Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou

Akuto stepped off of a long-distance bullet train shaped like a long, narrow whale and onto a white platform. He dragged his suitcase along as he walked past the magician who specialized in running the train and was opening a mana screen in the s.p.a.ce before his eyes. The station was quite crowded with people of various cultures and social statuses. Book stores and stands selling candies shaped like the imperial capital’s famous green onions were lined up within the facility and that slight market was filled with activity. Even so, no arguments were evident and the uniformed security magician in the center of the concourse was toying with the shock baton at his waist out of boredom.

—The capital sure is amazing. There are so many people moving around as they please, but no chaos. They must be used to all this movement… No, everyone is headed towards what they want to buy, what they want to see, or where they want to go, but that can’t be all there is to it because some people are standing still. Oh, I get it. The person who designed this station may have known what everyone wanted to buy or see, and designed it so people would flow naturally through the station according to their desires. The power of top-cla.s.s magicians really is amazing.

Hold on to that thought, Akuto followed the directions displayed on a virtual screen floating over his head and headed towards the flying bus stop that would take him directly to Constant Magic Academy. The bus stop bordered on empty air and is built on the top floor of the imperial capital’s central train station which is several dozen meters tall. The path leading there ended with a long stairway. As soon as Akuto began climbing those stairs, at the center of the stairway,he spotted an old woman wearing a kimono and holding a few large, heavy-looking bags.

—She’s wearing a kimono, so has she received the baptism of the G.o.d Suhara?

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

“I can carry those for you.”

The old woman turned around and looked shocked for a moment, but then accepted his offer.

The old woman’s shock partially due to her faith. It was natural for everyone to have a religious faith in this society, but someone who displayed their faith on the surface was just showing how stubborn they were about their faith’s doctrines. And people generally viewed Suhara followers as horribly hard to get along with. That organization bore the burden of national defense, so people often misjudged them as being “proud” or “arrogant”.

“My family is an officially designated family, so people rarely help me in the city,” said the old woman as she looked at Akuto amusely.

“I think it is only natural to help someone carry something heavy. By the way, what do you mean by ‘officially designated’?” Akuto asked.

“It means we are civil servants from the followers of Suhara. Other examples would be knights and those with n.o.ble t.i.tles,” replied the old woman gently.

“I see.”

“By the way, are you a student from magic academy?”

Akuto nodded “I am.” and the old woman smiled in embarra.s.sment.

“My granddaughter forgot her luggage. She is also a student at the academy. She returned home for the break, but left all of her luggage behind.”

“All of it?”

“Silly, isn’t it? She only took her daily school supplies with her.”

So, the old woman and Akuto burst into laughter. A figure appeared at the top of the stairs after hearing that laughter.

“Grandmother! I thought I heard your voice, but what are you doing here!?” said a girl the same age as Akuto.

She looked surprised and glanced back and forth between the old woman and Akuto. She was wearing the uniform of Constant Magic Academy.

“You forgot something,” said the old woman with a smile.

“Eh? I forgot something? What could I have-….Ehh!?”

The girl’s eyes had already been widened in shock, but now they widened even further and she brought a hand to her mouth. Her glossy hair and her almond-shaped eyes gave her an almost frightening level of beauty, but her expression displayed her emotions almost too honestly.

—How could she not realize she left that much luggage?

Akuto was surprised. The girl gave an impression of being a cool-headed beauty, yet it seemed she could be quite the airhead.

The girl looked over at Akuto, grew red in the face, and cleared her throat.

“Grandmother, who is this?”

“Oh, just a boy who helped me with these heavy bags. Such a rare thing these days. It seems he goes to your school, so you can look after him. Or perhaps he needs to look after you.”

The old woman laughed like a child.

“What? Grandmother!” The girl reflexively replied like a teased child, but her face stiffened and she cleared her throat once more when she noticed Akuto looking at her. “Ahem… I have not…seen you around school, so you must be a new student. Nice to meet you. I am Hattori Junko, the cla.s.s representative for Cla.s.s A. You have my thanks for helping my grandmother.”

Junko displayed her thanks like a samurai. Unlike before, her behavior perfectly matched the cool impression her appearance gave.

“No need to thank me,” denied Akuto frantically.

“Oh, my. She really is going all out. I will be going then,” said the old woman before bowing to Akuto and starting down the stairs.

Junko and Akuto remained in the bus stop.

Some slightly awkward time pa.s.sed, but Junko eventually spoke.

“New students into the high school are rare.”

“I was told there are a few others besides me. From what I heard, the standard here is to receive all your schooling here, so only those with special circ.u.mstances are allowed to transfer in.”

“Yes, it is rare for someone who is not a foreigner and has not been living overseas to be accepted. What country were you living in?”

“Actually, I got in on a scholarship. I took the entrance exam.”

“Oh?” said Junko in admiration. “I heard that zero people pa.s.s the exam each year. You must be an excellent student.”

Akuto’s cheeks loosened in embarra.s.sment.

“Thanks. I hope this is not a rude question, but are you here to become a national magician, Hattori-san?”

“Yes. I must do everything I can for my family and for national defense.”

The clumsy impression from before had completely disappeared from Junko’s face. She was now the representative image of the skilled cla.s.s representative and the stubborn and n.o.ble Suhara follower.

