The Misfit of Demon King Academy: Volume 4 Act 2, page 1
Table of Contents
Cover
Keywords
39. Escape from Aharthern
40. Infiltrating Midhaze
41. In the Rift between Blood
42. The Demon King He Believed In
43. Searching the Past
44. The Mother of Spirits and the Demon King’s Right-Hand Man
45. Aharthern under Attack
46. The Traveling Entertainer
47. The Great War Tree
48. Teardrop Blossom
49. The Conflagration King’s Proposition
50. Like a Sword
51. Hidden Sword Art
52. The Demon Realm with No Demon King
53. A Passing Traveling Entertainer
54. Declaration from the Future
55. The Kind God
56. All That Remains of the Soldiers’ Dreams
57. Vows
58. The Wedding
59. The First Night
60. Thus Love Takes Shape
61. A Prayer for Two Thousand Years Later
62. Execution
63. She Who Controls All
64. Let Bygones Be Bygones
65. The Rebel’s Sword
66. The Balance of Love and Pride
67. Together with Her Heart
68. Reviving Love
69. Shredded Words
70. To Sever Fate
71. The True Demon King
72. Misfit
73. Rumor and Legend
74. The Demon King Reordination Ceremony
Epilogue: The Demon King’s Memory
Afterword
Color Illustrations
Bonus High Res Illustrations
About J-Novel Club
Copyright
§ 39. Escape from Aharthern
My vision turned red, and I was swallowed by darkness. The magic body I’d sent to Delsgade burned up in flames, leaving only the sight of the Spirit King’s castle before the eyes of my main body.
“A barrier went up,” Misha said.
I turned my Eyes to Delsgade in the distance and found Midhaze shrouded in darkness. It was magic I’d never seen before, but as Misha had said, it appeared to be a type of barrier. Not even my Eyes could see into the city now, and anti-magic was preventing me from sending another magic body.
“Hmm. This is certainly fitting for a spirit born of my own legend. What overwhelming power.”
“Lord Anos!”
I turned in the direction of the voice to see the fan union girls running over from the door. The fact that every girl was accounted for probably meant that Gennul had let them pass untested.
“About what you just sent through Leaks...”
I had just transmitted the magic broadcast to them via Leaks, so they had a general idea of what was going on.
“Did Misa turn into the phony Demon King?” Ellen asked worriedly.
“She hasn’t turned into anything,” I replied. “She was Avos Dilhevia all along. Half of her existence was founded on the legend of the Demon King.”
Solemn looks fell across the girls’ faces.
Lay opened his mouth. Even he was having trouble smiling. “If the legend disappears, Misa will die. If the legend sticks around, Misa is destined to remain as Avos Dilhevia—as the Child of God born to destroy Anos.” With a grim look in his eyes, he gritted his teeth as waves of an indescribable emotion flashed across his face. “If only I hadn’t created a fake Demon King...”
“What’s done is done. Now is not the time to dwell on the past.”
Lay raised his head. When our eyes met, he nodded.
“Avos Dilhevia must be defeated as soon as possible,” I said. “Many of the Demon King of Tyranny’s rumors are spread by humans and Royalists. If Misa’s personality is formed from those rumors, she won’t be the kindest king, I’m afraid.”
Judging by Avos Dilhevia’s speech, it was easy to imagine what we were in for. The hybrids would probably be first to fall victim.
“The Sword of Three Races may be key to defeating Avos Dilhevia,” Lay said in a heavy tone. Hero Kanon had defeated the Demon King of Tyranny with that very sword. The legend had spread among humanity, making Evansmana the Great Spirit Avos Dilhevia’s greatest weakness.
“But won’t Misa die if you defeat Avos Dilhevia?” Eleonore asked.
Zeshia frowned. “That would be sad...”
Sasha put a hand to her head and pondered with a serious expression. “Misa’s half spirit, right? Avos Dilhevia is half of her existence, so she won’t be able to live if that half disappears.”
“She’d get spiritosis,” Misha mumbled.
“It’ll be fine,” I said. “You need only concern yourselves with figuring out a way to defeat Avos Dilhevia. That may seem impossible, but as you know, the impossible has never stopped me.” I turned to face Lay.
“Two thousand years ago, all I ever did was give up,” he said with a look of resolution. “This time, I won’t do that.”
Just then, a tremor shook the Spirit King’s castle. Actually, no—it wasn’t the castle that was shaking—it was the Great Tree of Learning himself. Countless branches reached into the castle, covering the room like a cocoon.
“Are you trying to keep us here, Ennunien?” I asked the Great Tree.
“I’m afraid I cannot allow you to bring harm to the child of the Mother of Spirits,” he replied in his hoarse voice. “You shall all remain here in Aharthern.”
I attempted to cast Gatom but found myself unable to connect to any other space.
“Unfortunately, there is no way out of the remedial cocoon. It is my last resort for failing students who refuse to study. You cannot leave without completing supplementary lessons.”
All spirits were allies of the Great Spirit Reno. It was only natural for them to take the side of her child, Avos Dilhevia, as well.
“I understand how you feel, but that doesn’t mean I shall comply.”
