ITK C329: The Match Between the Students and the Farm’s Five Strongest Residents – Part 1

“Lady Belena?!”
“Teacher Belena?!”

The students focus their attention on the young demoness’ appearance.

“Hello, everyone. I, Belena, the self-proclaimed incompetent, was assigned to fight you.”

She’s still using that alias?!

The students know Belena very well.
Perhaps because of her previous job—a Heavenly One’s aide—she’s probably well-known among the demon students.
But on top of that, she taught them tactical war theories used in the Demon King’s Army, so everyone knows her.

…By the way, she hasn’t been all that stressed looking for her raison d’etre these days, but she’s still terribly delighted when given a new job.

Confronted with such a person, the students are baffled.

“Let me explain to you in advance the selection criteria for your opponents.”

Including the meaning behind why I chose five.

“Three of the five I’ve chosen are the strongest of each race.”

Only among our farm residents, of course.

“Belena is the strongest of all the demons living here. That’s why I called her.”

Sure, the Demon King and Mrs. Astres are good friends of ours, but they don’t live with us, so I excluded them.

“Teacher Belena is the strongest of the demon race?!”

Half of the students were convinced, and half weren’t when they heard my explanation.

“So, that means the strongest human and mermaid will appear after her?”
“Yes, but it only applies to our residents.”

I think it’s a perfect roster for them since they want to know our farm’s strength.

“Then… what about the remaining two?”
“You should have a pretty good guess about that, no?”

The students tensed up at my implied tone.

“Well, if you have no other questions, let’s get started!”
“Wait! Wait a minute, please!!!”

I was about to give the signal to start the game, but the students stopped me and started crowing together.
Are they doing a strategy meeting?

“What do you guys think?”
“No matter how much we struggle, we can never win against Sensei or Lady Veil. But what about Belena?”
“We might be able to outnumber her. A one-on-one would be impossible.”
“I agree. I think we can win if it’s dozens against one.”
“They’re really underestimating us, aren’t they?”

They’re discussing this seriously.

“How strong is Teacher Belena, anyway? Can you tell us, demons?”
“Well, she was an aide to Queen Astres during her time as a Heavenly One, so I think she’s strong enough…”
“Though in terms of reputation, Aeshma, who took over Lady Astres, and Batemy, the Demon Dog, are more flamboyant.”
“Lady Belena just gives me plain vibes, you know…”

You guys done yet?
Belena’s getting tired of waiting, you know?

“Okay! We’re good to go!”
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going. And we’ll show Lord Saint that we’re tough!”

That’s the spirit.

All right, Round 1: vs. Belena.
Fight!

“Hellfire Spirit Breaker from my right hand…”

Belena makes the first move.

“…alternating with Blue Heavenly Bolt Ray from my left…”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Flame blasts and thunderbolts shoot out from Belena’s hands like machine guns.
The students were blown away in one clean hit.

“Belena wins!”
“Hey, wait!!!” shouts one of the less damaged students. “What in the world was that?! I know Hellfire Spirit Breaker and Blue Heavenly Bolt Ray are the most powerful magic that the Heavenly Four use as their secret moves, but how can she just use both of them unreservedly?!”

It did seem like a barrage of small punches.
What’s your say on this, Belena?

“It’s not impossible if you accumulate enough mana, skip the chanting, and establish a connection with the spirits.”
“Yes, it is! All those prerequisites are already impossible!!!”

Everyone had their common sense destroyed by Belena’s superb use of magic.

“Ohh, she’s at it all right,” says Batemy, another demoness living on the farm with us.

Maybe she’s taking a break from sewing?

“I heard a loud noise, so I came here, and my hunch was right. Belena’s gotten stronger since she came here.”

That tone of voice…

“You mean she wasn’t always this strong?”
“Of course not. If she had been this strong from the very beginning, Orkubo and the others wouldn’t have so one-sidedly defeated her, would she?”

This was when Miss Astres invaded us.
Now that she mentions it, she has a point.

“There was a time when Belena was searching left and right for her reason for being, learning things from Sensei and drastically improving her magic.”
“She has been one of the most enthusiastic pupils I’ve ever had,” says Sensei in the spectator area.

“I’ve been so absorbed in my work that I’ve neglected my training, so I’d say Belena’s stronger than me now. She might even be stronger than the current Heavenly Four.”
“No way. Lord Belphgamilia is still an active member.”
“Ah, right.”

The two former partners laugh merrily at each other.
The beat-up students must feel like they’re witnessing an exchange beyond their league.

“I can’t believe she obtained Heavenly Four-level power by living on this farm…”
“No way…”

The students, who thought they could win with numbers, were shown the difference in their strengths.

There, Belena, in a mentor-like tone, says, “I once almost lost myself in this land. I was desperate to find myself and did everything possible to be what I am now…”

Self-discovery is nothing to joke about, indeed.

“I hope you will think carefully about who you can become here. I’m sure today’s experience will help you. If you study under Sensei, you, too, can soon become a mage of my caliber!”
“Er, I think that’s too much to ask of us…”

Belena, preaching like an educator in front of the youth, is still lost in some ways.

“Well then…”

The first round ended in a crushing defeat for the students.

“Now for round two.”
“WAITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!” cry out the students.

“We’re proceeding to the next round already?! But we suffered an overwhelming defeat!”
“Win or lose, you’re supposed to play all five rounds. Isn’t that what I said? This is only the first round.”
“Still! Miss Belena’s merciless onslaught wiped us all! We’re in no condition to go on!!!”

What a shameful thing to say.

“It’s okay. This is why I also called Sensei here.”
“Here I go~”

When Sensei waved his wand, countless emerald-glowing gentle particles scattered about.
It fell like snow and adhered to the students’ injured bodies.
As soon as the green light burst, the wounds on their bodies disappeared.

“With Sensei’s magic, anyone can be healed, dead or not. Face honorable defeat without hesitation!”
“You demon!!!”

Now that we’re all set, let’s proceed with the second round.

“As I explained earlier, the criteria for selecting your opponents is based on the concept of the strongest representative from each race. Your next opponent is the strongest human on the farm.”
“The strongest human on the farm?!”

The tension among the students rises in response to the previous statement, wondering who the strongest human on the farm is.

“The battlefield is all yours!”

The former princess of the Human Kingdom, Letasreit!

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