—I hope we’re in the same cla.s.s.

Akuto had never before had a friend he viewed as an equal. No one else in his rural town had wanted to become a magician for the sake of the country, so this was not entirely Akuto’s fault. At any rate, he could tell by looking at Junko that he would find kindred spirits at this academy. Akuto grew even more excited about what lay ahead.

The flying bus arrived. Akuto and Junko were the only two on board, so they sat facing each other in the center box seats.

“Are there no other new students? I thought I was not the only one.”

“The students from overseas will have arrived at the academy earlier. You will likely meet up with them for the physical examination.”

“I see. …Oh.”

Akuto let out a voice as he saw the scenery outside the window.

The flying bus had flown into the sky, leaving the imperial capital down below. He had spotted Constant Magic Academy in the distance.

The school was made up of a few buildings located within a vast forest. The main school building, with two especially magnificent spires, was glittering white in the sun.

“You probably already know this, but the academy was created from a fortress used during the great war with the demon king one hundred years ago. The old school building is really nothing more than a fortress and it still has dozens of kilometers of pa.s.sageways underground. Now they are like a giant underground labyrinth. People have disappeared down there, so be careful.”

“I will. In fact, I intend to live a life with no need for danger. I came here to learn. I intend to reform the world for the better, so I need to learn at the best possible school.”

“Reform the world?”

Junko’s eyes glittered with interest.

“I want to become one of the high priests that design society,” said Akuto.

“Oh!” uttered Junko in admiration. “I’ve never heard someone actually say that before. Even though the G.o.ds supposedly see all actions that go against them, no one is punished for those actions. However, no matter which sect you enter, you cannot break any taboo at all if you wish to be a high priest.”

“I know that,” replied Akuto carelessly.

Junko looked back at him with a wide-eyed stare. She must have decided from his expression that he was not joking because she gave a large nod.

“Even littering along the road can be an obstacle to becoming a high priest. You have to be truly prepared. I do not know which faith you belong to, but if that is what you truly wish to do, I will help you.”

“I would appreciate that. I get the feeling school life here will present some challenges.”

—It looks like you get on oddly well with someone if you hold similar values. Even with the opposite s.e.x.

Akuto reached out for a handshake, but Junko raised her hand as if to deny him. Instead, she smiled and pulled a short sword out of her uniform.

“In our sect, we have a ritual for binding friendship between equals. We both hold the knife and clack the guard against the scabbard.”

“What a wonderful custom.”

“You really think so? It confirms one’s friendship by creating a situation where you could betray and stab each other with no recourse.”

“I like that kind of tension.”

Akuto wrapped his hand around Junko’s hand on the knife. Junko used her other hand to grab the hilt and lift it up. She then brought it down to create a dry clacking noise.

“This is only the most minor symbol of friendship, but it is the first time I have done it with a boy,” said Junko.

“I’m honored. This is the first time I have ever met anyone like you. I sense something n.o.ble in you,” replied Akuto honestly.

“I’ll blush if you compliment me like that. Recently, there have been fewer proper students and people who act out of a sense of justice or a desire to help others are only laughed at. That must be why we feel such an understanding between us.”

“I’m surprised to hear there are a lot of students here who do not take this seriously.”

“The academy traditionally provides a lot of freedom. That is not a bad thing in and of itself. It provides experiences that will be useful later in life. However, some students play games with magic in the name of experiments they claim are needed to exterminate the monsters underground and in the forest. All of us cla.s.s representatives have a difficult job. We even have to supervise the dorms. It is only during the long breaks that we can let down our guard."

As Junko spoke exhaustedly, a cruel smile appeared on Akuto’s lips.

“Is that why you forgot your luggage?”

“You idiot, don’t tease me,” snapped back Junko as she blushed. But then she suddenly began fidgeting while looking up at Akuto. “Um… Could you…keep that a secret…at school? People see me as a strict cla.s.s representative.”

“Don’t worry. I will not betray you.”

The flying bus slipped onto the roof of the main school building.

When Akuto stepped off of the bus, he felt gra.s.s beneath his feet. The vast roof was covered entirely in green. Not only did it function as a bus stop, but it was also a sports ground and a rest area. He spotted the entrance down into the building on the edge of that rooftop plaza. It was a large gate with a bird and cherry blossom design on it.

“A lot of people fly in to the roof, so a second main entrance is prepared here,” said Junko while pointing at the gate. “No one else is here, so I’ll say it: Welcome to Constant Magic Academy.”

They walked through the blowing wind and entered the school. Akuto’s heart leapt as the stone staircase caused their footsteps to reverberate throughout the area.

“You need to get to the infirmary, right? I need to go to my cla.s.sroom, so we will part ways here. Even if we end up in different cla.s.ses, contact me tomorrow,” said Junko as she pulled her student handbook. “Once you receive your student handbook, you can bring up a mana communication console on the last page. There’s a trick to telepathic communication, but you’ll catch on quickly. Just search for my name.”

The final page of her student handbook was completely black, but glowing writing appeared when she stroked her finger across it. When she flicked some of that writing, a list of names appeared.

