In a rift between dimensions, two children dangled upside down, tied and looking thoroughly resigned to their fate.
The first boy had short blue hair and held the kind of gentle face that screamed, "I've never said no in my life." His blue eyes held a peculiar mix of terror and acceptance. This was Iruma Suzuki, age fourteen, human, and apparently just sold.
The second boy, slightly older and noticeably taller, possessed long dark blue hair tied in a ponytail. His golden eyes, currently narrowed in what could only be described as profound annoyance, tracked their captor with the focus of someone mentally composing a strongly worded complaint. This was Rei Suzuki, age fifteen, also human, also sold, and absolutely done with this nonsense.
Their captor, if one could call him that, was a tall demon with yellow horns, a handlebar mustache that belonged in a villain convention. Lord Sullivan hummed a cheerful tune as he soared through the rift, carrying his "purchases" like sacks of particularly valuable potatoes.
I know this is how the story starts, but seriously? SERIOUSLY?
Rei glared at the back of Sullivan's horned head as they tumbled through the dimensional rift.
Couldn't the old man have figured out a more, I don't know, practical way to get us to the Netherworld? A nice portal maybe? A comfortable chair? Hell, I'd take a rickety wagon at this point!
But no. If someone wants us to become their grandchildren, apparently the correct procedure is to TIE US UP and drag us through space like captured livestock. What kind of adoption process is this?
At least untie us first! Give us some cushions! A snack! Something that says 'welcome to the family' instead of 'welcome to my sex dungeon'!
With a sigh, Rei let the panic drain from his system. At least now their lives should turn out better than the garbage fire their parents had put them through.
A sweat drop rolled down his temple.
If we manage to survive in the demon school, that is.
"Who are you?!"
Iruma's panicked yell jerked Rei's attention sideways. His little brother had finally found his voice.
The old demon spoke a stream of complete gibberish.
"Come again?" Iruma's face scrunched in confusion.
More incomprehensible sounds poured from Sullivan's mouth. Then he snapped his fingers.
"Now you will understand the demon language." Sullivan's words suddenly clicked into perfect clarity. "Rei Suzuki and Iruma Suzuki, you are in the Netherworld, realm of demons."
Rei watched Iruma's face twist in shock. "Whha—? I can understand you!" Panic flickered in his brother's eyes as the realization dawned.
Sullivan responded. "I put a little spell on you both."
"Wait, you can do that?" Iruma squeaked, dread multiplying with each syllable.
"Of course! I'm a demon. It's part of the package."
Rei saw Iruma's worry morph into full-blown anxiety. His brother's breathing quickened, hands trembling where they were still bound.
"Calm down." Rei kept his voice steady, meeting Iruma's panicked gaze. "Everything will be alright."
Iruma looked at his completely calm brother and tried to calm himself down as well. His breathing slowed, though his eyes still held that deer-in-headlights quality.
A few seconds shattered the tense moment. The air shimmered, reality distorted. They burst through the final layer of the rift and entered the Netherworld proper.
Rei's gaze darted upward. The sky stretched in hues of violet, with two moons looming above: one pink, one blue.
Well. We're definitely not in Japan anymore.
Beside him, Iruma squeezed his eyes shut. A single tear tracked down his cheek as his shoulders sagged in complete resignation.
Five minutes and one disorienting flight later, Rei and Iruma found themselves sitting on ornate chairs that belonged in a palace throne room. The demon who'd kidnapped them knelt directly in front of them, clutching their hands with surprising gentleness.
"Please, won't you two become my grandchildren?"
Sullivan's voice dripped with hope.
"Huh?"
Iruma's brain had clearly shut down completely. The single syllable escaped his lips like a dying gasp.
Rei blinked.
Even knowing what's coming doesn't make this less weird.
The silence stretched. Sullivan took it as his cue to escalate.
He leapt to his feet. "You see, I've been alone here all this time!" His voice turned sweet, almost sing-song. He spun around, hugging himself without pausing for breath. "It's always been my dream to have grandchildren to spoil!"
Then he dropped to his knees again.
"Levy and Belly won't stop bragging about their grandkids!" Tears welled in his eyes. "Makes me so jealous!" He grabbed both brothers by the shoulders, full-on sobbing now. "I'll buy you anything you want! I'll spoil you rotten! So please, please become my grandkids!"
Rei's golden eyes frosted over.
"Do we even have a choice?" His voice came out low and cold. "We were sold, weren't we?"
Please don't get angry. Please don't get angry. I'm just playing the arrogant character. Don't kill me.
He steeled his resolve and leaned forward, meeting Sullivan's gaze directly.
"And if we do, accept." A pause. "What can you offer me that I don't already possess?"
Sync points. Think of the sync points. Act like Gilgamesh. Channel that arrogant energy. You need those points. You NEED them.
Sullivan's eyes widened behind his pince-nez glasses.
Beside him, Iruma's mouth fell open in horror.
