Chapter 17

Chapter Two: The Hero and the Demon King

1

A ‌FTER I OPENED THE DOOR TO MY ROOM, I walked in and immediately dove straight into bed. I buried my face in the pillow and relaxed completely, letting out a deep sigh that took with it all of the exhaustion of my day.

“…I’m tired.”

Somehow, it felt like it would help to say the words out loud—just to let them escape my mouth.

Yeah. I’m tired. Really, really tired.

I rolled over onto my back to look at the ceiling and lost myself in absent-minded thought.

Why do things keep happening that are so beyond my imagination? Thinking back, it all started when I asked Alfred-san to teach me how to fight with the sword. I still don’t know much about the original book, but from what I remember of the characters, Alfred-san was never meant to come out with lines like “Even if you do turn to evil, I want to see what you’ll do, Master Luke!” was he…? Didn’t he quit being a butler to train Abel in the original?

Next there’s Alice. She starts panting and blushing at the drop of a hat, but I don’t think she was meant to be this way. I think she was more of the sophisticated, villainous, aristocratic heroine type. I think it was that fight the two of us had after we first met at that party that drove Alice insane. And who’s this Yolande character, anyway? Was he even in the book? I don’t remember if he was, but how could I forget someone so intense?

I sighed.

The common thread here…it’s me. I’m the reason all of this is happening. I really couldn’t deny that any longer. All of these people strayed so far from their original characters because of the way my interactions with them changed.

I haven’t really spoken with Freya at all, so it does concern me that she’s acting so weird, but that’s the least of my problems, really. No reason to think about that right now. After all, there are exceptions to every rule. Come to think of it, Freya is Amelia-san’s little sister, right? So, that’s the explanation right there.

I sighed again as my thoughts continued to race around and around in my mind. The ripple effect of that one change that I made to my own life—my decision to make an effort—changed the course of everything for everyone else as well. I mean, it’s the only thing that sets my story apart from the original. I accepted Luke’s innate arrogance pretty quickly, so I never tried to be a particularly good person. I never knew any spoilers for the original story either, so it’s not like I was laying plans for what’s coming.

I guess that’s really it then, huh? All I did was try, and it’s brought all these weirdos and oddballs flocking to my side. Or maybe they only became weird by interacting with me…?

Still, I don’t think I did anything wrong. Everything I did, I did to avoid the absolute worst possible ending…defeat. I don’t think I’d recover from the frustration of even a single loss, honestly. It’d plunge me into depression for the rest of my life. That’s why I’ve devoted myself so uncompromisingly to my studies ever since the day I woke up with these memories.

Yeah, no regrets, but I should be aware of the facts. My choices have had an unexpectedly huge effect on this world. Luke might’ve been incredibly talented in the original story, but I’m pretty sure he only appeared in the academy arc of the story… That’s all he was, as a character. I think I underestimated the impact I’m having on this story.

Acknowledging that didn’t change anything about my plans moving forward, though. And I knew that as long as I kept trying, these irritating things would keep on happening.

“Focus,” I told myself. “I have to keep my priorities straight. What’s the most important thing here?”

The answer is obvious: I need to keep on winning. I can’t ever compromise on that. No matter what other troubles I face or what complications arise, I can’t let up in my pursuit of strength…no matter what happens.

Suddenly Mia floated into the back of my mind.

…But I don’t ever want to go through anything like that again. I suppose it did only come about because I made a mistake, though. That was the result of me prioritizing my own selfish goals over everything else. The human heart really is a mystery, even my own sometimes…that’s what all of this has taught me.

Just remembering what happened gives me a faint pang in my stomach. It’s not like I’m suffering…it’s more an unpleasant, uncomfortable sort of pain. An uneasiness that just plain feels bad to sit with. Maybe I’ve been too tense lately. Ever since I came to this academy, I’ve been on high alert all the time, and I hadn’t realized how stressed out I am until now. Seriously, so much has happened…too much. I can really feel the stress of it all in my stomach now, especially after that awkward stuff with Mia. I should stop thinking it over and get a bit of sleep. I’m sure I’ll be able to keep going once I’ve gotten some rest.

2

“C ’MON! LET’S GO, ABEL!”

“Yes, sir! Thank you!”

At Instructor Brad’s signal, I directed the mana inside me to cloak the sword that was in my hands.

I’ve been doing nothing but training and sleeping of late, and I’m still struggling… This is so difficult. I haven’t managed t—

“How many times do I have’ta tell you?! You’re focusin’ too much attention on your damn mana!”

