I Was a Small Fish When I Reincarnated, but It Seems That I Can Become a Dragon, so I Will Do My Best - Extra Chapter 93
4-13. To the Devil Territory
Finally, I arrived at the Devil territory carried by Abyss.
As I got used to the speed while being carried, I had the leisure to poke my head out before arrival and enjoy the scenery, but I got used to it too slowly.
What lay before me was a place where the earth seemed to have been turned upside down to the extent that one might suspect, with sharp terrain upheavals, certainly not an environment where people could live.
Devils wouldn’t prefer to live in such a place, and the numbers seemed few at first glance.
But scattered black shadows could be seen, so it seemed they weren’t entirely absent.
However, precisely because of such harsh environments, abnormally strong Devils inhabited here.
Only those who survived the competition for survival could leave descendants, so it was natural for it to be like this.
Amariaz also peeked out beside me.
Then instead of the earth, he looked up at the sky first.
“Huh, the sky is blue.”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Well… I think the sky in the Devil territory used to be red…”
Oh, really?
It’s a clear day now, and the sky doesn’t seem any different from when we were in the village of Oni.
Is that really true?
“Abyss-san.”
“What?”
“Was the sky in the Devil territory red in the past?”
“Yeah. I think it was around the time when I was sleeping in the Devil territory. For some reason, the sky just went back to normal.”
“Do you not know the reason?”
“Nope. According to Atrak-sama, it was because of the mana of Ouryuu, but I couldn’t quite understand it.”
Ouryuus’ mana response had enormous mana, seemingly possessing the power to change the environment just by being present.
It was said that he was good at water-based skills, and sometimes water would spring up unknowingly, moss would grow, and before you knew it, a lake would form.
Thanks to that, greenery had sprouted in the Devil territory, which had been barren before, making it much more habitable than before.
Although the place we are flying over hasn’t yet benefited from this blessing, it seems that the momentum of greenery is gradually spreading here too.
It’s said that in another three hundred years, all the barren land will be covered in green, Atrak says.
Spreading her wings wide, I grasped the wind and accelerated.
Entering a gliding posture, we descended gently.
Even though I squinted against the strong wind, I poked my head out and looked around.
…Who’s Atrak?
“Abyss-san, who is this Atrak?”
“Oh right. I forgot… Atrak-sama is a Devil god.”
“A Devil god!?”
“The one who finished off Rocmalog…”
Amariaz murmured softly as if she couldn’t hear, but it’s better to ask Abyss for more information than that.
Or maybe I just don’t understand much about their races.
Just saying it’s a Devil god, but how is it different from an ordinary Devil?
So when I asked, Abyss said, “Hmm,” and seemed to be pondering.
Although she seemed to be troubled about how to explain, the answer seemed to come surprisingly quickly, and she explained while concentrating on flying.
“The first Devil. Like the ancestor of Devils, I guess? Um, how old is that person again…?”
“Huh!? Could it be…!”
I remembered asking once who could beat Uchikage-Ojiichan.
At that time, he said there were five people who could definitely beat him.
The first Devil… If that person is Atrak, is there a possibility of winning…?
He must be acquainted with Uchikage-Ojiichan for sure.
Wow, I’m looking forward to meeting him!
…In that case, does Atrak also have skills?
Abyss also said it’s the first Devil, and he’s been alive for more than four hundred years with ease.
Maybe I can talk about skills.
“By the way, Abyss-san, do you also have skills?”
“Yeah, I have them. But Devils with skills have become rare.”
“…Were they targeted by angels?”
“No, it was their lifespan.”
Amariaz tilted his head at that word.
Devils are long-lived, and there are individuals who easily live for two thousand years.
There is no concept of aging, and once they reach a certain size, their growth stops, and they live almost forever in that form.
So Devils who were supposed to be born after Atrak shouldn’t die of old age.
Perhaps sensing Amariaz’s puzzled expression, Abyss chuckled softly.
It’s known to humans that Devils are long-lived.
Seeing the expected reaction, it seemed amusing.
“The majority of Devils with skills had exhausted most of their power during the last battle four hundred years ago.”
“…? What do you mean?”
“They used up their lifespans to fight.”
Upon hearing that, Amariaz quickly understood.
Though they had decimated the Devil race at the time, there was a surprisingly resilient army of Devils that managed to survive and evade defeat. No matter how many creatures were thrown at them, they fought fiercely until the end, ultimately defeating a single evil deity.
Amazed by their tenacity, Amariaz thought about the reasons behind it.
However, who possessed such abilities?
Skills that consumed one’s lifespan were usually granted to races capable of living for extended periods. Moreover, such skills were exceptionally rare.
“Who had such abilities?”
“Daloslaina. He was a high-ranking Devil, the shirtless muscle-bound guy. Just before dying, he used a skill called ‘Life Reduction’ with the consent of his subordinates.”
“Life Reduction?”
“This skill shortens one’s lifespan but significantly boosts their abilities. Those affected could choose one particular skill they wanted to enhance.”
For those with strength, it was their attack power.
For those adept in magic, it was their magical energy or prowess.
For those swift in movement, it was their agility.
Though possessing such powers, they were often defeated. Among the Devils who survived to the end, there were 572. Of those, 342 were in Daloslaina’s unit, which dwindled to 230 a hundred years later.
However, it wasn’t all bad.
During that century, many children were born. While none were born with abilities, the dwindling number of Devils was revitalized by these children, bringing back the liveliness of the past.
“Well, that’s about it. While Devils with abilities are relatively abundant in this era, there aren’t many who use them indiscriminately. They’ve become an elite force and are surviving.”
With that said, they could see the green landscape ahead.
A large castle stood at the center, surrounded by expansive forests and lively mountains. Numerous houses dotted the land, indicating the bustling activities of the Devils.
“All right, let’s head to the castle!”
Abyss flapped her wings vigorously, gliding towards the castle.