The Misfit of Demon King Academy: Volume 2, page 5
I slashed at his feet from behind, and he fell to his knees. Then, I grabbed the back of his head, which was now at the perfect height.
“Now, let’s see how much you remember.”
I cast Rivide and Eviy simultaneously, combing through the surface of his memories, but just as I’d suspected, there was no trace of Anos Voldigoad in Gaios’s mind.
When I focused my Eyes into his abyss, I found the two sources I was looking for. One belonged to Gaios, whose memory I’d now examined. The other most likely belonged to a follower of Avos Dilhevia, but I couldn’t read this demon’s memories without knowing their origin.
All of this had been within the realm of my expectations. I hadn’t been counting on finding a lead this way.
“Shall we continue?” I asked, releasing my hand and pointing my sword at his neck.
Gaios grimaced bitterly. “I...I surrender...”
At the declaration of the Demon Elder’s defeat, cheers and clamoring rose around the arena.
§ 6. Lay’s Abilities
“I can’t believe it... He overpowered Lord Gaios with no effort at all...”
“That was so one-sided, you can’t even call it a match...”
“Could Anos actually be telling the truth? You know, about being the Demon—”
“Hey, don’t go spouting nonsense! No matter how strong he may be, there’s no way the Demon King of Tyranny would be a mixed-breed, much less a misfit!”
“Right. It’s not strength or wisdom that matters, but the precious blood that flows through our veins. Don’t forget your pride as royalty—your pride in carrying the founder’s blood. This guy may be strong, but he’s just a misfit. There’s nothing precious about his strength.”
It was somewhat comical hearing such senseless muttering in reaction to the strength of the founder himself, but perhaps this was all part of Avos Dilhevia’s plan. What did he intend to achieve by seizing my position? There was no need to concern myself with small fry that were only after my power, but I still couldn’t understand his purpose.
“Heh heh heh!”
At the sound of Ydol’s laugh, I redirected my gaze.
“That’s the last sword. It was a crafty tactic, but you’ve nothing left to throw.”
At second glance, it seemed that all the swords that had been stabbed into the arena floor were gone. The only one remaining was the sword in Lay’s hand, but it didn’t stand a chance against Ydol’s twin swords, which could cremate it in an instant.
A situation like this would normally be considered dire, but for some strange reason, it didn’t feel like he could lose. It was time to see what he had up his sleeve.
“Well, I guess I’ll have to do things the normal way now,” Lay mumbled. Without pulling a single trick, he began to head straight for Ydol.
“Heh, so you’re finally ready to fight. Come—I’ll teach you the proper way to use a demon sword without tossing them about like throwing knives.”
Ydol and Lay faced one another. Another half step closer and they would be within striking range. Lay was at an overwhelming disadvantage one-on-one—yet he was the one to step carelessly forward.
“Such reckless movements,” Ydol commented.
The twin swords danced mercilessly. Each arm moved independently of the other—the fire sword aimed at Lay’s head, then one beat later, the ice sword aimed at his chest. Even if he managed to evade the fire sword, the ice sword would strike the moment he was thrown off-balance. Lay met the two lethal slashes head-on with the single demon sword in his right hand.
“There,” Lay mumbled.
Swords clashed together, clanging and screeching as blade met blade.
“Two.”
“Agh?!” Ydol exclaimed, his expression turning severe. Lay’s demon sword had deflected his own.
Not only did Lay possess the technique to deflect the near-simultaneous attack of twin swords with a single blade, but his demon sword was unscathed. It was inexplicable—any contact with Zeth and Ides should have destroyed it.
“Hragh!” Ydol cried, swinging his swords once more.
The clash once again resounded as Lay easily deflected the attack.
“Four,” he mumbled.
“What do you think you’re doing, kid?”
Sword continued to clash against sword—once, twice...
“Six.”
“Tch, in that case...!”