I looked up to find an arrow of fire hurtling toward me, closing in fast. With a yelp, I dodged it at the last second, letting the shot pass by my side.

Th-that was close… One second later, and that would’ve been a direct hit.

“The battle’s started, y’hear me?! Keep your eyes on me!”

“Yes, sir!”

“C’mon! We’re goin’ harder, keep your mind sharp!”

Watch, observe, think, and predict.

“Anti-magic!”

That was the first technique that Instructor Brad had taught me—how to cut through magic. It was a vital technique for any swordsman who wanted to fight against magic users, particularly if they were unable to use magic themselves.

You can use mana manipulation or magic tools to coat your sword in mana…but when I do it…I feel like it’s not just mana. It’s like I’m using some different power too…

“Urk!”

Another fireball whizzed by my head as I dodged at the very last moment, a strike that had been intended to land just as my focus slipped.

I’m being an idiot! We’re in the middle of battle right now!

Instructor Brad continued his merciless barrage of spells.

Dodge. Dodge. Cut. Slowly close in on him, step by step. Don’t panic. Stay sharp. Are my movements getting predictable? What is Instructor Brad going to do next? Watch the enemy. Keep thinking.

“Fortify Strength!”

Start with one stack. Don’t rush.

In the fight against Luke, I activated all of my magic at once, immediately pushing my body as far as it could go, but now I know that’s not the right way to fight. It made me too slow. For some reason, Luke chose to wait for me to finish my spells, but I can’t count on my next opponent being that patient. I left him an opening to strike; it’s just that he didn’t take it.

“Fortify Strength.”

That’s why I’m going one step at a time. All right, now I’m at two stacks! It’s gotten a lot easier to dodge! This is about the extent of what I can fully control, but it’s enough. Keep predicting his movements. Keep dodging. Cut through his spells with Anti-magic. That’s all I’m focused on now.

I continued to close in on Instructor Brad. I could tell from his stance, the way he held himself, that he was about to cast another spell at me.

“Graah! Wall of Fire!”

I knew that was coming…!

Fortify Strength is the only magic I’ve got, but it pairs up well with this Anti-magic technique. The stronger my sword strikes are, the greater the magic I can cut through.

“Anti-magic!” I said. “Wait…huh?”

“Still pretty damn gullible, Abel.”

I cut through Instructor Brad’s Wall of Fire spell, only to find his fist waiting right there on the other side.

***

“Ouch…”

“I figure you’ll be fine, but go see the priest if it’s hurtin’ ya.”

“I-I’m okay…”

After that first punch of the day, I kept going. I challenged him again and again, too many times to count, but I never beat him. Instructor Brad’s from a knightly lineage…so although he’s not a swordsman, he knows a lot about fighting them. That’s what makes his advice so good, and easy to understand…though he is a bit harsh, I suppose. Still, this is fun.

Back when I trained with Master Elka, I was so focused on getting stronger that I didn’t think about anything else. But now Instructor Brad is teaching me how to use that strength. No matter how much it hurts, how hard it gets…it’s all new for me, and that’s pretty fun. Everything I have now—it’s all thanks to those days I spent training with the master. Without her, I would never even have made it to the starting line. Thank you, master…truly.

“How do I put this…you seem sorta desperate, Abel,” Instructor Brad said, his voice pulling me back to reality. “Like you’re in a dangerous place right now.”

“D-do you really think so?” I replied, startled.

“Yeah. Not gonna pry, ’cause I ain’t really all that interested…but don’t rush yourself, okay?”

“Rush myself…”

Something in those words caused me to stop and think. Was I rushing? I didn’t think I had been—at least, not until he pointed it out.

“Yeah. You look like you’re try’na go too fast, from my perspective. You’re too damn focused on gettin’ stronger, if I had to say it.”

“Yes…you might be right.”

“It’s good to be hungry, but gettin’ so desperate that you get sloppy…that’s gonna put blinders on you. It’ll only hurt you in the end, gettin’ all focused on climbing higher at any cost,” he said gruffly. “Tends to be the narrow-minded guys with no time to think that make all the dumbest choices.”

“…”

He might be right about all that…I’m desperate for strength. Hopelessly so.

“Listen, okay? You know why only a small number of students ever make it into this academy? It’s so that we can raise you up properly—give you everythin’ we’ve got. We instructors are serious about you kids, y’got that? Don’t keep everything to yourself.”

Ah, right…I really am fortunate, aren’t I?

“Thank you!”