“Once you get used to it, you can control it just by thinking, but if you do not use this tool as an intermediary, you will scatter mana around and allow others to listen in to the conversation. Be careful about that. Goodbye.”

After that simple explanation, Junko continued down the stairs.

—I don’t think this is love, but I enjoy being around her. I feel like I am being rewarded for all of my effort. This is the first time I have felt that my words are getting through to someone and this is the first time I have entered into a friendship with an equal. Luck must finally be turning in my direction.

While thinking that, Akuto followed a route prepared for new students and finally arrived in front of an infirmary where a dozen or so other students stood in a group.

“You are Sai Akuto-kun, right?” asked a woman wearing a white coat over a suit who stood in the center of the dozen or so students. Data on Akuto had been projected onto her large round gla.s.ses and she checked off his name on the memo pad in her hand. “Just on time. That is all of the new students. I am Torii Mitsuko. I work as a school doctor, but I am also a teacher, so some of you may take lessons from me. The others will see me whenever you are not feeling well. Oh, but then I suppose you would not want to see me if you could help it, would you?”

Mitsuko-sensei was tall and had messy hair. She smiled innocently as she spoke, which made her appear sociable and easy to get along with.

“However, this school gets a lot of serious injuries. You should learn this soon enough on your own, but this school is filled with more adventures than any other. It is filled with all sorts of strange things to help you research magic rather than help you study. I am sure you will all have times when you want to go and adventure, but try not to be too reckless because healing you can be difficult.”

Mitsuko-sensei opened the door to the infirmary and everyone walked inside.

Akuto was the only new student who was not a foreigner. Most of them had a similar skin color to Akuto, so they were likely from the center of the continent. In addition, some had black skin and some had blonde hair and blue eyes. The material Akuto had been given on the academy had stated that about 15 percent of the students were foreign.

The infirmary was much larger than the one in his old middle school. A gym-sized s.p.a.ce was divided into several booths. Some were rooms with beds lined up in them and some were rooms in which surgery was performed. Currently, some people were undergoing treatment administered by other school doctors. Some were moaning in pain and Mitsuko-sensei began her explanation while glancing over towards them.

“We have never had enough deaths to even bother counting, so do not worry. Now, about the physical examination. Come sit in this seat when I call your name.”

Mitsuko-sensei pointed at a large wooden chair in the corner of the room. The back of the chair was large enough to envelop anyone of normal height and the armrests were situated quite high. A tall cylindrical gla.s.s container was located on the side of the chair. The gla.s.s cylinder was faintly glowing.

“There is an artificial spirit in there which will check your physical health. It does not take long and it does not hurt. More importantly, the spirit will predict your future occupation.”

Akuto and the other new students all looked puzzled.

Mitsuko-sensei gave a proud snort.

“This is a crystallization of the empire’s magical technology. It uses your personality, how you have lived your life so far, your intelligence, and your physical ability to decide what occupation you should take. You came to this school, so I am sure you all hope to take an occupation that is important to this country. However, this will tell you what specific position that will be. This is not a fortune telling. It is more like advice on what occupation to take based on your personality and abilities. By the way, not a single person has taken an occupation different from what was predicted. Nervous? Don’t worry. Merely getting into this school shows you are plenty skilled, so most everyone ends up in the occupation they want.”

After hearing that, the new students looked relieved.

—I see. So this is like our official duty upon entering the school.

That was how Akuto viewed it.

“Okay, let’s begin.”

Mitsuko-sensei called the first student’s name.

The nervous-looking boy sat in the chair and a black crow-like bird appeared in the gla.s.s cylinder. The bird opened its mouth and spoke in a calm male voice.

“Welcome. I am the artificial spirit Yatagarasu. According to my contract, I will be taking in your personal information and providing advice for your future. New student #001: Yo Lanlee. No health problems. Future occupation…soldier.”

The boy’s face lit up when he heard the word ‘soldier’. It must have been exactly what he wanted.

The new students continued to receive their diagnosis from Yatagarasu one by one. None of them looked displeased with the result. Doctor, diplomat, engineer. They were all important occupations for society and were exactly what the students were hoping to do with their lives. This was similar to having their desired futures promised to them, so every single expression was bright.

Finally, Akuto’s name was called. He sat in the chair and looked inside the gla.s.s cylinder. Yatagarasu looked at Akuto and spoke.

“New student #021 Sai Akuto. No health problems. Future occupation…”

All of the other new students stared at Akuto in great curiosity. They were interested in what occupation their future schoolmate would have and Akuto was the only new student who was an imperial subject. They all waited expectantly for Yatagarasu to speak.

Yatagarasu’s tone remained the same as before, but his unexpected words rang heavily through the room.

His words sounded especially bizarre after all the previous normal responses.

“Demon king.”

Question marks appeared on the faces of everyone in the room.

Akuto was no exception. He had no idea what the artificial spirit was saying, so he remained motionless in the chair.

Mitsuko-sensei looked doubtfully over at Yatagarasu.

“What did you say?”

“Future occupation: demon king,” repeated Yatagarasu.

He was an artificial spirit, so his words held no emotion. It was Mitsuko-sensei who grew fl.u.s.tered. She stood up and walked over to the gla.s.s cylinder.

“Say that one more time.”

