Chapter 466 – That Illusion Will Soon Be Shattered
The group plunged into the Heavenly Realm above the clouds.
Waiting for them are armed warriors of the sky.
〔Everyone. The enemy is mighty. But you can do it! I know how hard you’ve been training every day. Now is the time to grit your teeth and show off the results of your stoic self-improvement! I’ll say it again and again. You can do it!〕
Kron, who is also the Supreme Commander, once again rallies the troops.
〔Everyone … if we can’t do it, who can! Come on, let’s go, everyone!〕
〔〔〔〔Uoshyaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh, let’s gooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!〕〕〕〕
〔Now, as always! To the heavens and the world…〕
〔〔〔〔〔Every one of you, all together, bring it ooooooooooooooooooooooooonnn!!〕〕〕〕〕
The fervent passion of the Surface Warriors —who draw upon strength beyond their limits and respond with sheer determination—sets the hearts of even the onlookers ablaze.
〘Hmm, thou seem to be a little capable…… but how long can thou endure? I shall have you understand… thy sins of defying the heavens, in the depths of thy pores!〙
But the Seraphs wouldn’t back down a single step.
Powerful warriors.
Furthermore, the immense power of the Heavenly King, the as-yet-unseen Supreme Commander of the enemy, raged across the sky, standing in the way of the Surface warriors to meet their attack head-on.
Though not on the scale of the massive battles between humanity and demonkind that claimed thousands or tens of thousands of lives, it was still a conflict worthy of the term “war”.
“In addition to the cloud golems I’ve never seen before, he’s unleashing a barrage of lightning and wind magic… The Heavenly King… He’s quite a master.”
Observing the battle objectively—not as an emperor, but as a warrior—Solja muttered those words.
The surrounding soldiers agreed with his assessment.
“Yes. To accomplish all that remotely without even showing himself… truly befitting of a king.”
“Earth and his group are putting up quite a fight, too. There are only a few dozen of them, and they don’t have any mages to serve as artillery, yet they’re achieving so much through almost entirely hand-to-hand combat…….”
“Yeah. Earth. And Sadiz. And that man, Machio…… those three are the main driving force. And on top of that, the effect of the Magic Eye of that girl, Kron…….”
“Still, the difference in troop strength is still too great.”
From the perspective of the Imperial Warriors, the battle was fierce, and the Surface warriors were fighting valiantly…… However, their assessment was that the Surface warriors were at a disadvantage.
“Indeed…… they are indeed lacking in manpower…… there aren’t any one-man-army-type fighters with explosive power capable of single-handedly defeating a thousand… not even Earth, despite his rapid growth… after all, they still can’t match us Seven Heroes who have fought fierce death battles against the Great Demon King and the Six Supremacy.”
At that moment, a man stood beside Emperor Solja.
A tall, slender figure with long, black hair slicked back and wearing silver-rimmed glasses.
A swordsman clad in a black coat, glaring up at the sky with piercing eyes.
“Lyvarl…… You came too, huh?
Solja addressed the man.
Yes, that man is one of the Seven Heroes, the pride of humanity.
Currently, he is the head of an Imperial-style swordsmanship dojo in the Imperial City, dedicated to training the next generation.
The Sword Saint, Lyvarl.
He stood beside Solja, his former comrade-in-arms.
“I thought I’d just watch from the dojo today, but…… Earth fighting that Jamdi’el, Jamdi’el getting taken away, and a legend like the Dragon King of Hades emerging, and now Earth leading the warriors of Surface to rescue Jamdi’el…… Honestly, there’s no way I can stay calm at my own home.”
“I see…… I’m grateful that you came too. We couldn’t get in touch with Hiro and Mamu… or even Benlinerve, and with no idea what’s going on, and now this on top of it all…….”
“Hmm. Also…… according to reports, my own immature, foolish son, who hasn’t returned from Cacretale, will likely make an appearance here as well…”
“Yes. Perhaps my daughter too… and Fu……”
The two had already heard the general story about Phianse and Rebal, who were currently engaged in reconstruction efforts or “training”, and had therefore not returned from Cacretale.
“It’s infuriating. Earth sure did develop a strange attachment to them… If I were there… I would have taken Jamdi’el’s head without a second thought, and that girl who bears the likeness of the Great Demon King—I’d deal with her with my own hands….”
“…Stop it, Lyvarl. That matter can wait…… No, we need to assess the situation a little more carefully. The current Jamdi’el… and that girl, Kron, as well.”
