Anything to Survive in Hell: From Weakling to Tyrant-Chapter 13 Rite

The atmosphere was fucking bizarre. Grotesque. That was the only impression I could feel. Honestly, I was fucking terrified.

But perhaps it was because of the ether filling the space. I surrendered my body as if flowing with water, as if under hypnosis.

I stood completely naked.

Grasping hands appeared from within the darkness. Those hands were smeared with something like pitch-black paint, and they touched my body. As if giving me a body painting.

I didn’t know where I was walking right now. It was dark. My memory was unclear. I walked through the darkness like that, and hands continuously emerged, smearing paint on my body.

Soon, I became a completely pitch-black being. Because the surroundings were pitch-dark, it felt as if I had assimilated into that darkness. Strangely enough, once that happened, there was a part of me that felt somewhat relieved.

But.

Tak Tak

Tak Tak

I wasn’t the only one in this space. Within my hazy vision... other demons seemed to be faintly visible, walking like me. Could they be the other demons participating in the Descent Ritual?

I didn’t know for sure, but they didn’t all look that unique. My comrades... I guess I couldn’t call them that. They’d all be launched to different places, after all. In fact, there was almost no chance of meeting them.

Tak.

How much time had passed? The grasping hands that had been touching my body disappeared. And then, something began to appear in front of me.

"Keuh!"

That thing, with its back to the suddenly bursting light... its face was not visible. Because of the intense light, only a pitch-black silhouette could be seen.

It was like finally finding an entrance in a dark cave devoid of any light, only to find someone standing before that brilliant entrance.

The figure was a demon holding a splendid staff.

...

As it raised its staff, it muttered something incomprehensible and cast dark magic. Before I knew it, I was kneeling... Yes. I remembered. They definitely said they would offer prayer to the Demon God.

Was this something similar to that? I had no idea what kind of ritual it was. An unrealistic sensation merely dominated my body.

My consciousness seemed to be breaking. My vision was dyed in darkness.

"Hoo!"

The surreal baptismal ritual was over. Fuck, other demons were enjoying this Descent Festival like a celebration, but I was stuck receiving some grotesque baptism like this!

A Demon God’s baptism? A blessing? I didn’t feel a fucking thing! I didn’t even know what it was.

At some point, the body painting had all disappeared, and by the time I realized the baptismal ritual was over, demons came in, dragged me away, and brought me to this room.

"..."

A small and clean room, about 4 square meters in size. They said I just needed to wait here until the Descent Ritual began. There was only a bed and a dresser.

"Still, all my clothes are here."

Because I was naked during the baptism, I’d wondered where all my clothes had gone, but they were all safely in the room.

The various tools and books I’d stored inside my coat were also intact. If all these had disappeared, no lie, I would have thrown a fucking tantrum, demanding them back.

I felt relieved.

...

I felt somewhat floaty, detached. Now I was truly alone. Karla wasn’t here either. I had to descend to the Mortal Realm alone.

I, who only knew the basics of being a true demon, had to go down there and survive. Monsters? They said I had to live by dominating those bastards... When had I ever done that? I was dying of anxiety. This very moment was my last time spent in Hell.

"I can’t waste such time."

First, I should study. The thought of lying on the bed and trying to sleep crossed my mind, but now was a critical time. Immediately, I took out the basic dark magic tome, and the moment I opened the page—

Hwaa...

A strange phenomenon occurred. In an instant. It happened in a flash.

"Oh."

Darkness seeped into the room. A ghost! Could it be a ghost?! I’m a demon, but if there are ghosts, I think I’d be scared! While having such thoughts, the moment I looked forward—

Like that of a beast! Bright yellow eye-glow!

"Kyaaaaaaaah!"

"Oh dear, I’m sorry. Mother startled you, didn’t she?"

A familiar voice... Mother?

"Huh?"

Overlord Elara Noctis Belial. She descended into the space where darkness had settled. She stood in a space of only darkness. A beauty that could shake one’s chest.

So beautiful that she boasted a beauty great enough to make one dizzy. As expected, she possessed a sensual figure befitting it.

Mother’s scent filled the room. An alluring scent, so enchanting that my eyes involuntarily closed... And then.

That scent grew even deeper.