"B-Big Brother?!" Iruma's voice cracked. "You can't just—"
I'm sorry, Iruma. Your big brother is being a total edgelord right now. But I need these points!
Rei kept his expression perfectly neutral, golden eyes locked on Sullivan's face.
Please work. Please work. Please don't let him decide we're too mouthy and turn us into demon food.
Sullivan sniffed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "I'll respect your wishes." His voice wobbled. "And won't force you to stay if you don't want to."
He went back to crying, but louder this time.
"But I'll really give you everything I can and treat you kindly!" He clutched at their hands again. "Please rethink! Come on, I'm literally begging you right now! You'd be fulfilling the dying wishes of an old man!"
He wailed harder.
"Please!"
There it is.
Rei's shoulders relaxed minutely. His cold expression softened just a fraction.
"We agree."
Sullivan's tears stopped instantly. His entire body transformed, shrinking down into what looked like an egg version of himself, bouncing up and down like an overly caffeinated ping-pong ball.
"Yippee! Yippee!"
Iruma's head whipped toward his brother, confusion written all over his face.
Rei rolled his eyes. "Seeing that you were about to accept anyways, you just got dealt a critical strike."
Iruma's face flushed red as he looked down at the floor.
That's right. My little brother can't say no. Like, literally can't.
Rei glanced at Iruma from the corner of his eye.
Especially weak to those exact phrases. 'Help.' 'Please.' 'I beg you.' That combination got us signed up for so much unpaid child labor I lost count.
Sullivan hopped over to them, producing two adoption papers out of thin air.
"All you have to do is sign here!"
Both brothers took the papers. With a snap of Sullivan's fingers, two pens appeared, floating beside them. They grabbed the pens and signed their names.
The moment they finished, the papers vanished.
Sullivan spun around again, repeating how happy he was over and over. Then he turned back toward them.
"Now that that's done!"
He snapped his fingers.
The room disappeared.
A royal bedroom replaced it. Two of everything. Two beds with silk sheets. Two desks. Two wardrobes. All ornate, expensive, luxurious beyond anything either brother had ever seen.
Iruma's eyes went wide, taking in the opulent bedroom that was miles above anything they'd stayed in before.
Not that there was much to compete with.
"Since you're my first grandchildren, your food, clothing, shelter—"
Another snap.
Their ragged clothes vanished. Blue school uniforms replaced them.
Iruma looked down at himself in surprise. Rei maintained his deadpan expression.
"What's this?" Iruma touched the fabric.
Sullivan's voice turned sweet, dripping with affection.
"Your education, of course!" He clasped his hands together. "Oh, how perfect and adorable you both look!"
Sullivan transformed back to his normal towering form, clapping both hands together.
"I'm going to enroll both of you in a demon school!" His voice bubbled with excitement. "The best demon school there is!"
"A demon school?" Iruma's brow furrowed. "Is that... a thing?"
Rei couldn't help observing their new grandfather closely.
Does he use magic to transform back and forth? Like, constantly?
"Grampa!" Sullivan's screech yanked Rei from his thoughts. "Oh, I love how that sounds!"
And he's back in egg form.
Rei barely managed not to sigh.
Sullivan bounced over to Rei, his egg body vibrating with happiness.
"Come on, call me grandpa too!" His tiny hands gestured enthusiastically.
Rei hesitated.
"Grandpa."
Sullivan literally melted. His body dissolved into a puddle of purple slime on the floor, steam rising from the viscous pool.
Iruma ran over immediately. "Are you alright?!"
The slime started reshaping itself, Sullivan's voice emanating from the goop.
"I've never felt so much joy in my life!"
Within seconds, he reformed back to his original towering self.
"Oh, how I can't wait for tomorrow!" Sullivan spun around. "The first thing is we have to take a picture together!"
"Could we maybe slow down a bit?" Iruma's voice came out exasperated.
Sullivan kept rambling without pause. "There's never been humans attending the school before, but you won't be eaten as long as they don't figure out that both of you are human."
One word registered in Iruma's brain.
"IF THEY FIND OUT THEY'LL EAT US?!"
Don't just drop bombshells so casually, old man, my brother can barely handle what's happening right now!
Before either brother could protest further, Sullivan pulled out a giant glass jar filled with purple liquid and splashed them both with it.
"This fragrance will cover up your human scent, so you can stop worrying!"
Iruma opened his mouth—
"Oh, you are such delightful children!" Sullivan interrupted, his voice turned cold. "If you had declined, I would have had to eat both of you for dinner."
Rei and Iruma's eyes locked instantly.
He's not serious, is he?!
The exact same thought mirrored in both their expressions.
Sullivan turned back to them sweetly. "Sorry, you wanted to say something?"
Iruma straightened up like a soldier at attention. Rei waved his hand dismissively.
"It was nothing," they said in perfect sync.
Sullivan walked toward the door, which opened automatically. He stepped outside, transforming back into his egg form.
