Welcome to the Impregnable Demon King Castle

236 – The Flying, Fire-Cutting Black Sorcerer

The Demon King Lucifer.

Now, I call myself the Fire Manipulator Aym, and have worked my way up to one of the Southern Demon King Castle’s Big Four.

I have never once exchanged words with that man.

Far from it, it is most likely that I have never even entered his field of vision.

A Dungeon is not so different from today’s modern companies.

A tale of the president of the company never even speaking to a single rank-and-file worker is nothing to be surprised by.

However, he cared not for such things as a hierarchy.

The reason I never entered his field of vision is simply that I was not worth his consideration.

He did not perceive me as a threat.

It does not matter if you are an ally or an enemy.

One needs to make him think『This one is strong.』, shaking him to his core.

That is the least we have to do in order for him to notice us.

Currently, in the All-Heaven Festival Contest, the Former Demon King Army is awaiting at the final battle.

Although I hesitate to call that number of people an army.

When I heard the reason for such a small number, I couldn’t help but be convinced.

He only summoned the subordinates whose names he remembered.

Even in such a way, all those who were summoned heeded the call.

And the faith of those who were not summoned towards that man did not waver in the slightest.

There exist beings such as him to be forgiven for things like that.

That man is strong. Extremely…extremely strong. It is laughable to imagine anyone who could come close.

And that was enough.

Among the common folk, there are those who vehemently proclaim that pursuing something such as strength in this era is absolute foolishness.

There are also those who mock, saying that this is a time of peace and that one should do something more productive instead.

You are absolutely right. You may live like that if you so wish.

Because we are fools, we cannot help but be drawn to the strong.

Because we are fools and lucky, we cannot help but revere the strongest living being in this era.

Because we are hopelessly foolish, we cannot stop trying our damnedest to inch closer to that state of being, if even just a little.

The moment I laid eyes on the Black Sorcerer Lem, both suspicion and doubt flared in my mind.

I can smell the scent of that man coming from him.

It is ever so faint, but it is identical to the presence I felt that time I once passed by that man.

But why?

Adventurers and viewers have their own evaluation basis and sense of values. Even if a Black Sorcerer who has reached the 4th rank is treated coldly and practically forced by his party to withdraw, not much is thought of it in contrast.

However, it is a different story if I can sense that man’s presence coming from this Normal.

Unless my intuition has grown fatally dull, this could only mean…inheritance.

The most shocking thing about the strongest Demon King taking center stage once again was…that he only had one horn.

Even now, the world is constantly exchanging opinions on who inherited it.

Could it be…him?

I don’t know.

Even if he were the strongest, most excellent Black Sorcerer in the world, I hesitate to think that that is reason enough for him to directly inherit the horn.

What could possibly be the reason for that man, the Demon King Lucifer who is only interested in the strong, Demon King Lucifer who suddenly abandoned his own castle, to choose a sole Normal to inherit his horn?

I know not when they met, or when he inherited it.

But at the very least…the Black Sorcerer Lem has entered that man’s field of vision.

The horn that he didn’t even hand over to his own son or granddaughter, he handed over to a Normal, through some special means.

If that man has deemed him worthy, then who am I to doubt his judgment?

However…I cannot abandon my desire to know.

I’m glad.

I’m so glad that I was born as a foolish creature with no other way to know a person more deeply than by exchanging blows with them.

I am truly lucky to have the chance to fight him like this.

「Now then, Black Sorcerer Lem, show me your powe-」

「T-take this…」

An…adorable voice accompanied a signboard flying towards us.

Even if that fell normally, a signboard of that size would seriously injure a regular person.

The one-eyed half-giant. The Miner Melania. She tore off the signboard of a shop and threw it at us.

「Pfft, what a way to ruin the moment.」

The Flame Spearman Amii was flame incarnate.

Taking the form of a Human male, fire spewed forth from his back resembling the wings of a Fairy.

In his hand was a pike made of fire.

He calls himself a flame sprite, but he doesn’t seem to be a Spirit or a Fairy.

