1 - A Demon King Is Born

Akuto got off the whale-like long distance bullet train onto the white platform. A mana screen materialized in front of him via specialized train magic, which he used to confirm the time schedule before making his way through the station, dragging his suitcase beside him. The station was packed with people of a wide variety of races and social stations. There were stands selling the capital’s famous green onion-shaped sweets, bookstores, and more lined up inside of the station. One could even compare it to the hustle and bustle of a market. Despite the crowds, it seemed that there were no disturbances to speak of — in the middle of the concourse, a blue-uniformed security magician was swaying the shock baton on his waist back and forth, looking bored.

—The capital is incredible... Even with so many people going about their business like this, it isn’t chaotic at all. Are they accustomed to each other’s movements? No, each person is headed towards their own destination, towards things they want to see or buy, so that can’t be it. I see, maybe the architects of this station knew exactly what people want to do and see. So they designed the station with these desires in mind, so the crowds would flow properly through the station. The magic of high-ranking state magicians truly is impressive.

Giving it far too much serious thought, Akuto followed the mana screen floating in the air and headed towards the station for the non-stop air bus to Constant Magical Academy. The bus stop was built on the highest floor of the towering Central Capital Station, and faced up into the sky. There was a long staircase that led there. Quickly after he started to climb the stairs, Akuto saw an old woman who seemed to be struggling in the middle of the staircase.

The old woman was wearing a kimono and had a large, heavy-looking bag.

—That kimono means she must have been baptized by the god Suhara.

Akuto quickly rushed up the stairs and called out to the old woman from behind.

“Do you need a hand with your bag?”

The old woman glanced back with a surprised expression before replying, “I suppose if it’s not too much trouble...”

There was a reason for the old woman’s surprised reaction, just as there was a reason for Akuto speculating about her faith. In this society, it’s a given that every person is faithful to a god. So the way the followers of Suhara displayed their faith in such a conspicuous manner indicated a stubborn, proud devotion to their god’s doctrine. As such, they were known to be extremely difficult to interact with. These followers oversaw national defense, so you could describe them as either proud or arrogant depending on your perspective.

“My family serves the government. That’s why I don’t often receive any help in town,” the old woman said, and looked at Akuto like he was a rare creature.

“I think it’s only natural to help someone with something heavy. By the way, you said ‘serves the government?’” Akuto asked about the unfamiliar words.

“It means that we are public servants, who are devoted to Suhara. I suppose you could say that we are knights, and hold titles.” The old woman replied calmly.

“Is that so...”

“By the way, are you a student at the Magic Academy?”

“Yes.” Akuto nodded and the old woman smiled, like she was embarrassed.

“That bag is my grandchild’s. She’s a student at the Academy, too. She returned home over the break, but ended up forgetting all of her things when she left.”

“She forgot everything?”

“Strange, isn’t it? She must have thought she was heading off to school as usual and left with nothing but the clothes on her back.”

Akuto and the old woman laughed, and a figure appeared at the top of the stairs as if drawn by their voices.

“Grandmother! I thought that was your voice!”

The voice came from a young girl the same age as Akuto. With a surprised look on her face, she looked back and forth between Akuto and the old woman. She wore a Constant Magical Academy uniform.

“You forgot this.” The old woman grinned.

“Huh? Forgot? No way... What the—?!”

The girl’s eyes grew even wider in surprise and she covered her mouth with her hands. She had shiny hair and almond eyes, and a beautiful face that was slightly intimidating. Nonetheless, her current expression clearly showed what was going through her mind.

—She hasn’t had her bags this entire time, and still goes “No way?”

Akuto was surprised. Despite the impression of being a beautiful, cool-headed girl, it seemed that she was somewhat of an airhead.

Then as she looked at Akuto, the girl’s face suddenly grew red and she cleared her throat.

“Grandmother, who is this?”

“Ah yes. This boy carried your heavy bag for me. Kids like this are rare nowadays. It seems that he goes to the same school as you, so look out for him, okay? Although, more than likely you’re the one that will need looking after.” The old woman giggled like a child.

“D-Don’t be stupid, Grandmother!” The girl automatically shot back at her grandmother like a child being teased, but after realizing that Akuto was watching her, immediately stiffened and she cleared her throat.

“Ahem... I haven’t... I haven’t seen you at school yet, which means you’re a transfer student. Nice to meet you, I’m the representative of Class A, Junko Hattori. For taking care of my grandmother, please allow me to thank you.”

Junko gave off an air of a samurai as she bowed. Unlike before, her behavior gave off the cool and level-headed impression that her appearance would suggest.

“It’s not something you need to thank me for.” Akuto was quick to say.

“Here she goes again, always trying to show off. Well then, I’ll be heading back.” The old woman bowed to Akuto and headed down the stairs.

Junko and Akuto were left at the air bus stop.

A few awkward moments passed, until Junko decided to break the ice.

“...It’s rare to have a transfer student start from high school.”

“I heard there are a few other people who are coming in at the same time. Normally all of the students come straight from the Academy’s middle school, so it seems that they don’t allow transfers without extenuating circumstances.”

“Yeah. Unless you’re returning from abroad or a foreign research student, they seldom accept you. What country are you from?”

“Oh no, I’m a scholarship student. From passing the exams.”

“Really...” Junko said, impressed. “I’ve heard that there have been years where no one has passed the exam before. That’s quite a feat.”

Akuto’s face softened self-consciously.

“Thank you,” he said. “I don’t mean to pry, but are you planning to become a state magician?”

“Yes. After all, I have to do my best for my family, which means doing my best to defend the country.”

The previous look of foolishness had entirely disappeared from Junko’s face. She was certainly a capable class president, and looking at her now, you could get a very clear impression of the distinct stubbornness and nobility of Suhara’s followers.

—It’ll be nice if we’re in the same class.

