Chapter 462 – The Moment They Met
“Hehehe…… It’s been so ever since that chase… truly, those two make a perfect pair?”
“Prince……”
“I find myself jealous…… They have so bond strong that I find no opening to exploit…… Honestly…… If only the boy and I had met sooner…”
“P, Prince?!”
Watching the scene unfold from the heavens up close from atop the clouds, nearly all of the Seraphs were speechless, unable to look away.
Amidst all this, Ga’al, a royal member of the Seraphs, smiled with a somewhat melancholic air.
At the Prince’s expression—which became somewhat “feminine”, the Seraph maidens who adored her turned pale and gasped in shock.
“Hehehe, what ails thee, my adorable little birds? Surely thou all, not just I, are also tinged with jealousy?”
“N, nay, P, Prince…… um …… i, is thou truly…… with him?”
“Hmm?”
“Um, well….”
The maidens tried anxiously to gauge Ga’al’s true feelings, but Ga’al just laughed and shook her head.
“Hahaha, oh dear, I jest. Worry not, my sweet little birds.”
“Eh, P, Prince.”
“With lovely ladies such as thee by my side…… I would never be swayed by a man far from sight…… how could I be?”
Ga’al dismissed their concerns by stroking the heads and cheeks of the Seraph maidens who looked on with worried, teary eyes, and winking at them.
At those words, the maidens let out a “momentary” sigh of relief, but……
“Hehehe…… kah, th, the wind!”
“””Huh!!???”””
At that moment, Ga’al —the very object of the maidens’ admiration, whose allure had long since transcended mere infatuation and even gender—frantically pressed her hand against the hem of her “fluttering, above-the-knee skirt” as a sudden gust of wind blew from above.
“Ha-haha, almost, quite close …… I almost revealed the unbecoming to the ladies.”
“””””…………………”””””
“I suppose I’m still unfamiliar with skirts. While breezy to the feel, how easily they flip up once my guard falters, quite the concern…… I must maintain vigilance.”
Ga’al laughed, her cheeks slightly flushed.
But the maidens narrowed their eyes……
“By the way, Prince……”
“Hm, hmm? What is it?”
“Prince…… thou have always worn long pants…… yet recently…… Nay, to be precise, ever since thy battle against them, thou have adorned skirts on occasion. Why though?”
“…… Huh?”
“And what’s more… at times… thou even… dabbled with m, makeup…”
“………………”
It was about the changes that had happened only to the Prince.
“A, am I… not allowed? I… I merely sought to adorn myself a little different than usual for a change…”
“””””Stare~~~~~~~~“””””
“W, what is it, my adorable little birds? Show me more of thy cute faces.”
Yes, until then, she had been a beautiful young lady dressed as a man.
Even Ga’al, admired by so many maidens that no man in the Heavenly Realm could hope to compete, and for whom it was not uncommon for those feelings to develop into romance or even physical relationships, was undergoing a change.
All the maidens who admired Ga’al were aware of this.
That’s all……
〔Earth, lend me your strength―――〕
Even amidst all this, the story continues to unfold in a way that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.
Kron, having decided to fight, stood alongside Earth.
〔Don’t ask me that now. You can’t come all the way here only for me to say I won’t give it to you.〕
Not one, but two.
Clutching each other’s hands, they faced the legendary Dragon King of Hades.
The whole world, including the Heavenly Realm, was captivated by the goddess’s determination and resolve.
And now, the world was captivated by the sight of a man and a woman joining hands to face the legend—unable to look away.
〔What about it? You think a lad and wee lassie can face me by working together? Don’t underestimate me too much, okay?〕
Facing the pair, Vasalar maintained his condescending attitude, yet his expression held a childlike sense of excitement.
It was as if he were eagerly anticipating, full of expectation, as if to say, “Go ahead, show me what you’ve got.“
Was this the classic scene of a hero protecting a princess from a giant demon dragon? No. It also looked like a scene where the princess and the hero joined forces to face the demon dragon together.
And above all, the two of them looked so “perfect” together.
There was something indescribable about it that really tugged at the heartstrings.
That’s why, for those who originally wanted to be there……
“Even so…… during the boy’s invasion of the Heavenly Realm…… it was most fortunate that the colossal dragon was absent……”
“””””Absolutely!”””””
“So I wasn’t even on your radar…”
Phianse muttered this with a touch of self-deprecation.
