Hell Mode: Volume 11, page 30
The count placed a hand on his forehead and turned to the ground.
“Count, there’s no need for you to look so down,” Shia said. “Pelomas is a hero who saved the Prostia Empire, and it’s only natural that the wedding of such a hero be hosted and celebrated by the entire nation he was born in.”
“Um, Shia? What are you talking about?” Pelomas asked.
“You need not be afraid. You must know that you have such importance and value to your nation. However, the king cannot say so himself. Very well, how about I personally visit the king of Ratash? Surely that will leave him no choice but to lend us the castle.”
“Agreed,” Cecil said. “I’ll head to the castle for you, Fiona.”
“Yeah,” Allen added with a nod. “The king probably is trying to find a way to meet the Prostian empress anyway. We need to report back about the empire as well, so we should bow our heads and ask for his help.”
Both Pelomas and Fiona were completely stunned.
“Hey! Don’t go deciding all that by yourselves!” the couple yelped in unison.
And so, the group decided to ask the royal family to host Pelomas and Fiona’s wedding.
Afterword
Ah, it’s the afterword again. I’d like to talk to you all about three things:
The Prostia Empire arc
Celebrating the anime adaptation
Me dying at Miyako-jima
First, about the Prostia Empire arc. The conclusion of this arc had the long-awaited appearance of Demon Lord Zeldias. This is the first time he’s been named as well. Along with him and his Six Great Demon Gods showing up, Allen obtained his first Rank S Summon, which led him to his victory. I also believe that Pelomas and Beku did great things, supporting the rest of their friends and allies in the background.
Beku’s past is revealed in the three-part side story “The Sacrifice and the Blood of the Beast,” and he ultimately decides to entrust Pelomas with Shia’s future. I’m so glad that Pelomas won Fiona over. Speaking of the noblewoman, what did you think of her? Was she a bit high-handed? Haughty, even? Did she have grand, lofty desires like Princess Kaguya? When she was introduced in the web novel, opinions were pretty split about her, with a lot of people saying that she wasn’t suitable for Pelomas, who was literally giving her his all and then some. The inspiration for Fiona came from a certain streaming website, and a knowledgeable man like myself uses all sorts of media and ideas in my work.
On this video streaming site, the person was introducing European art. Apparently, during that age of art, a certain nation’s high nobility and society preferred paintings and sculptures of normal women going about their day instead of the perfect, ideal, ethereal depiction of women that was popular elsewhere. Frankly, I agree with that take. It’s why I decided to make Fiona the daughter of a wealthy household, but also a regular townswoman. She’s got pride, of course, and is greedy in her own way, with hopes of fulfilling her own wishes. The imperfections she shows are beautiful in my eyes. Because of that, I find her to be relatable as a townswoman, and I feel like a woman like her would be rather common in reality. She’s not some perfect entity.
Maybe Deirdre, the woman who fell in love with Macris, who transformed into the Holy Fish and risked his life to stop the sea monster and save his fellow merfolk, was a normal lady too. Who can say?
And to those going, “Hamuo, damn, is that how you see normal women?” Yes, you. I see you. Please don’t take pity on me. I’ll cry, you know.
Allen and his friends’ next goal is the Heavenly Realm, and we’ll begin the arc with their journey to the Judgment Gate. What awaits them there? Please look forward to the continuation of their exciting adventures!
On to the second thing, the anime adaptation! On December 5, 2024, to celebrate the tenth volume of the manga and over 1.8 million copies sold, I was able to announce that Hell Mode is getting an anime! Needless to say, I was told that an anime was in the works many years ago, and when I first heard the news from my editor, I was just over the moon! On cloud nine!
I then met the publisher, the director, the screenwriter, people in the TV industry, and those from the animation studio. The production was well underway. I did what I could to contribute, including hashing out the details of every episode, looking over the designs and art, and checking the setting of this series. Of course, there are scenes that might be better expressed in anime format, or even parts that can only be expressed in a moving visual medium, but that’s out of my wheelhouse. I made sure to incorporate and respect the ideas of the director and everyone involved in the creation of this anime while trying to give my own opinions. A few years have passed since.
When I first started to publish my work online in March of 2019, I was able to climb up the ranking of Shosetsuka ni Naro, and I was lucky to catch a publisher’s eye. I got a manga adaptation, the series was translated for overseas readers, and I was even blessed with an anime series. I never would’ve dreamed that so many people would read my work. My first series ultimately became an anime, and that is just incredible. It’s all thanks to readers like you for giving me support. Thank you, truly. I hope that as many people as possible will watch the animated series.
And finally, the third portion, me dying at Miyako-jima. The Prostia Empire arc took place under the sea, so I headed to Miyako-jima for some inspiration, hoping to conclude this arc. Videos and books simply weren’t enough for me, and I really wanted to explore and experience the ocean.
