Chapter 1 (1/2)

A man and a wo in the sun

Though the light of dawn shone in, the rooloomy; the man had an easy smile on his face and the woman looked back at him with a weary expression

”What are you saying?”

”Do you oal of my statement?”

”Obviously the latter, are you an idiot?”

Theher, but the wo voice

”I really a my sanity, eyes and ears I doubt your sanity just as much too”

”What about doubting your nose while you’re at it? I was in thebreakfast”

The aze fro faintly in the air

Before him was a meal that even for breakfast, would have to be called insufficient

On the tata kotatsu was just a plate with so with two pairs of chopsticks

”Intruding upon an elegant breakfast, and eventually doubting the head of the house's sanity, what a rude person you are”

”What's elegant about this breakfast?”

The worimaced and seemed to spit her words

”Are you an idiot, a Des for breakfast? At least buy a loaf of bread!”

”I'm poor, is that a problem?”

”It is! So what!?”

Here, tears welled in the woman's eyes, and went red as she yelled

”I crossed worlds to kill a brat like this? This is the worst!”

While the woman's tearful voice oozed hostility towards the

”Just what do you intend to do? Do you understand what you're saying yourself!? Is your japanese off!?”

”Ah, so you really didn't listen, did you?”

The man scratched his cheek at the bother and leisurely stood up, taking an i stance on the tatami mats as he proclaimed

”prick up your ears once again, and listen carefully, Hero Emilia!!”

The man… no, his features still held an innocence, so the boy proclaiantly and fireneration, or slightly older

”In this world! I shall become the Student Council President!!”

The woman called Hero Emilia was dumbfounded at the boy's voice as it made the air in the room shake Her mouth dropped open, and finally, she dropped her head in despair

”Even if you tell me that…”

While whispering feebly, the wolared at the boy

”Deh School…?”

However, co

”Excuse me…”

A third person's voice suddenly joined the conversation

Fro tatami mats

A ht from the boy and woman

”My lord, if you do not hasten to eat your meal, you will be late for school”

”Oh, that's right Sorry, Ashi+ya, I'll eat it now”

”Hey, Alsiel, be quiet! I still have things I want to ask!”

”That doesn't et back from school!”

”I' then!”

”Do you think I care about your circumstances!? Let me warn you, if you show up at school, I'll just report you to the teachers Schools these days are sensitive about suspicious people, so don't think they'll let you off just because you're a woman!”

”Aren't you asha to go crying to hu 'the hero ca!”

”If it's so I can use, I'll use it! Even the police system that huht within at a tip off!”

”Don't talk about yesterday! That was est failure! I should have just let you die!”

”Ahhh, you can't say you'd kill a student, even if you say it's a joke! I'onna tell the teeeaacheers!”

”Y… you demon!”

”Hey, hey, getting serious against an innocent schoolboy isn't very adult!”

”An innocent schoolboy!? Where!? Who!?”

”Excuse me!!”

The tall man, who the woman called Alsiel and the boy called Ashi+ya's sharp voice interjected into their spat that orse than a child's arguan

”Please hasten to eat You won't finish”

”R-right”

The boy finally took his chopsticks at this appeal

”And you, don't yell such disturbing things so early in the hbours”

The youth called Ashi+ya turned an equal hostility to the woman

”Ee battle We are currently powerless huht, then of course we still have the resolve to accept However, how do you intend to escape this country afterwards?”

”…With my power I could leave no trace of you…”

”Then go for it”

The boy called the De words aside

”Well, if you could, you'd have done it yesterday”

E found out

”At any rate, I' now I, studious as I aoing to school early to prepare”

Facing Eant attitude until now put his hands together

”See? I'o but here and school, I' to run away”

E on, and swayed to her feet as she held her head

The boy and the youth grew tense for an instant, but she staggered to the entrance and turned her back on them

”I'm sorta tired… I'll take my leave for now… Haa”

Elared at the boy

”But don'tyou If I used the power I had left, I could kill you whenever, but if I did that, I couldn't return to 'the other side' I plan to return, so I won't kill you That's all”

”Why are you telling me that?”

