Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight - Chapter 43

WeTried Translations

Translator: Botanica

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight

Chapter 43

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Episode 43. What Came Out of the Magic Hat Was a White Rabbit.

In <Knight Heart Trilogy>, the Demon King is a cheat.

'Utilizes abilities gained as a hero, and covers the world with the contradictory authority of a Demon King.'

I bit my lower lip. You only need to be one, a hero or a Demon King. Why can they use abilities from before their corruption too?

"It's not working. These are the hair and eye colors my darling loved most..."

In Magic Hat's case, she possesses the authority to overlay 'falsehoods' like this. It seems she tried to imitate our Saintess, but her authority isn't perfect.

"Aha, I realized why my darling is so cold to me!"

"..I'm not your darling to begin with, though?"

I raised my sword again. Then Magic Hat grinned. Why on earth is she sending me such a sticky gaze?

"If you're in love, they say you sometimes bicker. That's it, right? That's how it is, darling!"

"Absolutely not. Get lost."

Cold sweat ran down my spine. The female magician with long white hair, drawing closer while swaying her hair. She pulled out a trump card and sent it flying.

10 of Hearts

Jack of Hearts.

Ace of Hearts.

"Darling... I'll teach you again, one by one...!!"

She was sending only heart-patterned cards, as if targeting me. The Demon King couldn't control the corners of her mouth, which curved up as if she were a girl sending love letters.

Goosebumps rose. Her overt actions and courtship directed at the player.

'Was she always this kind of character?'

I used Void Slash to deflect the flying cards. Each one was dangerous if it hit. Each pattern had a special ability.

"As expected...! Your swordsmanship hasn't rusted at all! Though it's very different from what I know!"

"Please just shut up."

I see the Empress of the Empire over there, too.

It was a pattern I had drawn, written, and memorized multiple times in my notebook, but seeing it in person still left a bad feeling in a corner of my heart.

Her name is Bellin Gransia. Lupus's mother.

The mature woman with black hair and wolf ears, adorned with a red heart-shaped ornament, watched me silently, awaiting Magic Hat's command.

'..She's probably the biggest problem.'

When I played <Black Heart>, the pattern of using the Queen of Hearts card made me sick.

If the player kept painstakingly stuffing in damage that barely registered,

"It's a shame I can't send out the Queen of Hearts. Darling!"

She would use that person like a subordinate to fully restore her HP. The original Licht would have dealt more damage than her recovery to defeat her.

"Licht... that person is..."

"I won't let your mother get hurt. Don't worry."

"..You knew?"

But back then it was just a game, and this is reality. Even if I have to defeat the Demon King, I'm currently on the Crown Prince companion route.

It's right to save her too.

"It would be strange not to know, Mardol."

"I see... Then from the beginning..."

The Glass Knight's golden eyes widened as she looked at me. Did she think I wouldn't notice she was from the Imperial family? Aren't you still wearing incredibly shiny armor?

"..Ah, perhaps you're concerned about this person? Because she's a woman?"

"You know quite well. You crazy bastard."

"I'm a woman! Darling...!! The word 'bastard' is forbidden! Hmph!"

I fell into thought, watching the white-haired magician pout and fully express her annoyance. In any case, I had to buy time for the hero's party to escape.

"I'm jealous. So I'll retrieve her."

"Yeah, good job."

The magician, who was putting the trump card back into her pocket, immediately raised her voice excessively upon hearing my words.

"Ah, ah... Aahh... I was praised by darling, praised by darling, praised..."

Has she really gone completely mad? She was a madwoman obsessed with fun in the sequel, but Magic Hat, with her hands on her cheeks in an ecstatic pose, looked to be in a very bad state.

"Haa. Darling, so, what else should I do?"

Her excited appearance, even exhaling hot breaths.

Is she under some kind of status effect? No, she shouldn't be? Demon Kings are generally immune. I couldn't understand the situation at all, but.

"..Can't you just bite your tongue and die?"

Not missing the opening, I unleashed Void Slash once more. The wind pressure raged, covering the Demon King of Truth. But this time, it didn't work.

"I don't want that!! This time, I'm going to live a hundred years with my darling... Heu-heet..."

Magic Hat blocked my swordsmanship with one hand. As if regretting the lost sensation, she licked her hand with her tongue, displaying perverted madness.

"My darling's swordsmanship, tasted after a long time... As expected, it's magnificent...♡"

Seeing her face, oozed in lustful desire, an unsettling feeling spread throughout my body.

