CH 166

166 – Interview Just Before the Tenth Stratum Clear, Redux

『Soon, this Raid Battle will reach its end! Now then! Let us look back at the road taken to get here, what are your thoughts…Mr. Aerial!』

The Raid Battle is a Clear that is many times larger than the Fenix party’s Clear attempt.

Which also results in a bigger tenth stratum pre-battle interview stage set in the town square.

Atop the stage are only those who will be participating in the tenth stratum battle.

I suppose that is because they only wish to interview the people who will be fighting in the tenth stratum.

I blended with the crowd in order to watch it.

There was a huge crowd of onlookers there, so it was very hard to move.

『Ah yes, well I must say, the impression I got is that they are truly skilled.』

Says Aerial while in a thinking pose, with his hand on his chin.　

『Skilled, you say? How so?』

The host tilts his head as he asks.

『The last time I took part in a Raid Battle in the Demon King Castle was an odd one, because, for some reason, the Demon King left the deepest stratum to appear in the very first stratum and wiped us all out.』

『Aha, that battle that is legendary even to this day. Famous for causing countless Adventurers to abandon Clearing this Dungeon because they thought it would be impossible to fully Clear it with a Demon King such as that.』

The time that my master annihilated all the Adventurers, including a young Aerial, in the first stratum.

『Thankfully, there were no surprise Demon King appearances this time around.』

Aerial smiled and there was laughter throughout the square.

『There are many powerful Monsters in the Demon King Castle. Their management was skillfully done. Particularly this time, the strategy and unit placement done in order to repel the seventeen participants in this Raid Battle shined bright. For example, instead of focusing on defeating someone, they clearly focused on ensnaring me in a trap, and so on.』

『I see…』

『It is because of the viewers that we can all stand in the higher rankings, but because of that, there is a lot of information that can be attained about us. The plethora of Clear videos that are published becomes a research treasure trove for the opponent. Conversely, the deeper you go in the Demon King Castle, the less information there is.』

『Aha…! Are you saying that the enemy has incorporated this gap of information into their plans?』　

The host forms a fist and strikes his open palm.

『That is exactly right. If they had simply strengthened their military might only, we would have all been able to fight the Demon King together. However, the Demon King Castle Raid Battle didn’t stop at just doing that.』

『But I must say, is it really that simple to just research? Do you think that the Clear participants were investigated prior to this?』

On the Monster side, we didn’t just polish our skills.

We check up on the Adventurers long before they make an appointment.

『Indeed, personally, I wonder if there is a big brain behind this whole operation. If there is a personnel who is well versed with Adventurers, knowing each of their abilities and personalities, including what they might do at a given moment.』

He’s sharp.

I suppose a personnel who is well versed with Adventurers isn’t too far from the mark. I am just an Adventurer fanatic, though.

『Oho! In that case, the reason that Mr. Wraith and Ms. Fran were able to do so well is because of how little information there is of them…am I correct to assume that?』

The host shoots a glance at Wraith.

『It’s all skill…is what I’d like to say. But I do think that has a lot to do with it. There weren’t that many attacks or traps that aimed for Fran or me in the first half of the raid, right? They were probably still trying to gather information on us. And that’s why we could be a little more flashy and heavy-handed than everyone else. There were more and more hairy situations in the latter half, though. But even so, we still haven’t been defeated once.』

Wraith and Fran were unknowns.

Unless we understand them, we can’t take countermeasures.

In the Clear up to this point, I have understood a lot about those two.

『Ahaha, you two are really reliable.』

From there, the interview continued on as they moved on to talk with the remaining three members of the Scathach party and the sole survivor of the Hervor party, Herv herself.

After that, they moved on to the main topic.

『So the next battle shall be in the tenth stratum, which is the stratum where the 4th ranked party lead by the Flame Hero Fenix was totally wiped out.』

I suppose it was for this very topic that they chose to deliberately conduct an interview now.

『Mr. Aerial, you had to use Sky Garden in the ninth stratum. According to what I’ve heard, this used up quite a lot of the Spirit, right?』

『Indeed. Although normally, this Spirit Magic would use my own Magical Energy. To use it in that scale unsurprisingly required me to borrow the power of the Spirit, but I used it in a narrow area and for only a brief period of time, so it is not as if I am unable to use it anymore. Please rest assured.』

I interpreted this as his way of appealing to the audience.

And also as a message to the Monsters, letting us know that he still has this trump card.

Although, even if he is still able to use it, it probably can’t be used in the same maximum condition anymore.

Agares was able to succeed in forcing him to use it at maximum output, therefore degrading it during later uses.

『However, many viewers were truly surprised to see you unleash that Esoteric Spirit Magic that you haven’t used in over twenty years. The return of the Spirit power that transcends Elemental Magic. Magic that is given only to those who have made a contract with the Main Four Great Spirits and truly goes beyond what we know as magic. Was the Time Demon Agares truly such a formidable opponent?』

There are several Esoteric Spirit Magics. There are at least two or more for each Main Spirit.

After the battle in the tenth stratum, Fenix is working hard to learn another Esoteric.

None of them are Elemental Magic.

Fenix’s Flames of the Gods is not Fire Elemental Magic.

The miraculous ability to return all to dust is just recreated with something that mimics fire.

『Indeed. The spell and the caster himself were troublesome. I think the viewers might have noticed the same thing we did, that the Demon King Castle has added some new things. Honestly…I find it all quite enjoyable.』

He had a smile full of expectation, like a child who just received a present and is about to open it.

『…Enjoyable, you say? It’s quite rare to hear you say such things, Mr. Aerial.』

『No matter how old you get, men don’t change. Two souls fighting with all their might to decide who will come out on top. I don’t know anything more fascinating than that uplifting feeling. This Raid Battle made me remember something that I almost forgot.』

The Raid Battle rolled in out of nowhere in front of the Storm Hero who had long since lost a place where he could go all out due to him being the strongest.

Standing at the summit, he turned to training the next generation and refining their skills.

Even if he were to train an Adventurer who could surpass him, there is nothing he can do about the enemy.

He can’t raise a strong enemy. All he can do is hope and wait to meet such an enemy.

Aerial is looking forward to this Raid Battle.

He is hoping there is a place where he can fight with all of his power.

『I truly am looking forward to fighting with the Demon King.』

The crowd gasped in awe.

『So then that means, in the tenth stratum, you’re going to…』

『In the words of a respected friend of mine,「Heroes always win in the end.」.』

Those are the words of the Unyielding Hero Altreed.

Aerial’s friend, Wraith’s father, and the hero that I look up to.

Also, the person who’s catchline that Fenix and I indirectly inherited.

I slowly left the crowd as they got more and more riled up.

The words are deeply etched in my heart.

That is why we are the ones who will win.

Fending off the strongest Adventurers should prove it.

That it is OK for Monsters to win. That they aren’t just there to be beaten up.

When I turned to look back, I feel like I locked eyes with Aerial.

『Although, it won’t be that easy. Before we meet the Demon King, we have to fight the Chief of Staff that defeated Fenix. I truly am looking forward to this as well.』

His lips twisted upwards in high spirits about the upcoming battle.

I mutter to myself.

I’m looking forward to it, too, Aerial.

That time when I was invited to join his party some time ago.

I was very happy and honored, but I refused.

I didn’t want to enter into 1st rank like that, I want to arrive at it.

Most of all, I have already found a place where I belong.

I may not be able to surpass his ranking as an Adventurer, but I have obtained the opportunity to decide who will come out on top.

The Raid Battle is nearing its end.

I will surely put a stop to this invasion in the tenth stratum.