"This room is yours now!" His voice turned sweet as honey. "Tomorrow you'll have to get up early, so make sure to get plenty of sleep!"
He waved.
"Good night!"
The door closed with a soft click.
The silence stretched between them as both brothers lay in their separate beds, staring at the ornate ceiling.
Rei bolted upright.
"This is driving me nuts!"
Iruma's head turned toward his brother, now standing on the bed, practically pulling his hair out.
"Does he just keep transforming back and forth between his versions?!" Rei gestured wildly. "What's up with that?!"
After a small pause, Iruma blinked. "I... didn't even notice."
His own voice sounded surprised.
Rei's head whipped toward Iruma, completely flabbergasted.
"How could you not notice that he became shorter than you?!"
Iruma's face flushed. "Well, with everything happening..." He trailed off, then added quietly, "And after the part about being eaten, my mind kinda went blank."
He shivered.
Rei shivered as well, imagining all the demons looking hungrily at him.
Yeah, okay, that mental image isn't helping.
Iruma looked at Rei, his voice small.
"We'll be okay, right?"
Rei's expression shifted. A confident smile spread across his face as a fist-sized golden portal materialized beside him. A small kitchen knife slid out, gleaming in the dim golden light.
"Did you forget your brother is special too?"
Iruma's shoulders relaxed slightly, remembering that his brother possessed strange powers himself.
The knife slid back through the portal, which vanished with a soft ripple of light.
Rei flopped back onto his bed.
"Everything will be alright." His voice carried that protective warmth reserved only for Iruma. "You should get some sleep."
Iruma yawned, his eyes already closing. A small smile tugged at his lips.
"Good night, Rei."
Rei smiled as well, turning onto his side.
"Good night, Iruma."
A few minutes passed, Iruma's breathing evening into the rhythm of deep sleep.
Rei's eyes snapped open.
The golden portal materialized beside his bed, but this time something different emerged. A small folded notebook slipped through. Rei grabbed it before the portal sealed shut.
He ducked under the covers, opening the worn pages. An even smaller portal appeared, barely the width of a finger, casting just enough light to read by.
Rei flipped through the pages, scanning the scattered information he'd managed to piece together over the years.
Not much...
Anime name: Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun
- Kid goes to demon school
- Adopted demon grandfather (very nice to him)
- Two best friends (one serves him like a god???)
- Misfit class
- Fight on first day
- Friendly anime overall
- Power system = ranks
- School anthem is about EATING HUMANS
Rei grumbled under his breath.
"Kid goes to demon school." Wow. Groundbreaking detail there, past me.
He skimmed further, rechecking every tiny detail he'd scribbled down. Random scene fragments. Character descriptions he barely remembered. Plot points that made no sense without context.
The truth was, Rei was a transmigrator of sorts. Though "reincarnator" fit better. He possessed fragments of his past life.
When he turned ten, he'd seen parts of his previous existence play out like movies in his sleep. But he'd been a kid. Kids don't analyze their dreams for hidden meaning. He'd just enjoyed the entertainment, laughing at the funny parts, getting excited at the cool scenes.
By the time he turned twelve and his little brother started resembling the protagonist from those dreams, the regret hit hard.
Why didn't I pay more attention?
When he finally pieced everything together, this happened.
Rei sighed, pushing the notebook back through the portal. It expanded to fist-size briefly before vanishing completely. He emerged from under the covers.
System.
A translucent window materialized before him.
Name: Rei Suzuki
Age: 15
Template: Gilgamesh, King of Heroes
Below that, text glowed faintly:
"Pride without power is the mongrel's delusion.
Power without pride is the coward's waste.
When arrogance and strength unite as one,
The King's legacy becomes yours to claim."
Sync Points: 98
Rei almost yelled when he saw the points he got today, but slapped a hand over his mouth instantly. His head whipped toward Iruma, who slept soundly.
He exhaled slowly through his nose.
A full three years of acting like an arrogant ass, speaking down to people, channeling every king-like hero he remembered from those fragmented dreams.
And he'd barely earned anything.
Rei stared at the number.
Ninety-eight points, I got more in a day than in three years combined.
System, use all points.
Another window appeared:
Are you sure?
Yes.
The window vanished.
Strength flooded his body like liquid fire.
His golden eyes blazed brightly for a split second as he sensed it.
The Gate of Babylon.
He could feel the space expanding, sense new weight where before there'd been nothing.
His Gate had always been empty. Just some food he'd stashed. A few kitchen knives. Not that he could fit something bigger through the small portal.
Rei's thoughts drifted to the poem's final line.
"The King's legacy becomes yours to claim."
Would he get the chains of Enkidu? Ea itself?
His imagination ran wild. Magical weapons. Infinite treasures. Mountains of gold.
Lost in thought, picturing the legendary armory at his fingertips, Rei's eyes slowly drifted closed.
Sleep claimed him with visions of swords and riches dancing behind his eyelids.