Akuto thought to himself. Until now, he had never had a friend who was his equal. There wasn’t anyone in his rural town who even thought about serving the country and becoming a magician, so his lack of friends wasn’t entirely his fault. But now that he’d met Junko, he realized that the Academy was a place where students who felt the same he did gathered to study. This thought made Akuto feel a surge of excitement about his upcoming life.

The air bus arrived. Akuto and Junko were the only two who got on. They sat down opposite each other in the middle car of the bus.

“Where are the other transfer students? I thought that I wasn’t the only one.”

“I believe that the international students should have arrived at the Academy a little earlier. You will probably meet up with them after your body measurements are done.”

“So that’s why... Ah.” Akuto exclaimed as he saw the view outside the window.

The air bus flew up, and Akuto gazed out at the imperial capital below them, and in the distance he saw the entirety of Constant Magic Academy.

The campus was spread out with several buildings peeking out in the middle of a vast forest. The main campus building had two magnificent steeples, sparkling white.

“You probably know this already, but the school is an old fortress from the war with the Demon King one hundred years ago. The older school buildings just use the fortress as it was, and there are still many kilometers of underground tunnels. Although they have turned into a sort of underground labyrinth now. There have even been reports of people going missing down there, so be careful.”

“I will be. Though I don’t intend to go anywhere dangerous during my life here. I came here to study. I want to change the course of society to be good and just, and in order to do that, I want to study at the best place possible.”

“Change the course of society?” Junko’s eyes lit up with curiosity.

“In other words, I am going to become a high priest, someone who shapes society.”

Junko let out a sigh of admiration as Akuto said this.

“This is the first time I’ve heard someone say something like that. Although they say that the gods see all actions taken against their will, nobody gets punished for those actions. But... that’s right, if you are going to become a high priest... no matter which religious order you follow, violating any taboos is strictly forbidden.”

“I know, I know.”

Akuto’s reply was so nonchalant that Junko’s eyes widened as she gave Akuto one more look. She double-checked Akuto’s expression to make sure he wasn’t joking, and then gave him a strong, affirming nod.

“I’ve heard that even littering can become an obstruction on the path to becoming a high priest. It’s a difficult thing to prepare yourself for. I don’t know what order you follow, but if that truly is your goal, then I’ll help you achieve it.”

“I’d be grateful for your help. I think adjusting to school life will be tough.”

—It seems that when you meet someone with the same values, you mysteriously get along. Either man or woman...

Akuto reached out for a handshake. Junko put her hand up as if she was refusing him, but then with a smile, she pulled a small sword out of her uniform.

“In our order, we have a ceremony used to bond two people in friendship. We grip this short sword together and move the hand guard to make a sound.”

“That’s a good custom.”

“You think so? It means that both parties swear that if one of them betrays the other, then the other has no choice but to cut them down.”

“That’s intense. I like it.”

Akuto and Junko brought their hands together and gripped the short sword. Junko grabbed the hilt with her other hand, and when she moved it up and then down, a dry noise rose from the hand guard.

“This is the most basic friendship seal, but you’re the first man I’ve made one with,” Junko said.

“It is an honor. This is also my first time meeting someone like you. You seem like a truly noble person,” Akuto replied, speaking from his heart.

“You’ll make me self-conscious, praising me like that. There haven’t been many serious students at the Academy recently, and a lot of them laugh when you go on about justice or helping others. We understand one another because we aren’t like that, I think.”

“Irresponsible students, huh...”

“It’s due to the school’s tradition of student freedom, really. That in itself isn’t bad, as it gives you the opportunity to gain useful experience for the future. But that also means that there are students who go around fighting monsters in the underground or the forest, and try to justify it by claiming it’s a necessary part of school life. They cite ‘real life experience’ as an excuse for messing around with their magic. All of the class presidents, including myself, have a tough time. We have to supervise the dorms, as well. The only time we can have peace of mind is during long vacations.”

Akuto flashed a teasing smile at the tired-looking Junko.

“And that’s why you left all your things behind?”

“Stupid, don’t make fun of me,” Junko said flatly, her face turning red. But she suddenly started to fidget and looked up at Akuto.

“That... That’s a secret... Don’t tell people at school... Okay? They know me as a strict class president.”

“Of course. I won’t do anything to betray you, right?”

The air bus landed on the roof of the main school building. Stepping off the bus, they felt blades of grass under their feet. The entirety of the vast rooftop was green, and it appeared that the area the air bus landed on was also used as a resting area and an athletics field. You could see the entrance down into the school building at the edge of the open rooftop area. It was a large gate with a bird and cherry blossom design on it.

“There are a lot of students who fly here and land on the roof. That’s why they also put a main entrance here.” Junko pointed out the gate. “Since no one else is around, I’ll be the first to welcome you to Constant Magic Academy.”

○

They walked through the blowing wind and into the school. As the sound of his shoes echoed loudly on the stone staircase, Akuto was thrilled.

“You have to head to the infirmary first, right? I’m going to my classroom, so this is goodbye for now. Even if we end up in different classes, get in touch with me tomorrow,” Junko said, taking her school handbook out of her pocket.

“Once you get your student handbook, if you open up the back page, you can bring up the Mana Communication console. You’ll have to get the hang of telepathic communication, but that shouldn’t take long. Just search for my name.”

The last page of the handbook was completely blacked out, but when Junko stroked it with her finger, shining letters appeared on the page. When she flicked the characters with her finger, a contact list floated into view.

“Once you get used to it, you can operate this just by using your mind. But if you aren’t careful, the mana will get agitated and there is a chance someone could eavesdrop on your conversation. Well, see you later!” After this simple explanation, Junko continued down the stairs.

—I wouldn’t call it love, but she’s a comfortable person to be around. It’s like all my hard work has finally paid off. This is the first time I’ve felt like my words have been understood by someone else, and it’s the first time I’ve formed an equal bond of friendship with someone. Finally, the wind has begun to blow my way.

Akuto thought as he continued on the route marked for transfer students. He soon arrived in front of the school infirmary where a crowd of students was gathered.