That’s precisely why, not just as a parent……
“In any case, let’s see for ourselves. Their current strength—born in an era without war against the Six Supremacy or the Demon King Army… though Earth has already faced Jamdi’el and the legendary Dragon King of Hades…”
“Hmph, but Your Majesty Solja…… You must have noticed? Neither of them was seriously intent on killing the other… After all, when we were the same age as Earth and the others…”
“Dear me, you’re still just as competitive as ever…… Though I do get the feeling Jamdi’el was pretty serious about it……”
“What we’ve accomplished isn’t something to be taken lightly or cheaply. We will not hand over the era so easily. After all, only we know the true power of the Great Demon King and the Six Supremacy.”
As a predecessor, he was watching to see how this battle would play out.
And then, at that very moment…
〔Little man, look up!〕
A cloud golem was about to attack, seizing on a split-second opening in Earth’s defense.
Earth’s reaction was delayed, and it looked like he wouldn’t be able to dodge in time.
So……
〔【Mega Wind】!〕
Suddenly, a teleportation magic circle appeared above the clouds, and from within it emerged……
〔Y, you guys…… Why ……〕
〔Why? Don’t be silly, do I need a reason?〕
〔Don’t go thinking you can run away from us forever. Hey, Earth!〕
〔Fuun~, why even me… eh?〕
〔Honey, is your chastity still safe?〕
They appeared as reinforcements for Earth and the others.
At that moment, it was only natural that a great roar of excitement and enthusiastic cheers erupted not only in the palace but also throughout the Imperial City.
“H, hey! Hey, that’s Princess Phianse! It’s the Princess herself!”
“A, and, Rebal and Fu are here too!”
“Whoa, whoa, what’s going on here!? I heard the princess and the others were away, but……”
“What the heck! The next generation of heroes are here — the descendants of the Seven Heroes!”
“O, oh, this is crazy—I can’t calm down!”
“To think something like this was happening without us even knowing!”
Applause and cheers erupted from the Imperial City.
Excited adults and young people alike raised their voices in unison, their faces beaming with smiles.
This was particularly evident among Academy students of Earth’s generation.
“Wow! The princess, Rebal, and Fu have appeared alongside the powered-up Earth!”
“The four strongest members of our Academy are all gathered together… and ready to fight together!”
“Damn~ Those guys! I can’t believe they were doing something like this!”
“Ah! Ugh~~~, if I had known, I would have wanted to fight too!”
“Yeah. But now there’s nothing to fear anymore!”
“Of course! With the blood of the Seven Heroes… wait, I wasn’t supposed to say that… about Earth… but seeing a scene like this, I just had to say it!”
“Ah! The four strongest are all here! No matter what enemy comes along, it’s going to be a piece of cake!”
“……………… Wait, wasn’t Coman somewhere there?”
“Alright! Go for it! Princess, Earth, Rebal, Fu!”
“Let’s show those sky-dwellers the power of us Academy students—no, the Empire’s representatives!”
Through this viewing event, the world—and the people of the Empire—learned of the insecurity Earth had been harboring, and felt guilty about the things they’d said to him in the past.
Everyone knew that Earth had a complex about that.
But even so, they still couldn’t help but think that.
“”””Show them the power of the successors to the Seven Heroes!!!””””
Earth and the others — the children of the Seven Heroes, who were heroes of humanity whose names are etched in history — could not be viewed separately from the existence of the Seven Heroes themselves.
At least not until Earth and the others accomplish a “feat that surpasses that of the Seven Heroes“.
In any case, the illusion of being the “Strongest Four”—which makes their eyes sparkle—will soon be shattered.
Anyway, that aside……
〔…… even Shinobu…〕
〔Should there be a reason for a woman to come to the man she fell in love with?〕
――――――!??
At that moment, a woman whom the Imperial citizens did not recognize appeared alongside them.
“Hey, who’s that black-haired girl… Is she an acquaintance of Earth’s too…? Whoa… she’s incredibly beautiful…”
“Seriously…… judging by her outfit, she looks like she’s from Japone……”
“W, wait, wait, j, just now…… just now…… she said ‘The man she fell in love with’ to Earth……”
A foreign girl who appeared alongside their own classmates— Phianse, Rebal, Fu, and Coman—whom they knew well.
Her features were so striking that even women, not just men, would be mesmerized by her, and she carried herself with majestic poise.
〘Who art thee!? How have thou crept into this heavenly world, sullying our lands with your feet. Such scoundrels! Cloud golems, take them―――〙
〔The reunion with my beloved Honey? If you interrupt a maiden in love…… You won’t survive the burn! Fire Ninja Arts, 【Crimson Lotus Spiral】!〕
And that girl, too, demonstrates power rivaling that of Phianse and the others.
