He lifted her up and looked at her face.
—Oh...
Something was familiar about her. She looked just like Hiroshi. Hiroshi looked like a little kid to begin with, so there was no way he could be mistaken.
—But there’s no way a little kid like her would shoot an Incantation Gun...
Akuto tensed up, but there was no one else around. The headache was gone too.
“Keena, are you okay?”
Akuto turned around.
“Yeah. But Ackie...”
Keena sounded a little worried as she stood up.
“Korone’s gone, isn’t she?”
“You were listening?”
“I fell asleep, so I just heard the end. Oh, and I’m sorry. I remembered the other thing Fujiko told me,” Keena said, finally snapping out of her stupor.
“What did you remember?”
“Korone... she was ordered to seduce you. And if she failed, they were going to fire her from her observer position...”
—What!?
Akuto couldn’t speak.
He was disgusted by the idea that someone might try to control him by seduction, and angry at her superiors for making her do something like that, and regretful that if he’d known, he might’ve been able to do something. But all those emotions quickly disappeared, and all that was left was guilt. Could he have done something more for her?
But he didn’t have time to find a way to lighten his heavy heart. Someone had heard the explosion and was coming closer.
“Is anyone there?”
“Yukiko! Yukiko!”
The girl in his arms woke up when she heard the voices. He waited for her to wake up and set her down.
“Are you okay? Sorry for scaring you. It looks like somebody’s here to get you.”
Yukiko looked up at him in surprise.
“Are you the Demon King?”
He was annoyed, but he couldn’t be a jerk to a little kid.
“No... I’m not. Just... some people call me that.”
Yukiko looked up at him with surprise. And then the voices of the approaching villagers turned fearful.
“Yukiko! Watch out!”
“Get away from him!”
But they didn’t approach. The villagers kept their distance, their faces tight with fear.
That wouldn’t have been a problem on its own, but before Yukiko could move away, they began to pick up rocks and throw them at him.
“Uwah...”
Akuto started to dodge, but when he saw that the stones would hit Yukiko, he knocked them out of the air with his hand instead. He swatted away rocks the size of a fist. He’d used mana to enhance his body, so it was simple for him, but that simplicity meant that he forgot how it would look to someone who didn’t know magic.
“H-He’s a monster!”
“Run, Yukiko!”
—Ah crap...
The stones began to come faster. He had to cover Yukiko with his body to keep them from hitting her, but that only made things worse.
“H-He’s going to kidnap her!”
—That’s not what’s happening at all...
Akuto said to himself, but there was no way the villagers would understand. He decided to persuade Yukiko instead.
“If you don’t go back, those men will keep throwing rocks,” Akuto said, but Yukiko looked like she still wanted to say something. “...What’s wrong?”
“Are you my brother’s friend?”
Since he knew she was Hiroshi’s little sister, he was able to answer her question.
“You’re Hiroshi Miwa’s sister? Then yes, I am.”
“Then...” she said, gripping his hand tightly. “Tell me the truth! Is my brother the hero?”
Akuto didn’t understand the question, or what was causing the desperation in her voice.
“No. I don’t think someone like him would want to be anyway.”
Yukiko suddenly kicked him in the shin.
“Huh...?”
There was no pain, but he gasped in surprise. When he did, Yukiko slipped out of his grasp and ran. She was crying.
“Yukiko got away!”
“This way! Hurry! We’re getting out of here!”
He could hear the voices in the distance.
“Oh jeez...”
At this point, he’d just have to leave. He took Keena, who was hiding behind a tree, and quickly ran.
“Ackie, are you okay?”
“I’m okay, but... There’s a lot about this that’s bothering me. That thing with Korone, too... I don’t know what to do...”
4 - The Legendary Hero Appears!
Between Korone, the attacker, and Hiroshi, Akuto was barely able to sleep. He tended to worry too much, so he was lying alone in his bed, half lost in thought. If Korone was there, she would have made fun of him no matter what was going on. Only now did he realize how much that had helped him, and how serious her disappearance was.
Eventually he got tired and passed out, only to be woken up early the next morning by Junko.
“You idiot! What did you do? Look in front of the dorm! The villagers are demanding to see you!”
Akuto leapt up from the bed.
Junko must have just woken up too, because she was dead pale and wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants. Something must have been causing a stir.
After a moment, Akuto remembered what had happened yesterday. The villagers were probably angry about Yukiko.
“Well, this isn’t good... But yeah, I think I am to blame.”
“Idiot! What did you do?!”
“It’s not my fault... but I think they misunderstood me.”
He looked at the clock. It was 5:00 AM. When he went out into the hallway, Miss Mitsuko and Hiroshi were there.
“Looks like they’re having some kind of riot! Big trouble on this little island, huh? Lots of fun! Or maybe not.”
Miss Mitsuko must have just gotten up too, because she was very excited. Hiroshi, however, was frowning and trying his best not to look at Akuto.
—Oh jeez...
Akuto was feeling depressed, but he also had a strong sense of responsibility and justice. He decided that he was at fault after all, and that he had to apologize.