"That’s right. Calm down, dear? There’s no need to be surprised."

At the same time, something soft and warm touched my face... This. Yes. It was a breast. The flesh of her breasts, swollen as if about to burst, was gently cradling my face.

"Mother...?"

Overlord Elara was embracing me.

"Yes. It’s Mother, dear?"

I was burying my nose in her cleavage.

A tingling sensation, piercing through the center line of my body, spread throughout my entire body. My body grew hot. My heart pounded rapidly. The scent I felt enveloped my entire body.

In my head, milky-white flashes rapidly flickered. I couldn’t collect my mind. Mother’s height was similar to mine. Just like this... a little longer within these breasts...

"No, wait!"

I immediately pushed Mother away and broke free from her embrace!

This is crazy! To appear so suddenly! I never wanted to see such a horrible woman again! A crazy, psychopathic bitch!

"Oh my... are you rejecting Mother?"

At that, Mother, with a very sad expression, stroked her own cheek with her right hand and spoke.

"You’re so heartless, Knull. Mother is sad."

"No! That’s! Is that something Mother should say?! I’m the one who was rejected! If anyone’s sad, it’s me!"

Why is she the one who’s sad?! I’m the one who’s being culled right now!

"Son. It’s a misunderstanding. Mother has never rejected Knull. Look now? I came to find you, didn’t I? No mother comes to find a child she’s abandoned."

That’s the strange thing. Why is she pretending to care so much? While giving no other help at all, she just pretends to care with her words.

"Anyway, why did you come?! Go away! I need to study!"

"Study?"

"I have to study as much as possible before I go! Don’t disturb me, just go!"

"Fufufu, how commendable. Knull has quite the academic zeal, doesn’t he?"

Mother smiled as if pleased.

"But why did you become a weak mute..."

"Let’s not talk about that."

It’s a heartbreaking story.

"But why did you come? Did you perhaps come to give this poor son some proper help, for the last time?"

"Knull. Knull is all grown up now, so you shouldn’t rely on Mother too much. You’re an adult, aren’t you?"

"Rely on you for what?! I’m just asking for some help! Stop teasing me!"

"Teasing?"

"You’re here, having pushed your own child into the pit of death, and you’re just toying with me like this! How could you do something so cruel to me...!"

At those words, the expression vanished from Mother’s face. Expressionless.

"Hmm?" As she suddenly changed her expression, I became a little scared. No. I was truly scared. Mother, possessing a terrifyingly beautiful beauty... was staring at me with those expressionless eyes. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Enormous. Truly something enormous seemed to be in front of me.

"Hoo..haa." My body trembled.

"Knull."

"Yes, yes?"

"You are truly ignorant."

"Huh?"

"It’s the same anyway."

Ha-a. Mother sighed. Only then did her expression return... But what did she mean by "the same"?

"Of course, it’s regrettable that Knull has to participate in a Descent Ritual from which he can barely return alive. However."

A voice as if teaching and soothing a child.

"Even if it weren’t for the ritual, there are countless battlefields in Hell anyway. Even now, Knull’s countless siblings are dying on the battlefield. At the hands of angels. At the hands of other demons. Or at the hands of monsters. It’s truly a sad thing."

Ah.

"Knull isn’t particularly unfortunate. If you were born in Hell. If you are a demon. It’s natural to always struggle. If you’re weak, you’re eliminated. If you’re strong, you survive—that’s what demons are."

A gentle, calm tone.

Mother, approaching with the sound of high heels, placed her hand on my head. She slowly stroked it.

"Even if Knull had more power and wasn’t chosen for the Descent Ritual, it would be the same. Mother would have sent Knull to the battlefield. Because that would be Knull’s purpose."

As she stroked my head, Mother’s breasts, swollen as if about to burst, were swaying in front of my eyes... Even if I tried not to notice, my gaze was constantly drawn to them. Because she was wearing attire that didn’t properly cover her body, I felt as if that part would be visible if I wasn’t careful.

"Even if you’re my child, I won’t particularly look after you. You can’t always live comfortably, Knull. If you’ve become an adult, you must do work befitting that."

Right now, I was being scolded by Mother.

"Knull... you couldn’t properly learn to speak when you were young, could you? That’s why you still don’t know such realities."

