My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 220

“The time has come.”

Blas rose from his throne, and before him knelt a horde of demons filling the audience chamber. They were all high-ranking demons renowned in the Demon World.

“From this day forth, we will drive humanity from the Fishis continent, and the arrogant World Tree watching over us will be completely eradicated in this war.”

His declaration lifted the spirits of every demon in the audience chamber.

“I will gladly give my life for the esteemed Lord Blas Weill!”

“——I shall offer mine as well!”

At Peremus’s shout, the other demons echoed him. Though each had their own thoughts, their goals aligned perfectly.

“Kill all beings except demons.”

“We will start the war.”

At his declaration, all demons rose simultaneously. There was no solemn or serious resolve in their faces.

Only smiles.

They were unable to contain their excitement at the mere thought of being free to wield violence.

“The commencement will have Habito’s elite troops launching disturbances across the Empire while cutting down the roots of the World Tree we’ve found. Once chaos ensues in the Empire, Lichen and Miles will lead the Second Legion to smash through the eastern borders.”

“Yes!”

Commander Lichen replied. Miles was Lichen’s Ego Sword. Typically taking shape as a sword, he could also change his form depending on the situation.

“The Fourth Legion will smash through the Beastman and Elf forests, destroy the Aioum Kingdom, and then proceed to invade Aus Territory. Aus Territory is relatively unprepared for demons, so it should be easy to enter.”

“Understood.”

“……Yes.”

Habito and Stella responded, though Stella was a beat behind. Desperate to single-handedly topple the Aioum Kingdom, she had to restrain herself due to Praus’s interference in the past.

“The First and Third Legions will move once the Second Legion breaks through the borders. The Third Legion will await in Ecabel’s body and release when in a suitable position. Wandering alone will reduce the likelihood of being detected. By the time forces gather at the borders, Ecabel will crush the Todiah Family in the north. If the Todiah Family falls, the Empire’s defensive strength will waver significantly.”

“Yes~ I understand.”

Even as Ecabel replied, she felt a twinge of regret. It seemed like Praus wouldn’t be in her path.

“The First Legion will invade southeast, crush Aus Territory, and head toward the capital. Kill Emperor Seri and topple the Empire’s center.”

“Yes!”

“Understood.”

“……Yes.”

Following Peremus’s chipper answers, Soro and Ter replied.

The two of them had changed significantly since before.

Originally white-haired, the siblings now sported a deep violet hair color, reminiscent of a Demon Lord, while the whites of their eyes had turned to black, and their pupils glowed red—displaying the traits of a demon’s vision.

Moreover, the aura emanating from them was no longer mere mana but magic beast energy.

Blas chuckled with satisfaction at their appearance.

“The ones who were supposed to protect the Empire are now set to destroy it. Hehe.”

“My Lord, may I ask one thing?”

Ter raised a hand and spoke to Blas.

“…What is it?”

“If we go to the capital, will we encounter Praus?”

“I cannot definitely say where that brat is. I’ve heard from reports that he has been in the Spirit Realm for half a year now.”

Blas responded, pondering. Why was Praus still in the Spirit Realm?

‘Is he trying to abandon the Human World to solely defend the Spirit Realm? No, if that were the case, he wouldn’t have made Princess Seri the Emperor in the first place. I don’t know what scheme he has, but now that he’s absent, it’s certainly the perfect opportunity.’

“The important thing is that your fight is not against Praus. It’s for the demons to seize victory over humanity.”

“……”

Ter lowered his head. Blas looked around, surveying the demons in front of him.

“You will act under my orders, but I will leave the situational judgments to each Legion Commander and Deputy Commander on-site.”

“Yes!”

“Go forth. Show the power of the demons.”

Finally, the demons bowed deeply and filed out of the audience chamber.

‘Praus… No matter how strong you are, or whatever tricks you and the heroes might play, you won’t stop my legions.’

Not every human in this world is as strong as you!

Thus began the prologue of war.

*

Half a year spent in the Spirit Realm.

In the meantime, I had been giving directives to Seri in the Human World. I told her to ensure that beastmen could be accepted as knights and elves as magicians.