“Demon king. The common name for the ruler of monsters. As an occupation, demon king refers to the person who will be the most powerful destructive force against society.”

Only after hearing those calm words did Akuto understand what was being said about him.

“Wh-what?”

He could only think it was a joke.

“Y-you stay seated. Once more. Diagnose him once more.”

After quieting Akuto, Mitsuko-sensei approached Yatagarasu.

“The diagnosis is accurate. He will become a demon king. Both his character and abilities point in that direction."

The artificial spirit was not worried in the slightest. Mitsuko-sensei put her right thumb in her right ear. She was using magic to speak telepathically. She was not speaking out loud, but Akuto understood that she was contacting a specialist with the system.

After a short pause, Mitsuko-sensei took her finger out of her ear.

“Y-you will probably be retested. Don’t worry. It’s okay. Once you are retested, you will get a normal result. Th-the rest of you do not need to worry either. That is all for today. The opening ceremony is tomorrow, so do not be late.”

Mitsuko-sensei sent the other new students out of the infirmary. However, they were muttering amongst themselves. Left behind, Akuto was a.s.saulted by intense anxiety telling him this was not good.

—This is definitely going to spread as a rumor. This is very bad. What is going on? This has to be a bad joke. Or is this Yatagarasu on the fritz? No, even if it is, the rumor will still spread. I have to do something…

His thoughts spun around and around in his head.

Mitsuko-sensei turned towards Akuto with a stiff expression.

“At any rate, I have contacted the headmaster. Please wait in my office until he gets back to me.”

Akuto could only think it had been a bad dream. He spent a long, uncomfortable time in Mitsuko-sensei’s office next to the infirmary before the headmaster finally contacted them.

A mana screen opened above the desk and displayed an old man whose face was covered by a white beard. He looked like a white fur ball growing from a 1000-year-old tree, so Akuto could not even guess at his age. That old man suddenly spoke in a sociable tone of voice.

“It would seem that you are destined to become the next demon king.”

“Eh?” replied Akuto, forgetting that he was speaking with the headmaster.

“The demon king. You are destined to replace the same being who ignited the war that took place 100 years ago. Yes, that was a difficult time. Ha ha ha.”

The headmaster gave a dry laugh.

“If you understand what all this means, then please explain it to me. What do you mean by demon king?”

“A demon king is a man who rebels with the intention of destroying society,” carelessly explained the headmaster.

“But…that is not an occupation, is it? Why are you saying I will become one? And if you know I will become one, surely you can put together some form of countermeasure.”

Akuto desperately argued his case, but the headmaster only gave another dry laugh.

“That is a 100-year-old lesson. Back when advances in magic first allowed us to determine people’s destinies, we had to decide whether to take countermeasures against those destinies. I chose to not do so. Or rather, I chose to let live those who would harm others. We monitor them, but they are free to do as they wish. Until the moment they commit a crime, of course. So it may be that you will become a threat in the future. You may even start a war or slaughter all those around you, but until then, you are a student of my school. I believe everyone should work to ensure you do not become the demon king, but no one knows what will actually happen.”

He was much more talkative than his appearance suggested. But no matter how cheerful his tone was, the words themselves held heavy meaning. He was saying Akuto would likely become someone who harms others, but that they would do nothing until it actually happens.

“That can’t be…”

Akuto was almost at a loss for words, but he did understand the reasoning behind it. In fact, he would have readily accepted the decision had it been about someone other than him.

“Your personality and abilities match perfectly to being a demon king. However, you will likely run into a fair bit of trouble from now on.”

The headmaster almost seemed to be enjoying himself, but the word “trouble” bothered Akuto.

“What do you mean by trouble?”

“Many of our students can be rather hot-blooded. Basically, I am saying you might be attacked at any moment.”

“You have got to be joking.”

Akuto shuddered. The students of this school would certainly attack with magic.

The headmaster seemed to have something to say regarding Akuto’s expression.

“If you wish, I can request that the government sends you a bodyguard for your school life.”

“A bodyguard?”

“Yes, a bodyguard. Although they would double as an observer. They would stay by your side as a student. But only if you wish for it.”

—I see. That does make sense… But then I would be monitored 24/7.

“What if I decline the offer?”

“The academy will do all we can, but you will not have a normal school life.”

“I feel like I am being threatened…”

“If you see it that way, you can try it out on your own for now. If you feel the need later, just tell me.”

“That sounds best,” replied Akuto.

The screen disappeared and Mitsuko-sensei brought her hands to her hips and sighed while watching Akuto.

“Yatagarasu gave me the data used to determine you becoming the demon king, but there is so much data only an artificial spirit can process it all. And this data might not even be completely accurate either…”

Mitsuko-sensei suddenly grabbed Akuto’s hand.

Akuto was startled, but he could see a serious look in her eyes through her gla.s.ses.

—I see. So she’s worried about me.

As he felt a bit moved by that, she began speaking in an earnest tone.

“I am sure you will face difficult times. This will already have spread as a rumor, so you will gather attention as someone special. I am sure you will be hara.s.sed. It may take the form of bullying so harsh you may consider committing suicide or students burning with a sense of justice attempting to a.s.sa.s.sinate you! After all, some will think it is perfectly okay to kill the boy who will become the demon king. But directly killing you would be a crime. Yes, I am certain the murder will be carried out in some ingenious way that even a G.o.d would have a hard time telling apart from an accident. You might be a.s.signed adventures with the a.s.sumption you will not come back alive or some students may hide your belongings and spread embarra.s.sing photos of you around the world to push you to suicide.”

