Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun: Babyls Academy Rom-Com Mayhem
Iruma Suzuki has a secret: he's a human attending a school full of demons. His goal? Blend in, keep his head down, and survive. Simple, right?
Except nothing about Iruma's life is simple. Sold to a demon by his garbage parents, adopted as the beloved grandson of the Netherworld's most powerful chairman, and now enrolled at Babyls Academy—the most prestigious demon school in existence—Iruma just wants a quiet, peaceful school life.
Too bad his inability to say no to anyone in trouble keeps gett
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun: Babyls Academy Rom-Com Mayhem - The Chief's Pride and the Duel
"So. You're Suzuki Iruma."
The cold voice sliced through the air of the arena.
Babyls Academy's combat arena—the Arena Babyls. Its two thousand seats were already packed, even though the entrance ceremony had only just ended. The rumor had spread across the campus faster than the ceremony itself could finish: Asmodeus Alice, the top-ranked student whose valedictorian speech had been stolen, had challenged the scholarship student Suzuki Iruma to a duel.
In the center of the stone circular arena, two students stood facing each other.
One was a tall demon, his fluffy bright-pink hair swaying in the wind. His violet-red eyes held a sharp, intelligent light, and they pierced straight through Iruma. Faint burn marks traced the tips of his fingers—remnants of fire-magic training. The top-ranked badge gleaming on his black uniform spoke volumes about his standing.
"I will never forgive a coward who got in on family name alone serving as the freshman representative."
Alice's voice was quiet. But behind that quiet, a boiling rage churned.
Suzuki Iruma, by contrast, shrank his frame—barely five and a half feet—and drooped his brows in a helpless frown. His sleek black short hair clung to his forehead with sweat. His round, deep-brown eyes wavered with unease. On the middle finger of his right hand sat the Gluttonous Ring Sullivan had given him. The black stone caught the glow of the magic lamps and shone dully.
"Um, look... it's not like I actually wanted to be the representative..."
"Silence."
Alice snapped the word out.
"I have no interest in your excuses. Prove to me, here and now, whether you truly deserve to stand as the freshman representative."
The color drained from Iruma's face.
(No way. I can't even use magic!)
He screamed it in his mind. But he couldn't say it aloud. If anyone found out he was human, that would be the end of everything.
Jeers flew down from the stands.
"Go get him, top rank!"
"There's no way some scholarship student beats Lord Asmodeus!"
A restless murmur rippled through the entire arena.
Alice slowly raised his right hand.
"—Fire Magic: Flame Ars."
With the incantation, a small flame flickered to life at his fingertips.
In an instant it swelled, transforming into a massive fireball that engulfed his palm.
The heat washed across Iruma's cheek.
(Hot...!)
Iruma's legs locked up.
But then—
Flame burst from Alice's hand.
WHOOSH!
The crimson mass of fire shot in a straight line at Iruma.
"Waaaaaah!?"
Iruma screamed and dropped to the ground on the spot.
The flames passed over his head.
By a hair.
The smell of a few singed strands of hair reached his nose.
"What...!?"
For the first time, shock crossed Alice's face.
That strike had been aimed to hit, guaranteed. And yet Iruma had slipped beneath the flames as if he'd never been standing there at all.
"A fluke. The next one lands."
Alice spread both hands.
"Flame Ars—rapid fire!"
This time, countless arrows of fire rained down on Iruma like a downpour.
Screams rose from the stands.
But Iruma, eyes still closed, was moving his body without thinking.
Right, left, back.
Each time a fire arrow grazed him, his uniform scorched and tore.
And yet not a single one landed clean.
"Why...?! Why won't they hit?!"
Alice's voice trembled with frustration.
Iruma didn't understand it himself.
(My body's moving on its own...!)
The flames closed in. He was terrified. He might die. And yet his body, guided by something separate from fear, moved with perfect timing, in perfect directions.