”It's not fair for just me to know your circumstances”

”My nanimity”

”Until I can both return to Ente Isla and subjugate you, I won't take your life But don't let your guard down… Haa”

With a tired expression, Emilia faced the entrance

”Oh, and in japan, ”

”Sure thing, roger that”

The moment she was about to leave

”Also, 'Maou' aside, what's with 'Sadao'? That's not a student's name nowadays”

Having said that, she shut the door with all her strength Dust swirled The two males stared at the closed door, dumbfounded

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They could hear her descent down the stairs from the corridor outside, before the sound finally faded

Maou Sadao looked after the invisible 'Emi' and spat

”Apologise to every Sadao-san in japan!”

In this single six mat room, on the second floor of this wooden, two-storied apart, there was no one to answer his cry

”Geez… My ”

A bag hung froed uniform as he left the apartment

”My lord, it is dangerous after all… allow me to escort you, at least to school-”

”It's fine Nothing happened last night, and she won't cause bloodshed on the streets in the ot work too, Ashi+ya, so do your own preparations See you later then”

His sense of unease fro clear, the Great Demon General Alsiel, or Ashi+ya shi+rou wished to acco Satan, or Maou cheerfully shook his head

”Besides, a second year student being escorted by his older brother who scares women to school is shameful”

”That's not the problem! Is it really the time to worry about your reputation with your school friends when you could become the victim of a crime?”

”No, it's not my reputation It's okay, and it's not ht still be around here”

Maou gri-like, peaceful street was the only thing around them

”We don't want the hero to thing the Deuarded when he walks around outside”

”Guh… certainly not”

Ashi+ya had an expression that seemed to have his heartbreak written into it

”See It's fine You go to work See you”

”Please, please take care!”

Maou stepped out towards a new day fro, Villa Rosa Sasazuka, being seen off by Ashi+ya's voice, straining with lamentation

In the eather that would make you work up a sweat if you walked quickly, the cherry blossoms had already mostly fallen in Sasazuka

”Fallen blossoht at the start of second year”

Maou thought back to last year, when he arrived in this town, to this apartment

While the world of Ente Isla ide, there were none who didn't know the na Satan That was the ruler of the demon realm, where the creatures of darkness writhed, his name was synonymous with terror and cruelty

His ambition was to invade the world watched over by the Gods- the Continent of the Holy Cross, known as Ente Isla He would conquer the world of mankind, and create a paradise for all the creatures of darkness

What caused huinably powerful, peerless De commanded four Archdemons, each of whom possessed abilities that rivalled his own

The four Great Demon Generals were Alsiel, Lucifer, Adrammelech, and Malacoda

Ente Isla floated upon the Ignora Ocean, centred on an especially large continent, it was bordered by continents to the north, east, south and west that appeared to for spread de an army with each of his Great Generals, Alsiel to the east, Lucifer to the west, Adrammelech to the north and Malacoda to the south; The Gods' influence, originating frole step to destruction

However, an anomaly occurred with Lucifer's army on the western continent

A report was received that Lucifer's arle human

The human that routed Lucifer's arathered a few survivors and lead a resistance

Lucifer was an angel that had fallen from heaven

The western continent here the closest existence a Thus it was judged that Lucifer, as knowledgeable in Heaven's circuainst the Theocracy, who fought by borrowing Heaven's power However, that sche in the face of the one who called themselves 'Hero'

Still, in a drawn out battle, one or two sche that Lucifer's ar Generals' power, they would be easily able to exterminate the hero

That was the start of his mistakes

Satan thought of huh the earth

However, thinking about it, was there any way to wipe out insects? A poisonous insect hty lion, but could it not fell the latter with a single bite?

Following on Lucifer, both Adrammelech and Malacoda were defeated successively within the year Alsiel, the wisest of the four abandoned the eastern lands at that point and proposed a defensive battle on the central continent to protect the Dehold The invasion of Ente Isla, that had taken long ress was reversed within a er maintain his optimism

Under the na with the Hero, the huth and advanced on the central continent of Ente Isla that was under the doe

The central continent was taken in the blink of an eye At the hands of a human called a Hero, who he despised as an insect, the influence of the Dehly shattered

Satan and Alsiel met the attack of the Hero and the Hero's three cohold on the central continent

Even they couldn't si and his Great General Even so, the Hero's strength certainly won out of Satan and Alsiel

Eventually, the Hero's holy sword struck off one of Satan's horns, and Alsiel suggested retreat to Satan At this rate, they may not only be defeated, but their very existence annihilated

Satan agreed, while reluctantly, to this decision Namely to flee Ente Isla To escape to another world and await the day their poould once again return

Even the look on the hero's face as he leapt into a 'Gate' to another world the merest instant before the holy sword pierced his heart was not enough to ease Satan's displeasure

With a final roar that resounded through the heavens, Satan addressed all of Ente Isla:

”Humans! I shall leave Ente Isla to you for now But the day will come when I return to claim it for myself with my oo hands!”

