The Misfit of Demon King Academy: Volume 3, page 1
Table of Contents
Cover
Keywords
Prologue: The Hero and the Human King
1. One Peaceful Morning
2. Educational Exchange
3. The Demon King’s Self-Study
4. Siegsesta, the Sword of Intent
5. The Mystery of the Hero Academy
6. Gairadite Expedition Exam
7. Promise
8. Legend of the Hero Academy
9. The Reincarnated
10. Warning
11. One-Shell Necklace
12. Ominous
13. A Class at the Hero Academy
14. Confusion Among Heroes
15. Tension
16. Inter-Academy Exam
17. Holy Lake Barrier
18. A Student’s Wish
19. Team Anos’s Deployment
20. 1,088 Barriers
21. Two Holy Swords
22. Dominator of Flames
23. The Magic of Love
24. Lord Anos Cheer Song No. Three
25. Radiance of Life
26. Two Thousand Years of Hatred
27. Source Slayer
28. What Hides in the Depths
29. Reappearance
30. Taboo Magic
31. “Eleonore”
32. The Sword of Three Races
33. Declaration of War
34. Eve of the Final Battle
35. Their Feelings
36. Two-Thousand-Year-Old Vow
37. Hero of Legend
38. Hero versus Demon King
39. A Child’s Cry on the Battlefield
40. Ghost of Two Thousand Years Ago
41. Where the Hatred Goes
42. May Love Fill the World
Epilogue: A Peaceful Fight
Afterword
Color Illustrations
Bonus High Res Illustrations
About J-Novel Club
Copyright
§ Prologue: The Hero and the Human King
Two thousand years ago.
At the center of Azesion, the human continent, was the royal capital of Gairadite. The chosen one of the Holy Sword, Hero Kanon, resided here, alongside the headquarters of the Gairadite Demon King Subjugation Battalion with which he was affiliated.
As a military city fully equipped for withstanding demon attacks, Gairadite boasted the installation of demon-repelling magic items and circles throughout its locality. The average demon would face annihilation the moment they stepped foot inside, and those who survived would be promptly bombarded with spellfire.
However, there was one demon who dared to traverse the city brazenly.
This was none other than the Demon King of Tyranny, Anos Voldigoad. Completely unaffected as he advanced, he strolled through the powerful barriers as though he were trampling weeds, his gaze fixed on the two men before him.
One of those men was Hero Kanon. The other was Jerga, the king of the royal capital of Gairadite and commander of the Demon King Subjugation Battalion.
Jerga was around sixty years of age, but the vigor and magic he exuded were far greater than those of the average human. He was Kanon’s mentor and a former hero himself.
Before Kanon was born, Jerga had fought countless wars against demons in order to protect Azesion. Even now he had retired from the front lines, he continued to deal heavy blows to opposing forces in his command of the Subjugation Battalion.
“I shall go, Kanon,” said Jerga solemnly. “Not even the Demon King of Tyranny can evade Teo Triath from point-blank range. He will have to cease his advance. Use that opportunity to pierce us both with the Holy Sword.”
“But master...”
“Do not hesitate, Kanon. Be brave. In any case, I haven’t long left in this world. If one old man’s life can pave the way to a peaceful world, consider it a small price to pay.”
A magic circle of holy light appeared at Jerga’s feet. It was the circle for Aske, a greater magic spell said to be usable only by heroes. The spell was capable of uniting the hearts of men, converting their thoughts and emotions into magic. This spell was the only way for humans to stand a chance against the magical superiority of demonkind.
“Sir Jerga... Sir Kanon... We entrust everything to you.”
“Please... Please put an end to the Demon King of Tyranny.”
“More... We must give Sir Jerga more of our hope.”
“Let there be peace in this world.”
“Please protect our future!”
The thoughts of the people began to overflow, filling the city with holy light that gathered around Jerga to aid him. This was the royal capital of Gairadite, the last remaining stronghold of mankind. Here and now, their prayers were more widespread and intense than ever before.
“This is the end, Demon King! Today is the day I shall avenge the lives of all you have taken from us!”
Enveloped in Aske, Jerga charged towards the Demon King of Tyranny. Behind him, Kanon readied the Holy Sword.
Demon King Anos deployed fifty magic gates around himself, from which Jio Graze hailed like a cloudburst. The black suns struck Jerga one after another, whittling his life away by the instant. Even with the power of Aske shielding the former hero, the Demon King’s power was too great.
“This much is nothing compared to the pain my wife and child bore when you slew them!”
The former hero continued to advance, pushing his way through the black flames roaring around him.
“Raaaaaaaaargh!”
Jerga’s hand closed in on the Demon King of Tyranny. However...
“Guh... Ugh...”