It was a skill he'd honed without realizing it—surviving in the human world, yanked around by unreasonable parents, forced into dangerous jobs, and still coming out alive.
Overwhelming crisis-avoidance ability.
The one and only, and strongest, power Suzuki Iruma had gained from a lifetime of experience.
"Hah... hah..."
Iruma's breathing grew ragged.
His uniform was in tatters. Scorched and torn all over, skin exposed. His knees and palms were covered in scrapes.
And still, he stood.
The stands fell silent.
"...What the hell is that guy?" "He dodged all of it?" "No way... and he's just a scholarship student?"
The murmuring gradually grew louder.
Iruma's visibility was nothing compared to the representative's speech at the entrance ceremony.
Alice, shoulders heaving, glared at Iruma.
His magic was nearly spent. He'd pushed the rapid fire too far.
"Damn... it..."
Alice thrust out his right hand, as if wringing out the last of his magic.
"This... ends it...!"
The largest flame yet swirled in his palm.
But—
Fizzle.
The flame died with a sound.
He was out of magic.
Alice's body pitched forward.
And then he dropped to his knees.
"...I lose."
It was a small, squeezed-out voice.
Still in his tattered uniform, Iruma slowly approached Alice.
His legs tangled.
The thread of tension snapped, and strength drained from his whole body.
Even so, he stood before Alice.
And then, as if collapsing, he sat down right there.
"...Hah... hah..."
Catching his breath, Iruma looked at Alice's face.
Alice's violet-red eyes wavered with frustration and something else.
Iruma slowly opened his mouth.
"...Your flames were really beautiful."
Alice's eyes flew wide.
"...What?"
"They really were beautiful. Red, and bright, and so hot. ...I've never seen flames that beautiful in my whole life."
Iruma said it from the bottom of his heart.
He wasn't the type who could offer flattery. He'd simply said exactly what he thought.
Alice's flames really had been beautiful.
Flames that should have been an object of terror appeared to Iruma purely as something lovely.
Those words pierced deep into Alice's heart.
His whole life, he'd been told his flames were "strong"—but never "beautiful."
The Asmodeus family's fire magic was a power meant for destruction.
No one had ever called that power beautiful.
"...You're saying my flames are beautiful?"
"Yeah. Very."
Iruma smiled, dimples showing.
The instant Alice saw that smile, something inside him crumbled with a sound.
The pride of the top rank. The pride of his lineage. His attachment to winning.
All of it became irrelevant—the boy's smile before him was that dazzling.
Tears welled up in Alice's eyes.
He bit his lip and fought them back desperately.
Then, in a trembling voice, he declared:
"Suzuki Iruma. I, Asmodeus Alice, pledge my loyalty to you for the rest of my life."
The entire arena erupted in an uproar.
"Wha—!?"
"I will become your friend. No—you are already the one worthy of my service. Please, keep me by your side."
Still on his knees, Alice looked up at Iruma.
His eyes no longer held any hostility.
Respect, admiration, and burning loyalty.
All of it mingled together, sparkling.
"W-wait a second!? I didn't do anything!? I just dodged...!"
"You evaded my full-power flames without taking a single hit. That alone is more than enough proof of your strength. And on top of that, you acknowledged my flames as beautiful. That generosity, that kindness—you are truly the one I should serve."
Alice launched into a rapid-fire, passionate speech.
Iruma, having no idea what was happening, could only flail.
"Um, er, so, I..."
"No need to be modest! From now on, I will always be at your side! Travel, meals, cleaning—leave everything to me!"
"No, I mean, I can do it myself..."
"What are you saying! You are my master! I cannot let my master do menial tasks!"
Alice's eyes were now completely those of someone utterly devoted to Iruma.
Iruma stared off into the distance.
(My quiet school life...)
His inner scream was drowned out by the clamor of the arena.
—Several hours after the duel.
Iruma had returned to the problem-class classroom.
