Mayuten ~The Demon King and the Hero Reincarnated as Twin Elementary School Students~

Volume 2 The Demon King and the Hero Confront the Bully

Chapter 13 The Demon King and the Hero, Attending Elementary School

The staff room called for Sasakura.

The principal decided that they should hear his side of the story. Otherwise, it would turn into an absent trial.

It seems Sasakura wasn’t seriously injured.

Meanwhile, in exchange, Isumi, I, and Sora were taken to the infirmary.

Though we weren’t injured, it was decided that we needed to calm down first. The infirmary teacher was a kind lady who didn’t inquire about the details but made sure we could rest comfortably.

Sora kept apologizing to me while still crying.

Isumi said to Sora, “Don’t cry forever; it’s pathetic.”

“But…”

“If you’re a hero, cry where no one can see you. Even if your heart weeps, keep a smile on your face.”

Wait, what’s going on? Sora isn’t even a hero to begin with.

As expected, Sora stopped crying and looked a bit puzzled.

“What does that mean?”

“That was my master’s words.”

“Master?”

“The one who taught me swordsmanship.”

“Swordsmanship, you mean like kendo?”

Hey, Isumi. I understand that you’re trying to encourage Sora, but it’s time for her to adapt a bit to this world.

Well, anyway, it’s true that there’s no point in crying forever.

I said to Sora, “Well, forget about being a hero for now. There’s no use moping around. When you want to cry, that’s when you should put on a smile.”

“But…”

“I’ve said it many times already, but I’m not angry at you, Sora-kun. In fact, I’m grateful.”

“…Grateful?”

“Just now, why were you with the principal? You were worried about Isumi and me, so you sought help from the principal, right?”

Sora nodded in agreement.

“I thought I couldn’t help Kageyo-kun, so that’s why. If it had been Tanaka-sensei or the vice principal, I couldn’t think of anyone else.”

“Just that was a big help. Besides, Sora-kun, you showed even more courage.”

“…Courage?”

“You talked about the accident properly. Without backing down against the teacher. As Isumi said, the Sora-kun just now was a true hero.”

“But… I was also one of those who cornered Kageyo-kun.”

“Even so, I respect your bravery.”

“…Thank you.”

Sora wiped away the tears. The smile on his face afterward was a bit forced.

20 minutes later, Akari and Sora’s mother arrived almost simultaneously.

As soon as Akari saw my face, she burst into tears.

“Kageyo, I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing, Mom?”

“I heard it from the principal. That you were pushed to such an extent, and I didn’t notice it as your mother…”

Ah, I see. It’s about being a parent… no, about love.

“Mom, you’ve done nothing wrong. So, please don’t cry.”

As I said that, Akari kept nodding and yet continued to cry.

Meanwhile, Sora’s mother bowed her head to us.

“I’ve also heard about the situation. I’m truly sorry for my son’s actions.”

Apologizing without any excuses, she must be a good mother, just like Akari’s.

“Please don’t apologize. Sora-kun helped me, after all.”

After that, it seemed the mothers also had a brief conversation. Sora’s mother apologized to Akari once again, and Akari responded, “My son is safe, and I forgive him.”

Later, Sora, Akari, and I were led home by our respective mothers.

Before parting ways, I said to Sora, “Let’s play together again sometime.”

Sora responded with a beaming smile and a nod.

The next day, when Isumi and I went to the elementary school, Sasakura, Tanaka-sensei, and the vice-principal were nowhere to be found.

Literally, they were gone from the school.

Sasakura had transferred, and the vice-principal had changed jobs.

As for Tanaka-sensei, we heard that he was being questioned by the police. It had become clear that he had pushed a child into the roadway, causing the accident. He wouldn’t get away with it easily. He might even end up in prison.

When I entered the classroom, the students lowered their heads in front of me. Perhaps they felt guilty for participating in the bullying against Kageyo. Some of them might just want to apologize to avoid punishment.

Either way, I’m not the real Kageyo. I have no intention of holding grudges against each and every classmate, unlike Sasakura and Tanaka-sensei.

“It’s okay. I’m not angry or anything,” I said to reassure them.

On my way to my seat after speaking, I passed by Manabu.

He let out a disdainful snort and said, “I have no intention of apologizing. I don’t remember ever participating in such a low-level thing as bullying. Ignoring bullying being considered bullying itself is just a selfish argument made by irresponsible media and education critics who aren’t even involved. I have no hobby of putting myself in danger to protect others.”

Well, that’s one way of looking at it. In reality, Kageyo became the target of bullying because he helped Sora. But I have no right to lecture him about standing up for Kageyo even if it means becoming the next target of bullying. In a situation where even teachers participate in bullying, there wasn’t much he could do.

As the Demon King, I fought against other races to protect the demon tribe. Even though being able to save all races is an ideal, there were limits to what I, alone, could do. Sacrificing oneself to protect others might sound noble, but it’s an idealistic notion. I don’t approve of the Hero, Shirene, who defeated the Demon King with a self-destructive magic; maybe she will be praised as a hero among the human race, but I don’t believe such a method is right.

Manabu continued, “But well…”

“I have to thank you for driving Tanaka-sensei out of the school. A teacher like him would only be harmful to my life.”

Wow, quite straightforward, this guy.

“Give that gratitude to Sora-kun. He’s the one who helped me, and his courage is admirable.”

“Are you trying to say I don’t have courage?”

“No way, I have no right to say such a thing. But, I don’t think a person’s worth is determined solely by test scores.”

Leaving those words behind, I took my seat.

Sora was already sitting in the seat next to mine.

His left cheek seemed slightly reddened and swollen.

“What happened to your face?”

In response to my question, Sora smiled and said, “Hehehe, my dad gave me a little spanking.”

“Why?”