Chapter 114

Chapter 114: Tournament: Finals Part 9

Tournament – Finals Part 9

The last day of the Tournament has finallys arrived.

The final match is today.

Whoever wins between Benimaru and Diablo won’t be doubted.

That’s because the ones left in the end are the strongest.

If Gobuta remained there, there might be objections against it.

Well, even so it’s still a fact that Gobuta remained in the top four.

However, Gobuta being 4th place is……

Obviously the 4th place should be taken by Souei or Gerudo rather than Gobuta, it could be said that Gobuta is owner of strong luck.

But you know, to be able to unite with Ranga, it mightnot be possible to say that it’s merely his good luck.

Right now he still can’t master the ability, but eventually he would master it.

Anyway, he could potentially achieve unification “Transform” in one night, so he would be able to optimize the unification.

Before that, he is aiming too high to control the power.

Gobuta worked hard.

It might be Gobuta that improved the most during this tournament.

Well, today’s match,

It can be said that Benimaru was blessed with his opponents.

Although he had a good match against Souei, his other matches were with lower rank people like Gozurl and a win by default with Gobuta.

On the other hand, Diablo was against three strong people.

The former Demon Lord Karion, and my greatest masterpiece Beretta the Saint Demon Doll.

And at the end was Shion.

His opponents were powerful people of Demon Lord Class, yet he defeated them all.

In any case, if he wins against Benimaru in today’s match. There’ll be no objection against calling him the strongest in Tempest.

Well, how will it turn out?

Today’s live report will be conducted by Souka alone.

Milim left taking Gobuta with her.

Apparently she said she will retrain Gobuta for a whole day, she didn’t seem interested in the final match.

Although I don’t know if it is a good or bad thing for Gobuta, it might be rare occasion to receive training and other things from Milim personally. I want him to do his best as much as possible.

It seems he trained together with Karion-san the Lion Mask too, they should become good friends.

Oh well, while praying for Gobuta’s safety, let’s watch the match.

「Well then it’s the last match! Final match, begin!!」

Final……. Benimaru vs Diablo

On Souka’s yell the match began.

Kufufufufu.

Diablo rejoiced, joy gushing forth from deep inside his mind.

The one who summoned him was truly, a very wonderful Master.

Though he lived for a long time, he’d never come across a fight that made his heart pound like this.

For him, fighting meant trampling down the opponent.

The weak were only to be trampled down and get killed.

After all, it’s because there were only a few people that were able to hurt him who was a resident of the spirit world.

Even when he rarely manifested in the physical world, it was very simple for him to slaughter people who lived there within the time he stayed there. That also includes the Summoner.

After all, not knowing his own standing, the Summoner summoned Diablo who was a high rank being…

It can only be said that it was a foolish act, he couldn’t even protest if he retired from the living.

To begin with, what kind of race is Demon RaceDemon?

In the ancient past, during the time when the Spirits of Light and Dark were born, receiving the blessing of light, the Angel’s Egg was laid, and receiving the wave of darkness the Demon’s Seed was sowed.

At the same time when Spirit of Time was born, the egg hatched, and the seed budded.

The two were born as a conceptual existence with a pure energy body without a physical body

That was the origin of Angels and Demons.

The mysterious thing was that the Angels and Demons that were born at the same time were on bad terms.

When they meet, fighting is unavoidable, long fights were repeatedly fought.

However, because the effects of their fights were too large, unknowingly once in every 500 years they’ll only fight for seven days, such an agreement was made.

For Diablo who finds pleasure in fighting, such a peaceful period was the most tedious time.

For them who don’t have physical bodies, they don’t have the ability to interfere with the physical world.

That’s why, he rejoiced when the summons from the new Demon Lord came, it marked the end of his monotonous time.

That Demon Lord (Rimuru) said.

『I prepared thy food (body), come forth  Demon.

Be helpful and serve me!』

He grows excited every time he recalls it.

He was summoned and named! He felt so intuitionally.

He annihilated the small friesdemons who tried to steal the march, and then he put on a nonchalant look.

And so, he obtained it.

A new body and a Master who was worthy for him to pledge his allegiance to.

That body adapted to him, the body transformed into one he wished for by liberally spending the saved magic power that he hadn’t used before.

In addition, his Master (Rimuru) had evolved into a true Demon Lord. He felt the influx of energy overflowing into him and replenishing the consumed magic power.

And, the most decisive thing, he was given a name.

The body that was made from magic power that had been saved up over a long time, the empty body was fully injected with magic power, and when he receives a name his form stabilized.

For him, fighting meant trampling down the opponent.

That’s why he doesn’t have any interest in strength. After all, it’s because he doesn’t have any memory of having a hard fight.

Even in fight against the Angel, it was just a massacre and a usual thing for him.

Therefore, when the saved up magic power was completely consumed, he became a powerful person worthy to be called a Demon Duke.

Even in the Demon world, there is no existence that is higher than him.

Right now, he could stably use his experience that he had acquired over a very long time, he might really become an existence proportional to a True Demon Lord.

Even Diablo can’t see the limit of his Master Rimuru.