“Akuto Sai, correct?”

Noticing Akuto’s arrival, a woman wearing a white coat over her suit called out to him from the middle of the group of people. The information on Akuto was reflected in the woman’s big, round glasses, and she used her pen to put a check on the note in her hand.

“Right on time. With that, all of the transfer students are accounted for. My name is Mitsuko Torii. I’m the school physician. I’m a teacher too, so some of you might also have me for one of your classes in the future. For the rest of you, you’ll want to come see me when you’re not feeling well. But I suppose in that case the less you see of me the better, right?”

With a laugh, the tall, frizzy-haired Miss Mitsuko gave off an innocent and naive air. She seemed cheerful and friendly, and peacefully carefree.

“But in all seriousness, we see a lot of dangerous injuries at this school. You’ll figure it out soon enough, but compared to the outside world, this is a pretty risky and adventurous place. If you focus more on researching magic than studying, you’ll see some of the most incomprehensible things in the world here. I’m sure there’ll be times when you will want to take risks of your own, but the healing process can be an arduous one, so don’t be too reckless, okay?” Miss Mitsuko opened the school infirmary door and shuffled everyone inside.

Everyone besides Akuto was a foreigner. Comparing his skin color to the other students, it seemed that many of them were from the middle of the continent. Some had black skin and others were blonde haired with blue eyes. Akuto had read some material that said about fifty percent of the student body at the school was from abroad.

The school infirmary was massive in size compared to the one in Akuto’s old middle school. The gym-sized space was separated into a number of booths, including a room with beds lined up together and a room where they performed surgery. Even now there were people undergoing treatment with the other school doctors. Some were even groaning in pain, but with a sidelong glance, Miss Mitsuko explained:

“The death rate has been much lower lately, so don’t worry about it, okay! Now, it’s time to take your body measurements, so have a seat in that chair when your name is called.”

Miss Mitsuko pointed to a large wooden chair in a corner of the room. The armrests and backrest were so high that it would be snug for a normal-sized person. Next to it was a cylindrical glass container as tall as the chair. The glass cylinder was giving off a dull light.

“Inside is an artificial spirit that is going to check your health. Don’t worry, it’ll be quick and painless. Most importantly, it’s going to predict your future occupation.”

Akuto, as well as the rest of the exchange students, all gave her puzzled looks.

Miss Mitsuko snorted conceitedly.

“This is one of the fruits of the empire’s magic technology. It collects data on your personality, lifestyle up until this point, intelligence, and physical fitness and judges what kind of occupation you are most suited for. In coming to this school I assume you’re aspiring to a position of vital importance for our country, but with this, we’ll know which of those important roles you are best suited for. This isn’t fortune-telling. Think of it as advice on what occupation best fits your personality and abilities, okay? Incidentally, there hasn’t been a single student that hasn’t ended up entering their predicted occupation. Nervous? Don’t worry. Just by being accepted into this school, you’ve proven that you are all outstanding and distinguished students. Everyone ends up being able to enter into the profession they want.” As Miss Mitsuko said this, it seemed to ease the minds of the international students.

—I see, it seems just by coming to this school, we’re set to enter public service.

With this explanation, Akuto was satisfied.

“Well then, let’s get started.” Miss Mitsuko called out the first student’s name.

A nervous-looking boy sat in the chair. Inside of the glass cylinder, the figure of a crow-like black bird appeared. When the bird opened its mouth, a calm male voice resounded.

“Welcome. I am the artificial spirit, Yatagarasu. Through our contract, I will acquire your personal information and give advice on your future. Transfer Number 001: Yoh Lanly. Health: Normal. Future Occupation... Soldier.”

The boy beamed as he was informed that he would become a soldier. It seemed that the answer coincided with his desired occupation.

After this, the other international students went up one by one and each received Yatagarasu’s prediction. There wasn’t a single student that looked dissatisfied with what he said. Doctors, diplomats, teachers... All of them were occupations that were important to society, and these students had come from abroad because they admired these professions. It was the equivalent to being promised a future path, so on the whole every student’s expression was happy and bright.

Finally, Akuto’s name was called. He sat down in the chair and peered into the glass cylinder. The artificial spirit Yatagarasu looked at Akuto’s face and opened its mouth.

“Transfer Number 021: Akuto Sai. Health: Normal. Future Occupation...”

The international students around Akuto looked on with curiosity. They were interested in the destined professions of their soon-to-be-classmates, and particularly in Akuto, as he was the only transfer student who was an imperial subject. Everyone waited with bated breath for Yatagarasu’s prognosis.

Yatagarasu’s tone remained unchanged from his previous decree, but his words resounded in everyone with an unexpected gravity, to say the least.

His words were bizarre and unprecedented.

“Demon King.”

Everyone in the area looked confused.

Akuto was no exception. He remained in the chair, unable to move or understand what he had just been told.

Miss Mitsuko looked at Yatagarasu suspiciously.

“What did you say?”

“Future Occupation: Demon King.”

Yatagarasu repeated the prediction one more time. Since he was an artificial spirit, his words didn’t have any particular emotion to them. On the other hand, Miss Mitsuko was flustered. She stood and walked up to the glass cylinder.

“One more time, please.”

“Demon King. Commonly known as the ruler of all demons. In this case, the occupation of Demon King means that he is the strongest and most powerful destroyer and threat to society.”

With Yatagarasu’s dispassionate words, Akuto began to realize what exactly he had been told.

“Hah... Haha?” Still, he couldn’t help but think that is must be a joke.

“Okay, stay put. One more time, diagnose him one more time.” Miss Mitsuko forced Akuto to remain seated and approached Yatagarasu.

“The diagnosis is accurate. He will become the Demon King. Both his character and his abilities indicate that this will be the case.”

