Demon King Daimaou: Volume 2 Read online

  Prologue

  Her earliest memories were filled with her brother, and little else.

  He was much older than her, and so he doted upon his little sister. He was the sort of brother who’d give her anything she wanted. He would do his best to put up with all of her bratty little demands and tantrums, and he always put her needs above his own.

  Of course, that alone wouldn’t be enough to make the memories so vivid.

  When her brother died, she’d only just grown old enough to understand the world around her.

  She began to spend a lot of time reminiscing about him, and it wasn’t long before every wonderful memory of the past became connected to her brother. She even began to come up with new memories that fit the narrative she’d made in her mind. Eventually, those recollections of her brother began to mix with her ideas about the perfect man, and an image of the strong, cool, and kind brother was born in her mind.

  Everyone embellishes their past in this way, and it never causes problems so long as the fantasies stay beneath the surface. But in her case, the delusion was shattered in a brutal fashion when she was still a sensitive young girl.

  Her family was an old and noble one. For this reason, she was sent to the prestigious Constant Magical Academy. It was there where the “customs” of her family ensured that she learned the truth about her brother.

  “Fujiko, you must become the head of the Eto family. Especially now that your pathetic, useless brother failed and died!”

  Her mother’s cold words seemed incredibly strange to Fujiko Eto.

  —The whole family loved brother, didn’t they?

  —He got really good grades, but he died in an unfortunate accident, right?

  —The rest of the family never talked about him because they were very sad, right?

  She had many questions, but instead of answering them, her mother took her hand wordlessly and brought her down to the basement of the family mansion.

  Fujiko had never been inside the basement, because she had always been told it was forbidden. She’d been curious enough to try going down there several times, but the entrance had always been locked.

  Her mother took out an old key, and used it to open the basement door. A cold draft came from the gap in the door, but she was surprised to see that there was no sign of dust, indicating that the room had been used recently.

  What she saw inside was a horrific sight for a young girl just about to enter middle school.

  Inside a glass case laid her brother’s corpse. Unlike the brother in her memories, his body looked weak and frail. She had grown up so much since his death that of course he would look that way to her now. But this disillusionment had much more to do with the way she’d let her own fantasy grow out of control, and while she felt no fear, a corpse was still a corpse.

  He looked like he was sleeping, but the expression on his face was different than a living human’s. Fujiko couldn’t bring herself to approach him. Quite simply, at her young and sensitive age, a corpse felt “filthy” to her.

  “What I’m about to tell you, you must never repeat to anyone. Ever.” Fujiko’s mother, who was now standing behind her, began to speak.

  Fujiko turned around and looked up, and saw an expression on her mother’s face that she’d never seen before. It was somewhere between sadness and anger. In her mother’s left hand was a magically-created ball of light, which cast eerie shadows on her face. Fujiko twisted her face in fear, and her mother put her right hand on her shoulder and gripped hard.

  “You mustn’t cry! You must look at him!”

  Fujiko simply trembled, unable to speak. The grip on her shoulder weakened, but her mother continued with her expression unchanged.

  “For generations, the Eto family has served as the surveyors of the god Mureet. A surveyor is a very important position for one who serves Mureet. We are to be adventurers, traveling all over the land and reporting our findings to our god. And yet, he...” Her mother turned the hand with the ball of light so that it illuminated the coffin. Even at her young age, Fujiko thought it cruel that her mother refused to say his name.

  “When several ruins were discovered at the Academy, he was terrified at what he saw there. He abandoned his duties and fled! I don’t know what it was that he saw, but I’m sure it was just some weak monster, or perhaps a trap that forced him to hallucinate... It was likely nothing more than that. Pathetic... just pathetic... The excavation of the ruins was a failure, in the end... He was forced to take responsibility, and they cast a necromantic spell on him at a public trial. That’s usually the method they use to make criminals confess! Fortunately, we didn’t have to attend the trial, but... it seems it really was just a trap, or something similar. He was always a timid boy... the kind of boy who just wanted to play dolls with you... The last trial will be held when you leave for school, and after that, his body won’t be kept here anymore.” Her mother’s words cut off.

  Fujiko looked up and saw that she was crying. As young as she was, she couldn’t understand the complex feelings of an adult. All she felt was fear, cruelty, and insanity.

  —My brother was a pathetic man.

  —He wasn’t very cool, but...

  —He died because he was weak.

  —School is a scary place.

  —But this is what will happen to me if I lose.

  —If you’re weak, terrible things happen to you. But God is wrong to make you do all these terrible things. Brother was kind... pathetic, but just because you’re a pathetic wimp doesn’t mean you should have to die.

  —That means that God will betray me, too.

  —And if I’m weak, Mom will treat me the same way...

  —I have to be strong.

  —I have to be... even though I’m a girl.

  From that moment on, Fujiko held those confusing feelings deep within her heart.

  Once she came to the Academy, she never let the others know her true thoughts. On the outside, she played the role of a pious, ladylike young girl — as she’d grown up in a girl’s academy, she believed this was what it meant to be a strong woman. But in secret, she started studying every type of magic she could get her hands on, including black magic.