“…Ah, man, it ain’t my style to say stuff like that! That’s enough for today! Get outta my sight!”

“Y-yes sir!”

Instructor Brad shooed me away with a wave of his hand.

He can be harsh, and a bit scary at times…but I know by now that he’s a really good person.

I headed for the exit, and turned to bow to him one last time before I left.

“Thank you very much!”

“…Sure. Catch you later.”

With that, I opened the door and left the magic training area behind me.

I’m so tired… Training with Instructor Brad is really tough. I just want to go curl up and take a nap somewhere. My whole body aches with every step, but it’s…kind of nice, somehow. I think it’s the feeling of satisfaction.

I’m so glad I got to come to this academy. All the people here are so nice. Almost everyone is an aristocrat except me, so I thought they might make fun of me at first, but there’s been none of that. I guess that might just come down to everything else on their minds, though. Life here’s kinda tough for all of us.

Suddenly, I caught sight of Instructor Freya. She appeared from around a corner, then began to walk in the same direction I was heading in.

Huh? Did she not notice me? A-am I really that forgettable…? I’m a bit shocked at that…

To be fair, she seemed distracted. It even looked like she might be muttering to herself as she walked.

Maybe she’s thinking about something important. I shouldn’t go and talk to her…ah, but maybe it’s rude if I don’t greet her… Okay, yeah! I should say hello!

I quickened my pace a little, closed the distance from behind, and raised my voice to call out to her.

“E-excuse me!”

My voice was a little louder than usual, as I wanted to be sure that she noticed me. That, in retrospect, might have been the problem.

“Gyaaugh!”

She let out an odd, shrill cry as she jumped in surprise. The stack of papers she’d been carrying was promptly sent fluttering up into the air.

G-gyaaugh…? What kind of weird sound was that? N-no, that doesn’t matter now! What have I done?! A-all I wanted to do was talk to her, and now—

“Abel.”

Despite the initial fright, Instructor Freya seemed completely unfazed now. She looked at me calmly as a blizzard of papers fell around her. Her arms were crossed, with her sharp, frosty eyes fixed directly on me.

“Startling your teachers to enjoy their reactions, are you? I see. What a fine pastime you have found for yourself.”

I wasn’t sure what she was saying at first. Unlike Instructor Freya, I was incredibly frazzled by this entire encounter. It took me a minute to realize just how badly she had misunderstood my intentions.

“Th-that’s not…! I only meant to say hello, I swear! I really didn’t mean to scare you!”

“Oh, just a greeting? Then I suppose you’re trying to say that I am in the wrong for being startled by a mere hello?”

“N-not at all! I’m in the wrong! Ah, um…th-that is…I mean…”

“Enough. I must gather these papers. Assist me.”

“O-of course!”

Instructor Freya sure is scary… She’s a bit like Alice, I suppose, so it makes sense that I’m not very good at dealing with her.

I started to help her pick up her papers.

“…Incidentally, Abel,” Instructor Freya began.

Just the fact that Instructor Freya was speaking to me made my heart skip a beat.

“Y-yes…?”

“Have you…heard anything?” she asked vaguely. “For instance, well…specifically, anything about me? Maybe from Luke in particular…?”

I really had nothing to tell her about that, and so with no cause to lie, I answered with complete, genuine honesty.

“Eh…? From Luke? Nothing in particular… He isn’t really the type to gossip about things like that…”

“Wh-what about the other students? Have they said anything?”

This energy she’s giving off is sort of scaring me…

“N-no…not that I know of.”

“I see…”

Instructor Freya smiled, with what looked like relief…apparently? Maybe that was just my imagination.

By the time we’d finished speaking, all of her papers were back in place.

“Alice and Lloyd will have their rank duel soon. If you wish to advance your own rank, I suggest you attend.”

“O-okay.”

“Well then, I will be leaving. Keep your teacher-scaring to a minimum, Abel.”

“I didn’t mean to…!”

I kept protesting this unfair assumption, but Instructor Freya just walked away.

How do I put this… She really is a bit intimidating, but I don’t think she’s a bad person.

3

U PON ENTERING THE HEADMASTER’S OFFICE, one’s eye was immediately drawn to two paintings which stood in stark contrast to each other. The first depicted a group of happy people enveloped in the soft light of compassion, while the second displayed a scene of misery, full of murky figures suffering in darkness. The office was not particularly luxurious—some would even call it plain—but there was also an undeniable refinement to the room.

“Ho, ho, has it truly already been two months since the newest batch of students arrived at our academy? ’Tis now that matters grow interesting, Brad.”