I drew a magic circle in front of me and poured my magic into it. A black sun soared out of the circle and struck the wall of the cocoon.
“It’s no use. Violence is not permitted within this cocoon of learning.”
Sure enough, the wall was slightly charred but had taken no significant damage.
“Oh? But this isn’t the extent of my brutality.”
I drew another magic circle, this time forming one hundred shots of Jio Graze. The jet-black suns struck the exact same spot on the wall with a single deafening boom, fiercely shaking the cocoon.
“I said it’s no use!” Ennunien called. “Using force is pointless!”
Black flames rose with a mighty roar, consuming the entire cocoon.
“What?!”
The bursts of Jio Grazes had broken through the wall, leaving behind a huge hole.
“You power may be great when it comes to education—so great as to trap even those with more magic than you,” I said. New branches reached out to cover the hole, but the black flames spread to consume those as well. The exit was growing wider before our eyes. “But understand this, Ennunien: forcing a passing student to take supplementary lessons isn’t education—it’s corporal punishment. And in a match of violence, I won’t lose.”
“Urgh...”
With that, I’d turned his own legend against him. Even for the sake of the Great Spirit Reno, spirits couldn’t act against their own lore. As Ennunien faltered, I stepped past the now unmoving branches.
“Let’s go.”
At my words, my followers accompanied me out of the Spirit King’s castle. The clouds around us immediately gathered to block our way.
“Don’t be afraid. Just jump,” I said, leaping through a rift between the clouds. Lay, Misha, and Sasha leaped after me, followed by Zeshia and Eleonore. The fan union girls jumped last. The sight of the Great Tree we’d climbed streamed past us as we fell. Just before we reached the trial room, I cast Fless on the fan union girls to set them safely on the ground. The others, too, landed without a hitch.
“Who are they?” Misha suddenly asked, looking over at a group of demons gathered ahead of us. All of them possessed far more power than the demons of this era. They were my subordinates from two thousand years ago. The Netherworld King must have succeeded in retrieving them.
But there was something strange about them.
“Anos Voldigoad.” One of the demons stepped forward, drawing his sword. His name was Nigitt, and he was the most skilled swordsman out of my former followers after Shin. “By the order of my liege, your source will be mine.”
At Nigitt’s signal, the demons charged all at once, but the next moment, a crimson spear came flying out of nowhere, aimed straight at his body. Nigitt blocked the spear with his demon sword and leaped back. The demons with him paused in their advance.
“What a mess. This is why I warned you not to underestimate the gods.”
The man standing before us—the one who had thrown the spear—was Aeges, the Netherworld King.
“The Child of God has commandeered your former subordinates,” he told me. “Half of them have already moved to Delsgade, along with the god in the Conflagration King’s body.”
Now that Melheis had sided with Avos Dilhevia, Nosgalia was able to abandon his post mid-expedition. The Great Spirit Avos Dilhevia was born from the legend of the Demon King of Tyranny and possessed the order of the Child of God. It wouldn’t be strange for Nosgalia to ally himself.
“This isn’t the time to be standing around. Go.” The Netherworld King lowered his center of gravity and pointed his magic spear at my former followers. “I shall handle this. Out of consideration for your soft self, I shall even refrain from destroying them.”
“It seems you’ve grown a little soft yourself, Netherworld King.”
“As I said earlier, our objectives just so happen to coincide,” Aeges replied without turning around. He gripped his crimson spear that could cross dimensions and thrust it downwards, but it didn’t pierce the floor under his feet—it opened a hole beneath my feet instead. The staircase could be seen through the hole.
“Be careful—my subordinates are strong,” I said.
“Your concerns are unwarranted. I haven’t been sitting around idly for the past two thousand years.”
As spear clashed with spell beside us, we jumped into the hole. I was about to return the same way we’d come when I came to a halt.
“Hmm. The path has changed.”
On the way there, Rina and I had followed a complex, mazelike path. Of course, I still remembered that path, but those memories were no use now that the maze was different.
“Anos!”
I turned at the sound of my name to see Rina standing there.
“You’re leaving, right? I know the way!” she said.
Aeges must have told her to stay after saving her from the Spirit of Hiding. For a man called the Netherworld King, he sure was attentive to detail.
“I’m afraid we’re in a bit of a rush. Can you show us the fastest way out?”
“Sure! I know where to go—follow me!”
With that, Rina broke into a run. She weaved her way through the complicated maze without any sign of hesitation. We followed close behind her.
After some time, the maze before us transformed. New paths and dead ends were rapidly forming before our very eyes.
“Hey, what is this?” Sasha asked.
“It’s okay! Just follow me.”
Rina pushed on through the ever-changing maze. Towards the end, the floor began heaving like a wave, throwing us all off-balance.
“Wah!” Rina exclaimed, tripping over the floor. A single white flower fell from her breast pocket. The wall of the maze immediately absorbed the flower. Rina cried out again, reaching for the flower, but she was too late. She froze on the spot and stared at the wall, unmoving.
“We’ll be trapped here if we don’t get going,” Eleonore said.