Ydol doubled the speed of his attacks—then doubled it once more. His hands were moving faster than the eye could see, releasing a flurry of strikes—yet Lay’s sword remained undamaged.
“Eighty-seven.”
“Curse you... How can you defend yourself with such a measly demon sword? What petty tricks are you using?!”
Clank, clink. There was no end to the metallic shrieks echoing throughout the arena.
“Now I see,” I said, nodding. “Lay, all those demon swords you threw at Ydol chipped his blades when he cut them down. Demon swords cannot activate their effects through defective areas of the blade, so you can safely make contact by striking there.”
Ydol frowned at my words. “That’s absurd... You’re telling me he’s aiming for the tiniest chips in my blades to deflect me?! That’s impossible...!”
Strictly speaking, Lay had aimed for the same few spots on each blade since he’d started throwing swords. He had controlled his throwing strength and angle flawlessly, wearing away at a tiny part of each blade over and over again, until the twin swords Zeth and Ides eventually chipped.
“Could you not reveal my techniques to my opponent? It puts me at a disadvantage,” Lay chimed in without a hint of concern.
“You can afford that much of a handicap,” I replied.
Ydol took a step back, sizing up the distance between them. “It seems I underestimated you for being a child. I shall now face you with all my strength...”
Magic circles appeared above both his hands. Flames rose from the Demon Sword Zeth, while the Demon Sword Ides frosted over.
“These are the true forms of Zeth and Ides. Prepare yourself!”
Ydol’s figure blurred. He had stepped within range of Lay in an instant, swinging the twin swords rapidly. His strikes exceeded two hundred a second—there was no escaping the flurry of flame and frost rushing at Lay.
“Haaah...” Lay exhaled. His sword glinted. His blade moved like a flash of light—knocking Ydol’s twin blades cleanly away.
“Four hundred and forty-two.”
“Wh-Why? It should be pointless to aim for a chip in the blade like this...”
Lay smiled coolly, making no move to answer, so it was I who took the initiative.
“The answer is simple: Lay’s demon sword isn’t touching yours. He’s deflecting you with the wind pressure from his swings.”
“It’s not as easy as it sounds,” Lay added, chuckling.
“He’s exchanging blows with my swords...using wind pressure?” A look of vexation crossed Ydol’s face, which twisted into an infuriated glare. “Curse you... Fine! Let’s see how long you can continue that tightrope act!”
Ydol’s swords glinted, only to be swept away by Lay once more.
“Your skills may be impressive,” he growled, continuing his assault, “but how about your stamina? I’m afraid I won’t tire for the next one hundred years—”
There, Ydol fell speechless. The fire and ice enshrouding the twin blades had scattered and dispersed. The two demon swords had snapped right through the middle, the broken tips spinning as they flew through the air.
Eventually, they landed, plunging into the ground.
“My twin swords...snapped!”
“Four hundred and forty-four. As calculated.”
Ah, so he had been counting the number of strikes it took for the twin swords to break.
“By the way,” Lay said casually. “When were you going to teach me how to use a demon sword?”
Instead of replying, Ydol cowered in fright. Belatedly realizing his defeat, he looked over at Gaios to seek his peer’s assistance.
“What... Just what are you two...?” Ydol mumbled, hanging his head. “Never in two thousand years have the Seven Demon Elders been treated like children... This is unheard of.”
I watched as Lay walked over to me unconcerned.
“Lay, you went easy on him, didn’t you?”
“That’s not true.”
“Spare me the modesty. With your strength, you could have ended the match without ever crossing swords.”
Lay flashed me a refreshing smile. “But that wouldn’t be good practice.”
“Oh?”
“I wanted to see if I could break those swords without using any magic. I cheated a little at the end, so I still have a long way to go.”
Ha ha ha! Goodness, what a delight this man was, treating these “elders” as sword practice. How interesting. I’d certainly love to see the depths of his power.
“Face me with all you’ve got tomorrow,” I said seriously.