Mitsuko-sensei’s pa.s.sionate speech gradually veered in an odd direction. A burning flame could be seen within her eyes.

“Um… Why do you keep talking about me being killed or committing suicide?”

“Do not worry! If you die, I will use necromancy to bring you back as a spirit of the dead. Even if that only preserves a map of your personality, your data will remain! Fully a.n.a.lyzing the data of the person destined to become the demon king would be an amazing a.s.set for a researcher, don’t you think? Oh, and I am not thinking at all that having you survive would be problematic as the data would change day by day. I do not want you to die in the slightest. So don’t worry! If you want to die, just come discuss it with me!”

—Not if you get this enthusiastic about it…

Akuto decided Mitsuko-sensei was not the type to keep much hidden below the surface. He could only imagine his troubles with her would only progress. She certainly did not appear to be helpful.

He shook off Mitsuko-sensei who clearly wanted to say more, left the main school building that was thankfully empty, and headed to the dorm using the instructions on the papers he had been given as a new student.

The dorm was just as large as the school building and almost looked like a castle in and of itself. The academy had been a fortress in the past, so the students stayed in the knight garrison. The academy ran on the boarding system, so almost every student lived in their dorms. The castle was divided between east and west. One half was the boys’ dorm and the other was the girls". As soon as one pa.s.sed through the gate, the dorm mother’s room and a reception window were located directly to the side. The rumor must not have spread here yet because the fairly old dorm mother handed him his room key and gave a short explanation of the rules without issue. He then fled to his room without meeting anyone else. As a new student, his room was at the very end of the first floor.

The simple room had only a bed, a desk, a closet, and a storage s.p.a.ce up high, but he felt he could live comfortably in it. A student handbook and a folded uniform had been placed on top of the desk.

He sat on the bed and sighed.

“Demon king…”

He still could not believe it. Despite the standard image one had of a “demon king”, it was common knowledge that the demon king had been a real person who had attempted to overthrow society. His ident.i.ty was unknown, but the government had announced that he had been a dangerous magician who had started a war while ruling over monsters.

Monsters were still known to exist, but it seemed doubtful they held enough intelligence to be ruled over by a human. Akuto knew very little about what kind of creatures monsters had been back then. He had only heard they were similar to the demons from fairy tales. It did seem “something” had changed in society after that incident just as the headmaster had said, but events from one hundred years in the past did not feel real to Akuto.

However, the impression people had of the demon king would never fade away or diversify. And that was especially true in this academy where students were taught magic. The demon king was the symbol of evil and black magic, so their feelings about him had to be complicated at the very least.

That meant Mitsuko-sensei’s warnings were not just due to her desire for data. However, he expected more fear and hostility than hara.s.sment.

—But I have always tried to do good. I have never consciously done anything bad. There is no way I will become the demon king. If I show that in my actions, everyone is sure to understand. First impressions are important. The popular members of my old cla.s.s specialized in sociable jokes and small talk. If I give a proper introduction, they are sure to realize that no demon king would introduce himself like that.

Akuto began simulating his introduction.

—Nice to meet you. I am sure you have all heard the rumors, but apparently I am supposed to become the demon king in the future. However, I think I would rather be a monkey than a de-monkey-ng.

—No, that’s no good…

—That sounds way too stupid. I’m not good at making jokes… I take everything too seriously. I can’t do it even to save my chances of a normal life in high school…

—But then what am I supposed to do? I guess I have to keep it serious. I will speak my mind and actively work to help the school. I know. How about I nominate myself as the cleaning officer? No one wants to do that kind of annoying job. And that will also allow the teacher to quickly learn who I am.

After finishing that mental one-man conversation, Akuto felt relieved. And then an announcement was broadcast through the dorm.

>

When Akuto entered the dining hall, he immediately realized the situation had progressed in a delicate direction more quickly than he had expected. The dining hall contained three long tables big enough to seat 200 people each. Every student gathered there seemed to be holding each other in check while searching for any unfamiliar faces who would be the new students. However, the atmosphere was not that of welcoming in some new students. It felt more like an isolated mansion in a snowy mountain after someone had been murdered.

—This is bad…

Akuto tried to look calm as he sat at the end of one of the tables. The primary difference from a mansion murder mystery was that all of the new students knew who the future demon king was. The other students gradually realized who it was all the new students were looking at.

“He doesn’t look violent.”

“No, it’s the intellectual type who can be truly cruel.”

“He does look clever.”

Akuto could hear students whispering amongst themselves. This was quite a shock to him and he found it impossible to endure. However, his personality did not allow him to simply grow depressed. After seeing that everyone had seated, he banged on the table and stood up.

“I would like to introduce myself to my new cla.s.smates and uppercla.s.smen. My name is Sai Akuto. I am the rumored new student who Yatagarasu diagnosed as a future demon king!”