The artificial spirit remained calm. Miss Mitsuko took her right index finger and stuck it in her ear. This was how magicians communicated telepathically. She didn’t say anything, but even Akuto could guess that she was most likely getting in contact with an expert on the system.

After a few moments, Miss Mitsuko took her finger out of her ear.

“Y-You’ll probably need to be re-examined but, it’s okay, don’t worry. Once you’re re-examined, you should get a normal result. Everyone, don’t be alarmed. We’ll quit for today. Don’t be late for tomorrow’s opening ceremony.”

Miss Mitsuko dismissed the international students. Nonetheless, they were loudly astir over the situation. Left behind, Akuto realized the gravity of what had happened, and was hit by a strong wave of unease and anxiety.

—It’s obvious that this will lead to rumors about me being spread around the school. This is very, very bad. What is going on? This has to be just a bad joke. Yatagarasu was just confused, right? No, even then, the rumors will spread. I have to do something...

These worried thoughts spun around in Akuto’s head.

Miss Mitsuko looked towards Akuto with a stiff expression on her face.

“I’ve contacted the principal. Stay in my office until we hear back from him.”

○

For Akuto, he could only think that this was a nightmare. However, after some time passed with him sitting awkwardly in Miss Mitsuko’s office on the side of the infirmary, an unbelievable message arrived for him.

The mana screen on the desk opened suddenly. It displayed the figure of an old man, tucked away behind a white beard. His appearance made him look like a white ball of fur that sprouted up from a thousand-year old tree, and it was impossible to tell exactly how old he was. This old man spoke with a frank and candid voice.

“Somehow, it appears that you will become the Demon King.”

“Huh?” Akuto exclaimed rudely, forgetting that he was speaking with the school principal.

“I said, it appears that you will become the Demon King. The Demon King is the one that started that war a hundred years ago. We really had a rough time back then, didn’t we,” the principal cackled in an old, withered voice.

“If you know the circumstances, then please tell me. What is a ‘Demon King?’”

“He’s a man that revolts against the world and seeks to annihilate it,” the principal replied, casually.

“That’s... That’s not an occupation, right? Why do I have to be told to become that? If that’s the case, then there should be ways to prevent it, right?” Akuto desperately refused to accept what he was being told, but the principal let out another dry, withered laugh.

“That was the exact lesson we learned a hundred years ago. With the development of magic, when we gained the ability to ascertain a person’s destiny, there was a debate as to whether or not to take measures to prevent that destiny. At the time, we decided not to. Rather, we decided we would even spare the lives of those who would cause others harm. We would keep an eye on them and observe them, but anything more than that we would leave it up to their free will to decide. Until they committed a crime, of course. That’s why even though you might become a master criminal, cause wars, and slaughter and massacre those around you, until that happens you are still a student of this academy. I think that we should work hard to make sure no one ends up becoming like that, but no one truly understands what the end result will be.”

The principal’s verbosity did not match his appearance. Despite his cheerful tone of voice, the contents of his speech were serious. All he said was that Akuto would probably become someone who inflicts harm on other people, but until that actually happened, there was nothing they could do.

“That’s...”

Akuto could only sit there speechless, but he was able to understand the logic behind why it had to be this way. In fact, if the principal hadn’t been talking about Akuto, then he would have been satisfied with his explanation.

“Essentially, both your personality and your abilities are an ideal fit to become the Demon King. Nevertheless, I’m sure that in itself signifies your troubles from here on out, doesn’t it?” The way the principal seemed to enjoy saying the word “trouble” caught Akuto’s attention.

“By trouble, you mean...?”

“Many of our students can be quite hot-blooded and get worked up easily. Hm... I suppose you might even get attacked out of the blue, you know?”

“This isn’t a joke,” Akuto said as he shuddered in fear. If and when the students attacked him, they would naturally use their magic.

Looking at Akuto’s troubled expression, it seemed that the principal suddenly came up with an idea.

“That’s right. Hmm, if you’d like, we can send a request to the government to assign you a bodyguard for your time here at the Academy.”

“Bodyguard?”

“A bodyguard, but they would also be an observer. They would become a student, and stay by your side. Of course, that is only if you desire one.”

—I see, so they could do that, huh... But, that would mean I would be under surveillance twenty-four hours a day...

“And if I don’t like that idea?”

“The Academy will do anything it can to help you, but you won’t be able to lead a normal student life.”

“It feels a bit like I’m being threatened...”

“If that’s how you feel, then for the time being, I think it would be fine for you to do as you like. Just let us know if a bodyguard becomes necessary.”

“I will try that,” Akuto replied.

The screen disappeared. Miss Mitsuko stared hard at Akuto, put her hand on her waist, and let out a long sigh.

“We received the data from Yatagarasu on why he concluded that you were going to become the Demon King, but the amount of data was so massive that only an artificial spirit would be able to process it. Even then, that data might not be correct, either...” Suddenly, Miss Mitsuko grabbed Akuto’s hand.

Akuto was startled. Miss Mitsuko’s eyes behind her glasses had a serious look to them.

—Oh, she’s worried about me.

Akuto was touched, and in a solemn voice, Miss Mitsuko continued.

“From here on out, you’ll experience difficulty and pain. The rumors must have started already, and you’ll attract attention as an extraordinary presence here at the Academy. I’m sure you’ll deal with harassment, too. The bullying will probably be so harsh you’ll wish you were dead. And there might be some students, burning with a sense of justice, who’ll try to assassinate you! It wouldn’t be strange for them to think that if you’re to become the Demon King anyhow, that it would fine to kill you now. But, killing you would be a crime, wouldn’t it? That’s right, there’s no doubt that there will be a clever and ingenious murder, one that even a god would have a hard time passing judgment on. Maybe they’ll force painful and difficult risks on you, under the assumption that it wouldn’t matter even if you died, or hide your possessions from you, or take embarrassing photos of you and spread them around the world, or pressure you into committing suicide...”

Miss Mitsuko’s tone was filled with enthusiasm as the conversation gradually veered off in stranger directions. Her eyes, too, had become filled with a frightening fervor.