I managed to buy a souvenir for the publisher, and I checked into my hotel and reserved a seat for the coconut crab tour before setting off for the coast to experience kayaking. A ferry or tour boat from overseas had booked all the taxis, and I ultimately had to rent a bike and ride it over twenty kilometers. To set the scene, the month was August, and it was a sweltering thirty-five degrees Celsius out. It took me over an hour—and a couple of hills—to pedal my way to the coast.
I was a bit late, but I’d called the kayak instructors beforehand about my delay. They’d graciously told me that they would be more than happy to give me a lesson despite my tardiness. When I arrived, I stepped aboard the transparent kayak, and my excursion began. Just to remind you, I’d just pedaled full speed ahead for over an hour, so my legs were killing me, but the instructor patiently explained that kayaking required more upper body strength and the ability to use my paddle well. And so, I began paddling away.
I could hardly believe that there’d been a storm there the week before. The ocean was so beautiful and clear, and children were leaping off a low bridge that was nearby and playing in the water. The lesson had initially been scheduled to be an hour and a half, but I was so exhausted that I cut it short, ending it within an hour. The instructors even took photos and videos of my experience, and I was so grateful. I know I caused them a lot of trouble with my delay, and I wanted them to eat some good food with the nearby kids. I paid my lesson fee, and I also tried to give them a small tip of sorts—a reward for their patience, really—but they kindly declined my offer. They asked me to use that money to enjoy another kayaking experience one day. The moral of the story is, if you head to Miyako-jima, you can enjoy a fabulous kayaking experience. Why not give it a shot?
The bike ride back took two hours, twice as long as it took me to get there. That kayaking lesson had sapped away at what little stamina I had left, and I was practically dead inside. I stopped in front of a vending machine and just...stayed there, completely frozen for over fifteen minutes. I remember it very well. My body just refused to budge. When I returned to the hotel and entered my room, I almost instantly fell asleep, and the next day, I went snorkeling.
When I first entered the ocean, I was shocked by the cold, crisp water. The temperature was over thirty-five degrees, and I imagined that the seawater would be lukewarm, but never have I been so wrong. It reminded me of the time at school when I’d entered the pool during the colder months to swim on the first day the pool was open. Apparently, the storm from the week prior had mixed the freezing water of the ocean floor with the water closer to the surface, warmed by the sun, which decreased the overall temperature of the ocean. It was cold.
I also wanted to use the snorkeling experience to take pictures of turtles, but lo and behold, there were no sea turtles to be found—also because of the storm. The turtles had left their usual spots to escape the storm, and I spent an hour with my instructor in search of one. The sea was three meters deep, and the turtles were around a meter long. After a while, we finally found a sea turtle, but a snorkeling beginner like myself couldn’t dive too deep. One needs skill to dive, apparently. When the turtle decided to surface, I used that opportunity to snap a photo.
That night, I headed out for the nocturnal coconut crab tour. An elderly guide and their assistant, their son, took us to the outskirts of the city in the middle of the night by car. The son was the second generation in charge of the coconut crab tour, and the parent-and-son duo had been doing this for many years. I think we headed for an observation deck or something.
The only artificial light we had was from our flashlights, and we covered our bodies with insect repellent before trekking onto the rough trail. Our goal was to spot a coconut crab that came out from its hole. I spotted large spiders that I’d never seen in the city, and the elderly guide informed us that the locals used to catch nearby coconut crabs and eat them. We moved along. We walked a decent way, but then we found a massive, purple coconut crab. It blew me away.
The guide then suggested that we do some stargazing, and we headed by car to a barren field. They took a light stick that really illuminated things far away and used it to teach us about constellations and the stars. Unfortunately, it was cloudy that night, but we still managed to catch glimpses of stars that I’d never seen in the city.
I spent the rest of my time in Miyako-jima in a museum to learn the history of the city, in a botanical garden to read up on tropical plants, and touring the only dam on the island. With that, my vacation and...sabbatical of sorts drew to a close. I didn’t have enough time to visit the remote island near Miyako-jima, but I’m planning on doing that soon! I’d like to enjoy all sorts of new experiences and use them as inspiration for Hell Mode!
Lastly, I’d like to mention that the manga version, which started after the light novel series, has been selling really well, reaching the heights of the light novel’s sales. I’d like to thank the artist, Tetta Enji, since they’ve also helped out with the creation of the anime. I couldn’t be happier with their work.
I would love it if you all read the manga as well! I’ll see you soon!
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Copyright
Hell Mode ~The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing~ Volume 11
by Hamuo
Translated by piyo
Edited by Adam Haffen
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2025 Hamuo
Illustrations © 2025 Mo
Cover illustration by Mo
All rights reserved.
Original Japanese edition published in 2025 by Earth Star Entertainment
This English edition is published by arrangement with Earth Star Entertainment, Tokyo
English translation © 2025 J-Novel Club LLC
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property.
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The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
Ebook edition 1.0: December 2025
Hamuo, Hell Mode: Volume 11
