My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 234

“I’ll be going now. There are still things I need to do.”

“Are you going to the Aioum Kingdom?”

“No. There’s someone I need to find.”

It was time to gently ease the sulky one’s mood.

I hadn’t killed the Demon King yet, and it wouldn’t be good if my relationship with Ariel soured.

“If that’s the case, should I send out the people to look for them?”

“We’re short on manpower just handling the casualties. I can’t use them for my personal affairs.”

Even if I asked for help, I wouldn’t be able to find that person since they were the Spirit King.

If they happened to have gone to the Spirit Realm, I wouldn’t be able to find them either, but considering that fellow’s personality, they’d likely be ‘there.’

“Is that so? I really hope we find them. Ah, it’s not a woman, right?”

“…….”

“Since you’re not denying it, I guess it is a woman.”

Just as I was about to open the door, a chilling voice sent shivers down my spine. Seriously, it scared me to death.

“I’m leaving. You keep working.”

“You can’t just leave without giving me a word—”

As Seri was speaking, a light burst forth from the corner. It was coming from a delivery scroll.

It’s rare to receive a delivery scroll directly sent to the Emperor. Generally, it’s only sent in truly dire situations or when one can’t resolve an issue without the Emperor’s assistance.

Sending a delivery scroll to the Emperor in a wartime situation meant something serious had happened on the battlefield. Could it be reinforcements from the Demon Tribe?

I held the door and gazed at Seri. She unfurled the delivery scroll to read its contents.

“……Praus.”

“What is it? What’s going on?”

“Praus’s father is certainly working for the Marquis Medis House, right?”

“That should be the case.”

I felt anxious as I answered. Seri hesitated to speak, and I wondered what the contents were.

“It seems there’s been a problem. They’ve requested help from the Marquis Medis House.”

Help requested from the Marquis Medis House? That’s where my father is…….

“Damn it…!”

I hurriedly approached her and took the delivery scroll that Seri offered.

The content, just as Seri had mentioned, was the Marquis Medis asking for help due to danger from the Demon Tribe.

And to think it’s happening at a time when Ariel and Pasma aren’t around…!

“Damn it! Seri! Can you summon Ella to the Imperial Palace right now?”

Without Pasma, not only could I not use the Phantom Sword Technique, even a regular fight would be impossible. That meant the only techniques I had at my disposal were ‘Imitation’ and ‘Dynamic Action.’ To use those, I would need someone with at least the strength and reflexes to keep up with the Demon Tribe.

Ella hadn’t fought on the front lines, so I could utilize her.

“Yes. I’ll contact her immediately.”

“And prepare a teleport magician right away!”

“Yes!”

Seri took out two delivery scrolls and began scribbling furiously. Watching her, I bit my lower lip.

Please, let nothing happen. Please.

—

“I…….”

“Stella.”

Just as I was about to reply to Iris, a familiar voice pierced through my thoughts, sending a shiver down my spine.

“……Yes, Habito.”

“Did you destroy the royal palace?”

“No, there was an interruption along the way, so I haven’t been able to do it yet.”

“……I see….”

With Habito’s grumpy answer, silence drew on.

“Then there’s no helping it. The royal family doesn’t matter. Stella, you need to go to the Empire’s Medis Territory right now and kill the Marquis’s butler, Paroco.”

“Paroco…? If it’s Paroco….”

Praus’s father.

Stella knew from what Habito had told her.

To torment Praus, who had been annoying the Demon King, after annihilating the Aioum Kingdom, the plan was to go directly to the Empire’s Medis Territory and kill Praus’s father.

The purpose that she had momentarily forgot due to her conversation with Inkuro came rushing back.

“Normally, I would go myself, but since there are two heroes here, especially with a magician around, slipping away via teleportation won’t be easy, so I’ll leave it to you. The demons that were planted in Medis Territory are already on the move. Open a path for yourself, and once you kill Paroco, make your retreat immediately.”

“The hero…?”

Upon hearing Habito’s urgent instructions, Stella naturally shifted her gaze to Iris.