“Um... Why all this talk of being killed and suicide...”

“Don’t worry! If you happen to die, I’ll quickly use necromancy to turn you into a ghost! If that happens, even if it is nothing more than a representation of you, your data will be left for future generations! I wonder if there is anything more fabulous for a researcher than to be able to completely analyze the data of someone who was born to become the Demon King. Well, of course, I’m not thinking about how if you live, your data will change day after day and become less useful. And I would never even think for a moment that I would want you to die. So it’s fine, okay? But if you ever want to die, consult me first!”

—The fact you’re this excited is already worrisome.

Akuto thought to himself that Miss Mitsuko had quite a blunt personality. However, it seemed that his hardships were never going to end. In the present situation, he was sure that allies would be few and far between.

Akuto managed to shake himself free of Miss Mitsuko, who seemed to have some kind of lingering attachment to him, and exited the (fortunately empty) main campus building. He headed towards the student dorms, following the directions given in the documents he received when he transferred.

Not to be outdone by the main campus building, the student dormitory was massive and looked like a large castle. Of course, it had actually been used as a fortress in the past, which meant that the garrison facilities that the knights used had been kept and used as a dorm. The Academy was a boarding school, so almost all of the students lived in the dorms. The castle was divided, with the boys’ dormitory in the east and the girls’ dormitory in the west. Walking in through the gate, immediately to the side was the dorm mother’s room where a receptionist window had been set up. Somehow it looked like the rumors hadn’t spread yet, and Akuto was able to receive his room key and information about the dorm from the elderly dorm mother. Then he was able to escape to his room without meeting anyone else. Because he was a transfer student, his room was at the very end of the first floor.

With a desk, bed, closet, and storage cabinet, the room was simple but by no means uncomfortable. His student handbook was closed and sitting on his desk.

Akuto sat down on the bed and let out a sigh.

“Demon King, huh...”

He still couldn’t believe it. Contrary to how he’d imagined the Demon King, it turned out that he was a real person. It was common knowledge that he was a villain who tried to bring about the downfall of society. His true identity was unknown, however the government announcement described him as a ferocious magician who was in command of a host of demons that he led in battle to conquer the world.

Even though everyone knew that demons existed, it was difficult to imagine that there were any with the intellectual capacity to be commanded by a human. Akuto didn’t know what the demons from that time were even like. He had just heard that there were demons like the ones out of a fairy tale. Ever since that incident it seems that, just as the principal had said, something in the world had changed. But since it happened over a hundred years ago, it didn’t feel real at all.

However, the impression left by the Demon King hadn’t faded or changed at all. Especially at this school. As the students had come here to learn magic, they most likely had complicated thoughts about the Demon King as being a symbol of evil magic.

That being the case, just as Miss Mitsuko had pointed out, her desire for his data was practical. It was certain that, rather than bullying and harassment, these complicated feelings would manifest with Akuto being feared and antagonized.

—However, I’ve tried to do good for as long as I can remember. As far as I am aware, I have never done a bad deed before in my life. And as such there ought to be no chance that I’ll become the Demon King, and I’m sure everyone will understand that if I act properly and accordingly. In order to do that, the first impression is absolutely key. Even among my previous classmates, those who were good at lighthearted jokes and idle banter were the popular ones. I’m positive that if I greet them properly, they’ll think that is no way anyone set to become the Demon King would act.

Akuto began to imagine how such a conversation would play out.

—Hello, nice to meet you. I believe you’ve all heard the rumors already, but I was told that in the future I’ll become the Demon King. But if anything, rather than becoming a Demon King, I’d hope to become a Deviant King...

—No way...

—That’s too stupid even for a joke... Anyway, I’m just not really cut out for these kinds of jokes. I’m already way too serious to begin with... Even if I tried to break out of my shell here in high school, those kinds of jokes are still impossible for me to pull off.

—So then, what should I do? If the good-humored approach won’t work, then all I can do is make the most out of my seriousness. I’ll try to speak my mind, and proactively work to benefit the Academy. I know, what if I offered to be on the cleaning committee? No one wants to deal with a terrible job like that. If I work hard, I’m sure I’ll get in the teachers’ good graces as well...

Akuto finished his inner monologue, and felt relieved. Just then, a message started being broadcast throughout the dorm.

“It is mealtime. Please gather in the cafeteria.”

When Akuto entered the cafeteria, he soon realized that the situation had taken a quick and complicated turn, and in a much shorter time span than he had anticipated. The cafeteria had three long tables, wide enough to sit close to two hundred students each. The large gathering of students looked around carefully and suspiciously for an unfamiliar student — or rather, a transfer student. This was a natural reaction when someone new joins a group, but this atmosphere was something else altogether. If you had to draw a comparison, the air in the cafeteria was like a murder had occurred in a large mansion on a snowy mountain, and no one inside knew who the killer was.

—This is really bad...

Feigning composure, Akuto sat at the edge of the cafeteria table. The difference between the murder in the mansion and Akuto’s situation was that the international students in the cafeteria already knew who was going to become the Demon King. Gradually, the other students followed the gazes of the international students and began to realize who the Demon King was.

“He doesn’t really look that violent...”

“Yeah, but aren’t the intellectual types the most cold-blooded and cruel?”

“He does look clever...”

Akuto could hear their whispering voices. This was shocking to him, and he couldn’t just ignore it. However, it was against his nature to sit there and sulk about something like this. After he saw that all the seats in the cafeteria had been filled, he clapped his hands down on the table and stood up.

“To all of my new classmates, and my upper classmates, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Akuto Sai. The rumors you’ve heard are correct, I am the transfer student who Yatagarasu claims has the potential to become the Demon King!”