Just as he was about to take one last step, the Demon King’s right arm pierced through Jerga’s abdomen. “Hmm. You fancy yourselves the only victims, king of humans, but you humans killed my mother as she bore me. Rising into being from a corpse was a rather terrible experience, if I do say so myself.”
Jerga laughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. “You’ll be accompanying me to hell, Demon King of Tyranny.”
In his skewered state, Jerga reached for the Demon King. “Teo Triath.”
The thoughts and emotions gathered with Aske exploded into a blast of magic. Holy light engulfed the two of them.
“Now! Do it, Kano—”
Jerga’s words were cut short. His lungs had been crushed. The strength drained from his body.
“You... What did you do to our comrades...?”
Teo Triath had lacked force. The spell should have been strong enough to penetrate the Demon King’s defenses, but the will and hopes of the people were dwindling.
“Oh, nothing much. Just a little intimidation.”
In order to decrease Teo Triath’s strength, Anos had prioritized intimidating the battalion powering the spell, over eliminating Jerga. Humans had trivial resistance to magic, so he could have incapacitated every human in the city if he had wanted to—it would have been just as easy to kill them.
“You shall never be forgiven!”
“That’s enough. From what I can see, your source has reached its limit. You’ve fought with impressive longevity for a human, but you shall not revive again after your next death.”
With that, Anos crushed Jerga’s other lung, making Jerga let out a cry.
“Though it seems you don’t have long either way.”
His legs giving out beneath him, Jerga crumpled to the ground.
“Now, Kanon,” said the Demon King, turning to address the Hero, “don’t you think it’s about time for peace?”
Kanon glared at the Demon King without lowering his guard. “Who are you to talk, as the one behind all this chaos?”
“True, it may seem that way from your point of view, but I, too, wish for peace in Dilhade. As long as I can obtain that, I vow to spare Azesion.”
The Hero lifted his sword, pointing it in warning at the Demon King.
“If my proposal interests you, come to Delsgade,” Anos continued. “I have already extended invitations to the Great Spirit and the Goddess of Creation. If you don’t like what you hear, you can join forces with them to defeat me.”
Having completed his errand, the Demon King of Tyranny turned his back on Kanon. A magic circle for Gatom appeared at his feet, and he vanished without a trace.
“Master!” Kanon immediately rushed over to Jerga, casting Enchel to heal him. Fortunately, the wound left by the Demon King was somewhat shallow, so the human king recovered before Kanon’s eyes.
“Sorry for the trouble I’ve caused,” he said.
“Not at all.”
Accepting Kanon’s offered hand, Jerga rose to his feet. His wounds were healed, but his pained grimace remained.
“Master, should I return your source?”
Using the greater magic of the gods, Hero Kanon had acquired seven sources to stand up to the Demon King, which had been gathered by combining portions of sources from multiple people. Amongst them, Jerga had offered the majority of his source.
“That is no longer possible. Even using the Holy Sword, a source that has been severed can never be fully restored.”
“But it should recover it to some extent. Otherwise—”
“Kanon, this was a decision I made knowingly,” Jerga said, expressing his unshakable will. “I placed my faith in you. I believed and still do believe that you shall defeat the Demon King—and I’m not the only one. Everyone who entrusted their source to you shares that belief.”
Jerga c
Kanon looked down in silence. He contemplated something for several moments before eventually opening his mouth. “What do you think of all this, master?” he mumbled.
“Of what?”
“Of what the Demon King of Tyranny was saying just now.”
“His words hold no credibility. Demons kill humans by nature. Either we destroy them or they destroy us. There is no other way. Coexistence is unattainable.”
Kanon nodded, but there was something dark about his expression.
“You are kind, Kanon. But demons are not creatures that deserve your kindness. They are unholy beings that must be removed from this world. There is no need to feel guilt over killing them. Vanquishing them is their salvation. Have courage. You are the Hero, the one chosen by the Holy Sword.”
“Right,” Kanon replied, his expression bitter.
No sooner had he done so than Jerga staggered to his knees.
“Master?!”
“There’s no need to make a fuss. I’m tired, is all. Must be the age.”
Kanon watched him worriedly. “But—”
“I’m fine. What’s more important right now is for you to return and inform everyone of the Demon King’s escape. Go and ease their fears.”
“All right. I’ll return right away,” Kanon replied hesitantly before sprinting towards the castle. Jerga watched as he left.
“It seems...I really have reached my limit.”
With a trembling finger, Jerga drew the magic circle for Gatom. The streets of Gairadite disappeared before his eyes as everything around him turned white.
The next moment, he reappeared in a dimly lit room with several magic circles across the floor, walls, and ceiling. A large bubble of water floated at the center of the room, most likely sustained by the magic circles.
This water was no ordinary water. It was holy water, a shapeless magic item said to have been purified by the gods.
“Demons must be exterminated,” Jerga muttered to himself as he stared at the holy bubble. “Even if I must turn this body of mine into magic...”