Accepting other races as knights or magicians means treating them as equals to humans and reflects our trust in them.

I advised her that leveraging this could elevate the Empire’s national power.

As a result, I had heard reports that applications had been pouring in continuously for several months now, and training was ongoing to cultivate virtues as knights and magicians.

Also, aside from the cities, I instructed the installation of Grand Anti-Demon Magic at the infiltrating routes and predicted points known to me, as well as essential areas that must not be lost.

Preparations for the Demon War were thorough, and it seemed they would continue for the next year.

Though operations would vary depending on the situation, I was aware of how the initiation would unfold, and I had given advance notice. Among the demons within the Empire were members of Habito’s elite troops.

Each one was close to S-Class by adventure standards.

In short, unless someone among the Royal Knight Order was competent, facing them would be quite the ordeal.

Of course, since I had warned them in advance, Seri would prepare for it too. Seri had been studying war strategies as well.

Though she would fundamentally adhere to the manual, she also had a certain flexibility, so her ability to adapt to situations was expected to be quite useful.

However, one concerning point remained: the Emperor’s death had yet to occur, and the heroes hadn’t reached their limits yet.

The only silver lining was that the heroes had started to grasp their abilities.

Especially Maria, who had successfully pierced the 9th tier, though her skill proficiencies without her staff were still somewhat lacking, she could now stack spells up to twenty times.

I had told her that once she broke through her limits and reached a transcendent stage, she would naturally be able to wield magic of a higher tier than the 9th.

The heroes would realize this themselves once they exceeded their limits.

Recently, Iris had begun to understand the gaps, allowing her to withstand Maria’s 8th-tier magic with her bare body. Although she wasn’t flawless yet and could get injured from a direct hit, this marked a significant advancement since half a year ago.

As for Tina, she had begun to see the essence but hadn’t managed to break through her limits to gain the Mental Blade skill yet; she simply didn’t comprehend the essence.

Grasping the essence meant understanding the causality of something coming from nothing, which could be a somewhat challenging task for Tina.

Nevertheless, all three heroes had achieved growth that seemed impossible just half a year ago.

If they put in a bit more effort, they would likely break through their limits within a month.

“It seems the heroes have grown quite well from the hints they’ve picked up.”

As I observed the heroes, Yggdrasil stood beside me, appearing without a sound.

“Yggdrasil.”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to have to deactivate the Expression Management Skill four more times in the future. Do you have any tips on how to do so quickly?”

“Well, I can’t predict every situation with one hundred percent accuracy, as it depends on how Praus perceives the circumstances. So, I can’t affirm with certainty, you know?”

“I see.”

Deactivating the Expression Management Skill wasn’t simply about behaving convincingly. Even when I poured my emotions and sincerely thought about it, the hologram wouldn’t appear, suggesting that the criteria were quite stringent.

“However, it feels like Praus is particularly sensitive to ‘death.’ That might serve as a clue.”

There was certainly a fair amount of truth to that.

When Leoness had died, I couldn’t suppress my emotions. It felt as if a truly close friend had passed away.

Even when Leoness, who I’d only known for a short time, died, it was shocking. If any of the heroes or other S-Class beings were to die, I would undoubtedly suffer an agonizing pain.

Yet, the deactivation of the Expression Management Skill wasn’t solely tied to death. It didn’t necessarily have to be focused solely on facing death; thus, I decided to hope for alternatives.

“Speaking of which, I was so flustered that I didn’t even ask about the hologram.”

“Hologram?”

“Words appear before my eyes like a game.”

“Ah, that is also related to Expression Management. It means that Praus still somewhat perceives this world as a game. Hence, if you deactivate the Expression Management, everything will disappear. You need not worry about it.”

“I understand.”

So, when the Expression Management Skill is entirely deactivated, does that mean the real Praus will start to accept this world as reality?

It seemed like I had to deactivate the Expression Management to understand everything fully.

As I watched the heroes train tirelessly to break through their limits, pondering whether I could offer them any advice, something glowed from inside my robe.

A shining scroll emerged from the delivery scroll in my pocket. I took it out. Was there some urgent matter to contact me about?