“I don’t like the look on your face, old man.”

“…If you will recall, I have asked you countless times to call me headmaster—”

“Yeah, yeah, headmaster. Jeez, there ain’t nobody else here, so who gives a damn?”

“’Twould appear the first years are attracting quite a bit of attention this year.”

“Yeah, some of ’em even have nicknames already. They’ve only had one or two rank duels, but the crowds seem to like these kids.”

“’Tis not the frequency of their duels but their quality. Of course, the true talent of these individuals entrances the people. I do not think it strange at all.”

Rank duels were public events, open to any citizen of the kingdom who wanted to attend. Because they were viewed as a form of entertainment by the people, it was only a matter of time before some particular participants rose to a sort of minor stardom. A student’s popularity might grow for many reasons—it could be their strength, their intelligence, their passion—but regardless, all the most popular students came to have nicknames of their own eventually. It was said that some of the students had already been given theirs, in fact, and that many were looking forward to their next rank duels.

Ice Queen, Alice.

Blue Flame Beast, Lloyd.

Little Thunder God, Mia.

When it came to the first years, these three in particular clearly enchanted the crowd with their incredible powers and high ranks. Even those with only a cursory knowledge of magic could see their strength—but it was not actually that trio of students which ended up drawing the most attention.

“Mwa ha, Abel the Hero, huh? Fine nickname, that.”

Brad smiled to himself quietly. There was joy and pride in his expression that he simply couldn’t contain. Abel was, after all, no longer the lowest-ranked student in the school. More than that, he was getting more attention from the crowds than any of the others.

Alice, Lloyd, and Mia were clearly exceptional—that much was indisputable fact. Aslan Magic Academy, however, was a place for those with such incredible talent for magic. Every year, there were students who stood out from the rest, absurdly powerful, and so, to an extent, the crowds were used to them.

But then there was Abel.

It was obvious to everyone watching that his inability to use elemental magic was a disadvantage. His strength was also simple to understand—a combination of his powerful physical abilities and skill with the sword. His abilities were heresy, and his personal background was far different from that of his noble-born peers. For better or for worse, there were lots of reasons for the crowd to root for Abel. He was a bit of an underdog, and they had only seen him participate in one public rank duel—a match against Hugo, with whom he shared a grudge following their encounter during the entrance exam.

Standing there alone, sword in hand as he faced Hugo’s powerful Rock magic head-on, Abel looked every bit the hero. It was that day that Abel won his first victory and his popularity skyrocketed.

“Since Abel can’t use elemental magic, I supposed we might be in a little trouble unless the boy showed us some results. ’Twas a relief to see him win in that way.”

“Ah…damn it.” Brad sighed. “I hate that you’ve gotta think about bullshit like that, headmaster.”

“Ho, ho. I’ve grown quite accustomed to it.”

“Y’sure? But heck, it ain’t all good for the kids… I do get why it happened though, this time around.”

“You speak of the transfer, yes? Hmph. There is nothing that can be done about that…’tis the way of our academy.”

Abel’s victory had caused one issue: Hugo transferred schools. Abel’s entry into Aslan Magic Academy had convinced most of the students of his strength, but there were still some who thought of him as lesser. A segment of the student body looked down on him for his inability to use elemental magic. Hugo had been one such student.

At Aslan Magic Academy, students were constantly looking up—at their lofty goals and those above who stood in their way. Looking down, on the other hand, could provide some reassurance and peace of mind. However, in some cases, it could drive one into even darker depths of despair. This was precisely why Hugo transferred out—he had fallen into a depression after being defeated by someone he considered his inferior.

“I suppose the chance remains for him to return, though that now depends on his own efforts.”

“Cold as always, eh?” Brad remarked. “You mind if I keep my eye on Abel?”

“Please do. I was right to entrust him to you.”

“Well, thanks.”

“Ho, ho. He seems to be a favorite of yours, so I shan’t take him from you, lest it causes a tantrum.”

“Huh? That ain’t it! Ain’t that I like him…I just don’t hate the kid, that’s all! I’m outta here, anyway! No more time to sit around talkin’!”

With that, Brad turned on his heel and headed for the door.

“See ya, old man.”

He slammed the door with reckless abandon on his way out.

“Ho, ho, energetic as always, that one,” the headmaster chuckled. “Ah, right, right. Today is the day I finally get to see one of Luke’s rank duels. How I look forward to his Dark magic! ♪”

***

“Watch this.”

“Sure, sure! I’m totally watching!”