§ 1. One Peaceful Morning
I felt a delicate hand touch me in the darkness.
“Anos,” a familiar voice murmured. “Breakfast.”
The owner of the voice shook my body gently.
I slowly opened my eyes to see a girl with platinum-blonde hair peering down at me. It was Misha. Long strands of her hair tickled the tip of my nose.
A pair of clear-blue eyes blinked twice. “Awake now?”
“Yes.”
She smiled. “Good morning.”
I got out of bed and drew a magic circle around my feet. “How come you’re here so early, Misha?”
The circle activated, changing me from bottom to top out of my pajamas and into my uniform.
“I’m practicing making lunch today.”
I see. So mom was teaching her how to make lunch as she went about making mine for the day.
“I also made breakfast.”
“Then I’m looking forward to it.”
Misha blinked in surprise.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Will you eat it?”
“Breakfast?”
Misha nodded, then pointed at herself. “Will you eat mine?”
“Is there no share for me?”
“Your mother made yours.”
Ah, so that’s what she meant.
“Then I can eat that.”
“Okay,” she replied in her usual flat tone. Her expression was neutral as she opened the door, but she somehow seemed disappointed.
“But if you’re willing to trade with me, I’d like to eat the food you made.”
She stared at me as though to figure out my true intentions. “Are you sure?”
“If you’re okay with it.”
Misha thought for a moment, then replied, “You like your mother’s cooking.”
“That may be true, but I rarely get to eat yours.”
She glanced down shyly, then looked back up at me, beaming. “You’re kind.”
“I’m capricious.”
Misha shook her head. “Did you know?”
“Know what?”
“How I was feeling.”
“You seemed a little disappointed.”
Misha cast her eyes downwards. “How embarrassing...”
“You’re always watching me closely”—in fact, there was probably no one better at seeing through me—“but my Eyes won’t lose to yours.”
Misha blinked in surprise, then giggled.
“Did I say something funny?”
“Take a guess.”
At what she was laughing at? Hmm.
“You’re...having fun?”
Misha smiled. “Look closer.”
Without confirming or denying my guess, Misha turned around and started off down the stairs. I followed behind her until we reached the living room.
Breakfast was ready on the table, but there were only two portions.
“Where are mom and dad?”
“Working.”
Come to think of it, dad was still lending a hand at the workshop that had helped him forge the adamantine sword. Apparently, after the Demon Sword Tournament, they had developed a newfound respect for him and had asked him to assist them more often, but he didn’t seem overly interested in their proposal.
“Mom too?”
“A customer requested a home visit for an appraisal. They live a ways away.”
So that’s why mom had left earlier than usual.
“She said to let you sleep in a little, since you’d be tired after the tournament.”
I wasn’t particularly tired, but that sounded like something mom would say.
“Shall we eat by ourselves, then?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
Misha and I each took a seat at the dining table, ready for breakfast. It was oddly quiet without my parents bouncing around.
After eating, we washed our dishes with magic and left the house, walking leisurely beside one another as we made our way to the Demon King Academy.
Of course, I could have used Gatom to get us there, but there was plenty of time before class and nothing to gain from rushing. It was the perfect opportunity for a steady stroll while enjoying the morning streetscape.
“Huh?”
As we were walking, we encountered a familiar face. The girl’s blonde hair was tied up in twintails, and she wore the black uniform of the Demon King Academy. It was Sasha. She was glaring at us with suspicion.
“Why are you walking to school with Misha?”
“Because we were together this morning.”
“I can see that much! Don’t brush me off just because you’re too lazy to answer.”
“Lunch,” Misha answered. “Anos’s mother was teaching me.”
“I see. Ah, right. You said you were learning how to cook. You could have told me you were going this morning.”
Sasha seemed displeased at being left out.
“I did.”
“What? When?”
“This morning. Before I left.”
Sasha paused to think for a moment. It seemed she couldn’t recall. “You weren’t there when I woke up, though.”
Misha shook her head. “That was the second time you woke up.”
“No way. Seriously?”
So in other words, she had fallen back asleep.
“Hmm. Not a morning person then, Sasha?”
“No one said that.”
I looked over at Misha, who nodded. “Not her strong suit.”
“I...I just have a little trouble getting out of bed, and I’m too sleepy to remember things!”
That excuse was only proving Misha’s point, wasn’t it?
“Wh-What’s with that triumphant look?”
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Being a late riser isn’t a life-ending impediment or anything.”
“Can you stop making it sound so grave?”
Hadn’t I just said it wasn’t anything to be ashamed of?
“Whatever. Let’s go already,” Sasha said, setting off down the street.
Misha hurried to catch up to her. “Are you mad?” she asked.
“Why would I be?”
“Because I went alone.”
“I’m not bothered by that. There’s no way I’d take a detour all the way to Anos’s house in the morning.”