Being scolded like this made it feel as if Mother had truly become my mama. I couldn’t accept that.

"That’s why you’re too much like a child..."

"Enough. Stop treating me like your child."

I immediately shook off her hand that was stroking my head.

"Knull?"

"According to what I’ve found out, I don’t seem to be your child or anything."

"Uh, uh-huh?"

"Our species is different, for starters. We have no similarities."

This isn’t my mama!

"Knull. Where did you hear such things? Those are hurtful words to Mother. Those are words you shouldn’t say."

In an instant, her hand shot out and grabbed both sides of my face! A movement so swift there was no time to dodge! I was completely caught!

"How dare you, in front of Mother. There shouldn’t be anyone who would utter such words... It’s strange... truly. I don’t feel the loyalty that should naturally be present if you were my child. This is the first child I’ve seen go astray like this..."

And she muttered to herself!

"Ah, oh Mother! I was wrong! I made a slip of the tongue!"

I, who had become scared, immediately begged Mother.

"Uh, uh-huh?"

"Please forgive me! Please! I said it because I was angry! I didn’t mean it!"

"Oh... right."

Mother, flustered!

The power in the hand holding my face loosened! I immediately bowed my head and apologized!

"Hoo... I’m sorry, Mother. My mind was so frustrated..."

"..."

While doing so, I subtly glanced at her.

"..."

Mother, with a slightly surprised face, was looking at me, her right hand placed on her breast.

"Then I’ll go and study now. Thank you for coming to see me, Mother."

"Knull."

"Yes?"

"You made a promise with Mother, didn’t you? That you’d achieve results."

"Uh... yes. I did."

"If you achieve results... I’ll secretly get you out. So work hard, dear?"

Mother, having said those words, turned her body. Wait. Right now, something... the feeling was a little different from when we were talking earlier.

"Still, Knull is Mother’s son, after all. I came to talk to you one last time. I’m sorry if I upset you? I want to apologize, will you accept it?"

"Of course, I should accept it."

"Fufufu, yes. Thank you. Then Knull. Come closer to Mother, dear?"

"Huh?"

As I went closer as commanded.

Smooch.

Mother kissed my forehead.

That was the end of it. Mother had disappeared. Like smoke. Only I remained in the empty room.

"...I really can’t figure her out."

I felt warmth on my forehead. Why the fuck did I feel sorry? More than anything... her scent still lingered in the room. My body was hot. Shamefully, I couldn’t concentrate. Blood was rushing to another part of my body. Very intensely.

"...I should just look at the book."

I immediately opened the dark magic tome.

"Ladies and gentlemen! And you, monsters! Finally! The long-awaited Descent Ritual! Begins!"

I felt as if I had become a gladiator entering the Colosseum. It would probably be similar in reality.

Waa-a-a-a-a!

Waa-a-a!

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!

Fervent shouts. And those gazes were fixed on this side. Right now, I wasn’t alone. I was standing with the other low-ranking demons, selected from each family.

Their expressions were all uniformly gloomy. In contrast, how joyful did the demons shouting over there look? Wow. But it was truly a chaotic mess. Demons of all kinds were seated all around in the audience seats, and there was no hell like this hell.

"Then!! The descendant of the Great Demon King! Overlord Ozvalka will give a speech!!"

A horned demon ascended onto the platform set up on a floating stone. And he began to give some speech or another, but I didn’t give a fucking dick. It didn’t even register in my ears.

Only the sensation of tension and my heart feeling like it would burst was all I felt.

How much time had passed?

"Finally!!! Our demon children!!! To reclaim the glory of the past!!! Depart for the Mortal Realm!!! Behold! May the blessings of the Demon Gods be with the children!!!"

Th-this, is it the climax already?! It’s the climax already, you fuck!

In an instant, flashes of darkness shot out and enveloped where I stood! And then!

The other demons standing with me were sucked into that flash! It had begun! The launch to the Mortal Realm!

One by one, they were disappearing!

"...!"

Right! I’m doing it! Even if I die going, I vowed to leave at least these words! Before my turn came!!! This feeling!!!

"You fuck!!! You fucking demons!!!"

I’ll unleash it!!!

"You bastards!!!!!!!!!!"

The sensation of being sucked in—

Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!