“We don’t have time to chat leisurely. Head out immediately.”

“…….”

“……Do you have a reply?”

“……Understood. I’ll take care of it and return.”

“Remember, right? The one who cruelly cut you apart was none other than Praus. Make sure you take proper revenge on him. The Aioum Kingdom is secondary.”

With Habito’s firmly stated priorities after Stella’s slightly delayed response, she sighed heavily as she felt the weight of disconnection from the conversation.

Iris, who had been watching Stella without taking her eyes off her, gripped her sword tightly. As soon as she heard Stella refuse to become human, she was ready to strike her down.

Knowing all too well that Stella’s manifestation skill was a hassle, she was prepared.

“I guess I’m just not meant to be.”

“……What are you talking about?”

Stella brushes away a torn family photograph that was sitting on the desk in the study.

“The memories of when I was human are no longer even nostalgia. I’ll live as a demon king until the day I die.”

“Is that so… then please die!”

Iris unsheathed her sword, and the murderous intent poured out toward her.

“Manifestation.”

Boom!

Iris’s sword strike shattered bookcases and tables, raising a cloud of dust. It soon burst through the windows of the mansion and shot out.

“……Did I block it?”

Iris readied herself for the next attack as she observed a familiar silhouette moving through the thick dust.

At that moment.

As the silhouette swung its arm, the smoke scattered and revealed its form. Iris could hardly believe her eyes upon seeing who emerged from the smoke.

“M-Master…?”

“You really didn’t want to be abandoned by me, did you? I never thought I’d see you in such a pathetic state, filled with shame for being so powerless.”

A man with black hair.

The first human who ever showed her kindness, and now someone she trusted and cared for more than anyone else.

Praus.

“Stella… you’ve crossed a line you shouldn’t have.”

“Stop talking so much. Why don’t you come in?”

“How dare you insult my Master? I’ll kill you…!”

Grrrrrr!

A tremendous killing intent radiated from the form of Stella, who had taken on the appearance of Praus, as if the very mansion shook.

Iris had grown accustomed to Praus’s emotionless face as she had seen it countless times; however, within it, there had always been kindness. Warmth.

Despite the thought of him being capable of hurting her at any moment, she had never felt threatened until now.

But right now.

As she felt a clear killing intent directed at her, fury began to rise within.

It felt as if all the warmth he had previously shown her was nothing but a lie, and she couldn’t bear it.

“Absolute Domain.”

The Guardian of the Sanctuary shone brightly, resonating.

“Stella!! Don’t think you’ll die peacefully!”

‘I’ve grown stronger in the Spirit Realm. Perhaps, I can match my Master now!’

Iris stiffened her legs firmly against the ground, gripping her sword tightly to pierce through the overwhelming killing intent surrounding her.

‘That’s not my Master. It’s not my Master! It’s not my Master!!’

As Stella entered the range of her sword strikes, Iris swung her sword with guilt weighing heavily on her heart. But.

“Absolute Domain.”

Having transformed into Praus, who had previously used Imitation in the Aioum Kingdom, Stella used the same power as Iris.

Counteracting the Absolute Domain.

Inside the Absolute Domain, she accurately responded and dodged Iris’s sword.

Iris swung her sword in quick succession. Stella read every trajectory of Iris’s strikes, blocking them flawlessly.

But the outcome of the fight was already decided.

Iris, now of a higher caliber than when Praus used Imitation, was facing the prime version of Praus.

“Do you really think you can block me with just that?!”

Counterattack.

No defenses as they both thrust their swords at each other.

“Phantom Sword Technique.”

“Phantom Sword!”

Thwack!

Praus’s head was severed, and Iris sustained a wound to her side.

Iris had anticipated that she wouldn’t be able to endure a direct hit from Praus even with a gap between them and had tilted her body to evade.

‘As expected of my Master. He is far stronger than me, even now.’

Iris admired the prowess of Praus as he broke through her defenses.

She looked down at the collapsed form of Stella, who was imitating Praus.

