Ch.114Twelve Heavens (9)

The Twelve Heavens (9)

Esmeralda had begun to worry about how powerful First might be, but unfortunately, those thoughts didn’t continue for long.

“Then let’s begin!”

“Eeeek?!”

This was because Shiva had started swinging his fist toward her.

KWAAANG!

A fist that created explosive sounds even without hitting anything.

Just swinging through the air produced that much force—it was impossible to gauge what would happen if she actually got hit.

As Shiva’s fist grazed her face, Esmeralda saw her life flash before her eyes, ultimately reaching hell.

No, she didn’t actually reach hell.

It just felt like hell as her memories flashed to more recent events.

For a moment, Esmeralda almost lost her will to live, but she managed to endure with indomitable determination.

“Hmm? Is even this much difficult for you?”

“…Very much so.”

“What a weakling. How could someone like you be called a hero… Tsk! But I suppose your perception is somewhat decent?”

It was a surprise attack.

If Esmeralda hadn’t been aware of Shiva’s attack, her head would have been sent flying.

In that sense, it was clear that Shiva was being quite lenient with her.

At the very least, Esmeralda had been able to see that strike coming.

“You seem quite physical for an ancient dragon?”

“Hmm? That’s right! However, I can use magic decently too. It’s just that my specialty magic is somewhat unusual, so I found other ways to utilize it.”

“Other ways…?”

Shiva, seemingly pleased with Esmeralda’s reaction, flexed his muscles and took a stance.

PUHWAK!

Suddenly, two more arms grew from his back.

Just seeing that sight, Esmeralda felt she understood what he meant by “other ways.”

“Among the ancient dragons, I’m the most confident in polymorphing!”

“I see, so that’s it… Now I understand why the Chancellor matched me against you.”

Esmeralda using sword arts and Shiva extending his arms.

In some sense, their fighting styles were remarkably similar.

Esmeralda gripped her holy sword firmly, strengthening her resolve once more.

***

La•Pa was watching the training between Shiva and Esmeralda from a distance, which was producing all sorts of thunderous noises.

“I asked him to teach swordsmanship, so why is he throwing punches?”

Among the ancient dragons, Shiva was a warrior particularly specialized in close combat.

This specialization applied to everything that could be done in close combat.

Yes, Shiva could also wield swordsmanship at an expert level.

Esmeralda, having the convenient method of sword arts, could be said to have slower development in basic swordsmanship skills.

This was evident in how she couldn’t properly infuse mana to strengthen her holy sword.

While Esmeralda did surround her sword with mana, it only increased its destructive power.

It hadn’t reached a level that could be called a proper blade aura.

“…Well, she seems satisfied with it, so I guess it doesn’t matter?”

La•Pa, contemplating whether to point this out or leave it be, decided to remain silent upon seeing Esmeralda’s brightening expression.

If she believed she was gaining something, there was no need for unnecessary interference.

After all, as a hero, she would have talent in most things, so taking a roundabout path wouldn’t be an issue.

“The problem is… this one?”

La•Pa looked toward Tina, who had yet to wake up.

Of course, there was a method. Though somewhat troublesome, she had a way to improve Tina’s condition.

“Are you going to stay like that?”

“You’re stating the obvious. More than half of my life has been quite harsh thanks to you.”

“You should have given up back then.”

Lug had lived longer as a mortal than as a heavenly deity. To make a direct comparison, 95% of his life had been a series of hardships.

And the reason he had to endure such hardships was all because of Mara-papiyas’s trials.

“Honestly, from my perspective, you were just insane. Despite being pushed to die, you absolutely refused and eventually changed the laws of the world.”

Lug’s brother was born with a destiny to become that way from the beginning.

A being born to become a god.

La•Pa never interfered with or got involved with such beings, but she couldn’t stand by and watch a mere ordinary human try to walk that path.

In that sense, Lug was truly a tenacious person.

Someone who overcame such severe hardships and ultimately claimed a position worthy of himself.

And thanks to those two people…

“That’s not something I want to hear from the one who created the demon realm.”

“Yeah, you must be so happy creating abilities like holy power.”

The two of them changed the laws of the world.

La•Pa is a being who has lived for a long time. She too could be said to have been born to become a god.

However, she chose to rule this world rather than become a god, which is why she could remain on earth.

And that twist of fate ended up summoning a part of hell into the mortal world.

What started as a tiny droplet has now grown into a land called the demon realm.