“Your Highness……”
“Over and over again in the Heavenly Realm…… Time and again, I was forced to face the reality of my own conceit, felt ashamed, and was filled with nothing but regret about my attitude toward Earth up until now…”
Even if Earth himself didn’t realize it, Phianse had harbored a one-sided crush on him ever since they first met as children.
“I used to harbor childish dreams of two heroes being united… Like Lord Hiro or Lady Mamu…… but, but… ah~~ enough!
Phianse tossed her beautiful hair back in frustration.
Rebal, Fu, and Sadiz all understood her feelings all too well.
Although she had regretted it countless times by now, a whirlwind of emotions—too complex to put into words—continued to swirl within her.
I wanted to be there.
But it wasn’t her who was there—it was Kron, who met him much later than she had.
Faced with that reality, there was no way she could remain calm and composed.
“Indeed…… it’s just like watching them cut a cake together… isn’t it?”
“Ahhh, even if you think that, Sadiz, please don’t say it out loud……”
Sadiz felt the same way.
“Two as one… that really resonates… although they are ‘three’… besides…… Kron isn’t just fighting alongside Little man.”
She looked up at the sky with a wistful smile and murmured those words.
〔Earth, you can do anything!〕
〔I can…〕
〔Try to reach your ideal… your ideal strength… your ideal power… your ideal technique… you will be the ideal!〕
〔Ideal…〕
〔I understand, I know how much effort you put in every day.〕
It’s not just about fighting together.
“Yeah…… that’s what that Black Sage said…… Sadiz.”
“Your Highness……”
“If Earth succeeds at something, we say, ‘As expected of the Son of the Hero’, if he fails, we ask, ‘Is he really the Son of the Hero?’…… On the other hand, Kron says… ‘Earth can do it’…… Huh?”
Kron believes in Earth.
That difference—and just how much strength those words give Earth?
Earth can do anything.
Because she had been watching Earth’s efforts all this time, Kron believes in him.
Phianse and Sadiz, who had met Earth even earlier than Kron…the Imperial citizens…and…… even Hiro and Mamu are different……
“Gaaaaah~~~~, Why do my disciples get so depressed every time th’ lad does something or they learn something new about him~!”
Vasalar said this to Phianse and Sadiz, sounding exasperated.
“True, at th’ time, I was almost like a witness to a wedding~ but it’s not impossible to steal someone’s spouse or make them fall for you, yesh?”
“M, Master…… that’s so predatory… I mean, Earth and Kron aren’t even married yet!”
“Nuwahahaha, is that so? Well then, all th’ more reason…… I’d rather my disciple show some spirit, like ‘I won’t lose,’ and ‘So what, I’ll make him look my way.’?”
“U, uuh……”
Vasalar’s words pierced deep into Phianse’s heart, and they also stung Sadiz.
Yes, if they break under this, then that’s the end of it.
The important thing is not to break under this pressure.
“Vasu! What are you saying!”
“Hm? Oh, wait—Amae~, don’t hit me so gently. What are you so mad about?”
“Older brother’s wife is the goddess! Don’t say weird things to Phianse and the others!”
“Huh!? Oh~, right, right… Ah~, sorry, I was wrong, don’t hit me, it itches.”
“Mmmph, Vasu, you dummy, you dummy!”
“Gahahahaha, did you understand? My little disciples. You all should just do as Amae, stand up to whoever you’re up against. They’re a virgin couple, so taking him from her should be easier than taking me on, yesh?”
After telling Phianse and the others that, Vasalar laughed heartily, reminiscing about himself, Earth, and Kron from just a few months ago.
There were still only a few people in the world who, upon seeing Kron, could say, “I’m just the same”.
“Even I… even though I didn’t spend much time with Honey… I can say… ‘If it’s Honey, he can do it‘.”
“Dear Shinobu……”
“I have no intention of losing. I won’t back down just because I’ve seen something like this… I do feel a bit envious, though…”
And Shinobu was undoubtedly one of them, which is why she harbored such mixed feelings.
Amicus looked at Shinobu with admiration, yet her expression was slightly subdued.
“Marvellous… dear Shinobu as well…… and even that Miss Kron…… I had thought that, simply because Sir Earth is a hero, I… But I still know so very little of Sir Earth himself… To think they can speak of him in such a way… How enviable…… Miss Kron…… and dear Shinobu… I cannot help but envy them both……
Amicus felt a sense of frustration, wishing she had met Earth sooner.
