Chapter 168. Facing a Great Hero
“Mm! Looks like almost everyone’s gathered now!”
Everyone except Pie had regrouped.
Pie wasn’t badly injured or anything right now, and the situation seemed relatively stable.
So let’s cause trouble first and find her afterward.
It wasn’t like she was the type to get captured and wait around like some kidnapped princess....
If anyone did kidnap her, she’d probably curse them to death herself.
She’d be fine.
“Friends? From now on, we’re going to give a Great Hero one giant middle finger!”
“...How?”
Judging by how nobody reacted much even after I announced that we were going to pick a fight with a Great Hero...
Everyone had been thoroughly corrupted by me.
Even Aien....
Aien, of all people.
Even after learning she had been an NPC, her respect for Great Heroes hadn’t changed much.
Then again...
After seeing something that horrible, it would’ve been stranger if she wasn’t angry.
“I don’t have some brilliant plan prepared or anything.”
I grinned.
“I was thinking we’d just charge in using faith and trust as our foundation.”
“....”
I know!
I know Great Heroes are the real deal!
Grandpa Aro, the strongest one, was still somewhere I couldn’t even touch.
And Pastien was someone I literally couldn’t reach.
If she were still underestimating me and letting her guard down like before, maybe it would be different.
But the Pastien right now was definitely wary of me.
Maybe I should drag up the Remnants of the World from below right now...!
I did consider it.
But this was Pastien’s territory.
And if the real Pastien happened to be inside those Remnants of the World....
What if Pastien had been split in half just like Pie and me?
What if the version we were seeing now was actually her weakened form?!
“Anyway, I know where the Great Hero is.”
I rubbed my chin.
“So we should at least be able to drag her out.”
The only problem was firepower.
I knew the location.
If I really tried, I might even be able to punch a hole all the way there.
As long as I could distract the Great Hero who controlled this place freely.
“And that brings us to my brilliant idea!”
As I spoke, I grabbed Aien’s arm.
The arm that had properly pissed off the Demon King of Wrath by stealing its power.
We would use this arm as a receiver.
The Demon King was already approaching us.
So I’d provoke it even more and make it arrive faster.
“That Demon King obviously has anger-management problems.”
I grinned.
“It’ll go, ‘WHAT?! THIS BASTARD TOUCHED MY POWER AGAIN?!’ and come running at full speed!”
“It’ll charge straight in without thinking!”
Aien looked uncertain.
“Wouldn’t dragging another enemy in to defeat this enemy be dangerous?”
“One is a Great Hero, and the other is only a Demon King.”
“Then what does that make me? I’m only a Hero!”
Since I had already failed Pastien’s trial, I needed to do something.
I couldn’t turn back with Hayangi right in front of me.
She was the remaining half of my power.
Too valuable to throw away.
[Aien no longer possesses the power of Wrath!]
“...Huh?”
“What is it?”
...
Why?
Why was there no power of Wrath left?
I concentrated harder and looked inside Aien.
But strangely...
There was nothing unusual.
She should’ve ended up mixed together with all kinds of random powers just like me.
So where did all that miscellaneous stuff go?
“...Uncle.”
Aien stared at me.
“You’re confident, right?”
“I’m not completely lacking confidence?”
“....”
Aien stared at me for a moment.
Then she let out a small sigh and clenched her fist.
And suddenly—
Her arm bulged and twisted!
It transformed into a muscular limb covered in hard scales.
And the power of Wrath appeared too!
What?!
She can control it now?
Good lord, Aien....
Just how high are you planning to climb?
[The Young Demon King of Wrath, ‘Hardworking Aien,’ unleashes the power of Wrath!]
“Aien, you...!”
“I only became a Demon King temporarily!”
She snapped.
“I’m not an actual Demon King, so don’t misunderstand!”
“Really?”
I nodded solemnly.
“Ah, children really do grow so fast. Blink once and suddenly they’re all grown up.”
“...Shut up and hurry!”
“Do something already!”
She looked like she had plenty she wanted to say but was holding it in.
Was this really puberty?
Troublesome....
Apparently, Aien had become capable of selectively using the various powers that had once been mixed chaotically inside her.
Following the original plan, I grabbed her arm and traced the Flow in reverse toward the Demon King of Wrath that was hunting us.
[You filthy little insect! How dare you! How dare you interfere with my plan!!!]
[The Demon King of the Watching Forest has discovered you! He is approaching! Prepare yourself!]
Good.
So he wasn’t someone we’d automatically lose against.
Not bad.
[I’ll kill yo—! Huh?!]
“Huh?”
What kind of reaction was Huh?!
Did he suddenly sense Pastien’s existence and get scared?
You’re supposed to be an Agent of Wrath.
A Demon King.
Don’t tell me you’re actually going to consider whether the opponent is stronger before picking a fight.
“What’s wrong?”
Aien asked.
“...Don’t tell me this bastard only has anger-management problems against people weaker than him?!”
BOOM!
RUMBLE!
The tree suddenly began shaking as though an earthquake had struck!
The rest of us somehow held on, but Levy couldn’t withstand it.
Even while clinging tightly to me, she was struggling.
And it didn’t stop.
Again and again, without pause, massive impacts and explosions traveled all the way into the depths of this enormous tree!
Was something outside attacking the tree?
Something terrifying enough to shock even a Demon King?
“If it’s enough to surprise a Demon King...”
I frowned.
“Then it has to be either a Great Hero or a Great Demon King.”
Maybe Pastien herself had personally gone out.
Or perhaps something within the Demonic Realm comparable to a Great Hero had appeared.
Of course, if that was the case, I would absolutely complain about this game’s balance.
...
Wait.
Wasn’t this actually an opportunity?
Rattle!
THUNK!
I drove my chains into the direction where I believed Pastien was.
Right now, there was a very high chance Pastien wasn’t present.
After all, she had to protect this tree...
More precisely, the remains of her older sister.
And something on the level of a Great Hero was currently attacking it.
If Pastien had left her post...
Then this opening was our chance.
This was when we needed to gather our strength!
