Chapter 276: Inside Tentacle Oneesan
「No matter how many times I come here, I’ll never get used to it…」
Together with Asama, I entered through the hole in the Great Demon God’s belly. Inside, the gray walls stretched endlessly, forming a maze-like labyrinth.
「The power of chaos is strong here. Even my powers seem to be restricted.」
It seemed that even Asama couldn’t fly here.
I’d secretly suspected that sending Archbishop Nicholas on that mad charge had been unnecessary, but it turned out that creating that hole in the belly was indeed a crucial step for us to enter.
「Nicholas, your sacrifice won’t be in vain…」
I muttered under my breath as Asama and I slowly ascended the spiral-like path.
「It was eight thousand years ago that I descended into this world Sonata* calls Real Fantasy.」
TN: Yeah, she’s been calling Sawatari Takeru as Sonata.
「Yes…」 Asama seemed inclined to share a story from the past as we walked.
「I, too, came from the same world as Sonata.」
「Asama too?!」
「Hmm, I thought you might have noticed.」
「I had a feeling, but…」
So Asama used to be human, too? Or was she some kind of divine entity from Earth?
「……I remember it well. Back then, the world was full of grotesque, writhing things, much like this one.」
「Yeah, it’s definitely writhing…」
The corridor itself was soft and fleshy, like some sort of sickly octopus or squid. Honestly, I couldn’t think of a better way to describe it than “writhing.”
「Constantly being surrounded by this would drive anyone mad. That’s why I created a new world for humanity.」
「If we covered it in salt and cooked it, it might be delicious.」
Asama—more precisely, Asama in the body of the eight-year-old girl Anastasia II—grimaced as if she’d just heard something truly distasteful.
Apparently, she wasn’t a fan of octopus or squid.
「Eating these things? You have a terrifying imagination…」
「Sorry, it’s just a habit to think of everything as a potential food source.」
As someone responsible for feeding both civilians and soldiers, I was always on the lookout for anything that could be turned into food. I had even considered drying the tentacles we defeated and preserving them for future use.
If they weren’t edible, we could use them as fertilizer. Waste not, want not.
「Actually, that mindset of Sonata is commendable. Perhaps I should have thought of eating them too. Instead of fearing these monsters born of chaos, I let that fear spread, and their corpses have long been discarded as something loathsome. But it was you who showed us that many of them could be useful.」
「Maybe I’m just being greedy.」
「No, you opened new possibilities, Sonata. Just as the creatures born from chaos can be beneficial, like the plants and animals I created, not all demons are evil. Some possess virtues. Perhaps I’ve been wrong about the Mother of Chaos all along. That’s why, I… I…」
「Asama, there’s light up ahead.」
The spiral path finally led to a room, illuminated by a strange, warm glow.
And there, in the center of the chamber, was—
「Fuhahahaha! I’ve been waiting for you, Hero of Silesie!」
「…Freed, Dyson? Why the hell are you here?」
Freed and Dyson—both supposed to be dead—stood before me.
Freed, the Golden Lion Emperor, who I had once defeated in battle during the war against the Germania Empire. And Dyson, the Fist Slave Emperor, who fought me to the death after proclaiming himself emperor in Freed’s stead.
I had expected the Great Demon King Ifriil to be waiting for us here, but instead, these two long-dead foes were back.
「It’s been too long, Hero of Silesie. To think we’d meet again on the battlefield, perhaps we should thank the Great Demon King Ifriil for this opportunity.」
Golden Lion Emperor Freed said, grinning as if relishing the moment.
Beside him, Fist Slave Emperor Dyson stood silently, saying nothing.
「Why are you two here?」
「Do you still not understand? We, too, were taken in by the Mother of Chaos after death. Now, we’ve been resurrected by the Great Demon King who seeks to revive her.」
「Freed! Don’t you feel any shame, once a hero, now just a servant of the Great Demon King?」
「Fuhahahaha! Insult me all you want, but I’ve returned even stronger! Behold my new power!」
Freed gleefully brandished two black swords, showing them off like trophies.
「Wait, those swords… aren’t they…」
I recognized them vaguely, something from the Oracle’s past revelations.
「Fuhahahaha! These are the legendary twin black swords of the Immortal King, the Bloody Twin Swords! I’ve finally attained the ancient power of the Ancient Class! My strength now surpasses anything you’ve ever faced!」
「Seriously…?!」
So this was the classic scenario where a supposedly dead boss returns, more powerful than ever. Freed may have lost his powers as a hero, but that was inevitable—after all, Asama herself had now claimed the position of their opponent.
「Being under the Great Demon King’s command doesn’t thrill me, but I must admit this power is intoxicating. Perhaps I’ll use it to conquer the world anew!」
「Like I’d ever let that happen!」
The power of chaos here was intense, enhancing Freed’s strength. The sword aura he was exuding was far beyond what I had sensed before.
But I wasn’t defenseless—I had my Neutral Sword. This seemed like one of those situations where I’d have to hold off these two while letting Asama proceed further.
Still, as brash as Freed was for flaunting his power so early, Dyson, who had remained silent, seemed far more dangerous. His stillness made him all the more unnerving.
I had grown stronger since our previous battles, but taking on both Freed and Dyson alone would require serious determination.
Yet, I couldn’t back down now.
「Asama, you go on ahead! I’ll handle—」
Just as I was about to declare my plan—
「Gehhh!」
Freed was suddenly sent flying sideways, slapped hard across the face. He soared through the air in slow motion, tracing a perfect arc, and then slammed into the wall, embedding himself in it.
It was an unbelievable sight.
What was more shocking, though, was that Dyson had been the one to deliver the blow. He had swung his fist and smacked Freed across the face, sending him flying.
「Areh, Dyson…?」
Is this some kind of infighting?
What the hell is going on?
Dyson is mounting Freed, who was taken by surprise and knocked down, pounding him with fists as thick as logs. Whoa, what the hell is this?
「You fool, why waste such a perfect opportunity like this—gah!」
Even as Freed pierces him with the black sword, Dyson doesn’t stop pummeling him.
「What are you doing, Hero? Get upstairs and finish this!」
「Stop it! Aaagh!」
「Dyson, why are you helping us?」
「Don’t misunderstand. I’m not helping anyone. But up there, my fellow Rastore people are fighting too, aren’t they?」
「Gah! Damn it! The people? Now, of all times—gah!」
Dyson slammed his fist into Freed’s jaw with even more force, shattering it completely, as Freed tried to curse him while coughing up blood.
「Silence! If living means being controlled like this pathetic man, I’d rather stay dead. Now get moving and end this farce, Hero of Silesie!」
Despite being slashed and covered in blood from Freed’s black sword, Dyson held him down with relentless strength, punching him over and over with indomitable spirit.
I see…
「Asama, let’s leave this to Dyson and move on.」
「Y-Yeah…」
Even Asama seemed stunned by the brutality, but having fought Dyson before, I understood. Dyson, even in death, was a proud warrior.
He’d been used by Revenant before, turned into a puppet, and he wasn’t about to let that happen again.
Leaving the fierce battle between Freed and Dyson behind, we climbed the spiral staircase further and emerged into a grand hall.
It looked just like a throne room in a royal castle.
Standing there was the Great Demon King Ifriil. And seated on the grotesque throne of flesh behind him was the familiar tentacle oneesan, though this time she was of a more ‘normal’ size.