“Hmph~…… That girl who looks just like the Great Demon King… Barking that hard right in Vasalar’s face… Well, she’s, like, pretty impressive, I guess.”
“Hohoho. To think she was raised by Jamdi’el…… No…… most likely Jamdi’el is no longer the same Yamidile we once knew…… After more than ten years, even if she herself doesn’t realize it… Or perhaps… was she changed by that girl?”
Norja and Mikado both nodded in admiration as they watched Earth and Kron together.
And then……
“I feel kind of… embarrassed.”
Spurred on by Kron… and despite the effects of the Daybreak Eye, Earth himself could only manage a wry smile at the sight of himself getting incredibly excited and roaring at Kron’s words.
However, amidst all that, there were two who have been unusually quiet……
“Hey, wait a minute. Espie…… Slayer…… Why are you guys so quiet?”
Unlike everyone else, Espie and Slayer were silently gazing at the sky with unusually serious expressions……
〔Now that I’ve decided to fight with you, I am leaving all of me to you, and I’ll say it again and again. You can do anything!〕
…… But the moment Kuron shouted that, the two suddenly wrote ‘perfect score’ in their notebooks simultaneously and closed the ‘grading sheet’ they were holding.
And at that very moment, Earth unleashed the power of a new Great Magic Spiral.
A form even more evolved than the battles against Machio and Jamdi’el.
〔Amazing… so this is all you!〕
〔No… it’s all of me and you! It’s not …… me that can do anything, it’s …… us!〕
〔Earth……〕
〔Thank you. Because of you, I’m one step closer to my ideal!〕
〔Okay!〕
〔Here we go, Kron!〕
〔Yes. This time, together!〕
〔And we’ll show you, Vasalar!〕
〔We’ll carve you up!〕
〔Us!〕
〔Us!〕
And that power wasn’t generated by Earth alone.
It was the combined power of Earth and Kron—the two of them together.
“…… Passed.”
“…… Passed.”
“…… Huh?”
At that moment, Espie and Slayer murmured, “Passed” clearly, and nodded deeply.
〔Super Great Magic Twin Spiraaaal!!〕
Earth, still connected to Kron, formed two massive spirals in his hands and made them roar.
〔Oh…… Nwahahaha, so that’s how it is!〕
It made even Vasalar groan.
While still touching Kron, he rotates the gigantic roaring spirals in both his hands.
Then, the two of them shouted together and showed off their power.
Vasalar was no longer the only one groaning at that power.
If Vasalar is in awe, then everything in this world is too.
“Bloody ‘ell… That Earth bastard… Even takin’ that Kron girl’s power out of the equation… the lad’s already stepped proper into the realm of the absolute strongest in the world.”
“Yes…… It’s different from us, who have only experienced war since childhood… but their experiences are just as profound as ours…”
“I guess. Even we wouldn’t get away unscathed if we were hit by that power… But even with the Daybreak Eye, to reach this level… enough to make Vasalar groan.”
Once again—this time alongside Kron—dived in with full force, determined not to yield to legend, but rather to pierce right through it.
〔【Super Great Magic Twin Spiral • Earth & Kron Spiral Breakstreeeeam】!!!!〕
〔Ha, Nuha … Nuwahahahahahahahaha!! This is unexpected! Aah! Oooooh! My flesh and blood are dancing!!〕
Vasalar, laughing more cheerfully than ever before, braced himself to welcome Earth and his partner.
“Hehe…… Lookin’ like he’s enjoyin’ himself, ain’t he… that Vasalar. After all that time livin’ lazy days in retirement… but back in the old days… just like that great war when Kaguya stormed the Demon Realm with Peach Boy and that lot… You were laughin’ the same way back then, weren’t ya, Vasalar…… At that point, the only ones daft enough to try scrap with ya in the demon world were the Great Demon King… or me — back when I was hot‑blooded, thick-headed, and too full of myself to notice the difference in power……”
〔He may be dead, but his legacy lives on! Ooh, such excitement! It surges through me! You’ve piqued my interest!〕
“No matter how many lazy days you spend…… you never turned into a pig… stayed a dragon through and through…… Nostalgic, ain’t it, Vasalar … ‘You’ think so too, don’t ya? Vasalar ain’t changed one bit.”
As Earth and Kron dove in, and Vasalar laughed heartily as he deliberately took the super spiral without dodging it, Hakuki smirked, glancing at the empty space beside him.