I took the piece of wood that Amelia-san had prepared for me and activated my latest spell.

“Dark Gluttony.”

Instantly, a little spot of darkness appeared above my palm. I felt a rush of mana leaving my body and felt a little faint after the spell was cast.

This is about all I can manage for now, but it’s the result of two months of hard work. I seriously poured so much time and energy into developing it… It’s not just some half-baked trick.

I dropped the piece of wood into the darkness with my other hand. It was slowly swallowed up until it disappeared completely.

“Ah…ahh… Aaahhh!”

Yep. My Dark magic can affect not just mana but physical matter now. This is a massive step forward.

I couldn’t help but smile.

“‘Darkness swallows all…’ So, this is what they meant,” Amelia said excitedly. “The legends were right! They were true all alonnng! Oh man, this is super messed up, Luke!”

As I’d expected, Amelia was so overjoyed that it creeped me out a little bit.

…More than a little, actually. But heck, it’s thanks to her that I’ve managed to complete this spell. She isn’t popular with the other students for her onomatopoeia-centric teaching style, but the things I learned in her Study of Elemental Magic: Practical classes really helped me out.

“This is all I can do for now, but someday I—um…h-hey.”

Amelia’s eyes looked strange, almost lifeless. A bit of drool escaped the corner of her mouth as she scribbled on her memo pad at breakneck speed and continued to mutter to herself.

She keeps mentioning “the many interpretations” and the “effect on others,” but that muttering is just terrifying to behold.

“Hey, you listening?” I asked, lightly tapping her on the shoulder.

“Oh! Sorry. Ah ha ha…I got a bit overexcited there…”

“…”

She’s clearly a really, really talented person—that much isn’t up for debate. It’s just…there’s something broken inside her, I guess? But she’s always been like this, ever since the day we met.

“Come to think of it, don’t you have a rank duel today, Luke?”

“Yeah. Not much of an opponent.”

“…He is an upperclassman, though, isn’t he?”

In terms of the whole academy ranking, I was in 81st place.

My magic research has settled down a bit, so I figured I should get to doing some rank duels…but to be honest, I’m not that excited by the idea. I already have information on my opponent, and I even attended one of his rank duels, but it was nothing special. He’s just a Water magic user. He looked like he was good at dueling, but overall, his magic wasn’t really that advanced. Not that any of that matters for a Dark magic user such as myself.

I suppose I have to admit that there are some students in the academy who do look a bit more interesting, though.

“Oh! Isn’t it almost time for your duel?!”

“Yeah. I should get going.”

“It’s just like you to be so relaxed about all of this, Luke…but I’ll be cheering for you, okay?! I-I’m coming to watch…heh heh…”

There was an indescribable, crazed ecstasy in her eyes.

How exactly is she going to feel as she watches me fight?

In my mind, I knew that there was no chance that her feelings were as pure as just wanting to cheer me on.

***

Luke entered the arena first, followed by his opponent, a second-year student named Polpon. The audience was already so amped up that their mere entrance inspired the crowd to roar at their highest decibel, the deafening cheers ringing out through the arena. Rumors about the talented crop of first years had already been swirling for a while, and that only swelled their expectations for Luke. Finally, the boy at the top of his year would be taking part in a public rank duel; their frenzied enthusiasm was understandable.

“…I’ve heard about you. They say you’re a monster who uses Dark magic. Even the upperclassmen are talking.”

“I see.”

Luke’s dismissive two-word answer drew an irritated grunt from his opponent. Polpon glared back at him, but Luke didn’t bother to hide his disdain and acted as if he didn’t even see his opponent standing before him.

…He looks young, just as I thought. Is he really older than me? I’ve got this weird feeling though. Like I might have met him somewhere before, a long time ago…

While Polpon was raging inside, Luke’s thoughts were fairly mundane—a sense of déjà vu, and something he couldn’t quite remember.

“But…I’m not going to lose,” Polpon declared. “I can’t! I’ll win, no matter what it takes!”

“…”

Polpon’s spirited cry echoed out across the arena. His intensity stirred something, ever so slightly, in Luke’s emotions too.

He’s pretty damn strong-willed.

But that was all Luke thought of the boy, and his mind quickly turned to strategizing for the imminent duel. He thought of every possibility and came up with answers to each of them, one after the other. The only thing on Luke’s mind was how to achieve complete and total victory over his opponent.