〔Earth, I’d be happy if you could tell me just about this situation……〕
Furthermore, it’s not just her power she’s displaying……
〔Oh, I don’t really need an explanation.〕
〔Shinobu?〕
〔Surely this is not the place for talking. What is important is how you feel about the current situation as you see it with your own eyes and how you judge it. For me, Honey is fighting hard. That’s enough. If you fight, I’ll fight with you.〕
〔A… are you sure? Asking no questions…〕
〔Fufufu, even if I regret my reason for fighting later… it just means my judgment was wrong. But the outcome, wrong or not, is something I’ll know later.〕
〔Wh, what is that?〕
〔Fufufu, but I can tell you this. I don’t know if my decision is wrong or not, but this love is not wrong.〕
She appeared out of nowhere and suddenly started talking passionately about her feelings for Earth. Not only that, but she also showed no hesitation in declaring her intention to fight alongside him.
“”””””So… so… so cool……””””””
Those words involuntarily leaked from across the entire Empire.
It was also the moment of Shinobu Stoke’s sensational debut on the world stage.
〔Wai, wait a minute, Shinobu! Th, then, me too! Th, there’s so much I wa, want to ask Earth! Ever since ‘that day’. But…but now! Now I’m just going to fight alongside Earth, who is desperately trying to fight! I have no hesitation about that!〕
〔Dear me… you’ve always been so… but things being like in the old days once in a while isn’t bad?〕
〔I agree. Princess, Earth, Rebal and me. The four of us working together to fight something… I’m glad to see a day like this again.〕
Originally, it was widely recognized within the Empire that Princess Phianse was engaged to Earth, and above all, her feelings for Earth were quite obvious to everyone around them.
But then Kron appeared, thrust upon them.
And now, on top of that, Shinobu’s presence.
The sight of Phianse desperately trying to intervene in the sky, repeatedly saying “Me too, me too,” left the citizens of the Empire with somewhat mixed feelings.
〔Here we go, Kron! You guys!〕
〔Right! It’s the second round!”〕
〔〔〔〔〔Uuooooooooooooooooooooooohhh!!!!〕〕〕〕〕
“…… So you’re going to properly show Shinobu too, then, huh?”
“Hmm~?”
At that moment, beside Paripi, who was gleefully reveling in the world’s reactions at the hideout, Coman asked curiously.
“I thought… that you… were trying to make the world recognize that Earth and Kron would end up together… that you were trying to make the world think it doesn’t matter whether they’re human or demon… that’s what I thought you were aiming for.”
“Huh? That’s right, isn’t it? Earth…… if the boss and Kron dear end up together…… the Demon Realm would be absolutely buzzing with excitement Panay.”
“Then, if we make Shinobu stand out here, on the contrary, for the human side…… especially with Princess Phianse’s presence and all…”
Coman’s simple question.
Paripi’s editing has been carefully showcasing Shinobu’s cool moments and her feelings for Earth to the world.
Given that, then even though the trend so far had been ‘Earth and Kron are a perfect match’, wouldn’t it be strange to suddenly bring Shinobu in and give her a big role here?
“True. But…… If we do this, things are going to get interesting for Japone, right?”
“Huh?”
But no matter what questions one might have, Paripi’s answer is always……
“That little girl is the daughter of the Pig King of Japone’s younger brother…… In other words, she’s of royal blood. Plus, both father and daughter are very popular with the people…… and the one she’s smitten with is the boss, who’s currently all the rage—and it seems the boss isn’t entirely opposed to it either. So what happens then?”
“…… Ah…… So you’re saying the internal turmoil within Japone might get even more interesting…?”
“Exactly♪. And what’s more, this boss isn’t just trusted by Shinobu dear, but surprisingly, also by Mikado and Koujiro, so what then?”
“…… So together, they will overthrow the current monarchy, make the king’s younger brother the new king. And the next rulers after that would be Earth and Shinobu…… ‘People of Japone, rise up in armed revolt’ sort of thing?”
“Something like that♪ If it came to that, wouldn’t it be insanely fun?”
Because it sounds fun, that’s why.
“Well, putting that far-off future aside for now…… Hihaha, soon…… once we’re done with the scene with the prince and… uh, whatshisname, that bald guy…… it’s finally time for the grand opening of the Heavenly Realm Arc’s party tiiiime~!”
