Anything to Survive in Hell: From Weakling to Tyrant-Chapter 6 Insane family

The place I was guided to was a rather decent room attached to the palace.

It was larger than I expected and came with everything one could need. It was bigger and better than the guest room I had stayed in before my audience with mother.

"This room is fucking great."

Compared to the small room in the southern fortress where I’d lived almost my entire life—save for when I was a barely-remembered whelp—it was truly no different from some high-class hotel... but I wasn’t particularly happy.

What good was experiencing something like this right before being dragged to the slaughterhouse?

Even the demon who had just guided me was unfriendly. When I tried to ask that demon for some information, they told me that if I was a demon, I should find it myself. So when I asked them to at least tell me the location of the library, they did.

I had no choice but to go there and find out for myself.

"Those fucking bastards."

Anyway.

Now alone, I decided to organize the situation. Slowly reviewing the circumstances. Because there was nothing better than organizing my thoughts when planning what I needed to do next.

"Right."

I was actually said to be of quite good lineage. I was born from an egg that mother had deemed acceptable, but as luck would have it, I was a failure.

That’s why I supposedly had almost no ether.

Once it was determined that I had almost no ether, I was naturally sent to the southern fortress. They couldn’t raise a failure in the capital, after all. There, I seemed to have lived with various lower-to-middle-class demons. That’s exactly the vibe I got.

After living like that for years, mother suddenly called me to this palace... and now, fuck, I have to participate in the Demon King Descent Ritual.

This astonishing ritual was like a barbaric ceremony.They say that to pray for the Great Demon King’s return, they just send young demons raw into the Mortal Realm!

"Alright."

Up to this point, I could roughly understand. It meant I was unlucky enough to be chosen as the demon representative to invade the Mortal Realm.

But what the hell does a Demon King actually do?

"Conquer the Mortal Realm"—it’s easy to say, but too abstruse, comprehensive, and vague. What exactly do I need to do to achieve domination? I don’t even know that much.

"I need to know this."

This is the most important thing.

From what I heard, Hell was currently under the domination of several Overlords. There didn’t seem to be a Demon King. These Hell Overlords, while incredibly evil and powerful themselves, possessed numerous troops. With them, they dominated their own territories.

Does that mean a Demon King also dominates the Mortal Realm by using power and subordinates in the same way?

"That makes sense."

I planned to look for information in a place like a library, but if my thought was correct, what I needed to do was cultivate my power and gather subordinates.

"But... are there any bastards in the Mortal Realm who would bow their heads to a demon?"

I didn’t know this either.

And there was another problem.

Right now, I was fucking weak.

I knew the strength of demons.They used all sorts of strange magic, and their own power was incredibly strong. There were even guys who could beat down a monster the size of an elephant with their bare hands. The ones in the southern fortress where I lived were like that, so the highest-ranking bloodlines living in this palace must be even more so.

Compared to those bastards, I was just a child.

"My power."

My physical abilities honestly weren’t good. Except for the minuscule amount of ether... No. Was this really a demon? I only looked like a demon, but fuck, I was no different from a person.

Anyway.

What was important was ether.

The reason demons exerted superhuman power was entirely because they possessed ether. Only with strong ether could one become a powerful demon. That’s why demons strove to cultivate their ether from a young age.

It seemed most of them knew how to cultivate ether.

What was important was.

"I fucking don’t know."

Because I learned to speak late, I didn’t know how to increase my ether. Good. It was clear now. I needed to cultivate ether. The library would have the method.

I’d go down to the Mortal Realm, survive somehow, and cultivate my ether. If I cultivated ether, I’d naturally become strong, and then I could beat anyone down and make them my subordinates. In the end, it was power. Only with power could I survive and expand my influence.

If I cultivated power in that way and achieved results.

Mother said she would save me.

Then, all I had to do was execute.

"Alright!"

Thinking that far, I immediately sprang to my feet!

Let’s go to the library!

The palace corridor.

"..."

Currently, I was walking cautiously, cowering like a piece of trash... Fuck. If you thought about it, wasn’t this the highest-level dungeon with the final boss? The capital palace of the Belial territory?

All the beings around me right now were fucking strong. Strong, or of good lineage. Walking squeezed among such demon bastards, I naturally couldn’t help but cower.

This feeling, as if I’d be overwhelmed by their gaze alone!