Lay’s smile did not falter. “I’ll think about it.”
“If you treat me as practice, you’ll end up dead.”
“I’d prefer not to die if possible.” His reply was as lighthearted as always.
“Then do as you wish,” I said, smirking. “I’ll make you change your mind later.”
Lay looked momentarily baffled, then relaxed into a chuckle. “You’re quite the sadist, aren’t you?” he asked.
“What are you saying? There’s no demon as kindhearted as I.”
“Then I’d appreciate it if you’d go easy on me.”
“Bwa ha! Don’t be ridiculous. Your body language says otherwise.”
The smile on Lay’s face didn’t seem to be one of objection. He wasn’t the aggressive type, but that didn’t mean he hated fighting. He wouldn’t have mastered the sword to this degree otherwise.
“You know, all that exercise has made me hungry,” he said.
“I’ve had enough of this lesson anyway. Shall we return to the classroom for a quick lunch break?”
“Are we allowed to do that?”
“It won’t be a problem if we do so secretly.”
“Got it. Secretly it is.”
Continuing our discussion, we made our way outside of the magic barrier, closely followed by the collective gaze of our classmates.
“Hey, what’s with this mundane atmosphere?” Sasha complained. “You two just beat up two Demon Elders! Don’t start talking about lunch like you’re going about your normal day...”
It was just another normal day, so I don’t know what Sasha was griping about.
§ 7. Skirmish
The next day.
Demon King Academy Delsgade.
The students of class two had gathered at the enchanted forest, ready for the forthcoming exam. In the distance, the bell rang, signaling the start of lessons, and Emilia addressed the class.
“The team exam between Team Lay and Team Anos will now commence,” she announced.
Lay walked towards me. “Did you sleep well last night?”
“Yes, like a baby.”
“That must have been nice. I couldn’t sleep at all.”
“I see. Were you reading a good book? Staying up late is bad for your health.”
“I completely agree. It was a struggle to get up this morning.” Lay yawned dramatically.
“H-Hey! Hold on just a minute!” Sasha interjected, ready to make a complaint.
“What’s wrong?”
“Don’t give me that! We’re about to go into a team exam! A team exam! What’s this lax air for? Do you two think we’re on a field trip?”
Good grief, it wasn’t as though we were going to war. Of course, it was theoretically possible to die if we were careless, but we weren’t exactly going on a killing spree.
“Sorry, my followers can be a little noisy,” I said, placing a hand on Sasha’s head to suggest she be quiet.
“G-Get off me... Don’t think you can silence me like this...” Despite her words, Sasha quieted obediently.
“Jealous?” Misha asked her from behind.
“Wh-What are you saying...?!”
“Because Anos is acting differently.”
I was acting differently?
“Oh, I see,” I said, catching on. “Sasha, are you jealous that I can have a peaceful conversation with Lay but not you?”
“D-Dumbass! There’s no way I’d be jealous of that!”
“Really?” I stared right at her, but she turned away in a huff.
“I’m not jealous...” she muttered to herself.
“Besides, you were the one who started the fight during the last team exam,” I pointed out.
Sasha glanced up and groaned.
“Sasha,” Misa interrupted, stepping away from a gathering of fan union members.
“What?!”
She flinched at the hostility in Sasha’s voice. “Um... How about we make a bet as well?”
“What? Why do I have to do that?”
“You know how Lord Anos made a bet with Lay? Why don’t we have a contest of strength, separate from the two of them?”
“I can’t believe this. The team exams are mock wars. In what world are wars won by arranging bets beforehand?” Sasha asked, shooting her down coldly.
Misa just grinned. “You seemed really fond of that photo I showed you the day before yesterday.”
“Wh-What? You’re wrong.” Sasha’s eyes darted about nervously.
“Heh heh heh... If you defeat me, I’ll give it to you.” Misa flashed what appeared to be a photograph from her breast pocket.