This is just a yandere.

Today, I especially missed our wolf-eared Saintess. What on earth happened in the prequel for there to be so many characters who are completely different?

"..You're truly insane, aren't you?"

"I'm crazy in love. Or rather, am I crazy for my darling...?"

If our Saintess had that kind of personality, I might accept it, but even so, the Demon King of Truth clinging to me was terrifying.

Watching Magic Hat drawing closer, the blood rushed to my head.

Think. What can I do now? I need a holy sword to confront a Demon King. Right now, I don't have any items I used in the game or anything...

"Licht, should I use Shine Strike?"

"Ah, Kainel."

This guy was here. I made a suggestion to the blond-haired hero.

"..Could you lend me your holy sword?"

It's a method I really didn't want to use, but there's no other choice. I have to protect the people here.

"What? Licht... you can't use it, can you?"

"..I probably can."

Something famous among players as a crazy, life-risking stunt.

Corruption Route Glitch.

That was the only method left for me.

***

Sometime, I had seen a post with a strange title on a game community.

[Title: (SPOILER WARNING) Is that really Kainel, the Hero of Light, who used to be called the Yellow Dog next door...?]

When I clicked on that post,

[...Now I'm truly the only one left alive.]

A video started playing.

[Hah... What kind of 'Hero' of Light? You stupid bastard, Kainel...]

Beneath a night sky with low-lying darkness, Kainel was seen weeping, embracing the cold corpse of the red-haired mage.

[If only I had been a little stronger... could I have protected you? Ariel...]

The Hero of Light, self-deprecating because he couldn't protect his childhood friend, Ariel.

[To be a hero who protects the world by merely trusting the Holy Sword of Light's choice, it must have been too grand a task for me... Ariel.]

They should have already been married, so why are they like that?

'Perhaps if Ariel gets a game over midway, this route is taken?'

I leaned back in my chair and organized my thoughts. As for me, I just brute-forced it with my controls and got them married right away, so I didn't know.

[...]

It was then. A black, mist-like substance swirled around Kainel, and pitch-black darkness enveloped the hero.

[From the beginning, rather than this world,]

He was seen growing demon horns and wings, and his job title changing to Demon King of Light.

[I should have protected just you, Ariel. I'm sorry...]

He, who had made an irreversible vow to his deceased lover, shed tears and reached his hand towards the clear moonlit sky, covering everything in darkness.

"Crazy, our Yellow Dog became a Demon King? There was a setting in <Knight Heart> that heroes and Demon Kings are the same, but..."

The video ended like that. Scrolling down, I checked other posts and saw a heated debate unfolding about Kainel, the Demon King of Light.

[(Long post) Speculations on the conditions to become a Demon King...jpg]

[Is the Demon King of Light's performance a cheat? Are they not nerfing this?]

['Corruption Route' appears in the loading screen. That's probably the official name?]

'Corruption Route.'

A route first confirmable and added in <Black Heart>.

According to the results many users found through cross-verification,

[Conclusion: The red cat must die to become a Demon King. Confirmed in other routes as well.]

There was only one condition to see it.

The loss of a loved one.

Friend, family, or lover, it didn't matter.

***

"Give it to me. I'll know if I try."

"Alright... Licht."

I immediately received the Holy Sword of Light from Kainel. The moment I grabbed the hilt, the holy sword trembled violently, rejecting me.

'As expected, an item you can't even equip if you're not chosen.'

Perhaps for someone who played the game as Kainel, the playable character. But for someone like me, playing as Black Knight Licht, it seems what's impossible remains impossible even on a companion route.

Using the Hero of Light's power instead is out of the question.

"Licht, stop."

I lightly gripped the holy sword and cut the inside of my hand. Then, blood dripped.

"Helmet Guy, your hand is bleeding. Why are you suddenly doing that with Kai's sword?!"

"Licht... what on earth are you trying to do? Why suddenly..."

The sword's blade was turning red. Even if it worked, it would probably be very weak since I wasn't the owner. Would it truly be possible?

"No matter what happens from now on, please don't attack me."

I sighed briefly inside my helmet. Everyone behind me had trauma related to Demon Kings.

'Honestly, I wish nothing would happen at all...'

I just hope they don't try to kill me if they see me suddenly corrupted.

「Sleep in Darkness.」

A chant completely opposite to the one Kainel used to activate the holy sword.