"Someone save me...!"

Overwhelmed, I felt like I would collapse! Anyway, it was the library. I heard the location, so I could find it. This was all for survival. What wouldn’t I do to live? I suppressed my fear and walked.

Just as I turned the corner.

Tuung!

"Ugh."

I collided with some being and bounced off!

Terrified, I looked up at their face!

"Ah."

A pair of deep blue eyes were gazing at me. The owner of those eyes was... a tall female demon with black hair. She looked incredibly strong and possessed magnificent horns.

Perhaps it was because this was the palace where mother resided? Though not quite reaching the Overlord’s level, she was truly bewitchingly beautiful. No. All the demons I saw coming and going in the palace right now were beautiful.

"Oh? Is it you, by any chance?"

"Yes?"

"The one participating in the Descent Ritual?"

Huh?

"It seems so."

"Yes, yes. That’s correct. But... who are you?"

"I am your older sister."

My older sister said so, giving a soft smile!

This was my chance!

"Older sister!!!"

I immediately sprang up and offered a deep bow to my older sister!

"Please accept my respect first!"

"Uh, uhm?"

"And please save me, please! If I just participate in the Descent Ritual like this, this Imp will die! Please help me!!!"

Anyway, it seemed I wouldn’t see her again after today! And someone who knew I was participating in the ritual wouldn’t attack me!

This was an act for survival!

If there was even a slight possibility, I should ask for help!

Who knows!

She might give me something out of pity!

Even if the chances were low, I would challenge it!

It was while I was bowing like that.

Suddenly, a hand was placed on my head.

"Hoohoohoo, how cute. To ask for help so boldly. Do you want to live that badly?"

"Of, of course! Older sister! Please help me!"

"But I don’t think I can help you."

"Yes?"

"Because you’re going to die anyway."

Ah.

"I’ve heard that no demon has ever achieved significant results in the Descent Festival so far. Everyone died, they said. It’s pitiful, but what’s the point of giving something to a child who’s going to die anyway? So, just give up and die."

My older sister, who had been stroking my head, left only those words and then disappeared.

"Th-this fucking bitch!"

Suddenly, some memories flashed back! There used to be stray cats living in front of my house! They were cute, and I’d stroked their heads a few times, and I felt sorry for their plight, but I never gave them anything, and I didn’t particularly care when they suddenly disappeared one day! A relationship where they’re cute to look at, but their disappearance doesn’t really bother you!

Was it that kind of feeling?!

"H-how cruel!"

But I mustn’t be swallowed by despair. The library. Let’s go to the library. I didn’t expect much help anyway. It was fine. No damage taken.

However, this cruel experience didn’t end with just one encounter.

"Kya-hahahahahahahat! Is it you? Is it you? The one who’s going to die this time? Kya-hahahahahahaha!"

Some girl demon burst out laughing the moment she saw me and spouted such words...!

"You look fucking weak! Fucking weak! Go die! Die! Just die!"

"Fuck...!"

The truly unfair thing was that this girl was stronger than me! I could just tell by looking! This brat was incomparably stronger than me! That made me even more despairing!

And that wasn’t all!

"Kekekeke!!!"

As I clutched my aching chest and headed towards the library, some muscular male demon approached me, laughing heartily!

"Imp! It’s you! The bastard participating in the Descent Ritual!"

"Wh-who are you now?"

"Your older brother!"

"Older brother!!! I want to live! Please help me! Please! Isn’t there anything?!"

"The heart to humbly accept death! I came to teach you that! Hahahahaha!!!"

You fucking insane bastards!!! 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"You said we were family!!! You said you were my older brother!!! You said you were my older sister!!!"

We were born from eggs by the same mother, weren’t we!!!

Next!

"Is it you. The sacrifice for the Descent Ritual."

"Ah, yes..."

Some smart-looking demon in a slicked-back tuxedo saw me, adjusted his glasses, and spoke.

"U-hat! U-hat! U-hahahahaha! Die, scum! Overlord Elara has no need for a guy like you!"

He burst out into fucking laughter!

"Th-this!"

My body and mind were utterly battered and bruised!!!

These bastards were all making fun of me right now! They regarded my miserable fate and death as merely a small amusement for their festival!

This is what demons are!

"...!"

My heart felt like it was tearing apart.

I had almost reached the library, but I had encountered too many insane demons on the way here.