All of the students gathered in the dining hall began murmuring at the sudden affirmation of the rumor. Akuto raised his voice, but his voice was not reaching the far end of the large dining hall. That was when a smart but mischievous looking boy sitting nearby quickly raised his right hand and called out “Speaker!” An artificial creature that looked like a camera with wings flew into the dining hall and stopped above Akuto’s head.

That artificial creature’s face (or what Akuto a.s.sumed was its face given the position of its wings) was turned towards Akuto. He saw something like a camera lens there. The rear end of the creature had a similar lens-like device that glowed and projected an image of Akuto near the ceiling.

Akuto looked over at the mischievous-looking student and the boy gave him a thumbs-up.

“It does indeed seem I am predicted to become a demon king and it seems these diagnoses have never been wrong in the past!”

As Akuto continued speaking, his voice was amplified.

—I really didn’t think this through…

He began to regret this, but it was too late to turn back now. Leaving things vague here would leave the others with a poor impression of him. His personality did not let him finish without saying what he intended to say.

—Well, whatever

“However, I wish to question that very system of examination. Does that really decide our destinies? Are we not simply accepting that as our path in life after hearing that prediction? It is true the G.o.ds watch over our personalities and the way we have lived our lives and that data is used in this prediction. However, humans are not restricted to a single possibility! Do we not need to escape that preconceived notion? If we do not, our world can never advance!”

His audience began to notice that this was well organized for an impromptu speech. At first, they had been heckling him, but the dining hall gradually fell silent as everyone began focusing on listening to Akuto’s words.

Akuto raised his voice further, “I shall accept your inquisitive gazes. However, I must criticize the fact that none of you attempted to ask me directly as to the truth of the matter! Was that not because you gave in to your fear? What if I had truly been someone who would become demon king? Or did you think it would negatively impact you to be seen with me? Avoiding someone without confirming the truth leads to one-sided discrimination! You should be ashamed of that fear. Many commoners view those learned in magic as a superior race. Magic is not meant to show the superiority of the individual, yet this erroneous thinking shall continue as long as you continue thinking of yourselves as elites! And it shall continue as long as diagnosing one’s future occupation is so prevalent!”

Only after getting a bit carried away with his speech did Akuto start to have some internal doubts.

—Is it just me or am I criticizing the system this school runs on as well as the country’s magical policies?

The students had all entered this top-rate school, so all of them had surely noticed this as well. One of them must have had some experience with the data on the past demon king because someone whispered, “Isn’t this almost identical to the demon king’s declaration of war 100 years ago?”

—W-what!?

Akuto may have gotten carried away, but he had been speaking his honest feelings. He had never thought that would have this result. And the fact that these words had come off the cuff seemed to be having a negative effect.

“That’s way too good for an unscripted speech.”

“He moved me for an instant and I thought he was right…but this criticism of the structure of society is way too dangerous.”

“He has the talents of a demon king…”

“He’s the reincarnation of the demon king…”

Akuto could clearly hear those muttered comments.

—This is dangerous. I am in an extremely dangerous situation here. It always works out like this. I am only trying to do what I think is right, so why does this happen?

Akuto lamented, but he was not aware that he was a very persuasive speaker thanks to his pointlessly clever-looking and handsome face and the groundless self-confidence his argumentative personality gave him. Partially due to his secret desire not to look bad in front of everyone, he did not even think about the possibility of simply ending his speech here.

“Yes, I am criticizing the structure of society. However, that does not mean I intend to destroy it! I have entered this academy so that I can change that structure from within! I wish to prove that I am not a demon king by doing so! I hope you will help me with this! Even if you try to oppose me, I will not confront you. If we talk it out and learn to get along, I am sure we can find an answer!”

At some point, his tone had changed from a polite one to the forceful tone of a dictator’s speech. Akuto was motioning wildly with his hands and speaking so pa.s.sionately his hair was thrown into disarray. Some of the students listening were briefly entranced by him, but as soon as he stopped speaking, they shook their heads and slapped their cheeks to bring themselves back to reality.

The more of an impact his speech had given, the more deeply the meaning of his words would be engraved in their hearts. However, his speech could be interpreted to mean the following:

I don’t know if I will be a demon king or not, but I mean to place myself in the center of this school’s system to spread my way of thinking.

Naturally, Sai Akuto understood this is what he had ultimately said.

—Can I really get by in this school after this? …But looking weak now would only make this worse.

“That is all I wish to say. I apologize for disturbing you. Now, let’s get to dinner.”

Akuto tried to speak as gently as possible, but those around him viewed it as the composure of a corrupt n.o.ble.

“Is that any way for a new student to act? And a first year at that.”

“He definitely is no normal person.”

“What should we do? This could turn into a conflict that divides the entire school.”

“I doubt anyone would actually join his side.”

“But if he has talent in magic or…”

The commotion in the dining hall showed no sign of calming down. With everyone focused on him, Akuto could only nervously straighten his back and eat while following every code of etiquette. Later, he could not remember what he had eaten or what it had tasted like.

The next morning, Akuto awoke after a nearly sleepless night. Breakfast was oddly quiet and tense, but he endured somehow. Afterwards, everyone walked to their cla.s.ses for the homeroom period before the opening ceremony. Akuto entered his cla.s.sroom five minutes before homeroom began and all the girls stared at him curiously as soon as he walked in the door.

