"Speaking of the Demon King's power..."
"You mean the one who gets absolutely curb-stomped by Rekka?"
"The one in Momiji's route who's supposedly weaker than the mid-boss, Liesha?"
"Guys, lol, let me finish first," the first user typed.
"My bad."
"I was wrong, please go ahead," another replied.
"Thanks. So, the Demon King was linked to Momiji via a Magic Core¹, right? Because of that, if you killed the Demon King, Momiji died with him."
"Ah, that bad ending. You have to sever the link before you take him down, or the heroine dies."
"Did the devs have a grudge against her or something? That's what it felt like."
"I get it. Most people probably play Momiji's route first since she's the poster girl. And yet, Liesha - who's stronger than the Demon King - shows up as a mid-boss, and then the heroine dies anyway if you miss an event."
"I was thinking, though... couldn't the reverse be possible?"
"Like... a back-door exploit?"
"You mean if the heroine died, the Demon King might have died too? No way, not logically."
"This is why I hate lore nerds."
"No, listen. If the Demon King could reach out and affect Momiji, then Momiji should have been able to do something to the Demon King, too."
"Hmm. You might be onto something."
"It assumes they're linked in the first place, but... actually, there was a leak from the official team. Apparently, the Demon King wasn't the only one who possessed the Evil Eye²."
"Wait, that's news to me."
"Details pls."
"It was - "
Was that... a log from an internet BBS in my previous life?
A place where fans of Brave Fantasy gathered to chat up a storm, swapping everything from strategy tips to minor world-building theories.
Why am I remembering this now?
I opened my eyes to a world of absolute ink.
I looked left and right, but it was too dark to see.
Master Logan had bound me with those glowing "shackles"... I remember now!
Where was Todo-sensei? Liesha-san? Where was Master Logan?
I couldn't see anything.
I couldn't even see my own body.
What was happening?
I forced my racing heart to settle, fighting for a shred of composure.
My last memory was clear: Master Logan had cast a spell on me.
If that was the case, was I inside my own consciousness?
My body felt as heavy as lead; I realized I couldn't move a single step.
It felt as if I had a brutal case of the flu. My whole body was weary, and my joints ached with a dull, muscular pain.
Still, my mind remained sharp.
In that silent, pitch-black space -
"!"
A circular object, like a mirror, suddenly manifested.
Peering into it, I saw Todo-sensei and Liesha-san locked in combat with something.
That form... it was the Demon King - Niglumeum Melgitus Macaron.
Users had teased the devs endlessly about that. Why give the final boss such a cute name at the end?
The world feared him as "Demon King Niglumeum," but the players just called him "Macaron."
His mana was overwhelming, making him technically the strongest character in the game, but because Rekka could deflect his magic, people joked he was weaker than the mid-boss, Liesha. He was a tragic figure, in a way.
However, if you were doing a challenge run - if you swapped Rekka's weapon for anything else - the difficulty spiked.
You would likely lose even if you were way above the level cap.
That was how strong he truly was. Some players even argued that Rekka's dedicated weapon was just a "pity mechanic" added by the devs to help people finish the game.
And now, Todo-sensei and Liesha-san were fighting that very Demon King.
Liesha acted as the vanguard, while Todo-sensei supported her from close range.
Even with their combined strength, they couldn't break him.
The Demon King fired off tremendous magic in rapid succession, forcing them to spend every ounce of focus on dodging.
"No, wait! You don't have to dodge that magic so wide! The hitbox is narrow, just a light shift is enough!"
"Ah! Jumping to dodge that one is a trap!"
I watched, helpless.
If only I could get my voice to them!
With experts like Todo-sensei and Liesha-san, they would definitely win if they just had the right intel!
"...Ah... ugh..."
"Reo?! Can you hear me, Reo?!" Master Logan's voice echoed. "You are currently in the gap of your consciousness noja! I have used my magic to send you a window to this side! I cannot move; my hands are full protecting and reinforcing your physical shell! If you can see the battle, speak! Even a whisper is enough! I will relay it!"
"Ma... Master... listen... the magic, 'Red Impulse'³... the flames you see... most of it is a fake, sir..."
"I have it! Seiya! Liesha! The flames of that Red Impulse are mostly an illusion noja!" Master Logan shouted.
""!?""
"Yes, exactly! The part that actually hits is a tiny core in the center; dodge only that! Don't jump over the Flame Wall - charge straight through it! You'll take the least damage that way!"
"You're kidding me... Fine! I'm trusting you, Reo! HRAAAAAAAAH!" Todo-sensei roared.
"Yes, I believe in you, Sakaki-kun! Hah!" Liesha cried.
I relayed everything I knew through Master Logan.
The two of them moved exactly as instructed, gradually grinding the Demon King down.
Then, suddenly, the Demon King spoke.