“I’ll explain things to the villagers. I’m sure they’ll understand. We don’t want there to be any kind of fuss.”
“There’s already a big fuss,” Miss Mitsuko laughed.
Hiroshi looked even gloomier, but he spoke up when Akuto walked by.
“I’m sorry, boss. The people from my home are...”
“Don’t worry about it. I did something that caused a misunderstanding. I’m sure if we can talk things out, they’ll understand.”
Akuto started to walk towards the front door. But when he got to the point where he could see out the window, he realized that something strange was going on.
A few dozen men standing outside, surrounding the front door. The youngest was middle-aged, and many of them were elderly. They were all carrying shotguns, machetes, and other weapons. He could see from their bloodshot eyes that something was very wrong, but their expressions spoke of terror, not anger.
—They’re afraid of me, huh? But that’s why I need to calm them down.
Akuto gulped.
He had to be ready for this. There was no telling what these people might do when they were afraid. On his own, he might be fine, but he didn’t want to cause any problems for the people around him. And ironically, while physical damage didn’t mean much to him, mental damage hurt him really hard.
He took a deep breath and opened the door. The villagers all murmured as they looked towards him.
All of them took a step back.
“I’m Akuto Sai, a freshman at Constant Magical Academy. You’re here about what happened last night, yes?” Akuto said.
A middle-aged man who seemed to be their leader took a step forward. He had a shotgun slung from his shoulder. He was heavily-built and tough, but Akuto could see that his legs were shaking.
“If you’re talking about the girl named Yukiko, then yes. But I didn’t mean to. I mistook her for someone else, and scared her a little.”
“You mistook her for someone else? Ridiculous. She was crying, and she said you were the Demon King.”
“She’s just a child. You shouldn’t listen to her,” Akuto said. The villagers started to glance at one another and whisper, and Akuto quickly realized that he’d said the wrong thing.
“No, I just mean that the Demon King doesn’t exist. It’s just a childish fantasy.”
Akuto raised his voice. It was just the first excuse that came to his mind, but his clear voice and show-off personality made him sound bolder than he really was.
But the heavyset man didn’t falter.
“W-Wait... That doesn’t make sense. The prophecy said you were going to be the Demon King, right? And it’s never been wrong... That’s no fantasy, is it?”
“The prophecy is a fantasy. You’re all just being deceived. I’ve heard about the prophecy of this island. That’s what scares you all, right? But as you can see, I’m just a student. I don’t have that kind of power.”
The men all fell silent. Akuto sounded so confident that none of them dared to contradict him. And it was true, from the outside he just looked like a normal, if somewhat bold, young man. Akuto felt relieved.
“Of course, I apologize. It’s true that I made Yukiko cry. I’m sorry,” Akuto said, and bowed deeply.
The villagers seemed to calm down. The heavyset man must have realized that Akuto was someone he could reason with, because his expression softened as he asked his next question.
“No, I hate to say it, but we’ve had all kinds of problems with the students at the seaside school. So we were just a little tense, is all. Especially since people were saying that you were the Demon King. But you seem to be a normal, reasonable boy, so you can’t be the Demon King. Everyone is on edge, though. The demon beast in the prophecy is starting to feel real, and everyone is getting nervous.”
“If you have some evidence to think that, I can see why you’d get worried. What happened?” Akuto asked.
“Yesterday someone heard a roar from the lake where the demon beast is supposed to live, and the ground there shook like an earthquake. There’s also stories of a suspicious man who’s been sighted around here. But I guess it wasn’t you. Supposedly when you get near this person, you hear strange sounds and get a headache.”
Akuto thought he might know what the man was talking about. If he was honest with him, he decided, it might make it easier to fix this misunderstanding.
“I’m sure if you think about this rationally, you’ll find lots of potential causes of the strange events. And I think I may have seen this suspicious man, as well. There was someone who was following me last night. I was trying to find him when I ran into Yukiko.”
“So that’s what happened...” the man said.
“I’m curious about him too. I’ll help you,” said Akuto, and he smiled at the heavyset man, who smiled back.
“You students are supposed to be great with magic. I’m sure you’ll be big help. Thank you very mu...”
Just as the man reached out his hand, a high-pitched voice rang out from behind the crowd.
“He’s lying! That’s a lie! If the Demon King doesn’t exist, then what happens to the hero?!”
It was Yukiko. She ran in front of the crowd and glared at Akuto.
“Huh?”
Akuto wasn’t sure what to do, but the villagers laughed.
“Hahaha! Oh, that’s right. If there’s a Demon King, that means there has to be a hero! So if there’s no Demon King, that means no hero.”
The heavyset man laughed and patted Yukiko on the head. She looked angry, like she might burst into tears at any moment.
The villagers explained what was going on to the confused Akuto.
“Her family thinks that her older brother is the hero.”
“But we never believed that. I hate to say it, but he doesn’t look the type.”
“He’s a bit too much of a wimp.”
“He certainly doesn’t feel like a hero. He’s always been a big scaredy-cat since he was little.”