The complete acknowledgment of the rumor, in addition to the suddenness of the outburst, had all of the students gathered in the cafeteria in an uproar. Akuto had raised his voice, but in a cafeteria this size, it was difficult for his voice to reach far. So, a young boy who had a clever, but exceedingly unruly look about him, quickly raised his right hand and shouted, “Speaker!” In response, an artificial creature that resembled a camera that had sprouted wings flew from the entrance of the cafeteria and came to a rest on top of Akuto’s head.

The creature turned its head — or at least what Akuto thought was its head, looking out from the base of its wings — toward Akuto. There, he could see something resembling the lens of a camera. On the other side, there was also a similar lens-like apparatus on its behind, and as it began to glow, a close-up of Akuto was projected in the air near the ceiling of the cafeteria.

Akuto looked at the unruly-looking student, who gave Akuto a thumbs-up with a big grin on his face.

“It is indeed true that I am the one who was prophesied to become the Demon King. It seems that that aptitude diagnosis has never once been wrong.” As he continued to speak, his voice was amplified and echoed across the entire cafeteria.

—I didn’t think this through, did I?

Akuto felt a twinge of regret, but it was too late to stop now. He thought that it would leave a worse impression if he simply stopped talking and left things unspoken. With his personality, he couldn’t feel closure unless he said everything that he wanted to say. To hell with it, Akuto thought and continued to speak.

“Nevertheless, I would like to point out the flaws of that very examination. A person’s destiny isn’t something that can be decided in such a way, right? Isn’t it more likely that, after hearing your prophecy, you decide to follow that path because of it? While it’s true that these predictions have been formed from the judgement of the gods, and from the data they have collected as they watch over us and how we’ve lived our lives up until this point. But the possibilities available to a person can’t just be limited to a single path! Isn’t it necessary to free ourselves from this limiting preconception? If not, it will be impossible for our world to progress and move forward!”

Although there was booing and heckling at the start, as his unprepared speech started coming together, the students became entranced. The booing gradually grew quiet as they all listened to what Akuto was saying. He raised his voice even further as he continued.

“Allow me to address those doubtful and suspicious looks you’re giving me... Actually, I want to condemn you for that very behavior — not a single person has tried to verify these rumors by directly asking me about it. Isn’t that the result of you giving into fear? If I was truly supposed to become the Demon King, then I suppose it would be wrong for you to associate with me. But avoiding me without asking about my side of things even once is just one-sided prejudice! You should feel ashamed for fearing me without knowing anything about me.

“There are many citizens of this nation who hold those who study magic in high regard. Even so, whether or not someone learns magic shouldn’t determine that they are inferior or superior to anyone else. These errors will continue as long as we magic-users are under the impression that we are the elite, and so long as these career aptitude examinations run our lives!” Wrapped up in the momentum of his speech, Akuto immediately began to question himself after blurting this out.

—Wait, have I ended up criticizing the very institutions of this school, and the magic policies of the country?

Since only the best students were accepted into this school, everyone there surely understood what Akuto had said. It seemed that some of them had studied the past Demon King, and they began whispering to each other that what Akuto was saying sounded exactly like the Demon King’s proclamation of war from one hundred years ago.

—What have I done?!

While relying on his momentum to keep his speech going, he’d said too much and expressed his true feelings. He had no idea things could go so wrong. To make things worse, the way he had given the improvised speech with such smooth confidence had made them think even worse of him.

“He’s way too eloquent, speaking like this without a script.”

“I was taken in at first, and I started to feel like I agreed with him... But then he started questioning the system. That line of thinking is dangerous.”

“It’s the Demon King’s ability...”

“The second coming of the Demon King...”

Akuto could clearly hear the buzzing murmurs.

—This is bad. I’ve gotten myself into an extremely dangerous situation. Why does this always happen to me? I’m just trying to do what I think is right. Why did it turn out this way?

Though Akuto stewed with regret, he didn’t realize that this persuasive ability came naturally to him, with his look as a shrewd and handsome boy as well as his logical personality and baseless self-confidence. More so, his secret desire to impress his new classmates meant that even though he had gone too far already, he didn’t even consider ending his speech there.

“It is true that I criticized our established way of life. But that does not mean I intend to destroy it! I came to this academy to change the system from within. I will prove that I won’t become the Demon King. So I am seeking your support! Even if we don’t agree with each other, I will not oppose you, because I believe that we can resolve our differences through open communication and tolerance!”

Somewhere along the way, his polite way of speaking had disappeared completely and he had started to speak like a dictator or a tyrant. Akuto was waving his hands around emphatically, and his hair had become disheveled as he gave his impassioned speech. Among the listening students, it seemed that some had been entranced by what he was saying. But the moment there was a break in Akuto’s words, they would shake their heads and slap their cheeks in a panic, trying return to their senses.

However, Akuto’s speech left a strong impact on the students’ minds. They interpreted his words to mean that, though they were unsure whether or not he would become the Demon King, he would certainly propagate his way of thinking by focusing on challenging the discipline and order of the Academy. Of course, Akuto himself realized that this was exactly what he’d ended up saying.

—Will I be able to get through school like this...? Well, if I let this shake me up, things will just get even worse.

“That is all that I have to say. Please forgive me for causing such a disturbance. Let’s enjoy our meal,” Akuto said, trying his best to sound as subdued as possible. But his attempt only made him give off the image of an evil, wealthy aristocrat.

“I can’t believe a transfer student would speak like that, let alone a first-year...”

“So he’s not just a normal guy after all...”

“What are we going to do? It looks like he is going to divide the school and fight over it...”

“There can’t actually be anyone who would side with him, right? No way...”

“You never know, if he does have a talent for magic, maybe...”

The commotion in the cafeteria showed no sign of quieting down. As the center of attention, all Akuto could do was anxiously try to focus on sitting upright and eating his food properly. Indeed, by the end of the ordeal, he had no memories of what he had eaten or even what it had tasted like.

○

The next morning.