He had never had lines in the game, so it caught me completely off guard.
Even more shocking was the voice - it was a woman's.
"Damn... you... How do you... see my openings...?"
"Heh! We've got the world's best commander on our side!" Todo-sensei yelled.
"That's right! It ends here! 'Heavenly Demon Flash'⁴!" Liesha screamed.
"AGH! D-damn you... don't think... this is over... I will... the gods... never forgive..."
Liesha's swordsmanship struck true, and the Demon King's form began to dissolve.
He could no longer maintain his existence in this place.
Why was the Demon King here? And those last words... it was all a mystery.
"Phew. We managed to drive it off," Todo-sensei panted. "But man, so that was Demon King Niglumeum? It's my first time fighting him directly... that was insane. The variety of magic, the sheer power... He didn't earn that title for nothing."
"Honestly... if Sakaki-kun hadn't backed us up... Wait, Archmage Logan! What happened to Sakaki-kun?!" Liesha asked urgently.
"Ho ho ho... His body is merely resting fofofo," Master Logan replied. "Now that the link to the Demon King is severed, he is in a state of mana depletion. The Demon King won't be able to try and hijack his body again noja."
"Phew... that's a relief."
"Still, it gives me the chills," Todo-sensei muttered. "If the Demon King had actually taken over Reo's body and gained access to that bottomless mana pool... humanity wouldn't have stood a chance."
"Indeed... we are lucky we noticed when we did noja," Master Logan added.
"What happens to Sakaki-kun now, Master Logan?" Liesha asked.
"Well, the ritual isn't finished, but I doubt we'll have any more uninvited guests. You two can head back to your training if you like."
"...That's what he says. What do you think, Liesha?" Todo-sensei asked.
"Um... well... if it's alright... I'd like to stay and watch over him a bit longer. Is that okay, Todo-sensei?"
"Heh... look at you, picking a guy over your own training," Todo-sensei teased.
"Wha - ?! N-no! It's not like that! I'm just worried! As a friend!" Liesha stammered.
"Kukuku..."
"Hey! Stop laughing, Todo-sensei!"
"Ho ho ho... fofofo..."
"Master Logan! Not you too!"
"I wasn't laughing at that noja!" Master Logan insisted.
What was this wholesome content?
I could listen to this forever.
But I was just glad everyone was okay.
I guess those thousands - no, tens of thousands of hours watching Rekka deal with these spells had finally paid off.
The Demon King's repertoire was massive, but I knew every single spell.
Right down to the ultimate moves and the perfect counters.
Relaying it through Master Logan was a bit of a hassle, but I'm glad I could be useful.
Oh, and once the Demon King vanished, this space transformed into a world of brilliant, clear blue.
The flu-like ache and leaden weight had vanished.
It felt as amazing as cool water seeping into parched earth.
Well, there was nothing else I could do from here... maybe I'll just kick back and listen to the banter between Todo-sensei, Liesha-san, and Master Logan for a while.
Summary:
Reo finds himself in a void of his own consciousness during Master Logan's ritual. Using his past-life knowledge of 'Brave Fantasy' game mechanics, he guides Todo-sensei and Liesha to defeat a manifestation of the Demon King attempting to hijack his body. After the battle, the party shares a wholesome moment while Reo's mental space stabilizes into a calming blue.
Trivia:
- The Demon King's feminine voice is a major deviation from the original game.
- The Demon King was only 'weak' in the game because of a specific counter-character (Rekka).
- Reo's eyes glow due to 'shackles' placed by Logan during the ritual.
- The Demon King and Momiji are connected by a Magic Core that can cause mutual death
Character Insight:
Reo transitions from a helpless bystander to an essential 'commander' by leveraging his 'mob' status and meta-knowledge. Liesha shows clear romantic concern for Reo, which Todo-sensei teases her about.
Behind the Scenes:
The name 'Macaron' for a Demon King is a classic subversion of dark fantasy tropes, often found in 'low fantasy' or comedic light novels to humanize or mock high-stakes villains.
TL Notes:
1 ↩ Magic Core (魔核): An internal organ or crystal that stores a being's mana and life force; destruction often leads to death.
2 ↩ Evil Eye (魔眼): A rare ocular ability allowing the user to cast spells or exert influence simply by looking at a target.
3 ↩ Red Impulse: A high-tier fire magic spell known for its deceptive visual size compared to its actual damaging area.
4 ↩ Heavenly Demon Flash (天魔連斬): A powerful multi-hit sword technique used as a finisher.
Notes:
• Reo - Reincarnated HS dude who grinded 'Brave Fantasy' 100+ times, now a bland mob in the game world—black hair, Class E #6 by the back door, F-rank stats but plot meta-knowledge + magic flow reading to sideline-support heroes. Lil' bro to Saki & Taku, survives as background bro.