NOVEL NEXT Chapter 328 – Intermission (Demon King) ③
Indeed, if memory serves, it was around this period.
――I heard that there was a death in the Hakuki Army’s odd great hundred…… hmm…… not death in battle…… an execution as responsibility for the failure of the mission and the destruction of the squad…… Aonii …… I have only heard the name
In those days, reports of deaths in battle were routine, and even if it was the death of a unit commander, it was nothing unusual.
However, even so, if among the hundreds of casualties reported each day there was a reasonably well-known name, it would certainly catch my attention.
Such was the case that day.
While I was looking at the pile of letters that had been brought to the office of the Demon King’s Castle, I had a meeting with the three of the Six Supremacy who were present in the castle.
――Hahahahaha, these are the ones who were carrying out the request from the Bockmati, Great Demon King. Still, they couldn’t even run errands for humans…… those guys riding high on being selected by the commanders for an elite force of the one hundred strongest warriors…… pathetic~, but super entertaining~
――Paripi, such a disrespectful attitude toward the Great Demon King. Shall I cut off thy head and feed it to the fish of the Demon Realm?
――Da~, as rigid as ever~, Sis Jamdi’el. Hey, don’t you think so? The old man “La’iphant” ~?
――No, Jamdi’el has a point, zou. As one of the Six Supremacy, you should be more aware of your status, zou. Hakuki and Gouda are on an expedition…… under these circumstances, Norja suddenly takes a vacation…… now, we three who remain in the homeland must support the Great Demon King and lead the Demon King Army, zou.
――Ah~ah, this old man was a stiff one, too. Ah~Ah, without little Norja we don’t have much to talk about~…… no, our views don’t match. It’s just funny. Hihahahahaha
At that time, I only talked about that much, and immediately turned the list of casualties to the next page.
However, I did see it.
Aonii’s name.
Mission failure. The destruction of the squad. In other words, tis what it is.
“Urugaaaaaaaaaahh!!!”
“Gugaaaaaaaaaaahh!!!”
In this era, there were too many deaths.
I am unable to keep track of everyone who risked their lives to fight for the Demon Realm and the Demon King Army.
At the very least, all I could do was to read the names of the dead and then etch them into my memory.
I do not even know how each of them lived their lives, what circumstances led them to join the Demon King Army, and what battles they fought to the end.
Aonii is one of them.
A warrior who is willing to risk his body, his life, and his soul to fight with the disciple that I am raising with great care.
However, I know how this will end.
He will take responsibility for the failure of the mission and the destruction of the squad, and he will be executed.
I never even checked the details of the mission.
Tis because I left all matters of the Bockmati to Hakuki.
However, I never expected to learn the details of the mission and grasp the history now.
『Aonii…… you will be defeated here…… your mission to capture the elves will fail, and Hakuki will force you to take responsibility for it…… you fought for the Demon King Army and contributed to the Demon King Army, even earning the title of Demon Heaven Wrath Great Hundred…… yet of all things …… you were defeated by the disciple that I raised …….』
I cannot say that to a child.
Should the child, who is still naive in heart and spirit, learn of it, he will feel responsible.
Due to his own actions, even though he should not be in this era in the first place… and…….
But tis a responsibility that need not be.
Therefore, the child may fight as he pleases. He has reasons that are not negotiable.
『Aonii, at the very least, I shall bear witness to your history…… of how you had a magnificent and fierce clash with the disciple of the Great Demon King, Tre’ainar. Therefore, fight to the fullest so that you may leave no regrets. That is all I can do for you now…… apologies …….』
I can only take responsibility and apologize.
“Heh, at first you were acting cool even when you got mad, but now you’re being loud, unseemly and persistent…… okay, enough, just give it a rest. I’m not losing anyway!”
“What…… are you talking about…… I can still go!”
However, that being said…… this one named Aonii…… even the child seems to have noticed.
An execution unit that fulfills the requests of the Bockmati. Which also includes the inhumane.
The ones who perform such tasks are limited to those who have killed their hearts and those who can do such things with impunity.
And those who slandered and ridiculed Aka were the ones who could do such things. They had those eyes.
However, this Aonii’s eyes are not so rotten. Perhaps he carried out his assigned task with a deadened heart.
As he became absorbed in his clash with the child, he began to reveal his true nature.
He is a proud warrior with a passionate, straight heart.
Hence why the child can throw himself into the fight without any doubt, only head-butts and knee-kicks.
And even when his subordinate ogres attempted to interfere, Aonii repelled them.
However, in that case, against Aka.
“I told you! If things are like this, I still won’t approve of you!”
No longer does this Aonii think about defeating the child or victory. Tis not where Aonii’s goal lies.
It appears he is testing the child. Trying to judge the child, with expectations on him.
“Haa, haa… if it’s… discipline… then… I’ll finish it with this! …… Mr. Machio…… I’ll borrow your technique.”
“Nuh?!”
Oh? Until now, the child had only been charging in a straight line with a low stance, but this was the first time he was showing this stance.
Crouching down on one knee with his hands on the ground.
I see, the start that Machio used in the Cacretale Tournament, which exploded the accumulated power over a short distance.
Magical Crouching Start?
“Heh, talking about being a nuisance… you’re no different…… are you going to start butting your head at me even more now that we’ve reached this stage? Take one more knee and your face will get so messed up that no one can recognize you anymore. And yet, you’re not right in the head. Why…… would someone like you…… become friends with Aka?”
“Well…… on the contrary…… I have my doubts too. How come you’re so …… gutsy and cool.”
“Nu ……”
“Why, are you…… and Mr. Aka.”
“I don’t care! I don’t care about that scum anymore! He’s dead… that’s all.”
As I thought, his words were untrue. The child seems to know this.
There must be some circumstances or reasons behind the actions of this Aonii.
However, this must be settled still the same.
“Okay…… I’ll destroy it and then make you vomit! Let’s go! 【Great Demon Dash Diving Head-Butt】!!”
“Ah…… if you’re not all talk…… then I’ll really try!”
Now, the finale …… Huh!?
『Nuh!?』
What? Suddenly, even in my spirit body, I felt an overwhelming sense of pressure.
No, what…… tis not…… now, I sensed the presence of someone approaching here from a little farther away.
No, could it…… tis not…… this much…… it can be only one person.
『I, I never……』
At this point, Aonii and the others were defeated, routed, and to return to the main camp…… or so I thought…… was I wrong?
This one is said to have survived the war. However, he should only know the child as Hiro’s son.
So, they have not met…… tis what I thought…… however, in retrospect, Koujiro and Norja as well…… could it be, him as well?
Will they meet here?
No, but…… in Cacretale, Jamdi’el was more or less connected to him…… at that time, about the child…… no, I know not.
Even if he didn’t know the child as Earth Lagann, did he and the child meet here?
I cannot fathom what will happen to this place should that occur……
『Child!』
However, my words do not reach the child now.
With all his might, he slammed into Aonii’s knee, utterly destroying Aonii’s right knee, and causing Aonii to fall to the ground.
“Kuh…… what a blow…… damn…… no matter how I feel, my knee …… it’s shattered, besa…….”
“Heh…… whoa…… did you see that? Me….. and Mr. Aka――――――.”
Having witnessed that, the child collapsed with a bloodstained smile on his face.
Unaware of that one’s impending presence……