Chapter 433 – Countdown
“Master Paripi, um, you have a visitor……”
“Wheeeey!”
In the hidden lair of Paripi, the demon known as the Worst of the Six Supremacy. Usually, except for his close aide, Coman Paiper, no one ever sets foot in that place.
A demon officially presumed dead. Yet, if word of his survival spread, he would be plagued by troublesome pursuers and assassins.
That’s precisely why he never invited others into his hideout.
If he invites someone in regardless, it means there are special circumstances.
“Oh no~, sorry about that. Thanks for coming all this way. I could’ve gone to see you myself, or thought about sending dear Coman, but those annoying Empire folks are hanging around Cacretale right now. So, I figured I’d have you come to me instead ♥.”
“Hmph…… when someone like you summons me by name… the thought of refusing is scarier, you know.”
“Aww, come now~, I’m just a loyal subordinate to the Boss now, you’re being mean~, Wacha Huacha. Sorry about that whole thing in the Heavenly Realm~, heeey, but I didn’t kill you, so we’re good, right?”
“I never imagined I’d meet you again like this……”
The person who stepped into Paripi’s hideout was Wacha Huacha, the assistant instructor of Cacretale’s Arcane True Zenith Style.
“So, the item you requested from me… what exactly do you plan to do with this?”
“Oh, that’s it, that’s the one♪.”
With that, Wacha took something out of his pocket.
What am I getting myself into now? Though he wore a smile, his complexion was pale, likely from fear.
“I’ve already sorted things out with Shitnei, the son of the Bockmati family you’re connected to. That greenhorn? Seems he likes to party, just like me.”
“…… What the hell are you planning to do with this…… this magic crystal.”
What Wacha brought at the behest of Paripi was a magic crystal.
Seeing it, Paripi’s smile became even more sinister.
“Kehehehehe, excellent! The magic crystal that you set up in Cacretale to spy on and gather intel about Sis Jamdi’el and dear Kron… the one that Chief Hakuki had you carry for reporting…… That’s the one I wanted. Now, hand it over ♥.”
“W, wait! What will you use this for…… um …… Master …… no, Jamdi’el and Kron, are you planning something against them?”
“Hm? No, no, nothing like that… well… as characters in this story… Keheheh, I see. In order for everyone to understand everything, they would ultimately… Well, maybe it’s fine. That could be interesting too.”
“Wh, what?”
“Feeling affection and worry for those two? That’s kind of you. But relax. In fact, this might even turn public opinion in their favor. Besides, the primary target isn’t those two—it’s the Boss… Earth Lagann.”
Wacha was stunned by Paripi’s unexpected words. His position meant he couldn’t defy orders from above.
As a former member of the Bockmati Family, he had no choice but to obey orders from Shitnei, the organization’s successor, even if the original organization no longer existed.
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what exactly he was being asked to do.
Despite everything that had happened behind the scenes, as Paripi said, Wacha himself had spent enough time with Jamdi’el and Kron to feel a certain affection for them.
However, Paripi’s target wasn’t Jamdi’el or Kron —it was Earth Lagann. That was unexpected.
“Why Earth……?”
“Hihahaha, once you hand that over… well, I’ll pull another all-nighter editing, piecing everything together…… yeah, I should have it all ready to show tomorrow. Since you’re here, why not stay? If you’re free, help out dear Coman. She’s making snacks for the unveiling party. Magical Popcorn and Magical Soda, apparently.”
“An, unveiling? For what…?”
Paripi’s intentions were different from what Wacha had feared. Yet, he gave off absolutely no sense of relief.
That’s because Paripi’s smile…… more than just evil, it was the very face of a man plotting something sinister.
“What? It’s obvious. The unveiling of the legend!! We can’t broadcast anything banned… but still, the world needs to know! The hero of a new era, the true hero buried in the shadows of history! Hahahahahahahaha!”
And so, the countdown to the unveiling of the legend has begun.
It would be revealed to every being in this world.
Everything—――
“Damn it…… no good…… can’t get out.”
“Yeah. These shackles seal our magic…… Chains you can’t break free from, even by dislocating joints… We might be screwed.”
Even to the couple imprisoned in a dimly lit dungeon.
Two of the most famous heroes in the world today.