Akuto couldn’t sleep for almost the entire night. Breakfast was strangely quiet, which put him on edge. He finished the awkward meal and then made his way towards his homeroom class before the opening ceremony. Akuto arrived at the classroom five minutes early, but as he opened the door and went inside, he was met with the inquisitive gazes of the female students.

—That’s right, the girls...

Naturally, the rumors had spread to the female students. It was possible that Akuto’s broadcast had been audible in the girls’ dorm as well. In fact that must have been the case, as the girls seemed to immediately recognize Akuto’s face.

—I have to calmly smile back at them...

“Good morning,” Akuto said.

There was a brief uproar of responses, some voices sounding flirtatious and some disgusted. It seemed that there was an even split of girls who were impressed by him and girls who hated him.

But Akuto’s eyes were glued to a single female student in the classroom. A conspicuously beautiful young girl with glossy hair and almond-shaped eyes — it was Junko. At this point, Akuto remembered which class he had been assigned to.

—This is Class A... I forgot about my promise to get in touch with her yesterday...

Junko seemed to be intentionally trying to avoid meeting Akuto’s gaze. Since none of the other students were asking Junko about him, it would appear that she had kept her bond with Akuto a secret.

—I’m screwed...

In order not to cause any trouble for Junko, all Akuto could do was pretend he didn’t know her. Without meeting anyone’s gaze, Akuto sat down at the desk that had been set aside for him, the one in the very back of the classroom. Then the door at the front of the classroom opened and Miss Mitsuko walked inside.

“Okay, everyone sit down. I’m Mitsuko Torii, I’ll be your homeroom teacher for this year, too. Nice to meet you all. Although, for the most part this is the same class from the middle school, isn’t it? I’ll run through attendance. Absences are... Oh, looks like Soga is absent again, as usual. I wonder if she’s off sleeping somewhere. Can someone give her a call?” Speaking in a half-hearted tone, Miss Mitsuko closed the roll book and looked towards Junko.

“With attendance over, normally I’d have you decide on a class representative. But since we mostly have the same students as before, it’s fine if we just ask Junko Hattori again, right?” Just as Miss Mitsuko was confirming with Junko, who was nodding her head in agreement, suddenly a voice interrupted them.

“Miss Mitsuko! Electing the class representative without a vote would invite autocracy into our academy, and would hinder progress!”

Akuto felt a bad sense of foreboding at the sound of the voice, as it sounded like it was copying Akuto’s own speech. When he looked towards the one who had spoken, his apprehensions proved to be correct. The boy who had called for the speaker the night before was sitting diagonally in front of Akuto. He was giving him a thumbs up with the same wild and unruly look as before.

“I nominate Akuto Sai to be our class representative! Everyone heard his speech, and I believe that he can prove to us that he won’t become the Demon King by becoming the class representative and helping everyone!” The class was immediately in an uproar.

“Okay, quiet everyone!” Miss Mitsuko clapped her hands.

Akuto unconsciously looked towards Junko. She averted her eyes, but for just a second, Akuto was able to get a peek at her expression. Rather than anger, her face looked like she had been unfathomably humiliated and was desperately trying to endure the shame.

—Suhara’s followers take pride in their official posts, and value loyalty above all else, after all...

Akuto panicked. He had already betrayed Junko on several levels. Even though she had been the first friend he’d ever made.

“Miss Mitsuko, is my own will not taken into consideration? I refuse the nomination,” Akuto said, raising his hand. “Instead... I would like to join the cleaning committee. If you have that here.”

Miss Mitsuko’s face had been carefree, but when Akuto said this, it suddenly stiffened.

The mood in the class completely changed as well. Up until then it had been a slightly unsettling atmosphere, but with Akuto’s remark it was as if the temperature had suddenly dropped below zero.

“Wait... Akuto...” Finally, Miss Mitsuko opened her mouth. “Do you know what you are saying?”

“What?” Akuto didn’t understand what was happening. He couldn’t even hazard a guess as to what had made the air in the classroom become so tense.

Then, as if just speaking the words itself was revolting, Miss Mitsuko informed Akuto,

“When a war with another country or demons occurs, and the secrets of the Academy need to be protected, the cleaning committee is entrusted with ‘cleaning up’ the secrets of the school... in other words, they destroy the school and murder all the students. This committee existed only during the war, and now it is a loathsome group that exists in name only. I can’t believe you’d say such an awful group’s name...”

—What the hell?!

Understandably, Akuto balked at his own bad luck. Although he didn’t know anything about the group the teacher mentioned, he had still ended up using the exact terminology to refer to it.

“No, no! I just wanted to become a committee member, nothing more...”

As he let these words out without thinking, the classroom froze over once again.

“No, I don’t mean like that—” Akuto tried to clarify, but it was already too late and his words didn’t reach anyone.

This was because at that moment, Junko let out a shout — closer to a shriek — and stood up from her desk.

“Akuto Sai! How dare you toy with my heart?!” She glared at him, hair disheveled and with a bloodcurdling expression.

Akuto thought it was natural for her to be angry, but...

—That’s a really awkward way to say it.

Still, Akuto managed to stay strangely calm. Even as the rest of the classroom looked back and forth between Akuto and Junko. As he’d feared, they seemed to be misunderstanding the situation.

“I thought I said that if one of us breaks our vow, that betrayal would be paid back in blood!” Junko pulled a wooden sword out from the side of her desk.

—If you start talking about vows and stuff, then the rest of the class is definitely going to misunderstand what kind of relationship we have... If she would just cool off a minute and think about it, she’d realize this isn’t good for her either...

“Right, the vow... but it’s not as if it was a vow of marriage or anything like that, right? Although it was between a boy and girl, wasn’t what we did in the empty bus together nothing more than two friends having fun?” Akuto said.

Everyone in the class suddenly had looks of comprehension on their faces.

—Crap.

At that moment Akuto finally realized his mistake, but it was already too late.

