Maou Gakuin No Futekigousha

Epilogue ~After the festival~

Sheila appears in the magic formation before slowly opening her eyes and looking around.

“…….Ray…….?”

“Mom!”

Ray reaches out to Sheila and hugs her tightly.

“……..Happy…….so happy……….Mom…….I thought I’d never see you again…….”

Ray’s words turn into tears as Sheila kindly strokes his head.

“………A dream?……….if not, is this heaven……?”

“Of course not. It’s the real world. You protected your child by throwing away your life. It was a wonderful thing to see.”

“I see.”

Sheila carries on stroking Ray’s head who’s still crying.

She seems more relieved at being able to protect her son than being alive.

“……..But, how was her spirit disease cured? If the origin is weakened or gone it cannot be recovered by magic………” Misa asks me.

“It was a simple thing. I spread the rumours that formed Sheila’s origin.”

“Eh……? When did you do that Arnos-sama? You’ve been fighting in the finals until just now………..”

“A few minutes ago when I talked about how I won. It was transmitted to the various places in Deiruheido by the magic broadcast.”

“Ah……….!”

Misa lets out a voice like she’s just noticed.

“A true master craftsman that forged a sword that can rival a demon sword using something different to magic………?”

I nod.

“That was the rumour that created Sheila’s origin.”

The impact from me breaking Initeio and winning the championship was great. Something different from magic power dwells in the sword that was forged with all the maker’s heart. It’s a rumour that’s hard to believe so it was no wonder that the number of people believing it were few.

It’s different now though. The origin of Sheila that was about to disappear was quickly restored so bringing her back with Resurrection <Ingaru> was easy.

“…….How did you notice such a thing……?” Misa asks me in a surprised voice.

“When I met Sheila yesterday she had recovered enough to talk to us. I wondered if the person managing the rumours and legends at the Lognoss Clinic was not in control as much as I thought but it was actually caused by me saying what I said in the first round.”

Something different from magic residing in the sword that a master craftsman had poured his heart into making. That was the random thing I said to Kurt in the first match but several people had believed it and Sheila got slightly better.

“Needless to say that was hardly enough to come to any conclusion with. Next was the absorption bracelet that would cause Sheila’s death if it was destroyed, however, there was no mention of her dying if my sword was broken or I lost.”

They needed to show the audience that my sword was nothing special.

It had to be out of the calculations of Avos Dillheavia that I would spread the rumours that supported Sheila’s origin. Healing Sheila would make his plan collapse.

“After the finals began did Sheila’s condition improve?”

“Yes. Even though I gave all my magic power via Root Conversion <Lilia> it still wasn’t enough, however, all of a sudden Sheilas magic started to recover so we rushed here.”

Melhey’s said he had restored Sheila to take her hostage but he lied. He didn’t want me to notice she had started to recover by herself.

“Because I was fighting evenly against Initeio with my Kongo Iron sword the audience started to believe more and more in the rumour.”

It was probably because of that that Sheila was able to turn into her true body form. Her appearance was also very similar to my sword since a spirits true nature embodies its rumours and legends. The heart includes the origin after all.

In the minds of the audience, they had a clear image of a sword that was forged by a master craftsman not by using magic but by his heart. They were looking at my sword so Sheila’s appearance became that of my sword.

If you look at them as a whole then it’s not hard to deduce Sheila’s origin.

“Thank you Arno-kun. You really are a great person just like Ray said. I thought I’d never be able to see this child anymore…….” Sheila says while hugging Ray. “Thanks to you I can continue to see him growing up even more…….”

“There’s no need to thank me. I was only helping my friend out.”

“Well then Ray, I’ll go on ahead.”

Ray answers me in a tearful voice.

I decide to leave first so Ray doesn’t have to worry about me seeing his crying figure.

“Arnos!”

My dad, mom and Misha come down from the audience seats.

“What a guy!! You are indeed my son!”

My dad rests his fist against my chest.

“Dad.”

I show my dad my sword which I had sheathed.

“I was saved thanks to this.”

“Don’t go saying stupid things to my face. I’ll go all shy……..”

My dad’s tone is pretty happy despite the tears in his eyes.

I’m not lying though.

Certainly, the sword has no magic and was useless in a demon sword tournament but it was still able to save Sheila. My dad may not have intended it and it may have happened randomly but that’s not the point.

In the first round, I meant it. My dad did make this sword with all his heart and this lead to Sheila being cured.

This sword that was forged by my dad has bought me nothing but good luck.

“Dear, if we don’t go soon we won’t get a good seat. Arnos-chan has preparations to do as well.”

“Aah, that’s right. Later then Arnos.”

My dad raises his right hand so we did a high five.

“Later.”

“Thank you for today Arnos-chan. It was really amazing!! Even though it’s small it’s still a demon sword tournament. What’s going to happen in the future?”

My moms pretty happy as well.

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt are you?”

She’s now looking worriedly at my wounds.

“I’m fine.”

It’s nothing serious. I quickly heal myself with healing <Ento>.

“See? I’m fine now.”

“I’m glad.”

My mom leans in and whispers in my ear.

“I’ll say hello to Ray-kuns mother later.”

Fumu. This is bad. If Sheila gets swallowed up in my mother’s spacetime it will be like getting captured in <Azeishis> and the chances of me stopping it at that point will be very slim.

“You should leave it for today.”

“Really? Is it because you haven’t told her yet………..? I see!! Understood!!”

My mom has convinced herself of something again.

“See you later.”

My parents hurry off to the closing ceremony.

“Happy?”

Misha was standing next to me before I realised it.

“Did you see it?”

Misha nods.

She’s looked deep into my abyss with her demon eyes and right into my heart.

“Parents are good. I didn’t have any in my past life. Someday, when I have a child I wonder if I can be like that too?”

“Eeeeh!?”

I hear a surprised voice from behind.

“What are you surprised about Sasha?”

“I’m not surprised about anything……..”

Fumu. What’s with that painful excuse?

“Do you want a child?”

“Someday it will happen.”

“I…I see. Hmph. Someday huh…..”

The old seven demon emperors inherited my blood and so have all their descendants but when looking at my parents and Sheila I’ve realised that alone is not enough for me to consider myself a parent.

“Fufufu.”

Misha’s laughing.

“Well I know it’s probably impossible.”

Misha shakes her head.

“Arnos will surely make a good father.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

I don’t feel like I will though.

“Uneasy?”

“No. If Misha says it’s so then I’ll believe it.”

I look back over my shoulder at the girls that looking down at the floor and thinking.

“What are you doing Sasha? Let’s go.”

“I know.”

Sasha hurries over to us in a fluster.

“That reminds me. I’ve won the tournament.”

“What are you going on about? Wasn’t it obvious with your power?”

“Well, there is that.”

Misha speaks up.

“Was it fun?”

“It was.”

Looking back it was a tepid tournament and my life was never in danger. I was involved in a proxy battle between the unification faction and the royalists and everyone was being very noisy. Basically, only troublesome things were happening.

It was a bit like a two-day festival I guess. Clashing swords with Ray was quite meaningful though.

Now it’s over I feel a bit lonely.

What is this feeling? It’s one I never experienced 2000 years ago when my life really was in danger at times.

“It really was an enjoyable tournament.”

There’s hardly anyone in the seats now. It’s the tranquillity after a festival.

I looked around and then with great reluctance I slowly left the arena.

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TN: With this, the demon sword tournament arc is over. The next volume/arc/chapter is the Hero academy arc.