—That’s right. There are girls here too.

The rumor would have naturally spread to the girls as well. It was possible the image from that “speaker” had been played in the girls’ dorm as well. In fact, it must have for all the girls to immediately recognize him.

—I need to stay composed and smile back.

“Good morning,” he said.

This was met with voices that were not quite coquettish and not quite disgusted. It seemed about half of them viewed him favorably and about half viewed him negatively.

However, Akuto’s eyes were fixed on one girl in particular. This beautiful girl had glossy hair and almond-shaped eyes. It was Junko. Akuto finally recalled which cla.s.s he had been a.s.signed to.

—This is Cla.s.s A. Oh, I completely forgot I promised to contact her.

Junko seemed to be intentionally avoiding meeting Akuto’s gaze. None of the others were asking her about him, so she must have kept it a secret that they had met the day before.

—Oh, dear…

Akuto did not want to cause any trouble for Junko, so he pretended not to know her. He avoided looking anyone in the eye as he walked to the seat in the very back that had been prepared for him. As soon as he sat down, the cla.s.sroom door opened and Mitsuko-sensei entered.

“Okay, everyone to your seats. I, Torii Mitsuko, will be your homeroom teacher this year as well. I had most of you in middle school, but it is nice to meet those I did not. I tend not to bother going down every name for attendance. As for today…Oh, Soga-san is absent again. She’s probably asleep somewhere like usual. Someone go call for her.” With that offhand comment, Mitsuko-sensei closed her attendance notebook and looked towards Junko. “That just leaves deciding on our cla.s.s representative, but with mostly the same faces, I a.s.sume I can just ask Hattori Junko-san.”

Junko started to nod in agreement, but someone else cut in.

“Sensei! Choosing a cla.s.s representative without a vote creates a dictatorship and prevents us from advancing!”

That voice gave Akuto a very bad feeling. This person was copying his own tone of voice from his speech the night before. He looked over to a seat diagonally in front of him and found exactly who he expected. The same boy who had called in the “speaker” was giving Akuto a thumbs-up with a mischievous expression.

“I nominate Sai Akuto-kun for cla.s.s rep! We all heard his speech and I think helping us all out as cla.s.s rep will help him prove he will not become the demon king!”

The entire cla.s.s was now muttering to each other.

“Quiet down, everyone,” said Mitsuko-sensei while clapping her hands together.

Akuto looked over at Junko without thinking. She looked away, but he caught a glimpse of her expression. He had expected anger, but he found the look of someone desperately trying to endure a bottomless disgrace.

—Suhara followers feel great pride in their official positions, so this involves her faith as well…

Akuto panicked. Junko was supposed to be his first friend and yet he had now betrayed her several times over.

He raised his hand and said, “Sensei, don’t I get a say? I step down. Instead, um…I would like to be the cla.s.s janitor. If you have one here.”

Mitsuko-sensei’s expression had remained cheerful so far, but it suddenly stiffened when he said that.

The atmosphere of the cla.s.s changed all at once. The cla.s.s had already been in a strange mood, but this announcement plunged the atmosphere below the freezing point.

“Wait…Sai-kun…” Mitsuko-sensei finally spoke. “Do you understand what you are saying?”

“What?”

Akuto had no idea what was happening. He could not imagine why the cla.s.sroom had grown so tense.

Mitsuko-sensei gave an explanation while sounding as if this was something too filthy to put into words.

“The cla.s.s janitor is the student who ‘cleans up’ all of the students and the academy’s secrets if those secrets can no longer be protected during a war with monsters or another country. In other words, that student is in charge of destruction and execution. The position has never been filled since the end of the war, but the name still exists in the records. It is considered too abominable to even mention.”

—What the h.e.l.l!?

Akuto could not believe his bad luck. He had unwittingly hit on the worst possible term to use.

“You don’t understand. I just wasn’t interested in any of the other positions,” he said without thinking, and the cla.s.s froze over even further. “No, that isn’t what I-…”

He trailed off because no one was listening.

Junko stood up while raising her voice almost to a shout.

“Sai Akutooo! You toyed with my heart!”

Junko glared at Akuto with a horrific expression and disheveled hair.

Akuto did not blame her for being angry, but…

—Saying it like that is only going to make this worse.

Akuto grew oddly calm. Just as he feared, the entire cla.s.s appeared to have made some sort of misunderstanding. They looked back and forth between Akuto and Junko.

“I thought I told you our vow could only be repaid in blood if it was broken!”

Junko pulled a wooden sword from beside her desk.

—Using the word “vow” will only make the cla.s.s think we had some sort of relationship as a boy and a girl… That misunderstanding will hurt Hattori-san once she cools her head and can think straight.

“You say ‘our vow’, but we are not talking about a lifelong marriage here. It was nothing more than a bit of good-natured fun on an empty bus,” said Akuto.

The cla.s.s seemed to accept his correction oddly well.

—Uh, oh.

Akuto finally realized his error, but it was too late.

Junko was so angry she seemed to give off a red aura from her entire body as she pointed her wooden sword towards Akuto. The sword was a magical item, an artifact, so the light wrapped around it was a torrent of mana, not an illusion.

“S-s-such humiliation! I challenge you to a duel! Right here and now!”

