors and paths.”

After being momentarily stunned by Jarvis’s words, Astaroth spoke with utmost sincerity.

“Those insane b*stards.”

It isn’t just any road. It isn’t just any gate. It’s a culmination of hard-won struggles, now discarded.

After sending countless beasts through, finding the most energy-efficient routes, building and refining them… they’ve gone and destroyed it themselves.

“How desperate must they have been to do that? Reopening it won’t be a simple task.”

“With 20% of Hell’s total power vanishing in less than two months, I imagine they’d be terrified.”

“I would have just sealed the gates and waited it out.”

There’s the King. And that man. It’s grating to even mention it, but there’s Pari, and others who still stand.

But? Can they truly prevail? Even Astaroth herself crumbled after a few full-powered blows, her strength meaning nothing?

The demons’ decision was unnervingly rational. Preserve energy, but eliminate any possibility of a counterattack. Truly, what else can you say? It’s a very demonic act.

However… there was one thing they didn’t anticipate.

“They couldn’t possibly know we’re here doing this, right?”

“They probably never imagined Astaroth would yield.”

“Heh heh heh! Me neither. Wow. Still makes my head spin when I think about it. Felt like my soul was being torn apart with every blow. Even fighting the King wasn’t that bad.”

Deus once jokingly said something like this:

“Getting hit makes you nicer.”

In his mind, he probably thought it was a jest, but the moment Astaroth and Jarvis heard that, they were once again reminded of the dread of death.

Demon or not, survival came first. From that moment on, they did their best in everything.

Sloth? Hah, you can only be lazy when you’re alive. If you dared to rest for a second, that monster would approach and say ‘Ah, alas, I can no longer allow you to live.’ and then tear you apart.

“…Still, we’ve worked hard. Surely, he won’t just throw us away?”

“He didn’t seem like the type to disregard a promise… but if we don’t prove our usefulness, I think he might make a decision.”

They thought they lived in Hell, but this… this was the real Hell.

They wanted to fight Deus again, that was true. But only as a proper battle.

On the other hand, if they failed to prove their worth, what awaited them wasn’t a battle, but execution.

Unable to accomplish anything of meaning. Unable to satisfy their curiosity.

“I want to live.”

“Did you think I wanted to die?”

“Hurry and investigate again. I’ll train those girls like crazy.”

Just watch. I’ll give them crash courses until all three of them can hold hands and devour a demon.

The demon of sloth, Astaroth? She died here today. All that remains is a new Astaroth, the training fiend!

*

“…Ugh!”

Yurishia regained consciousness with a flail, struggling to sit up.

Nearby, the two girls who were catching their breath exchanged words.

“Ah. She’s awake.”

“She came to after only an hour this time. Junior.”

Yurishia, still comparatively lacking, was receiving special training from Jarvis.

She had clashed with Astaroth, but that was only possible because Astaroth had held back significantly.

Objectively speaking, Yurishia was still below even Neferti.

“President. Where did our vacation go? It felt like it flew by.”

Neferti giggled at Luciel’s question, shaking her head.

“Did vacation ever even exist to begin with, senior? Every single day felt like a practical training class, though a hundred times harder, I suppose.”

“Even I’m thinking, these last two months felt harder than my four years in the Cradle.”

Luciel, after a moment gazing at the sky, speaks again as if something just occurred to her.

“Yurishia, junior?”

“Yes, yes! Senior!”

“Why are you so enthusiastic, junior?”

It’s not like she’s been captured by romance like myself or Nepherti.

There seems to be another reason, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it is.

“W-well, you see… I mean….”

“You mean?”

“What is it?”

Yurishia, hesitant, closes her eyes tightly as if having come to a decision and shouts.

“I! Want to become like Deus!”

“…Eh?”

“Huh?”

‘You want to become like me?’ The thought that immediately springs to mind is, of course:

‘Is that even possible?’

No matter how I think about it, our junior isn’t human, is she? Somehow, she’s an existence beyond classification, sent down by the gods. That’s what I was thinking, just before the two of them experienced a moment of brain freeze.

“O-of course, I don’t think I can really become like Deus. But… just like Deus said. If I try to overcome my fears. If I carry that courage deep within my heart and move forward. Even if I can’t go with you, I believe I can follow behind!”

Yurishia still lacks a little in many areas compared to them. But right now, within her eyes, there was an intense spirit similar to theirs. No, perhaps even capable of surpassing them.

Seeing that sight, both Luciel and Nepherti became aware that their own flames were burning brightly once more.

‘Someday. I want everyone to think of me when they hear the word ‘Radiance Esper.’ I want to become one of the guiding lights that all Espers aspire to reach.’

‘I showed them a new wind, so I will become a cool and powerful wind that corresponds to it.’

I want to prove it. To that giant who seems utterly unattainable, that we are working this hard. And that, instead of hearing that we’re lacking, we can hear that we’re doing a good job.