For the first time Diablo realized there is a sky above the sky.[1]

And, for him that didn’t have any interest in strength till now, Diablo also began to wish for strength after being inspired by his monster friends.

1st place.

That was a proof of being the highest among the monster subordinates of Demon Lord Rimuru.

It was the proof of being the most useful and trusted person.

What a sweet sound that titillated the mind.

“By all costs, the seat of 1st rank must be mine.” So Diablo thought.

Shion who proposed the ranking, was defeated by him.

But, he also admits Shion was the strongest oni, since she was his opponent for the semifinal.

It’s not possible to let down his guard.

(Kufufufufu. However, the one who win this is me!)

While Diablo looks forward to the fight, he doesn’t doubt his victory.

「…….Final match, Begin!!」

By Souka’s signal, the final match began.

Now all that’s left is only to win against Benimaru with all his power.

Diablo was not yet eager, but he released the power he carried in his body!

Benimaru thought while observing Diablo.

This demon…..is haphazard.

There are many powerful, mutated people amongst Rimuru’s subordinates.

But, only this Demon (Diablo) is special.

In Benimaru’s insight, if he and Shion fought directly, without doubt the winner would be Shion. So he thought.

The reason is simple. Benimaru is suited for a group fight while Shion is cut out for individual fight. It‘s only that.

Turning the same amount of energy for group attack into one target would increase the power.

But even with such condition, he thought that Shion had more advantages in a one vs one battle.

And yet, in front of Diablo, that Shion was defeated.

It was a direct fight, yet she was overwhelmed.

Benimaru thought that his chance to win in a straight forward fight is low.

However………

「……Begin!」

In response to Souka’s yell, he distanced himself from Diablo in an instant.

Tricks and lukewarm techniques are meaningless.

The right choice is to challenge the opponent with the strongest skill with maximum power. That was the decision Benimaru took after watching the defeated Lion Mask’s and Shion’s battle, It was decided in the beginning!

「Hell FlareBlack Flame Prison」

A black ball as big as a fist flies towards Diablo.

There is no attempt from Diablo to avoid it, the formation of the magic circle is completed immediately, and a dome of 3m in diameter was formed with Diablo at its center.

Unlike the one from before, it’s loaded with enormous magic power. It was the successful compression of Hell Fire, which had an unparalleled power which cannot be resisted.

Just like Benimaru, Diablo also has resistance against Natural Effects, but it’s useless against the nullification attribute of the black flame.

When the dome is completed, Benimaru’s victory will be guaranteed, or at least that’s what should happen.

「Kufufufufu. If I receive this attack straight ahead, it will be dangerous. Paradise

Time (Time of Allurement)[2].」

Diablo’s voice is heard and the surrounding time stops.

Before he was thoroughly burnt by the dome of black flame, the movement of the magic power was stopped, and the generation of heat was obstructed.

Though he only saw it for an instant, he fathomed the detail of the technique and its countermeasure.

It was another effect of the Unique Skill『Great Wiseman[3]』 that Diablo possessed, for Diablo that had mastered this skill, skills that need long activation times are useless against him.

This was surely the most dreadful aspect of he who had diligently mastered this ability.

Also the reason why Diablo deliberately let himself received the attacks from his opponent, was only to reconfirm the result from his analytical appraisal.

In case of some techniques, he could even steal it just by seeing it

「Tch, just by looking, my technique was sealed……」

In the stopped world, Benimaru grumbled to Diablo.

His first card is sealed, there is no anxiety in Benimaru while he thinking about the next plan.

From the beginning, Diablo was in better position, because he had seen through one’s mind.

But, even if they predict that they are equal in simple physical combat, if there is no winning move, it will be useless.

Since there is physical attack nullification, a simple slash won’t give any damage.

Although it’s possible with Aura Blade, its power is too weak to deal fatal damage to either of them.

Rather, Benimaru predicted that he would lose if Diablo put his ability to use.

「Kufufufufu. Please stop being pretentious.

You still have a trump card, right?

You will die if you aren’t really serious when receiving my technique, you know!」

Diablo began the movement to use the technique at the same time as he declared.

“End of World” that surpassed Shion’s Special Move, is a Super Special Move.[4]

Benimaru judged that he had no time to think, and released a master swordsman art he had learned from Hakurou.

“Dim Stream Slash”. it’s just like flowing water, warding everything and deflect it back at the opponent.

Without being able to grasp its elegant simplicity, its effect will perplex the opponent, it is the pinnacle of sword arts.

「End of World!」

「Dim Current Slash!!」

At the same time as End of World was cast, the time stopped by Paradise Time begins to flow.

Receiving the aftereffects of End of World, an intense pain went through Benimaru’s whole body.

The energy that was unable to be warded off by “Dim Current Slash” penetrated his whole body.

「Kufufufufu. You still got more. Or, do you give up?」

Benimaru was blown off and rolled over on the ground when the stopped time began to move again.

Even though the sense of pain was nullified, his whole body was in pain, he noticed that this was a sign that his life was in danger.