‘Something feels off…’

Feeling a sense of unease, Iris observed Stella closely. At that moment, mana was leaking out, and her body collapsed.

“A clone…?”

Iris frowned as she looked down at the clone body. Once again, she felt a pang of regret—a sensation like she’d just killed her Master.

“……This is truly an infuriating technique.”

—

Medis House.

Even with Grand Anti-Demon Magic deployed and a wartime situation, there were still quite a number of knights remaining.

Nevertheless, they were unable to withstand the ambush of higher-ranking elite demons.

In an instant, the demons took the hostages and locked them all in one room. Among them was Paroco, Praus’s father.

“Welcome, Stella.”

Stella slowly entered the room filled with the heavy smell of blood. She let out a sigh at the sight of several demons having lost control and killed humans.

“By Habito’s orders, we’ve captured them to kill easily. It seems unreasonable to leave it to you, Stella.”

A vampire demon tilted its head, expressing its doubts.

‘They must be suspicious. They heard rumors that despite working alongside the task force for a day, we failed to kill the royals. Perhaps they might report seeing another demon let Inkuro go. Will I be tortured when I return?’

Although Stella thought everything was the humans’ fault, she couldn’t shake off her feelings of doubt.

This was the effect of the ‘True Word’ that even Praus was unaware of, weakening the suggestion she had set before her.

The hesitation that arose when she had spoken to Inkuro, the fact that she hadn’t shown mercy to humans, all stemmed from that reason.

“……Where is the Marquis Medis?”

“It seems he noticed our attack and fled with his family right away.”

“So, the people here are all there is?”

“That is correct.”

“What should we do? Should we take care of it ourselves?”

“……No, I’ll handle it.”

She needed at least some justification to mention that she hadn’t betrayed the demons.

Stella stood in front of Paroco, who was dressed in tidy butler attire.

“……Are you Paroco?”

“Y-Yes. C-Could you spare my life? I still have responsibilities to my family…! Because of my bad choices, I lost my wife and inflicted great wounds on my son. If I die, my son surely won’t survive. Please, I beg you, spare my life!”

Family. Son.

Those words clouded her heart.

Having lost her own once.

Even though she endured torture at the hands of the demons, her wish for revenge was also for the sake of family.

She understood that sad feeling more than anyone else.

Even though she thought that failing to kill Paroco would cost her the opportunity for revenge, and she might end up dead, she could not reach out her hand.

As she tightly closed her eyes, a demon suddenly brought forth a thunderous declaration.

“Stella! Praus is here!”

“……!”

“What do you mean, you haven’t killed him yet?! What are you doing?! Hurry up and kill him!”

“Wait—!”

Thud!

The spear created by the vampire pierced Paroco’s chest precisely.

“Cough…!”

As Stella immediately reached out to stop the demon that had intruded, it was too late. She had been lost in her thoughts and couldn’t react in time.

She panicked and reached out, but it was already too late to intervene.

“Aaaahhh!”

With the maid’s scream echoing, the demons approached to kill those present.

‘Right. This is how it should be. I have nothing left but revenge.’

Just then, the late-coming Praus entered the room. His expression twisted in anger at the sight of the massacre. His gaze quickly fell on one spot as if he were in disbelief.

Stella immediately realized where Praus was looking.

“……Stella, did you kill him?”

Her trembling voice revealed his rage.

Stella felt goosebumps as she faced the emotions he had been unable to repress. The killing intent that was about to drown everyone halted at the presence of Praus, who stood at the entrance.

They couldn’t move a muscle as if facing the wrath of their king, the Demon King.

“Tell me. Did you kill my father?”

“Well…… maybe….”

Stella’s ambiguous answer provoked a hollow laugh from Praus.

“……Right. I shouldn’t have expected humanity from a girl who became a demon in the first place. I was too naïve.”

As she saw the rage radiating from Praus, whom she had avoided making eye contact with, she could only be horrified.

“I should have killed you back then.”

Praus, who had always seemed like a stoic figure, was now shedding tears.