A Learning Experience

I stared at Atofe and tilted my head slightly, examining the situation.

Eris and Sylphy were pissed off, obviously. The two were also stepping forward to confront Atofe.

It was a messy situation. I knew that Atofe was infamous for being the strongest Demon Lord due to both her skill and a cheat-like immortality. I didn't know the specifics of it though.

I also didn't really want to test it since she was someone with a lot of influence. Ideally, it would have been nice to just talk, but...

She was stupid. I thought that Dad was a musclehead, but he at least had learned to be better. The blue-skinned woman in front of me though...

Atofe looked at Eris and Sylphy. After seeing them step in front of me, she laughed and said, "Hiding behind your women? How shameless. Are you that afraid to fight me that you'll use them as a sacrifice to run away?"

Provocative words challenging my pride.

Jokes on her though. I threw that away a long time ago. Even if I didn't, Dad was better at pissing me off.

So instead of responding with anger, I chuckled and said, "It's funny that you assume they'll lose. And it's also funny that you're assuming I'm hiding behind them." I channeled a bit of Dad and threw on his irritatingly smug smirk before saying, "I just don't want to embarrass you when you've already embarrassed yourself enough thinking you have a place at my side, let alone that I would even want to have one at yours."

Eris nodded and said, "That's right." She placed her hand on her sword hilt and said, "Rudy doesn't need any more crazy and insane women by his side."

Sylphy nodded as well and said, "Yes. And he's *ours.* No one else's."

Silence- No. There was chatter in the background. The black knights muttering about how it's a first time that someone was so arrogant in front of Atofe. Also about how it's over now.

Atofe smiled. A calm expression. But from the twitching on her left eyebrow...

And from how Eris and Sylphy hadn't budged or stepped down...

Yep. This wasn't going to stop at just words.

Atofe looked at me again and said, "So you're not going to fight me?"

"Fight?" I stared right into her eyes and said, "I don't have the time to waste on someone like you."

Battle-worn black armor clearly meant for combat. Light blue skin, white hair, crimson eyes with black sclera. A single horn jutting from her forehead and a pair of bat wings on her back. Not only that, but ominous black mana that seemed to emanate an unyielding strength.

But she wasn't as strong as Orsted.

Strong, yes. But with that appearance... If I was being honest, she seemed more like one of the mid-bosses you fought right before the real demon lord. Strong and super annoying, probably with a few different phases or a cheap gimmick, but not enough to be a threat.

So... I'd just leave it to my girls. "Sylphy, Eris." I turned around and started walking off. "I'm going to leave her to you and go grab our people. Try not to-"

A surge of wind. Atofe rushing at me with her sword out to cut me down.

It seemed like she couldn't take the provocation and charged out to try and attack me anyway.

But as fast as that wind was, it was frozen in place.

I paused and then turned my head back to glance at Atofe.

A dozen glittering ice swords piercing throughout the Immortal Demon Lord's body. And with that, her already blue skin turned a frosty white, frozen solid.

Immediately after that, Eris swung her sword, sending out the flaming dragon around her.

Hissing steam. A fierce roar.

And then a pile of ashes and legs fell onto the ground in front of Eris and Sylphy.

Eris blinked and tilted her sword. "...That was it?" She glanced at her sword and said, "I didn't think I got *that* much stronger..."

Sylphy giggled. "Well. Ice easily melts under fire, Eri."

"Yeah, but even if you froze her solid..."

While those two chatted, I glanced at the knights. Specifically, at the black knights who were members of the Survey Corps.

Considering that they weren't freed from that black mana yet...

"Ew. Ew, ew, ew!" Eris immediately scrambled back and said, "What the hell *is* that?"

Sylphy hummed. "So people can be that disgusting too, huh?"

I turned back around to look. And then I realized exactly why they called Atofe the 'Immortal Demon Lord.'

Just like a certain bug man in Dr*gon B*ll Z, limbs, gooey mass spurted from the legs before reforming Atofe's body.

First, a spine. Then the torso. After that, the head, arms. Flesh quickly wriggling and wrapping around everything... And then Atofe was standing as if nothing had happened.

Which was impressive in itself considering that she was topless now since her armor had been destroyed.