Diablo asks Benimaru with carefree tone, but Benimaru had no time to reply.

Rather, to receive End of World inside of Paradise Time and still be capable of safely standing would be abnormal.

However, he didn’t care about such thoughts, Benimaru believed that he himself was worthless.

His sword skill had improved so that he could now fight on par with Hakurou. His ability to concentrate magic power to use in combat had also increased and he could use it for various purposes.

But…….Benimaru was inferior to Shion in Individual fights, he was also inferior to Ranga in Large-scale fights.

In the end, he who specialized in commanding and seeing the whole picture, is he unable to transcend the wall of strength?

That was the issue Benimaru faced.

As the Army Commander, he was able to become useful for Rimuru. However, as he was right now, wasn’t it impossible for him to become Rimuru’ Shield?

He was haunted by such anxiety.

That’s why………

(Don’t screw around with me. Why, there is a need for this great me[5] to be worried about such a small and unimportant thing!)

He gradually became furious.

Originally he held a short-tempered personality, he had become more mature and learned patience recently, but……..

There is no way his initial personality can change so easily.

As a Commander he held a sense of responsibility merely to make the aim of harmonious surroundings come to fruition.

(To stop is foolish. It not like me, to worry repetitively is troublesome.

That’s right, I only need to win. If the opportunity is nonexistent then I’ll just make one appear!)

Benimaru made a breakthrough.

Benimaru stood up and brandished his katana without answering Diablo’s question.

Diablo who saw that appearance as the decision for the continuation of the fight, laughed lightly.

「Kufufufufu. It’s Benimaru indeed!」

So he said as he took out a distorted blade, holding it with both hands.

Its appearance is like three claws, it’s symmetric.

The length of one claw is about 1m, a sharp double-edged blade.

It’s a special weapon made by Kurobee for Diablo, a ScissorsBladed Claw Scissors[6].

Seeing Diablo who didn’t use weapon before and letting out his personal weapon right now, a commotion arises inside the Colosseum.

And, while anticipating something, they were engulfed by an intense enthusiasm.

Benimaru discarded his hesitation, and had his mind focus.

In the first place, there is a guy who improves greatly during a fight. If you say recently, it’s Gobuta.

“If that Idiot can, there’s no way I can’t!” is the simplest answer Benimaru came up with.

(I’ll do it. I will not let this bastard look down on my power…!!!!)

And while calming his mind, a thick aura enclosed his whole body. He invoked the『Demon Flame Transformation』, the injury on his body is healed.

At the same time, he fused the thick aura and the black flame into one.

There are no ripples in it, a beautiful dark red aura covers his entire body and the preparation was complete.

It didn’t even take more than a second.

「I will become serious next. Don’t resent me even if you die, okay?」

「Kufufufufu. Such confidence, I don’t dislike it.」

Their gaze intersected, each one of them released the greatest technique they held.

「Scissors of EndLife’s Harvest![7]」

「RebirthInterment Blast of Flamethe Hazy Black Flame!![8]」

Diablo’s Scissors which reaps all lives, in a moment it clashed with Benimaru’s Katana dyed in crimson, it was stopped and repelled back.

When the Katana was retracted, a surge of black flame aura struck Diablo and slashed at him.

Just like flowing water, it cannot be eluded, the flame wrapped up and thoroughly burned everything.

Right now, produced at this moment was Benimaru’s Special Move.

Benimaru’s Katana couldn’t stand the heat and the impact so it broke and melted.

Diablo’s Scissors melted too because of the damage it received from Benimaru’s Katana, and became something he couldn’t use.

Of course, Diablo who was wielding it also received a large wound on his chest and fell to the ground, defeated.

「Ku, Kufufufufu……. Splendid. This is the first time in my lifethat I tasted defeat…….

What is this? This bitterness. Never again do I want to taste such a thing……

「Never again? You..What do you think a fight is…..」

Benimaru fell to his knee as well, it seems like he had exhausted his spirit energy.

「E, eetto……. It’s victory for Contestant Benimaru!!」

So Souka declared, at this moment, the winner was decided.

It was a long tournament that lasted for several days. And so, the end arrived.

[1]上には上の存在がいる  jou niwa jou no sonzai ga iru. Above strong person there still someone stronger.

[2] 誘惑の時間(パラダイス?タイム) Yuuyaku no Jikan (Paradaisu taimu) – Time of

[3] 大賢人Daikenjin – Great Wisemen. While Rimuru’ is 大賢者Daikenja.

[4] Shion’s Special Move (Hissatsuwaza必殺技) while Diablo’s is Chou Zetsugi 超絶技 (Super/Ultra/Hyper/Ultimate-Special Move)

[5] Oresama

[6] 爪鋏刃(シザーズ) Tsume hasami ha (Scissors)

[7] 生命の収穫(エンド?オブ?シザーズ) Seimei no Shuukaku (End of Scissors) – I changed it as Scissors of End as End of Scissors sounds a bit weird…….

[8] 朧黒炎葬破(リバース?フレイム) Oboro KuroEn Souyabu  (Ribausu fureimu)