A public duel on the very first day. And on top of that, beating the top rank and being sworn loyalty—an unprecedented turn of events.
Iruma had collapsed onto his desk, utterly drained.
He hadn't even had time to change out of his tattered uniform.
"Hah... I'm exhausted..."
Just as he let out a sigh—
BANG!
The classroom door flew open.
Iruma flinched and looked up.
Standing there was a well-built boy with fiery red hair spiked upward.
Sabnock Sabro. A member of the problem class, a hot-blooded young demon who dreamed of becoming the Demon King.
He marched straight to Iruma's desk and thrust out a finger.
"You! You're Suzuki Iruma!"
"Uh, y-yes. That's me..."
"I'm Sabnock Sabro! The man who'll be Demon King someday!"
Iruma gaped.
What on earth was this guy going on about, out of nowhere?
"I hear you beat the top rank, Asmodeus, on your first day!"
"Well, I didn't really beat him—I just dodged until he ran out of magic..."
"Don't be modest! You didn't let that Asmodeus land a single hit on you, right?! That's real strength!"
Sabro leaned in, clearly excited.
"You're amazing! I like you! Starting today, you're my rival!"
"...Huh?"
"My rival! A contest between you and me—who becomes Demon King first!"
"No, I have absolutely no intention of becoming Demon King..."
"What are you saying! Any man dreams of being Demon King at least once! Well, I'm going to be Demon King, so you support me as my number-one rival!"
Support him? What was he even talking about?
Iruma clutched his head.
Here we go again. Another mess.
From the corner of the classroom, a boy watched the scene with a grin.
Shax Lied. A game-loving wisecracker, the mood-maker of the problem class.
Watching the exchange between Iruma and Sabro, his face lit up as if he'd hit on something.
"Hey hey, this is some seriously juicy material!"
Shax pulled a magic-crystal communicator from his pocket.
A device used in the demon world—limited in range, but it let students send simple messages to each other across campus.
His deft fingers flew, typing at furious speed.
" Top rank Asmodeus defeated by scholarship student in public duel on the first day! And he swears loyalty on the spot! Was this a duel of love!? Details to follow!"
Send.
Instantly, every magic-crystal communicator in the classroom buzzed at once.
No—not just the classroom.
Through Shax's hands, the message spread from the problem class's network to the entire student body in the blink of an eye.
"Wha—?! What is this!?"
"A duel of love!? Lord Asmodeus!?"
"Against that scholarship-student representative!?"
The whole campus was in an uproar.
Feeling his own communicator buzz, Iruma nervously peeked at the screen.
And when he saw the words displayed there, he shouted.
"Hey!? No! It's a misunderstanding! It's not a duel of love or anything like that!"
But his voice reached no one.
Giggles rose from all corners of the classroom.
"Ooh, Iruma, you dog."
"Snagging the top rank—quite the technician, aren't you."
Iruma went bright red and shook his head.
"I'm telling you, it's not like that! There's really nothing going on!"
"No need to be shy! Ah, youth!"
Shax gave a thumbs-up and a wink.
Iruma's shoulders slumped in defeat.
(I just want to live quietly, without standing out...)
His wish had been spectacularly shattered on his very first day.
—The next day.
Iruma trudged toward the problem-class classroom, his steps heavy.
The rumors from yesterday showed no sign of dying down after a night.
Walking the halls, passing students whispered and stared.
(Ahh... I can't take this anymore...)
Iruma sighed inwardly.
He opened the classroom door.
The instant he did, the first thing that filled his vision was the pink-haired demon sitting beside his desk as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Good morning, Lord Iruma!"
The moment Alice saw Iruma's face, he broke into a radiant smile.
Yesterday's cold impression was nowhere to be found.
"O-oh, morning... wait, huh!? Why are you here!?"
"What are you saying? I am your friend. And a friend naturally sits in the seat beside you."
"But seats are assigned..."
"The problem class has no seating order. I decided to sit here. That is
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