  She learned necromancy, and by stealing a part of her brother’s body, she was able to reanimate his head. It was then that she’d learned that her mother’s words had been true, but at that point, it no longer bothered her.

  And so, Fujiko became the school’s Madonna, and its most powerful secret ruler. If nothing else had happened, she would’ve gone on to become a surveyor, a spy for the black mages, and possibly someone who would change history.

  But the appearance of the Demon King at the Academy would change her fate forever.

  1 - Is Imprisonment Fun?

  Akuto Sai was having a terrible time with the practical section of his elementary magic class.

  The class had paired off in the yard, and they were practicing playing catch with balls of mana; the fundamental element of all magic. His problem had nothing to do with the subject matter of the class itself.

  His problem, as he stood there in the yard, was that nobody would come near him.

  —I guess bad reputations never fade, huh?

  Akuto wasn’t sure what the right reaction was for a situation like this. He finally settled on a scowl.

  He was a handsome boy, with a face like a beautifully carved marble statue. However, he’d been born with a nasty glare which gave him the look of a dangerous villain. He didn’t realize it, but that unintentional glare of his was just as much a factor as his own bad reputation.

  —It’s been like this ever since the prophecy said I’d become the Demon King. I just can’t catch a break...
>
  His run of bad luck had started when an artificial spirit that prided itself on its 100% accuracy rating predicted that he would, in the future, become the Demon King. And now, the whole student body had it out for him. Everything he did was misunderstood, and the government had even sent an observer to watch him. Of course, he couldn’t have a normal school life that way.

  But Akuto did have a friend: Hiroshi Miwa. This tiny classmate of his had the look of a mischievous little boy, and even though they were the same age, he looked up to Akuto as an older brother. But even Hiroshi had abandoned him for the day, saying, “There’s no way I could partner up with you, boss...”

  —What the heck is that supposed to mean anyway?

  But it was probably a sign that he couldn’t just depend on Hiroshi’s kindness forever, and that it was time to find some new friends.

  Akuto decided to be optimistic, and take a look around him. All of the students in the yard turned away. But then he saw two people talking out of the corner of his eye.

  It was Junko Hattori, the class representative, talking to their teacher, Mitsuko Torii. Both of them were boisterous people, and they were speaking loud enough that he could hear them from here.

  “It’s crucial that Akuto Sai learns to control his magic. Do you think you can help him out?” Miss Mitsuko said. She was tall, with oval glasses and messy hair, and she looked like an easy-going person.

  “I refuse.” Junko was a beautiful girl with a cool, composed air about her, but her slightly narrowed eyes spoke to the stubbornness of her personality.

  “But you’re the only one I can ask. You’re the class representative. And, you know, you’re so strong.” Miss Mitsuko tried to insist, but Junko didn’t give in.

  “Yes, but there’s limits to what I’m willing to do. Who would voluntarily practice magic with him?”

  “But he’s never done it before. After all, it’s something you have to experience, right? Don’t you like the idea of being his first time?” Miss Mitsuko grinned mischievously, and Junko’s face went beet-red.

  “Sh-Show some dignity, ma’am! That’s completely inappropriate!”

  “Oh jeez, I was talking about the class. What were you thinking about?”

  “I know it was about the class. Either way, please stop joking around...” Junko suddenly trailed off, glancing at Akuto. He raised his hand a little in answer. And suddenly Junko became enraged.

  “It’s wrong to eavesdrop, Akuto Sai!”

  —How could I not, when you’re that loud...?

  At least, that’s what he thought, but he knew better than to say it. He lowered his hand.

  Junko marched over to him with broad strides, and Akuto was sure she was about to complain more. But instead she pointed a finger in his face and said in a loud voice,

  “If you were listening, then why aren’t you getting ready? What do you think you’re doing, just standing there?!”

  “Huh?”

  “I said get ready!” Junko’s gaze was wandering around the yard as she spoke, but Akuto finally understood what she meant.

  “Th-Thank you.” Akuto was so grateful that he wrapped both of his hands around hers.

  It was only the pathetic sight of a boy with no friends being amazed by the slightest bit of gentleness coming from a girl, but as Akuto towered over Junko, it made him look like he was trying to seduce her.

  The other students, who were watching him, even though they tried to pretend they weren’t, started to murmur.

  “He really is the Demon King...”

  “He’s made the class rep into his slave...”

  Junko must have heard them, because she blushed and she slapped his hands away.

  “Get away from me, and get ready!”

  “Okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” Akuto had heard the whispers too, so he tried to step away and get ready for his practice.

  “No, wait,” Junko said.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I wanted to make sure you understand something. Listen, this class is about learning to delicately control mana by tossing the mana balls back and forth. It’s the simplest, most fundamental exercise. Everyone finished it in middle school. But if you play around, or lose your concentration, it can become dangerous. And not just dangerous for you, but dangerous for the person you’re practicing with as well. Make sure you don’t forget that,” Junko asserted.