Junko pulled another wooden sword from next to her desk. (A great number of them were contained in a bag hanging from the side of her desk.) She threw it hilt-first at Akuto. He instinctually caught it, but could only look over at Mitsuko-sensei for guidance.

“She is a Suhara follower. Religious duels are allowed under the school rules,” said the teacher with a cold expression.

She too seemed to view Akuto as an enemy of women everywhere.

“The winner gets to be cla.s.s rep!” announced a mischievous boy behind Akuto with an excited expression. He tapped on Akuto’s shoulder and whispered to him with a look of respect. “My name’s Miwa Hiroshi. You can call me Hiroshi! I’ll call you aniki! Aniki, you’re amazing! I’m treated like a delinquent because of my bad grades, but your ideals really got through to me! I feel like I could become anything I set my mind to!”

—Isn’t most of this your fault?

However, Akuto did not have time to focus on him.

“Haahhhhhhhhh!”

With that shout of exertion, Junko’s attack flew towards Akuto.

“Wah!”

Akuto was still sitting, but he managed to avoid it by falling backwards in his seat. The strength and reflexes he had built up with his delivery job had paid off.

“Okay, this is dangerous. Stay back, everyone,” instructed Mitsuko-sensei while clapping twice.

Everyone in the cla.s.s except for Junko and Akuto lined up along the cla.s.sroom wall. Mitsuko-sensei clapped once more and a mana field enveloped Junko and Akuto. This seemed to be Mitsuko-sensei’s magic. They no longer needed to worry about damaging anything outside that field.

—I am in serious trouble. I need to break free of this situation somehow… I have to calm Hattori-san.

Akuto looked at Junko. With the red anger blazing in her eyes, it was obvious she was not going to listen.

“Chaahhhh!”

The second strike came. He jumped back to avoid it.

“Aniki, go for it!”

Akuto heard Hiroshi cheering him on from outside.

This only frustrated him further.

—The only way to calm Hattori-san down…

Akuto thought frantically, but only a simple idea came to mind.

—…is this!

“Ryaahhh!”

Just as Junko let the third strike fly, Akuto stepped forward for some reason.

Junko’s wooden sword shot straight for the top of Akuto’s head. The instant before it seemed his head would be smashed, Akuto twisted his body to the side and out of the way while continuing forward. Akuto advanced past the guard of Junko’s sword.

“What!?”

Surprise replaced the anger in Junko’s eyes.

The entire cla.s.s was staring at Junko and Akuto.

A commotion filled the cla.s.sroom like an earthquake.

Akuto managed to embrace Junko’s body from the front. Their two bodies joined together like the embrace of two lovers after a long separation.

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

“Ah!”

Whether she was ticklish or reacting to the actual problem at hand, Junko jerked backwards and almost felt to the ground. Akuto reached his arm around her waist to support her, which only strengthened the image that he was coming in for a kiss.

“Wh-what are you doing? Let go of me…” groaned Junko.

“I will not let go until this misunderstanding has been cleared up,” said Akuto with a deadly serious expression.

“What misunderstanding? You have humiliated me so much…and are continuing to do so… I have never felt such disgrace!”

“This is all a misunderstanding. I have had nothing but good intentions and never meant to humiliate you.”

“R-really…?”

Junko seemed to have calmed down a bit because she was actually listening to him now.

Feeling a bit relieved, Akuto continued speaking gently.

“Really. So let us return to the relationship we had. I made that promise because I had taken a liking to you. That was not a decision I made lightly.”

However, the rest of the cla.s.s could hear his words.

Junko and Akuto finally realized what their position looked like to an outside observer.

“Wow… That’s a demon king for you…”

“He defeated that straight-laced Hattori Junko who’s said to be the strongest of the cla.s.s reps… Or should I say he had her fall for him.”

“Looks to me like he had already done that before today.”

Everyone in the cla.s.s was muttering to each other.

Junko’s face grew beet red in an instant.

“This is exactly what I was talking about! How much must you humiliate me!?” shouted Junko.

She twisted her body around to move away from Akuto and swung her wooden sword down at him with all her strength. Akuto’s pose did not allow him to evade it.

“Watch out!”

Realizing he could not avoid the blow, Akuto swung up his own wooden sword. Even if he could not evade the blow, he could block it. He poured all his strength into the one hand to brace for the coming impact.

And…

A power Akuto had never even imagined existed was born within his right arm. He felt a ma.s.s of gathered heat travel from his arm and fill the wooden sword.

—Not good!

Despite that reflexive thought, he could not stop the power from surging out. Just as he thought the heat would be released through the sword, light exploded in the s.p.a.ce between Junko and Akuto’s swords.

Pure white light filled the center of the cla.s.sroom. The explosion of light easily broke through the mana field Mitsuko-sensei had set up and flowed outside.

“Get down!” shouted Mitsuko-sensei with a look of shock.

An explosive blast and explosive noise filled the cla.s.sroom.

Miraculously, no one was injured. However, all four walls of the cla.s.sroom had been blown away. Junko and Akuto stood blankly in the center of the students who were covered by ash and rubble.

Word of the incident spread throughout the entire school in the blink of an eye. This became how the entire student body viewed Akuto.