However, captured like this, they are powerless.
And above all……
“Damn it, what idiots we are!”
“Really…… Who would’ve thought… captured while drowning in the sea!”
The reason they were caught was utterly ridiculous.
Hiro and Mamu, trying to swim across the sea to chase after the escaped Earth.
But suddenly, they were caught in a massive storm.
Driven by sheer willpower, they frantically fought the raging ocean, direction be damned, with “spirit” as their motto.
However, their magic and stamina gave out midway, and they were swallowed up by the sea.
That they still lived was due to their extraordinary vitality, beyond common sense……
“Blimey, a right couple o’ idjits, ain’t they? When me lads told me they’d hooked the two of ya by pure chance, I couldn’t believe me own ears.”
“”Eehh!!??””
An encounter with the most fated arch-enemy among those currently “living” in this world.
“The lot o’ you what smashed our Demon King Army… an’ even toppled the Great Demon King ‘imself. So don’t go dyin’ a daft, embarrassing fool’s death, eh. Makes us lot—the defeated ones—look even more pathetic, don’t it? Eh?? Hiro. And Mamu.”
“Hakuki……”
In this modern age, with the death of the Great Demon King Tre’ainar, he is the most dangerous entity in the world.
Hiro and Mamu, along with the New Demon Realm Government, had exhausted every avenue searching for his whereabouts.
Yet even so, they had failed to pinpoint his location for over a decade.
Neither Hiro nor Mamu could have ever imagined reuniting with him in such a manner, under these circumstances.
“Hakuki…… aren’t you going to kill Mamu and me? If you don’t kill us now, you’ll regret it?”
“Hmm?”
Hiro provoked him. Both were currently bound, their magic sealed, unable even to move.
Disposing of them now would be easy.
However, Hakuki merely snorted at Hiro’s taunt.
“Hehehe, don’t go usin’ such brave words, Hiro, not when you’re ‘ere bein’ led by the nose by your own son.”
“Wh…… at?”
“Can’t even build a proper relationship with yer boy… You’ve gone an’ turned into just another common, ordinary human, like the rest of the sorry lot out there. That golden shine you once ‘ad—the one what laughed at common sense and reason, smashin’ through every wall and hardship without a second thought—it’s gone, ain’t it?”
“Wh, what the heck… how do you know that…?”
“Now your boy, on the other ‘and—he’s doin’ alright, innit? Full o’ life an’ all. Maybe walkin’ a different path from you lot back then, but that shine he’s givin’ off? It don’t lose one bit to what you used to ‘ave. Not one bit.”
Both Hiro and Mamu bit their lips at Hakuki’s unexpected words.
They couldn’t refute a single word—it was like a knife twisting in their wounds.
At the same time, they hadn’t expected Hakuki to know so much about them.
“Hey…… don’t tell me…… you were watching my son… watching Earth, during that exhibition match? I heard from La’iphant that quite a few people were watching that match……”
The Imperial Tournament featured not only their son, Earth, but also the children of the other Seven Heroes: Phianse, Rebal, and Fu.
Hiro knew that other nations, and even the demons, were paying close attention, hoping to get a measure of the strength of the next generation of heroes.
“Well now… I did watch that Imperial Tourney through the magic crystal, sure…… but that’s just a triflin’ detail. Fact is, I’ve already met Earth Lagann twice. First time was face-to-face, proper direct-like. Second time was through someone else, mind…”
“”………… eh…… eehh!?””
However, Hakuki’s words surpassed even Hiro and Mamu’s expectations.
Author’s Note
Long time no see? I finished the main story and wrote an after story on Kakuyomu, but I’ve stockpiled about forty chapters, so I’ll just casually resume it here. Don’t throw stones at me~( *´艸｀)
Part 9 sees a major shift in the novel’s style compared to previous parts. Up until now, the story has been told from Earth’s perspective, or in other words, from a first-person point of view. Occasionally, interludes featured other characters.
Part 9, however, will mostly be told from a “God’s-eye view,” meaning third-person perspective, with occasional returns to Earth’s viewpoint. The reason for this is that in this arc, I want to depict the behavior and reactions of people scattered around the world who aren’t within Earth’s field of vision.
Well then~~
Sads Translates 