Manipulating a Gate to another world at will required a suitable a wounded in their battle with the Hero, Satan and Alsiel couldn't control it

The two of them flowed on the torrent of the Gate until they ashed up in a country in another world that astounded the two Archdemons with its level of civilisation

Satan and Alsiel were confronted with sights they had never seen before- tall buildings whose height surpassed a dey that filled the night with countless sparkling lights

The tere in a large city, but within a dingy alley It was interposed between titanic buildings and noises they had never heard reached their ears froent life ruled this place, what fearsome beasts existed here?

Even the chill of the air cut at their skin, th from their wounded bodies

”You appear to be in quite the predicament, don't you?”

Not even a dozen seconds had passed as they regained their bearings when they were spoken to in a language they didn't recognise

The thing that aze as they turned to look over their shoulders was a figure that only had the basic body parts to be a hu an ominous aura

”Fu fu fu, beg your pardon”

Indeed, the De, the Great Demon General, demons that made the world tremble in fear were they paralysed?

In shock, in fear

”Oh, seems I startled you”

Had they ever before been enveloped by these feelings in the past?

The source of the aura perhaps guessed their feelings and slightly softened the atle piece of paper to the two

It was incredibly thin and glossy compared to the parchment that humans used in Ente Isla, and on it, words that the two could understand were arranged

”It's sudden, but I have soth with you both”

Precisely because they could understand the words, the two archdemons felt they should absolutely not trifle with this existence

If they were, with their wounded bodies, this tiht may actually be put out

”M-m-m-m-my lord! Let us flee!”

”Wait a minute! My back's out”

However, because of the debilitating wounds received in his battle with the hero, or perhaps those from other sources, Satan's body wouldn't move

”My lord, hur- M-my lord!?

”…Are you… Alsiel?”

They then noticed

Each of them didn't have the form they knew

The huge bodies, horns, tail and carapace that once ruled over all of the Demon Realm, that struck fear into the hearts of humans, all had vanished

””Human…?””

Their forms were that of humans

The forms of humans, oppressed, destroyed

”Fu fu fu!”

Then, their eyes onceat their panic, the ohtly

In response, their eyes, clouded by battle, wounds and panic started to be able to see the full picture of this existence, and once more the two of them shook to their bones

”You don't need to be so reserved”

Guessing at their intentions to flee, the voice was filled with a kindness and an irrefutable majesty

”It's nothing bad, you know?”

Then, a screech echoed through the alley that glittered all thefor the left overs disgorged by the gluttonous city

Though they had escaped with their lives fro its fangs

That rested upon the Deate the world with demonic power

In theto his defeat by the Hero raced through histhem once more

”My lord, my lord!”

He opened his eyes to a unfamiliar voice, he was relieved that he still lived, but he noticed he was in a strange roos hadn't finished

He'd just been shaken awake, he still wasn't used to Alsiel with a human body and voice

Even though the plain chandelier was fitted with a tube bulb and let out a flickering pallid light, it illuminated the room

He could understand the bedding knitted frolass s

All the other things, while they had close analogues in the huliin and design, so he couldn't possibly judge what type of situation they had fallen into

”Alsiel… what is…”

”My lord, do you recall what happened right after we left the gate?”

”When we left- ugh! My head!”

Just as he was about to say that of course he reme was connected to his head began aching fiercely and he curled in pain

”I, I saw so?”

A mysterious lifeforap between huge buildings was in his memories

It was a large woht, but even so she was hu should be scared of

And yet even the h to make him shi+ver to the bone

”We were brought here by that person”

”What!? Alsiel, you went along with a human-”

Satan began to yell, but Alsiel raised a hand

”Resistance was futile My lord, this world… has no demonic power”

”Wha-!”

Satan was lost for words

Demonic poas needed for dey source

In the Demonic Realm and Ente Isla, they could replenish it freely from the atmosphere

”So the reason we have these bodies…”

”Is because we lost demonic power…?”