“I see,” Sasha responded reluctantly. “Is that all you wanted to say?”
“Yes. Let’s both do our best.”
With that, Misa returned to the crowd of girls.
“Ah, that’s right. You were the victor of yesterday’s match, weren’t you?” Lay asked me.
“That’s right. Have you got something for me?”
He smiled brightly. “How about a fun time in today’s team exam?”
I burst into laughter. Somehow, his offer sounded more difficult to accomplish than the violent threats I usually received. This offer seemed much more difficult to follow through with.
“Interesting. I’ll look forward to it.”
“What should we do about the camp positions?”
“You can choose first.”
“Then I’ll take the east, I guess,” Lay said, then he turned on his heel and called out to Misa’s group. “Let’s go. I may not be a very reliable leader, but please lend me your strength.”
Misa looked surprised at that.
“Something the matter?” Lay asked her.
“No, you’re just a little different from other royalty, saying that to white-uniforms and all.”
“Oh, I don’t keep up with that sort of thing. All that stuff about royalty and whatnot is too complicated for me,” Lay explained plainly. “Anyways, I sometimes wonder myself.”
“Wonder what?”
“If the founder really said that.”
Misa stared at Lay with a stunned expression.
“I wonder if that guy really said royalty is superior.”
“That guy...?”
“Ah, ignore me; I’m just thinking out loud. I’ve always had this strange feeling that the Demon King of Tyranny everyone speaks of is someone else, but because I’m from the Cohort of Chaos, everyone gives me the cold shoulder when I talk about it. I’d appreciate it if you could keep this a secret.”
Misa giggled. “I understand. By the way, Lay, do you have any interest in the Unitarian movement?”
She must have sensed there was a chance of persuading Lay, as she had suddenly begun canvassing him.
“Nope, not at all.”
“I see. That’s a shame. What about the fan union for Lord Anos?”
Team Lay continued chatting amicably as they headed towards the east camp. We also turned, starting for the west forest.
After some time, an owl flying overhead sent us a message through Leaks.
“The team exam between Team Lay and Team Anos will now begin. Defeat your enemies in a way the founder would be proud of!”
With the usual announcement, the team exam commenced.
“So...what’s the plan?” Misha asked.
“I’ll take on Misa and the remaining students,” Sasha declared plainly.
Misha stared at her sister. “For the photo?”
“N-No, of course not! That girl seems to think she can take me on, so I’m going to show her a thing or two.”
In spite of what she’d said about mock war, she seemed rather on board with the idea.
“A word, Sasha,” I said before we began.
“What?”
“You may be outnumbered, but under my charge, you don’t come running back with your tail between your legs.”
She smirked. “Of course. Just watch—I’ll beat them all up for you.”
“Hmm. Then if you succeed, I shall reward you justly.”
“What will you give me?”
“Anything you’d like. Better think of what that might be.”
At that, an idea seemed to occur to her, as a bashful expression appeared on her face.
“A-Anything...?” she asked.
“Yes.”
Sasha stepped closer. “By anything, do you really mean anything? Anything at all?”
“Sure. What is it you want?”
Her face flushed, and she looked away. “N-Nothing in particular. I’ll think about it...”
It certainly sounded like she had something in mind.
“Should I build a castle?” Misha asked.
“Yeah, we should probably have one.”
Misha nodded, clenching her left fist. Numerous ice crystals appeared from the Lotus Ice Ring, forming a magic circle that began to glitter.
“Ice castle,” she murmured, activating Iris.
The ground beneath my feet instantly froze over, transforming into a floor of ice. This was followed by the creation of ice walls, mirrors, statues, and an ice throne. The next moment, the floor beneath me began to rise, lifting me higher and higher into the air. Finally, the ceiling sealed overhead, completing the huge Demon King Castle.
We were now standing in the throne room of said castle.
“Since when have you been able to build a castle so fast?” Sasha asked her sister.