Just as I was puzzling over it and opened it, I couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.

“Praus, we’ve got a problem. The demons that were hiding all across the nation have begun to move. Thanks to your guidance, we have responded immediately, but…

Areas near the cities or where knights reside were easily subdued, but in some places, it seems the knights have suffered defeats, leading to issues.

Moreover, we have received reports that a large number of demon knights, accompanied by ominous magic, are simultaneously approaching the borders adjacent to the Demon World.

We need your help.”

“……Damn it.”

I crumpled the delivery scroll and yelled to the heroes.

“Tina! Iris! Maria!”

Hearing my urgent cry, the three turned their heads toward me.

“What’s going on?”

I quickly glanced at the three heroes.

“The demons have started invading the Empire.”

The heroes’ eyes widened in shock. They looked so flustered that they were at a loss for words, gaping.

“B-but there’s still time left…”

“They seem to be moving much faster than anticipated.”

The Demon Lord must have been quite enraged. I had planned multiple strategies in preparation for the Demon War, but every time, the heroes and I had thwarted those plans.

Such a reaction wasn’t completely out of the question. Although I hadn’t expected the timing to accelerate this dramatically.

“Then we must prepare to leave immediately…”

“No.”

I swiftly grabbed Iris’s shoulder as she attempted to rush to the cabin.

“You all will stay here. I’ll go to the Human World alone.”

“What?!”

The success of the Demon War hinged significantly on whether the heroes could break through their limits.

Even though they had grasped their abilities recently, returning to the Human World now would run the risk of them forgetting that understanding.

Had this been a game, cliché as it is, they could have gained a chance for awakening at the brink of death.

But this was reality. Even if it wasn’t, I had to assume it as reality and act accordingly.

So, it was only right for them to grow stronger before returning to the Human World.

As I explained my reasoning, the heroes urgently pleaded with me, “No way!”

“We’re not doubting your skills, Master! But if the Demon War truly takes place, you alone won’t be able to fend off that many demons!”

“Maria is right. While not all demons are as powerful as Peremus, if we don’t act now, we could suffer massive casualties.”

“It’s more important for you to grow stronger here. If you don’t break through your limits, we can’t kill the Demon Lord.”

To end the Demon War, the Demon Lord must be slain.

To individually defeat the legion commanders swarming the Empire and kill the Demon Lord, breaking their limits was not a choice; it was a necessity.

“Listen to me. My judgment is correct.”

As the heroes had begun to grasp their potent capabilities, they would undoubtedly achieve their breakthroughs shortly.

But a month felt far too long. Whether I could deal with four legion commanders attacking by myself remained uncertain.

“I’ll protect the Human World. So, break through your limits as quickly as you can and come support me.”

“But…”

“Tina, didn’t you say you’d surpass me one day?”

“Y-yes… I did.”

“Now is your chance. If you don’t do it now, you might never surpass me. Naturally, the same goes for all of you.”

It was a statement meant to provoke them. I had never once surpassed the heroes.

“I will go ahead. Since you’ve started to catch on, you’ll soon achieve your goals.”

I patted the heads of the three heroes and turned away.

“Yggdrasil.”

“Yes?”

“Tell the heroes that once they break through their limits, they must fetch the equipment I previously requested from the Spirit Kings. Even if there’s a limit on the number of requests, it doesn’t matter.”

“Understood.”

“Let’s go, Ariel.”

“Okay.”

Ariel opened the gate to the Human World, displaying a readiness to go without even asking if she’d accompany me—such a comforting attitude.

“Please take care, Praus.”

Yggdrasil spoke with a stiff expression. The tension in her face underscored that this was the beginning of the war leading toward the end of our story.

“I don’t know how long I can hold out. But I can’t let the demons rampage.”

From this point onward, how the situation would unfold would depend on the heroes’ discretion. I couldn’t predict how much time I could wait for them, but if the Empire was pushed back to more than half or the capital fell, the war would be over.

To prevent that, I had no choice but to hustle.

Letting out a long, heavy breath, I stepped through the gate opened by Ariel.