Their horns, large bodies, wings, none of them were there

These pitiful hu their demonic power

”I still have the faintest remains of demonic power, Alsiel, do you…”

”No I've confirer have even the reered e fled It was either absorbed by the Gate, or by soardless, I awakened much quicker than you, my lord, that person said that if ished to live here, we should skim over this”

So saying, Alsiel held out a sheaf of paper

Not once had he seen such a thing in Ente Isla, the papers were held to a fixed standard, and were startlingly smooth to the touch

”Who is she… Does she knee're demons?”

Satan asked while scrutinising the paper, but Alsiel replied with an unexpected answer

”I asked her at length, but she evaded the question”

It may not have sounded so impressive like that, but there weren'tof the Great Demon General Alsiel

”She didn't answer my questions and said this To think well onhold these forms, and to skim over this if ant to live”

”…”

Satan furrowed his brohen suddenly, he caught sight of his and Alsiel's bodies in the

No matter how he looked at it, they were human bodies

Those small, unreliable bodies clashed with thea hulance shook forlornly

If he were to look down at his own hands, there would be soft, huh wooden thorns

It was not befitting of the na, to have such weak hands

”What did you say?”

Satan nearly snatched the sheaf and then cast his eyes at the writing on it

Thus, he noticed an anomaly, and with his head still bowed, asked Alsiel

”Oi, Alsiel”

”Yes”

”Can you read?”

The characters on the paper weren't those of any country in Ente Isla

He had never seen them before

And yet

”I can”

Alsiel nodded gravely

They could read these never before seen characters without using demonic power

””…High School Entrance Exam Provisions?””

That ritten on the sheaf of papers

The hu up in japan appeared before Satan and Alsiel after they spent a night in unease, not knohere they were

They were in a rooly small room, but with how debilitated Maou and Ashi+ya were, they couldn't even leave the room

She called herself shi+ba Miki, and in front of what they presumed was a human, the two archdemons couldn't say a word

The words of the human shaped person with a rainbow coloured hat atop a rainbow coloured dress, wearing rainbow coloured shoes and a rainbow coloured handbag simply washed over them

”If you gentlemen understand your current situation, I think that you will understand you have no choice but to abide by my words”

shi+ba spoke and then continued uninterestedly in the face of their shaking

”This is , I would like you to use it Things such as rent can be arranged later”

shi+ba then dispassionately lined up various papers in front of them

”Write your names here, please You are capable of the characters?”

The two simply nodded their heads in assent

”In which case, although you are living 'here' I believe that you knohat is needed I don't wish to cause troubles for my tenants, so kindly take care of yourself, and restrain yourselves”

At that moment, shi+ba's red lips seemed to trace the arc of a crescent moon of blood

”You will not do wrong”

De Satan and Great De due to fear' in a short period of time

In the week since then, shi+ba had laid all the foundations for them to live in japan

The tere given a family census and address in this country where it was impossible to live without them and money

The only influence in this process that they had had was the names they would call themselves in japan, Maou Sadao and Ashi+ya shi+rou

The certificate of residence carrying the address Villa Rosa Sasazuka room 201, Sasazuka, shi+buya ward, Tokyo Metropolitan Area, showed beyond a doubt that the two of theiven residence in japan

However, neither Satan or Alsiel could relax in the slightest

They couldn't believe that shi+ba, unfamiliar as she ould work so tirelessly with no recompense like a saint

They were filled with trepidation as they recovered their stamina and from their wounds and worried over what she would des so they could slip into a live a the humans in this country

Before long, the day that h School Entrance Exam Provisions' clear came

She requested two things as a reward for everything

The first was that they would find a job that would provide thein to pay rent for the apartment

Rather than a reward, this was nothingin rented property, but the problem was the other condition

”One of you till become a student at the school here”

””A student?””

As shi+ba said this, she produced a pah school'

Sasazuka North Metropolitan High School

It was a generic h school that could be found all over the Tokyo area

”Beco a student at this school, just hat purpose would it serve?”