The moment I shouted it, my body had a rejection reaction. With a gurgle, black blood gushed out from within my body.

"Licht...?!"

"Helmet Guy. Are you okay?!"

"You, don't tell me..."

Ugh, the backlash is really strong. I barely managed to catch my breath again. There wasn't a spot on my face not bleeding. At times like this, it's a good thing I'm wearing a helmet.

"Darling... what are you doing right now!!!"

Seeing the blood stains vomited onto the ground, Magic Hat screamed. This is all to beat you. A black mist swirled around me.

"Ah, this works. Fuck."

Our Saintess, it seems, isn't doing well after all. I coated it with blood to trigger the glitch, but.

I immediately became a Demon King, just like Kainel on the Corruption Route. Black Knight armor was overlaid upon my academy uniform.

'The loss of a loved one. I didn't even ask the Sage about this because of that fear.'

I hated spoilers. I was afraid that if I asked for future foresight, she might appear as someone who would die.

"..."

This is the result of running and running. Despair left me speechless. They said I could save her if I protected the loveline at Grand Hearts Academy, didn't they?

Why is this happening in the past? At least if she's meant to appear later, this shouldn't be happening.

Could it be that my intervention changed the future?

Nameless Saintess.

When the condition of her loss was confirmed through my demonization, I grew to hate myself.

"..Darling! You were the Demon King of Light...! No wonder!!"

Magic Hat cheered with joy, looking at me. Someone was so utterly devastated they felt like dying. Seeing her like that made me sick.

"I am neither a hero nor a Demon King, Magic Hat."

Perhaps the Demon King of Truth had already laid hands on the Saintess. Even if it cost me my life, I had to take down that bastard.

"..I'm just a Black Knight."

I raised my sword. Now, the pitch-black sword emitted a black mist, making it an unfitting name to call it the Holy Sword of Light.

"Everyone, escape and cast telepathic magic to Professor Dennis. I will now neutralize Magic Hat's authority."

I conveyed the words in advance, concerned for the safety of others. But what came back was not an answer or the sound of footsteps fleeing, but trembling voices.

"..Licht, you were a Demon King."

"Helmet Guy..."

"Licht, you...!"

Even the hero's party couldn't hide their shock looking at me. Seeing this, is the companion route over? I sighed deeply inside my helmet.

"Kainel, Demon Kings possess authority opposite to their names. Remember that. It'll be useful someday."

"What...? Licht, is that what you should be saying right now? Explain immediately..."

If so, I should do my best for them and leave. I owe you a lot in reality.

"Ariel, fix your personality a bit."

"Helmet Guy... It really is you, Helmet Guy...?"

Perhaps because I was wearing armor and it felt awkward, the red-haired, twin-tailed elf mage looked at me and trailed off her words.

"Mardol. The promise we talked about before, please keep it. About the Nameless Saintess."

"..Understood. But..."

She might still be alive, so doing this much is right. The word 'Black Knight' ultimately means sacrificing for the one you love.

It was then.

-Squeeze.

The Glass Knight grabbed my hand. Inside the helmet, sad golden wolf eyes were visible.

"..Let's fight together, Licht."

I still couldn't match Mardol in strength. Her grip was so strong that my steps towards the Demon King were halted.

"Alright, Licht. Let's just say your chuunibyou came a bit late."

"I trust Helmet Guy. If he were a real Demon King, he wouldn't have healed our Kai!"

Kainel and Ariel, seemingly unfazed by my becoming a Demon King, looked at me and recited lines from the companion route as if they had resolved something.

"..Haha."

How incredibly kind are these people? As expected, it really must have been the game I enjoyed since my school days. I feel like shedding a slight tear.

But you guys are far too weak to fight. You were just in danger.

"Thanks, I had fun until now. Thank you."

「Dark Dimension.」

With those final words, I plunged the holy sword into the ground, isolating the hero's party. The entire world was plastered in pitch black, and,

"Darling, you used your authority too? For me...? I'm so happy!!"

Only I and the Demon King stood in that darkness. Since we moved to a completely different space, Kainel's side wouldn't be harmed.

'The authority to cover the world with darkness.'

What's commonly called spatial separation. This truly makes it a 1-on-1 fight. Now, no one will truly interfere with me.

"..I used it for the person I like. Just in case."

"Oh, oh my? Is that a new rival...?"

"Well, I don't want to tell you."

These words became the ignition point signaling battle, and soon after, the two Demon Kings clashed.