Chapter 131: Everyday Life of Demons, (2)

Chapter 131: Everyday Life of Demons, (2)

After entrusting Julius and the others to Leo and the other two, I joined the ranks of the training demons. Right after that, a demon nearby leaped towards me.

“Grrrr!”

“Don’t announce your ambush with a roar.”

Without even looking in that direction, I swatted the incoming attack away with my tail. With my all-encompassing vision, surprise attacks from behind or from the air held no sway over me. If they wanted to catch me off guard, they’d have to come up with a more cunning plan.

“Bumoooo!”

“Hihiin!”

From the opposite direction of the demon that was deflected by my tail, an ox and a horse came charging in. Both creatures pounded the ground with their four legs, hurtling toward me at full speed.

When I saw this, I came to an abrupt halt and encased my entire body in an exoskeleton, poised and ready. At the same time, the two animals—Shuu and Apao—shifted from their beast forms to their demon forms, maintaining their momentum from their animal forms and launching themselves at me.

Shuu was the first to charge. The tips of his impressive horns were aimed straight at me, and given Shuu’s weight and his current speed, they might just pierce through my exoskeleton.

“Hmph”

But that’s only if it’s a direct hit. As Shuu charged in, I seized his two horns with both hands and planted my feet firmly on the ground, halting his onslaught. The force of Shuu’s charge pushed me back, but within moments, I came to a complete stop.

“Apao, now! Bumo!”

“Hihin! Leave it to me! Hyaaah!”

Just before the clash of forces brought us to a standstill, Shuu signaled to Apao, who was hiding behind his massive form. Seizing this cue, Apao leaped from Shuu’s shadow and launched a dropkick aimed at my face.

While their forelimbs had taken on a humanoid form, their hind limbs remained those of an ox and a horse. In other words, both of them still had hooves. The hoof delivered by Apao’s powerful legs struck my face directly, shattering the exoskeleton and sending a powerful jolt through my brain.

Both their charges and kicks had grown even more potent since our previous sabotage mission. This was certainly a promising development, yet it still wasn’t enough to defeat me.

“Bumo?!”

“Hihin?!”

I exerted force with both hands, lifting Shuu off the ground and hurling him toward Apao, who had just landed on his feet. The heavyweight duo let out cries of distress as they tumbled and rolled on the ground.

As soon as the two were defeated, other demons surged toward me. Leading the charge were the Coalition Army’s demons, while Tigar and the others watched for an opening, ready to strike.

At first, Tigar and the others engaged the Coalition Army’s demons, then they all turned to face me together. This was our training regimen, designed to sharpen our skills. It was beneficial training for everyone. While I was curious about the three newcomers, I focused on the ongoing exercise before me, stroking the healed exoskeleton on my head and assuming a battle stance.

◇◆◇◆◇◆

The training of the three had been entrusted to Leo, Lappy, and Kelf. Kelf was reserved by nature and didn’t assert himself much, while Lappy was not only quiet but had engaged in what could hardly be called a fight—more like one-sided violence—with Julius just yesterday. Naturally, Leo needed to take on the role of instructor.

“Um, I’m Leo. I’m sort of in charge of the junior team. Nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, got it.”

Lappy completely ignored the glaring Julius and approached Ariel, taking her hand and leading her away from the scene. Kelf, wearing his usual smile, followed suit, guiding the other children behind him as they moved away.

Left behind were Leo, Julius, and Bolts. However, Julius seemed to be concerned about Ariel leaving. He had attempted to chase after her, ignoring Leo’s instructions, but Leo blocked his path.

“Where do you think you’re going, Julius? Didn’t I tell you I’d train you?”

“Shut up! Get out of my way!”

Leo continued to calmly reason with Julius, attempting to persuade him. However, Julius, who was not willing to listen, landed a powerful punch squarely on Leo’s face.

Perhaps due to his experience with brawls, Julius’s fist was surprisingly swift and carried a lot of weight despite his young age. Yet, both the speed and force were far from matching Lappy’s punches, let alone the fist of the demon Leo admired, the Fist of the Hades Scorpion Demon. Despite taking a direct hit, Leo remained practically unaffected.

“Weak. Far too weak. With that kind of strength, you’ll undoubtedly die in your first battle.”

“What the hell did you, guh?!”

Leo’s expression turned serious as he aimed a punch at Julius’s abdomen while ensuring not to inflict a fatal blow. As Julius staggered back, Leo swept his legs out from under him and sent him crashing to the ground from behind.

Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, Julius couldn’t react in time to brace himself. Air was forcefully expelled from his lungs upon impact, and he writhed in agony, emitting wordless screams. Standing beside him, Leo remained impassive as he swung his leg down toward Julius.

“Wha-?!”

Julius, unable to respond to Leo’s movement, involuntarily tensed up. Leo’s descending leg narrowly missed Julius’s face, creating a depression in the ground as it drove into the earth.

Leo slowly lifted his leg, shaking off the dirt from the sole before allowing it to fall gently. For the first time, a distinct expression of disdain crossed his previously serious face. He knelt down, looking directly at Julius’s face.

“Is it frustrating? This is reality. You guys are weak. Understand that anyone here can end you in an instant if they choose to.”

“You! Don’t get carr-“

Julius, driven by anger, attempted to rise, but before he could do so, Leo swiftly moved and placed a hand over his mouth, pressing his head down. Leo who was adept at wielding his demon powers made it impossible for Julius to remove his hand.

Yet, perhaps due to his unyielding spirit, Julius didn’t relent in his resistance. His tendency to bite back at everything was an issue, but his unyielding mental strength in the face of this power was commendable. While internally impressed, Leo continued without revealing his thoughts on his expression.

“Do you want to become stronger? Don’t you want to become strong and avoid feeling such frustration?”

“...”

Caught off guard by Leo’s question while being held down, Julius paused his movements. However, his previously clouded brown eyes suddenly began to gleam brightly. Deciding that there was no longer a need to restrain him, Leo released his grip on Julius’s face and extended his hand toward him.

“Well then, listen to what I have to say. Listen and become stronger. You all are demons too, so you can definitely grow stronger.”

“.... Hmph.”

Julius stood up on his own without grabbing the outstretched hand. Leo stood up with a wry smile and turned towards Bolsz. He then inquired, “Any objections?”

Bolts shook his head with all his might while trembling. He had underestimated Leo, thinking of him as a mere child, but in these few seconds, he had realized Leo wouldn’t hesitate to end his life if necessary. Thus, the two rebellious boys started to undergo rigorous training under Leo’s guidance.