Rather than having control over fire, he is a fire itself given consciousness.

I found him by chance and have been working him hard ever since.

He constantly makes fun of me, his superior, but his strength is without doubt.

「Sweep it aside.」

Despite his impertinence, he is obedient.

「A Fire-user abusing the flame itself, huh?」

Complains Amii while wielding his spear.

He extends his fire spear, piercing the signboard, and its trajectory changes as he swings his spear to the side.

Engulfed in flame, what was once a signboard turned to ash by the time it fell to the ground.

However, I did not ascertain that with my own eyes.

Amii laughed.

「Hah, he’s the kind of guy who jumps straight into the fire, huh?」

Indeed.

He jumped. More accurately, he must have been thrown.

Most likely by the Destroyer Fran’s arm.

The Black Sorcerer Lem hid behind the shadow of the signboard in order to fly closer to us.

I was surprised, but a response is possible.

「This is going to be a little hot, enough to burn your body whole, at least.」

The Magic Tool in my hand, the Self-Restricting Staff, is special.

It does not simply give me strength.

So long as I keep the vow I made to the staff, my magical firepower will be raised to levels that can be difficult to keep in check.

The vow I made to it was “I will not use any magic other than Fire Magic.”

If one is not a Spirit Contractor, those with the Aptitude to be a Wizard basically dabble in several elements.

Of course, while not to the level of the 2nd ranked Wizard of Foresight Merlin, there are very few who only use one element, even if they are proficient in it.

I have kept this vow for…more than twenty years.

Speaking purely of firepower, it is on par with the 1st ranked Crimson Wizard Michelle.

While his outlandish plan to suddenly approach us using the signboard as camouflage and having his ally throw him while using his ability to hide his Magical Energy has worked, that is as far as it goes.

As he is, I will burn his body to nothingness with the Fireball that I let loose.

Now then, how will you handle this?

My other subordinates started to move the moment my words were interrupted.

Can the White Sorcerer Josh raise his Magic Defense enough to withstand the Fireball?

Or will the Water Hero Wraith use some form of water elemental Magic to support him?

It is impossible for the Miner Melania or the Destroyer Fran to cover him because they are too far and too slow.

So then…

「You’re right, it’s a little hot.」

「…So that… is what you’ll do.」

He cut it.

He swung his Holy Sword downwards, splitting the Fireball in two, the halves passing by his sides and finally, they disappear.

This is different from how the 1st ranked Samurai Masamune cuts magic.

Most likely, just after the match started, he flowed Magical Energy into his Holy Sword, and then, in an instant, released the saved-up, hyper-condensed, and highly pure Magical Energy.

If he has first-class Magical Energy output and Magical Energy manipulation ability, and the Holy Sword has that function, that is technically possible.

The fearsome thing about that is that I only felt that enormous amount of Magical Energy at the moment just before.

I see now why so many people do not realize his true abilities.

There are not many people who can hide their Magical Energy this well.

It intrigues me just how a twenty-something young man was able to learn such a technique.

His flight isn’t stopping.

A foothold was formed under his feet as he fell, almost as if he had aimed for it.

It was a slope made of ice. The Water Hero Wraith’s doing.

As one would expect, the Black Sorcerer Lem slides down the slope, approaching me with great speed.

「But it’s nothing compared to the heat from that guy.」

That guy?

Ah, right. He is the childhood friend of the Flame Hero.

I know that much from the information brought in by the TV.

It seems that they didn’t cut ties with each other after his withdrawal from the party.

Far from it. The Flame Hero ran down cheering for him in the Tag Tournament, and so forth. They are as close as can be.

「Well then, I do apologize for that.」

I meet his blade with my staff. Magic Tools are no mere magic or tools. They cannot be destroyed so easily.

Our eyes met over our clashing specialized weapons.

「However, I do think it is hot enough to burn my enemies.」

「I wonder about that.」

Well now, he has the face of quite the warrior right now.

I’m certain that I, also, have the same expression on my face.