Welcome to the Impregnable Demon King Castle - Chapter 185-1

Translator: Kobracon

Editor: Weasalopes

185 – The Tenth Stratum – The Realm of Demons and The Awakened Interceptors 18 / To the Top (Part 1)

Our enemy is the Storm Hero Aerial. The world’s 1st ranked party’s leader. Deemed fit by one of the Four Great Spirits, ruler of wind, Sylpheed to be its Contractor.

He defeated a dozen or so Monsters and a high-ranking party within the top 100, all while his Magical Energy organ was crushed.

Currently, his right arm is tantamount to a storm. Only called Storm Wrap, its power is reminiscent of a natural disaster.

On our side are the One-Horned Dark Sorcerer Lemegeton and the Immortal Demon Bennu.

The true identity of each is the Black Sorcerer Lem, formerly of the world’s 4th ranked party, and the Flame Hero Fenix, leader of that same party, respectively. Fenix is also a Contractor of the Four Great Spirits.

When we were young, we made a promise to become 1st ranked together.

At some point in time, we deviated from that path. Separately, we both still continue to walk the path toward the hero we each want to become. I thought that our paths would cross again someday, but I didn’t know that would happen so soon.

The two of us, who clashed at the Demon King Castle, are now both pretending to be Monsters and facing off against the world’s 1st ranked.

「Well then, you two. Shall we begin?」

My body, which is covered with my abnormal-looking horn, is hidden by the blue flames.

It’s the Spirit Magic of Bennu’s that he’s named Immortal – Flame Wrap. It is an application of the Assimilation Esoteric Spirit Magic.

「We shall put an end to your boredom of being the strongest.」

The words that we uttered to encourage ourselves unexpectedly pleased us.

We respect Aerial from the bottom of our hearts. It’s fine to respect him, but we shouldn’t be afraid. Our opponent is the world’s 1st ranked. Our idol since we were kids. Usually, he is someone we would be nervous and unable to calm down when talking to. However, right now, he is just an enemy that is approaching her Highness.

We will defeat the world’s best Hero who excites fans all over the world, defend the Demon King Castle, and at the same time, save him from his solitude.

If it’s us, we can do it.

The first clash was from the front.

Almost as if both parties planned this beforehand, we flew straight at each other with no plans or strategies, both of our right fists clashing with the other’s.

For a moment, all sound disappeared from the world. Probably a trick of the senses.

Immediately after, storms and furious flames burst out to the boundaries of the area. Wind Blades and flames ran amok in every direction.

Both our Magical Energy was too strong and couldn’t reach behind the enemy. The flames and wind, both were seeking a place to go, instantly tried to pass through a narrow space, and when it was impossible to do so…it destroyed the Dungeon.

The ceiling, walls, and floor were torn. Cracks formed in the Magical Energy space as if the very earth was being torn asunder.

Hero and Monster alike did not stop.

At the moment after that, there were five clashes.

I was able to respond to the offenses and defenses of Aerial’s, which were faster than I could see, thanks to Bennu.

I left all the flying up to him while I focused on attacking.

Just before a clash, the flames in my right fist would grow fiercer and I would charge it further with my Magical Energy.

By concentrating only on that, I was able to deal with the Storm Hero’s attacks as a Black Sorcerer.

Like fireworks exploding in the night’s sky, our clashes twinkled in the Magical Energy space.

With each clash, the Dungeon neared its collapse from the aftershocks alone.

With each clash, an attack that could shatter continents and an attack that turns an entire forest into scorched earth would smash together.

We continued to fly and repeat our clashes, each time expending a farcical amount of Magical Energy.

My Black Magic isn’t going through.

I have to hit the target with my Magical Energy in order to apply Black Magic.

But Aerial is just too fast. The only chance I have is the moment we clash, but by the time I notice it, we separate, then the next clash happens and we separate. On and on like that.

「Fu-hahaha…!」

Aerial was truly enjoying himself.

Not only am I an enemy that isn’t defeated with a full-powered strike, but I am also one that can match him in offense.

If you look at how he was undefeated for the last twenty years, you can guess how precious such an enemy is to him.

This back and forth cannot last long.

There is the problem of both our Magical Energy reserves, but also Aerial’s wounds are too deep. As expected, his performance didn’t drop despite his stomach being gouged, but he is seriously leaking Magical Energy.

The blow that all the Monsters and I put our power into has affected mankind’s strongest. It was not in vain.

Even so, he is a Hero that we have yet to defeat completely.

「Bennu.」

『Yes.』

「I shall leave it to you for the moment.」

『Yes.』

I, myself, cannot catch sight of Aerial. There is no way I can split off and fight him. So what should I do?

For a moment, I stop moving my body.

I won’t control my stance, open my eyes or even swing a fist.

Apart from charging strikes with Magical Energy, I leave it all to Bennu.

Controlling the flames around me, he manipulates me like a marionette.

This is what I meant when I said I’ll leave it to him. Bennu understood my intent and moved accordingly.

「Do you understand, Lemegeton?! Bennu?! With each strike, our Magical Energy swells! Do you understand?!」

There is this saying.

Sometimes, people with outstanding abilities in a certain field are concentrated in a particular industry, in a single era.

In fact, there are sports that have not been popular for years, but then one year a lot of gifted individuals emerge and the sport takes off in a big way.

There’s also a saying that this isn’t a coincidence.

The story goes that when good people are aware of each other and influence each other to keep working hard, they can grow more than when they are alone. By watching them up close, others are also inspired, and as a result, the entire industry is raised.

I think this to be true.

To put it simply, competition breeds excellence. Without a rival, there is no competition.

Rather than just improving themselves, they feel like they can work harder knowing that there is someone that they can’t lose to. That’s all there is to it.

Since Fenix said that we’d aim for 1st rank together with me, a Black Sorcerer, I was motivated to get stronger to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with my best friend. I was so inspired that I said things like「I’ll surpass you if you fall behind!」.

Aerial and many other adventurers were really, really cool, so I wanted to be like them and worked hard.

That longing and fighting spirit drew out feelings of giving that little extra push when training got too hard or too tough and I felt like I’d fall over any second.

And now, thoughts of「We can’t completely defeat him like this」is affecting our magic.

Even though I am pouring in all the Magical Energy I can control, even more Magical Energy is poured in with each strike. And yet, we move on to the next attack without breaking down.

Aerial is also doing the same with the Spirit’s Magical Energy. At any moment, he could lose control of the storm in his arm and his body could go ballistic, but he is in complete control.

Right now, we are growing with each moment, getting stronger with each moment.

「This! This is it! This is why I became an Adventurer!」

Those who braved the unknown, looked danger in the eye, aiming for the deepest darkest parts of a Dungeon are called Adventurers.

Those who once did battle for glorious treasure,  for legendary weapons, for peace, or for loved ones.

It is said that Aerial never planned to become an Adventurer.

Aerial is from a village in the countryside, but he had no interest in one of the most fun things available in the meager countryside, Dungeon Clears. All he thought of was pretending to be a good adult to amuse himself.

He was busy caring for his sick sister, so he had no time to be infatuated with such things.

That all changed when he met a real Hero.

If this man feels that all this is worth staking his life on, then just what kind of world is Adventuring? He was curious.

Seeing through her little brother’s feelings, his sister gave him a little push.

Everyone is doing their best, frantic, and no one knows when or who will kill them. But no one will die.

You can fight seriously using Avatars.

He was fascinated by Dungeon Clears.

It is precisely because of someone like him fighting that people who watch are naturally attracted.

You can’t peel your eyes off of someone who enjoys Dungeon Clearing more than anyone else.