The duelists separated, and the crowd buzzed with excitement, waiting for the duel to begin. The contrast between the two boys was striking—one glared daggers like he was trying to murder his opponent with his eyes, and the other wore a thin smile as if in an attempt to goad his opponent on. Polpon readied his staff. Luke watched quietly, making no particular movements of his own. The crowd’s anticipation ballooned further and further, swelling up until finally—

“Begin!”

The battle kicked off with the immediate activation of a spell—and it was not Luke who cast it.

“Flight!”

He’s good at that, thought Luke, as he watched Polpon soar through the air above him.

I knew well in advance that his opening move would likely be Flight magic, but I can fly too, you know? Though mine works a little differently, mwa ha…

Polpon immediately switched his focus into working up his mana in preparation for his second spell. Next, however, it was Luke’s turn.

“Wings of Darkness.”

Polpon expected that Luke would use the advanced magic technique of Flight during their duel, but he hadn’t counted on the dramatic black wings. For a moment, he was captivated by them, and it took him an extra fraction of a second to activate his next spell. In a duel against Luke, that was an incredibly significant opening to allow.

“…Huh?”

The wings flapped once—that was all that Polpon saw. Then Luke’s wide grin was right there in front of him. It was impossible for him to comprehend what had just happened.

“Augh!”

He felt a strong blow to his right cheek. Before he could even register that he had been punched in the face, Polpon had fallen from the air and crashed hard into the ground below. A sharp pain ran through his whole body, but the attack did nothing to break his concentration. Polpon continued to prepare his next spell. He was persistent in his relentless pursuit of victory. He intended to win, no matter what.

“Eat this—Water Dragon King!”

Polpon knew that regular magic was worthless against Luke, so he had resolved that he would not pull his punches in this fight. He activated the strongest spell that he had at his disposal, spawning a water dragon king that soared up into the air, seeking to pierce its cursed foe.

“Oho, that’s a nice spell.”

Luke’s smile never faltered, even when facing down a massive dragon that was many times his size. In fact, he was pleasantly surprised to see his opponent cast a spell that was a bit more complex than he had anticipated. However, it posed no real threat to him, and his mild interest waned quickly.

“Dark Sun.”

A small black orb appeared in the palm of his hand and abruptly swallowed the dragon king whole with terrifying ease. The little sun swelled up in size, as if using the dragon’s nutrients to fuel its growth.

The disappearance of the dragon stunned the crowd into bewildered silence. For a moment, it seemed that no one knew quite how to react, and every last member of the audience was so entranced by the duel that they scarcely wanted to blink, for fear of missing something. But their collective enthusiasm to see what would happen next was intense and irrepressible, and soon the cheers erupted to punctuate the silence.

“…N-no…”

“Mwa ha ha. That’s a nice expression you’ve got now too.”

Every emotion drained from Polpon’s face—all the fighting spirit brimming within him, all his unbending conviction, everything. It brought Luke unimaginable joy as he watched it all slip away before his very eyes in real time. Then he shifted his attention to deploying his next spell.

“Let’s see here…”

Suddenly the giant black sun, which had transfixed every last person in the arena, disappeared completely. Luke continued calmly as the crowd looked around in disbelief.

“Is this how you do it, then?” he muttered to himself. “Water Dragon King.”

Right on cue, a water dragon king appeared.

The word “despair” was not enough to describe how Polpon felt. It was so far beyond that. How long had it taken him to learn that spell? And yet, in an instant, Luke was able to deploy it against him? All he could do was stare wordlessly at the dragon before him.

This doesn’t make sense… That’s…one of my spells…

He was wrong, he decided suddenly. It was foolish to have even considered fighting Luke. His heart sank into the darkness, and in that moment, he lost all will to fight.

“Ha…ha ha…ha…”

A bitter smile crept across Polpon’s lips.

“Aha ha ha ha!”

The water dragon king closed in upon him—the spell that should have been his greatest ally, his most powerful weapon. He closed his eyes and gave up entirely. The only sound that reached him was Luke’s delighted laugh, genuine and joyous, echoing in his ears to the end.

***

Dark was a rare enough element that most of the citizens were not used to seeing it used in rank duels. Luke left a clear, fearsome impression upon them, as evidenced by the words on every crowd member’s lips that day. Those words would quickly become his nickname.

Demon King.

Wearing a cloak of darkness, laughing wickedly as he brutally overpowered his opponents and stomped them flat, Luke truly did look like a demon king. That was the day that Luke captivated his first group of passionate fans, enamored with his incredible power, and that number would only continue to increase with time. Needless to say, this new and unexpected popularity was also a great boost to Yolande’s plan to make him king.