And just like her, Lug took the name of heavenly deity from La•Pa and made holy power bloom in the world.

Strictly speaking, holy power wasn’t the inherent authority of a heavenly deity, but rather a byproduct created due to the distortion of that existence.

“Are you afraid?”

“……”

The reason La•Pa was surprisingly cooperative with the hero party and Lug.

It was also because of a new possibility that even she hadn’t known about.

It’s not a verified story. It’s not certain either.

But from the perspective of those accepting it, it couldn’t be helped.

“If you hadn’t done something so stupid…”

When Lug, the heavenly deity, fell to earth, holy power disappeared from the world.

More precisely, those who had already awakened it were unaffected, but afterward, no one else could use holy power. That’s why people believed the heavenly deity had abandoned humanity.

And that result also suggests another possibility.

“It’s obvious that that madman’s ultimate goal will end with my life.”

The culprit who created the demon realm.

Defeating the evil deity, Mara-papiyas.

That would be the conclusion of Belphegor, the demon lord who shoulders the cause of the demon realm.

Even though there’s no guarantee that killing her would make the demon realm disappear. But even with just that possibility, the position of demon lord is one that must prevent it.

And the current demon lord has become a monster after absorbing the power of the heavenly deity.

“Damn it…”

Belphegor could also be considered a being similar to La•Pa.

A being born with the destiny to become a god. Someone who, if left alone, would have naturally ascended to nirvana and left the world—a being that didn’t need to be worried about.

But Belphegor did something before reaching that destiny.

A being born with the ‘destiny’ to become a god from the beginning. And a being who created the destiny to become a god through hardship.

Belphegor, who now possesses both powers simultaneously, could be said to have power equal to those beyond this world.

“Well, you reap what you sow, don’t you?”

“……”

La•Pa gritted her teeth.

Reaping what you sow? That’s not wrong.

She was originally close to being an evil deity and had lived as such.

But hearing it from someone who stupidly fell to earth made her blood boil.

“Ha, fine… Forget it. Why would I be angry with you?”

“Aren’t you suppressing your anger right now? Weren’t you about to get angry?”

“No, I’m not.”

La•Pa had no intention of getting angry at Lug, who could be considered cooperative to her. He was also cleaning up his own mess.

Rather than killing him out of anger or interfering, it was better for her to help him from behind.

Even someone who could be called the embodiment of evil like her had no intention of causing trouble in front of a common enemy.

However, there were a few issues that needed to be addressed.

“But can I ask you something? Are you looking at my daughter’s chest right now?”

“What blasphemy! I was merely thinking that Tina might be cold.”

Despite saying this, Lug was just staring at Tina with a blanket in his hand, not covering her with it. Of course, covering her would reduce the visible surface area.

It was strange to begin with, since they were about to treat Tina with La•Pa, so putting a blanket on her would be odd.

La•Pa asked Lug, who was still swayed by worldly desires:

“Wouldn’t it be okay to touch her chest? I don’t get angry over such trivial things, so why don’t you just be honest?”

“No matter what, that’s quite a false accusation. How can I touch something that doesn’t exist?”

“Aren’t you being too harsh…?”

La•Pa was shocked by Lug’s serious tone.

She recalled her daughter secretly visiting her one night, asking about methods to increase breast size.

Her heart ached.

Fortunately for her, she had very large breasts that Tina lacked, so she could feel that ache.

“Hey, how about this? Instead of that, would you like to touch mine?”

La•Pa snickered at the gap between herself and Tina, then unbuttoned two buttons of her shirt and subtly pushed her chest forward.

Once again, the wicked weapon of the evil deity who was disguising herself as ordinary was revealed—a weapon so vicious it could make even a man trying to become a sage fall back into the swamp of worldly desires.

Lug’s previously calm eyes began to waver.

“Would that be allowed?”

“Aha? So you did want to touch them? That’s why you were comparing just now, right?”

“…You treacherous evil deity.”

Lug disliked La•Pa.

He had always disliked her, but her actions of trampling on a man’s pure heart in this way were unforgivable.

“I never said you couldn’t.”

“Do you think I’ll fall for the same trick multiple times?”

“Really? But even if that’s the case, you have nothing to lose by trying, right?”

Lug disliked La•Pa.

In the past. Now. And he planned to continue doing so in the future.

“May I?”

But she might not be a bad business partner.

“No, you may not.”

No, she was bad as a business partner too.