“He wasn’t that smart, either.”
The villagers laughed, and Yukiko started to cry.
“You’re all so mean! My brother made it into the Academy, that’s how amazing he is! And you all want him to help you when he grows up and becomes really important...”
Her voice was so soft that the villagers didn’t seem to hear her. But Akuto did. Maybe his ears were getting sharper.
Akuto understood what was going on now.
“You shouldn’t laugh at her,” he said. He thought his voice was soft, but all the villagers turned towards him.
“Huh? Uh... did that upset you?”
“Yes, I suppose it did. You’re laughing at one of your own people, who went out into the world and is working very hard,” Akuto said, his voice loud and deep now.
The villagers started to step back. It wasn’t that they were afraid — they were feeling an almost physical pressure emanating from him. Shining mana exploded at his feet, spreading out quickly in a circle around him. He’d gotten so upset that he’d lost control, and his power was starting to leak out.
“W-We were just kidding. Everybody talks behind people’s backs, right? We’re all actually fond of him...”
The villagers were starting to stammer and shake.
“That’s not what’s upset me. You’re calling him weak, but you’re weaker than anyone. You believe in the legend. But you don’t believe in the hero who’s supposed to come from your village, just the Demon King that you fear. If that’s not weakness, then what is?! You want the government to pay for everything you need. You only do things in groups. You hurt people who are weaker than you, and suck up to people who are more powerful. If you want to know what’s upsetting me, it’s your hypocrisy!”
Akuto found himself yelling. When he got like this, there was no stopping him.
“Your village is doomed, even if nobody does a damn thing! Look at you people, bringing guns to confront a single student! Don’t you realize how ridiculous you are?”
Akuto grabbed the barrel of the nearest shotgun and tried to knock it away. But the frightened villager pulled the trigger out of sheer reflex.
There was a loud bang. The gun was pointed right at Akuto’s chest. At that range, it would be enough to blow a huge hole in a human body. But Akuto wasn’t a normal human. His body was shaking, but he was fine. Beneath his tattered shirt, the tiny pieces of lead clattered to the ground.
“H-He’s a monster!”
The villagers started to scream. And then, at the worst possible time, he heard the roar of a beast in the distance. It sounded like the demon beast the villagers had been talking about. Akuto didn’t know if that’s what it was, but he heard it along with everyone else.
—Damn it. Talk about bad timing... Now they really are going to think I’m the Demon King!
Only then did Akuto’s rage subside. The villagers were still surrounding him, but every one of them was frozen. They were all too afraid now to fight him, but the machetes and shotguns were still pointed at him. That was a bad sign. If they all jumped on him at once, he was sure he could neutralize them, but if they all ran there was no way he’d be able to clean up this mess.
—Why does this always happen to me? What am I doing wrong? If only Korone was here, she might be able to do something...
And then help came from a surprising place.
“H-Hey, everyone... Please don’t try to fight him.”
The voice came from behind him. It was Hiroshi.
—I’m saved. If Hiroshi comes off as strong, and I back down, this will all work out.
Akuto felt relieved.
Yukiko ran up to Hiroshi.
“Brother! Brother, help me! You’re strong, right? You
’re not actually his friend, right? You were just pretending to be friends with the Demon King so you could defeat him, right?” Yukiko sobbed as she yelled.
The villagers murmured “No way...” “No, could it be true...?” as they stared at him.
Hiroshi clearly didn’t know what to do. He had so little self-confidence that the hope in the villagers’ eyes was probably scaring him. Because of that, he couldn’t say yes or no to Yukiko’s question. All he had to do to make her feel better was answer one way or the other, but he couldn’t.
—That’s the problem with you...!
Akuto should’ve known better, but he was upset by Hiroshi’s attitude. His power began to leak out again, forming a violent spiral around his body. Akuto was someone who could fight a 15-meter long dragon with his fists. Only someone with a heart made of steel could get close to him when he was angry.
Of course, Hiroshi was scared too. And that only made Akuto angrier.
Akuto took a step forward. He was going to tell Hiroshi exactly what was on his mind. But from the outside, that didn’t look like what he was planning. He seemed to be intending to burn Hiroshi and Yukiko to ash.
“U-Uwaah!”
Hiroshi panicked and grabbed Yukiko with his left hand as he pushed forward with his right. His right hand collided with Akuto’s chest.
Thud.
There was a small, unimpressive noise. The sound brought Akuto back to his senses.
—Oh, um... I did it again... What do I do now...? Oh, I know! I can just make it look like he beat me!
This seemed to Akuto like a great idea.
“H-He beat me!”
Akuto staggered back and collapsed. He closed his eyes and lay on the ground.
—It worked...
But Akuto was the only person there who took the sudden silence as a sign of success. But at least it had accomplished something, as it had calmed things down.
“Wh-What...?”
“What a freak...”
The villagers started to back away from him.
“I know! Miwa’s kid must’ve paid him off to make it look like he lost.”
“Then his little sister never got attacked, either?”
Demon King Daimaou: Volume 3 Page 7