Rina pulled herself together and nodded. “R-Right, sorry,” she said, but I grasped her shoulder before she could resume running. “Huh?”
I touched the wall with my finger and channeled my magic inside. The wall warped beneath my touch, revealing the white flower within. When I beckoned to it, it flew towards me, and I caught it in my hand.
“This is important to you, isn’t it?” I asked.
“I think so. Thank you.” Rina accepted the flower and slipped it back into her pocket. She then resumed running.
After making our way through the warping maze, we stopped before a door. Rina opened it, and the vine-covered entrance to the Great Tree came into view. Sunlight streamed through the trees of the forest. We’d escaped the Great Tree Ennunien, but I still couldn’t use Gatom until we’d escaped the forest.
“Is there a way out of here?” I asked.
“Aharthern’s exits are sealed right now, so you probably can’t leave the normal way,” Rina said, glancing around the area. “Titi, are you here?”
She’d called out to the titi, tiny fairies of the forest, but there was no response.
“We want to get out of here. There’s someone I have to visit.”
“They have pretty carefree personalities and all, but the titi are spirits too, no?” Sasha wondered aloud. “Will they even be willing to help us?”
But a moment later, new voices filled the air.
“Troubled?”
“Someone’s troubled?”
“It’s Rina.”
“Rina’s troubled.”
A fog gathered around us, and the fairies emerged from within.
“Thank goodness. Titi, we want to leave this place. Can you help us out?” Rina asked.
The titi danced around her.
“He told us not to let him out.”
“The Demon King and his friends must stay.”
“Avos Dilhevia’s awakened.”
“We have to protect Reno’s child.”
The titi, too, seemed unwilling to negotiate, but Rina pleaded once more.
“Please help us, titi. I won’t ask anything more,” she said earnestly.
The titi gathered together and stared directly at her.
“Maybe if it’s secretly.”
“We’ll help if you keep quiet!”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
“Not a word.”
Rina nodded, smiling brightly. “Yep, I promise.”
The fairies set off into the forest.
“This way.”
“Over here, over here!”
We followed the fairies into a thick fog. As it grew thicker, it obscured the foliage around us.
“What do you see?”
“I see something.”
“I see grass, maybe.”
“It’s the plain!”
A familiar scene appeared before us.
“Bye-bye, Rina.”
“See you later!”
“See you later, Rina.”
“Let’s meet again!”
The titi vanished. As we left the Great Spirit Forest, the fog gradually faded, and we stepped out onto the Lysaris Plain.
§ 40. Infiltrating Midhaze
“Hmm. I can teleport us to the outskirts of Midhaze. From there, it’d be fastest to make the rest of the journey on foot.”
I stared into the distance and observed the areas around the city. The barrier of darkness was beginning to seep outside, but it hadn’t been able to spread very far in such a short amount of time.
“Most demons won’t be able to defy Avos Dilhevia’s order,” Lay said. “They’ll be waiting for you to show up.”
“No doubt.”
“Defeating them won’t help. If we can, we should avoid combat.”
Taking on anyone other than Avos Dilhevia, Nosgalia, or the Spirit King would be a wasted effort. We couldn’t kill anyone either. Although taking care of the Royalists would normally be like taking candy from a baby, my former subordinates were now among them.
“However, the other side will be aware of that. We can’t give them too much time. Depending on how the situation develops, we may have to charge in head-on,” I said.
At that, Rina raised her hand. “Um...can you take me with you?” she asked.
If Shin was the Spirit King, who was the amnesiac girl trying to meet him? The simplest answer was probably the Great Spirit Reno, but I wasn’t quite convinced. According to the lilan, a spirit could resurrect, even if their source was destroyed, as long as their lore still existed. However, I recalled nothing from them about memory loss and indistinct facial features. Plus, the titi had said they’d never see Reno again. Did that mean she was gone for good?
Although Avos Dilhevia’s identity had been revealed, a number of mysteries remained unsolved. Something had happened two thousand years ago when Avos Dilhevia was created, and it would be an incredible coincidence if Rina was unrelated. Perhaps the Spirit King or Nosgalia had sealed her memories.
“Let’s go together. You seem to be the same as us,” I said.
“The same?” Rina asked, looking up at me.
“You, too, have unfinished business from two thousand years ago.”
A look of recognition crossed Rina’s face, and she nodded. “I think so too.”
She accepted my offered hand. Lay and the others also linked hands, and I cast Gatom on everyone.
The world turned bright white for a brief moment, then a path appeared before us. It was the road to Midhaze. I could have teleported us a little closer, but the guards would have tightened the city’s defenses if they had detected our approach. This was the more appropriate spot.
We advanced down the road, taking the time to avoid being detected by our enemies. The city walls eventually came into view, the barrier of darkness visible behind them. The gates to the city were shut.
“How should we get in?” Lay asked.
“We could barge our way in while no one’s looking,” Sasha suggested, but Misha shook her head.
“Someone’s coming,” she said, casting her Magic Eyes over the gate. The barrier of darkness prevented us from seeing anything within, but the flow of magic inside could be faintly detected. A large number of demons were indeed headed our way.