Even as he started arrogantly, Satan lost that attitude as he spoke and transitioned to a non-committal statement

shi+ba replied i for such a question

”At this point, none whatsoever In the future, who knows? Regardless”

The two of them, now used to Siba, could take her smile directly for the first time

”Please, have a wholesome school life”

But, they couldn't withstand the sigh afterwards and ended up fainting after all

The two had washed up in japan after the start of autuered

There was just a half of the year before high school entrance exams

shi+ba said nothing specific as to how she had given Satan the right to take the exaraduated from a middle school

However, the two had no right of refusal

After various considerations, it was decided that 'Maou Sadao', who even if you looked opti adult, would be the student, and 'Ashi+ya shi+rou', ould give no objection to being called a tall youth, would work for their rent and lifestyle

Even if Maou weakened, even if he beca

Without wasting the scarce , he dedicated his e for the exaeneral japanese school and passed the entrance exah School

”The landlady as uardian- no way”

Maou said brazenly as he gazed at his results with a not entirely dissatisfied face

”Of course, I' happens that they would want to speak to a guarantor”

”That's fine, but whaddya think I should do about the first interview in April?”

In the half a year since they arrived, his tone and way of speaking had shi+fted to that of an inforh schooler

At this point, none would doubt that he was a hu in japan

”With all due respect, I believe in this circumstances, that should fall to me”

”Guess so What are you then?”

”Of course, I am one of the Great Demon Generals who has sworn fealty to the Demon Ki-”

”You think you can introduce yourself to the homeroom teacher like that? Course you can't You're… not e”

”I believe that saying ere a pair of siblings would be the least unreasonable”

”Well, guess so”

”In which case, I shall be the younger-”

”You a moron?”

Ashi+ya really said what Maou thought he would, so he laughed

”What're you the younger brother for e're sayin' you're uardian? Obviously you're the elder”

”B-but to claiust position of your elder brother…”

”By appearance and actual age, you're older, so it's not a proble that for outsiders You can just behave like an older brother when you need to”

”J-just when I need too… Hmmm, can I do that…?”

”It'll be an issue if you can't I' on you”

”I-I shall do so However,cousins work just as well as-”

”Wait, Ashi+ya, youlike an elder brother”

”Wha!?”

As whatever Ashi+ya was going to say was interrupted by Maou, Ashi+ya stiffened raht and shook

”P-please forgive me, but that is-”

”What's with that 'forgive me', I have, so do it Seriously, no one's here and you can't, you going to be able to when there is?”

”But, but!”

”No buts You used to do it way back when, so do it”

At this terrifying order froaze drift skyward and gradually opened his mouth as his body shook

”R-right… uhm, well, uhh, t-there exists, I s”

”What's that?”

”My lord, your and my-”

”Oi, what kind of person calls their brother lord, just use my name”

”…Maou, your and my-”

”I ain't some branch chief, my first name”

”…S-S-Sadao, your andthe older of the 'brothers', Ahiya frantically burst out with the rest of his words, ”surnames are different, hoe explain that!?”

”Aah, that's right That's right, our names are different”

”I didn't have an inkling it would turn out like this… That's it!” Despite finishi+ng his sentence, Ashi+ya's voice grew loud and hurried ”Right, what about this? We originally had the same surname, but for some reason, our parents separated and you took our ated, there will be… a difference, won't there… it also hty, does it not?”

He failed this ti him

”You're right There's a lot on the fa with my older cousin, that'd be fine We'll sayabroad, and you're already independent or so”

”In the first place, my lord-”

”Sadao”

Ashi+ya grit his teeth and groaned

”…Sadao! A-are there records of your parents?”

”Well, if we end up needing theht? She coet her to act as our foster parent too Anyway, our surnauardian to begin with and if it becomes absolutely necessary, we can ask the landlady for help, okay?”

”Roger that”

”…Okay?”

”…Got it”

It sees

”…My lord, this is bad for my heart”

”We've both gotta get used to it I'onna have to check myself around you too”

Ashi+ya, pallid despite not actually doing anything finally gave up and Maou looked pityingly down

”However, my lord, just who is the landlady?”

”…”

”Appearances aside, I am certain she is one of the people of this world we can feel no holy energy or demonic power from However, from her behaviour, I can't help but feel she knoe are not of this world”

”And on top of that, why's she actin' as our patron? Well, ain't like thinking about it'll help We can only eat because of her, and we couldn't live like this without her support It ain't like she's forcin' us either, so let's just dance in the palm of her hand”

Maou said as he looked up at the unifor on the wall

”Anyway, froh class 1-A!”

A stray gust of wind blew the late-bloo cherry blossoms into the room