Awakening to a Special-Grade Explorer
Vol. 4 - Ch. 193

The incredible otherworldly power of Ibuki Douji had made the humans present there speechless.

On the other hand, as he casted healing art on Tenji, a thin smile spread on Kodama's face, noticing everything was like an act from Ibuki Douji to showcase his strength to the future king.

After all, it was the era where it would soon welcome its 'King'. Kodama could only guess the achievement of this young boy who would be standing at the summit.

The kings of the last generation had showcased their splendour by bringing together the hell beast under one umbrella in just one generation.

They had unified the desolated hell reason with nothing but their strength alone and divided their respective hell into Eight Greater Hell and Eight Colder Hell. Furthermore, they even created more than 300 small hells depending on the need, thus bringing together the hell realm under one umbrella.

The previous kings had been deeply engraved into their memories.

They had formed a contract even with the gritty and outcast ones of the hell and brought it to a new height while assuming the title of Enma. As for the contracted rowdy bunch, they were later conferred the title of 'Advanced Hell Beast,' who were currently engraved in the Book of Enma Tenji possessed.

The ten kings, said to be the rulers of hell, were derived from them.

And now, right before their eyes, the 3rd generation king was on the verge of making, chosen as the next king to govern 3rd hell.

The hell beasts, who had always adored the 2nd generation king 'Enma,' were dancing in rejoice precisely over this reason.

They had been waiting for so, so long that even they had forgotten how many millennia it had been since King Enma was no longer between them.

They wanted to relive those fantastic days. It was also why they had been waiting for their king to be born all this time.

Shuten Douji---true name Ibuki Douji, born from one head of Yamato no Orochi, was also one of the said persons. Shuten Douji was the name he had received from the previous king but with a new king on the horizon, the name was no longer suitable to wear.

A new name would follow him when the 3rd generation King rose up. Now and until then, he would only represent himself by his true name.

Though he knows that, Kodama still likes to call him Shuten Douji.

"Alright, I am done, Shuten Douji-san."

"You really haven't changed yourself huh, taking away even my Oni Force sneakily."

Ibuki Douji harrumphed, as if pointing out at his cheekiness and gulped down from the gourd with an experienced manner.

"The forest here is still young, so I take the liberty to use some. But then again, I am sure a little bit of compensation wouldn't hurt when the request is from yourself, no, Shuten Douji-san? Besides, it's something you have in surplus."

"Hiccup...... Whatever. It's not going to end, yeah."

"I will take my leave then, it would do no good to become a burden on you."

Kodama said, turned to Tenji and whispered something in his ears before leaving.

He passed through his hell gate and as if submerging into the water, and disappeared amidst that verdant green membrane that covered the opened door's space.

A silence drifted into the battlefield again. But---

"Cough......cough, cough!? "

Tenji regained his full consciousness---no, clarity while throwing a fit of cough, mixed with blood. In fact, he had been awake all this time, it's just that he could only see the surroundings as nothing more than a blurry video. So, he at least had the faint gist to tell what had happened all this time.

But now that he was fully recovered, he got up abruptly and turned his gaze toward Ibuki Douji while moving his shoulders where he could still feel a faint sluggishness.

"First time... I wasn't conscious huh."

"Hiccup... well, yeah. This makes it the second time. You're almost about to die the first time."

"I see. All the dots have been finally connected."

Tenji muttered as he finally understood his beginning.

Everything had fallen into place; what had happened to the Black Cerberus that day he awakened. How did that Black Cereberus die and become mana crystal when he was sure he didn't kill it. How he managed to stay alive and safe as well.

The riddle of that day had begun with Ibuki Douji and resolved at himself.

As he stood up, Tenji asked.

"I did ask for power, but... how should I fight?"

'Lend me the power' was the words he had uttered with all his being.

So it was no strange why he had always thought the change would come from within himself, yet his wish unexpectedly was fulfilled in the the form of Ibuki Douji's appearance itself.

But as if it was hardly a no-brainer, Ibuki Douji answered.

"Hell beast is the very strength of Enma. Anything can change when transferring but only this is an absolute. For this was the contract with the past king."

'Come again?'...Tenji shook his head in confusion. The words were so cryptic to him that he couldn't follow them properly.

"Err, in other words?"

Ibuki Douji, who had been looking at Tenji, suddenly averted his eyes as if in embarrassment.

"I devoured your resolve, and so your soul too. The contract remains the same. Boy, I will be your sword and chase that thing to hell."

Ibuki Douji with a bold grin as his gaze traced the back of the now-an-unsightly monster running toward the teleportation gate to escape.

"It's torture time."