Junko was so beside herself in rage that Akuto could imagine a bright red aura emanating from her body, and she pointed the end of her wooden sword at Akuto. The sword was a magic item — an artifact — the light radiating off of it was not Akuto’s imagination this time, but a torrent of mana.

“H-H-H-How humiliating! I challenge you to a duel! Right here, right now!”

Junko pulled out another wooden sword from a bag hanging on the side of the desk, which seemed to be filled with them. She pointed the hilt at Akuto and threw it to him. He instinctively caught the sword, but without knowing what he should do, all he managed was a look towards Miss Mitsuko.

“She’s a Suhara follower, right? They are allowed to challenge others to duels. It’s in the school regulations,” Miss Mitsuko said coldly. It appeared that Miss Mitsuko also thought of Akuto as an enemy of women everywhere.

“The winner can be the class representative!” the troublesome student behind Akuto’s seat declared, looking excited. He patted Akuto on the shoulder and gave him a look of respect as he whispered to him.

“Name’s Hiroshi Miwa. Please call me Hiroshi! And please let me call you boss! Boss! You’re amazing! My grades here are super low and they treat me like a delinquent, but your ideas totally resonated with me! It made me think that someday I might be able to make somethin’ outta myself!”

—Isn’t it his fault we’re in this situation right now?

Akuto thought, but he didn’t have the time to be distracted by Hiroshi.

“Hiyaaaahhh!!” With a shout, Junko suddenly launched an attack at Akuto.

“Whoa!” Akuto had been sitting, but he fell backwards in his chair and managed to dodge the attack. It seemed that his work as a delivery man had trained his body and reflexes in a way he hadn’t realized.

“Okay everyone, it’s dangerous so please step back.” Miss Mitsuko directed the class away from the duel and clapped her hands. Everyone except Junko and Akuto drew close to the walls of the classroom. Miss Mitsuko clapped her hands again, and a mana field enveloped Junko and Akuto. With her magic barrier, it seemed they would be able to fight to their hearts’ content without damaging the classroom.

—Now I’ve really been backed into a corner. I have to figure out a way to get out of this situation... All I can do is to try and calm Hattori down...

Akuto glanced at Junko’s face. Her eyes were burning bright red, and Akuto got the feeling she wouldn’t listen to anything he had to say.

“Hyaaaah!” She attacked a second time. Akuto jumped backwards to avoid the attack.

“Fight hard, boss!” From outside the mana field, Akuto could hear Hiroshi cheer him on.

Akuto was seriously fed up with him.

—How can I get Hattori to calm down...

But no matter how hard he tried, he could only think of one method.

—I guess this is all I can do.

“Gwaaaahhh!” The third attack. In a strange move, Akuto moved forward to square up with Junko’s attack.

Akuto stuck his head out in front of the wooden sword’s downward trajectory. At the moment when it looked like his head was going to be smashed, Akuto twisted his body, dodged the sword, and moved forward to slip under the hand guard on Junko’s sword.

“What?!” Her surprise caused the anger in her eyes to disappear.

The gazes of the rest of the class were glued to the action between Akuto and Junko.

An earthquake-like commotion erupted throughout the classroom.

Akuto had embraced Junko’s body from the front. With both of them being such a good-looking, matching pair, it looked like the embrace of two lovers, reunited after a long period of separation.

“Calm down...” Akuto whispered in Junko’s ear.

“Ah!”

Whether because she was ticklish, or just because it was the natural heart-thumping reaction any girl would have, Junko fell backwards as if her waist had gone limp. In order to prop her up, Akuto put a hand behind her back, and this pose made him look as if he was forcing her to kiss him.

“W-What are you... Let m—” Junko groaned.

“I won’t let go until this misunderstanding is cleared up,” Akuto said with a serious look on his face.

“What’s there to misunderstand... Everything up until now... And even now! What are you trying to do by embarrassing me like this? How humiliating!!”

“It’s all a misunderstanding. I’m not doing this on purpose to spite you, and I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“R-Really...?” Calming down a little bit, it seemed that Junko was ready to listen to Akuto’s words.

Akuto also felt slightly relieved, and gently spoke to Junko.

“That’s right. So please, let me re-swear our oath right here. I swore that oath to you because I truly liked you, and my feelings back then weren’t just superficial.”

However, the entire class clearly heard those words.

At this point, both Junko and Akuto finally became cognizant of the current position the two of them were in.

“Crazy... The Demon King sure is somethin’ else...”

“Junko’s known to be the strongest, straight-laced class representative, but he broke through her defenses... Not just that, but he made her fall for him...”

“Not even now, she had already fallen for him...” Everyone was whispering to each other.

In an instant, Junko’s face turned bright red.

“You’re only making it worse! How much more humiliation are you trying to put me through!” Junko yelled. After shaking her body to free herself from Akuto, she swung down at him with all of her strength. From his position, he couldn’t move away from the attack.

“Crap!”

Seeing that he wouldn’t be able to dodge, Akuto raised the sword held tightly in his hand. Even if he couldn’t avoid the attack, he could still block it. He braced himself for the impact and put all of his strength into the hand holding the sword.

And then...!

BANG!

A power that even Akuto himself couldn’t have imagined erupted from his right arm. There was a sensation of a burning mass of power flowing from his arm into the wooden sword.

—I have to stop!

Akuto thought instinctively, but it was impossible to stop the outpouring of power. The moment he thought the heat would be released from the sword, there was an explosion of light between Akuto and Junko.

The center of the classroom was filled with a pure white light. The blast easily broke through the mana field that Miss Mitsuko had put up, and spilled out into the classroom.

“Get down!” Miss Mitsuko shouted in surprise.

In the same moment, the roar of the explosion filled the classroom.

Miraculously, none of the students were injured. But the walls of the classroom had been blown apart on all sides. Akuto and Junko stood frozen and dumbfounded, in the middle of all the other students who were covered in ash and tile debris.

In the blink of an eye, this incident became known to the entire school. Based on this, the entire rest of the student body decided exactly what they thought of Akuto.