A chiseled body with abs that looked rock hard and an ample set of 'assets' that didn't lose out to Sylphy or Eris in size. They did lose out in terms of cuteness though when taking everything else into account.

Sylphy turned up her nose and muttered, "How shameless."

Eris gave Sylphy a blank stare and said, "Sylphy. You were-"

"Hm?" Sylphy turned to Eris and smiled. "What was that, Eri?"

"...Nothing."

Atofe picked up her sword from the ground and then coughed, spitting out some black blood. After that, she looked at Sylphy, her eyes showing a bit of caution. "...Who are you?"

Sylphy held up her hand, playing with a glowing blue orb that had a dozen miniature floating swords around it. "My, my. So now you care about introductions? But I suppose that's expected from a brute who was even worse that Eri when she was a kid."

"Hey!" Eris turned towards Sylphy and said, "I wasn't that bad!" She paused and then looked at me. "...Was I?"

"Not after you got served a buffet of humble pie."

Eris frowned, looking thoughtful.

Sylphy looked back at me and waved her free hand. "You go do your business, Rudy. Eri and I will deal with this hussey."

Atofe laughed. "Hussey... That's a new one." Her expression turned serious and then tilted her head off to the side, addressing one of the Black Knights. "Moore."

One of the knights stepped forward. An old soldier that looked like a villainous old general that would be leading the military of an evil empire. A full head of gray hair, crimson eyes, and a full moustache beard combo.

"Yes?"

"Take the knights and deal with that guy. And go bash that bratty Empress's skull in a few times."

"Understood."

After saying that, the old man called Moore stepped forward, facing me.

Following his lead, the other knights stepped forward as well, even including the members of the Survey Corps.

An encirclement, surrounding me and cutting me off from Eris and Sylphy.

As if saying that was enough, Atofe shifted her attention to Sylphy and Eris and said, "I'll say it again. I am the Immortal Demon Lord, Atoferatofe Ryback. If you defeat me, I'll bestow you with the title of hero. If you lose... I'm taking him."

A provocative gesture. Atofe pointed her sword at me.

...She shouldn't have done that.

A blast of icy winds followed by flashes of blue light. Sylphy attacking without another word.

Immediately after, there was a roar and surge of heat as Eris attacked again.

But this time it didn't end right away.

Instead of taking the attacks head on, Atofe swung her sword at the dragon, splitting it in half. At the same time, she sacrificed her left arm to block all of Sylphy's swords, causing it to burst into azure dust as it froze solid and shattered. But almost immediately after that, her arm reformed.

I tucked my hands into my pocket and stared at Atofe, carefully watching her flow of mana. "Interesting."

A completely offensive form of fighting. Throwing away any sort of defense, Atofe's fighting style was the sort that embodied giving flesh to break bones and letting your bones be broken to take your opponent's life.

It was supposed to be philosophical, but Atofe applied that directly. Of course, that was only possible because she had De*dpool levels of regeneration.

And that was it.

'Regeneration.'

It was similar to what that alternate 'me' had done. Rudeus the Grey had converted his body into nanomachines and used his mana to direct it all, accomplishing a sort of pseudo-immortality as well as physics-defying strength.

Of course, it couldn't handle the BS I had of drawing infinite mana from countless parallel timelines, but I could see how annoying it'd be to fight otherwise.

Atofe wasn't quite to that level. Instead of having nanomachines, it was more like her body was innately made of that extremely durable black mana. And like how a certain weather man once said about memes being the DNA of the soul, it looked like 'mana' was the DNA of the soul here, allowing Atofe to recreate her body even if it was physically shredded. So long as even a bit of that black mana remained, she would be able to come back.

And speaking of that black mana...

I shifted my attention to the black knights surrounding me. Specifically, at the black mana wrapped all around them.

"Hm. I have to give her some credit, I suppose."

Her regeneration was innate. But it definitely had a weakness. If there was something out there that nullified or erased mana, then she was a goner if she faced it.

But with making a force of these black knights, she could keep a 'back up' in them and use that to regenerate. Probably popping back into existence next to the knights like some D*rk So*ls character at a bonfire.

Interesting. It gave me a few new ideas to test out later too that I'd have to discuss with Orsted-

A surge of flames. This time, aimed at me.