  Akuto nodded.

  “I’ve got it. Of course, I would never hurt you,” Akuto said earnestly.

  Junko’s face went red again.

  “I told you to stop doing that!”

  —I’m serious, though...

  Akuto grumbled inwardly as he walked away. He turned around to face Junko when the two of them were around a dozen meters apart.

  “Here I go!” Junko said. She raised her right hand. A ball of light appeared in her hand, about the size of a soccer ball.

  Magic was the process of controlling the mana that filled the air. The energy that flowed from the generators in the Imperial City and the capital flowed into the Earth itself, and the mana was made to resonate with that energy. For all intents and purposes, the mana was the energy. Mana also built up inside the bodies of living things, and energy could be drawn from that reserve as well.

  The amount of mana an individual could store varies, and the greater the mana inside one’s body, the more influence they could have over the mana in the atmosphere. Human thoughts turn to electrical signals in the brain, and that electricity can control the mana in the body, which then resonates with the mana outside. In other words, what was important in magic was the mana reserve you were born with, and your powers of concentration. The goal of this class was to train that skill.

  “Catch it!” Junko flicked her right wrist. The mana flew towards Akuto in a slow arc.

  Akuto raised his own right hand. Junko must’ve been used to controlling mana, because he didn’t even need to move his hand. The ball settled softly in his palm and came to a stop.

  “The point is to imagine throwing the ball slowly. Now pass it back. Remember, slowly.” Junko held out her hand like she was playing catch.

  “I just have to do it like you did it, right?” Akuto asked. Junko nodded.

  “Alright...” Akuto raised his right hand.

  —Just flick my wrist. Nice and soft.

  As you read above, the greater the mana reserve a person has, the greater their influence will be on the mana in the atmosphere.

  In other words...

  BOOM!

  There was a terrible roar as the mana ball ripped through the air. It was like a bullet fired from a rifle, and it was heading straight at Junko.

  “Hyah!” Junko gave a brief scream, but she was still possibly the strongest magic-user in the school. She reached both hands in front of her body to block the mana ball. But the ball’s energy was enough that it might not just knock her down — it was strong enough to break her arms.

  —Oh no!

  Akuto realized that he needed to do something before it hit her.

  And that thought was instantly transmitted to the mana ball.

  BANG!

  The mana ball exploded, flinging Junko’s arms backwards.

  The flash of light spread out and enveloped Junko, forming a perfect mushroom cloud that rose up in the middle of the schoolyard.

  The other classmates started to mutter.

  When the smoke had cleared, there was a small crater in the yard.

  And at the center of it lay an exhausted Junko.

  “Wha—... Wha—...” Her eyes were wide with surprise and anger, but she was miraculously unscathed. Akuto’s desire not to hurt her must have stopped the mana ball.

  “This is why I didn’t want to do this! You have no idea how to control...” Junko stood up and began to point her finger and yell at Akuto.

  But then she froze.

  She saw her own body, and all her skin flushed bright red.

  The uniform she’d been w
earing had been torn apart and lay in tatters on the ground.

  “Hy-Hyaaaah!” The now-naked Junko wrapped her arms around herself.

  “Ooh!” “Look at that!” the other boys said.

  “That’s really mean!” “You boys are terrible,” the girls said.

  “I-I’m sorry...” Akuto ran to Junko’s side.

  “You idiot! Idiot! Stay away from me!” Junko shook her head violently.

  “But I can’t just leave you like that...” Akuto took off his jacket and put it on her back. It was a big jacket, and covered her completely.

  Junko looked up at him in surprise.

  “Th-Thank you...” she said, timidly. But then she quickly crossed her arms in front of the jacket, stood up, and glared at Akuto.

  “...No, wait. Why on Earth would I thank you?”

  “You’re right. It’s my fault.” Akuto hung his head meekly in apology. He wasn’t sure if Junko was upset or embarrassed, but her teeth were chattering behind her tightly pursed lips, and her face got even redder.

  “Why are you apologizing?!” She couldn’t punch him, because that would mean taking her hand off of the jacket. Instead, she gave him a kick.

  “Because I feel bad. And I can’t control the mana properly...” Akuto kept his head bowed and obediently accepted Junko’s kicks.

  After about six kicks, his lack of resistance seemed to upset her further, because she only became more angry.

  “Why are you letting me kick you?!”

  “Because like I said, it’s my fault, and...” Akuto pointed at Junko’s body. Her kicks had rolled up the hem of the jacket, exposing her shapely legs.

  “If I dodge, everybody will see your legs,” Akuto said gently. For a few seconds Junko was taken off guard. Then, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment, she kicked Akuto even more.

  “Shut up! How much humiliation are you going to force me to endure?”

  “I’m telling you, you really should be staying still...” The rest of the classroom was watching this from a distance. They couldn’t hear what the two of them were saying, so they began to speculate.

  “Wow... that’s the Demon King for you. Talk about cruelty. He used the pretense of basic magic training to make her let down her guard, and then blew off her clothes.”