And it wasn't Eris, but...

"Rudy! You bitch!"

"What? Worried about your man?"

"Sylphy! It's my turn to kill her!"

Yep. Definitely wasn't Eris who sent that fire.

I stood in the inferno and stared at the ones who did.

Unwavering black knights standing at the ready to gauge the flow of battle. That old general staring directly at me through the flames.

"I have to say, this has been a great learning experience." I swung my left arm out, causing the flames to disperse.

No, not disperse.

The mana forming the flames snapped free from the casters and gathered into my left hand, melding into a glowing red sword.

Moore's eyes widened, but he focused and said, "Everyone! Frost Nova!"

Were they taking notes from Sylphy and Eris? Showing off?

Or did they think that I'd be immune to one extreme and not the other?

Either way...

"Mm. Yeah, I think this is enough playing around."

I could see Kishirika with my Clairvoyance sitting deep within the fortress and shackled in a prison cell- Huh. And Cliff was there too. Did that guy try to rescue her ahead of us?

Had to give him some credit, even if he kept trying to flirt with Ena whenever he had the chance.

Not only that, but he was even carving some magic formations into the walls and looked like he was plotting a prison break.

I blinked, clearing the vision from my right eye. After that, I nodded and said, "I promised my little sister I'd be back in time for dinner, so..."

"FROST NOVA!"

A chorus of voices chanting out a spell name. Mana resonating as one to create a spell that could probably blow through an entire castle.

But this was me they were facing.

I looked at the Survey Corps and said, "Grit your teeth and bare it. I'll pick you guys up on the way out."

I stepped forward and casually swung my sword.

An explosion.

The condensed heat and fire didn't erupt in flames, but sheer force and sent all the knights flying.

"What incredible might!"

As expected, Moore was the first to recover.

I glanced at him and then at the vicious fight happening behind him.

Sylphy, standing off to the side with her lips pressed together, as if disappointed she couldn't fight.

Eris, swinging a flaming sword with her hair literally on fire... and with a pair of flaming wings?

Eri... I know that Sylphy is pretty much E*sa, but are you Sh*na? Did you make a contract with a Crimson Lord and become a Flame Haze while I was gone?

Atofe laughed and said, "What a unique fighting style! Humans have learned a lot in the past few years, haven't they? Or have the Distortions given you new opp-"

Her words were suddenly cut off.

Literally and figuratively as Eris swung her sword and cut off Atofe's head.

But even without it, her body kept moving, swinging right back at Eris and forcing her to parry.

...Yeah. Definitely putting Kishirika in time out.

And speaking of Kishirika.

It'd be a hassle making my way through the entire fortress to get to her, so...

"*Stairs.*"

A single word and commandment, laced with mana.

The moment I said that, the ground shook and a set of stairs emerged, leading directly in front of Kishirika's cell. And from the bottom of them...

"W-What? This One has never seen such magic! You, Cliff! This One acknowledges your worth!"

"U-Um... I'm happy for the acknowledgement. But this wasn't my work..."

...A pair of energetic voices echoed.

Well, one energetic voice and one confused. But it seemed like they were in good shape.

Moore's eyes widened and he got up to act. Opening his mouth, he started to shout another command, but...

"*Silence.*"

Domineering mana. A suppressive force that both prevented soundwaves and prevented mana from influencing the outside world.

...A spell that I had to quickly perfect due to how energetic two lovely ladies tended to be when they got into it.

While the purpose behind making it was a bit dubious, the utility was pretty broad.

But anyway, picking up the kids.

Now, Norn said that she wanted me to cook something for her.

According to her, she was around seven now and never got a big birthday celebration.

In that case, definitely needed to make a cake. Maybe some chips too... What did she like?

Knowing her, she'd say anything was okay, but she enjoyed the roasted pork we made back then, right? So how about some shredded pork sandwiches, maybe some barbecue sauce... Ah, and ice cream too. Have to make this a fun party to make up for all the time I missed and spoil her a bit. Especially since she's been so down and thinking that I don't care for her as much-

Oh yeah. Need to make her a necklace too so she can call me if she needs help. It looked like she was really sad the last time she tried that...