In a world where magic, monsters, and dungeons were part of everyday life, power was everything.
Noble houses ruled cities. Heroes protected countries. And normal people? They prayed they wouldn't get eaten by a Monster on their way to work.
But even in this dangerous world, there were schools.
Not just any schools—magic academies, where young men and women trained to become warriors, mages, summoners, and more.
Among these was the most famous:
Arcadia Magic High.
And today was its entrance exam.
---
A boy named Jin Haru stood in line outside the great arena.
His knees shook.
His lips trembled.
He looked like he was going to pass out any second.
He wasn't cursed.
He wasn't sick.
He was just... extremely nervous.
"D-Dungeon creatures? N-N-No problem…"
He lied to himself while looking around.
A girl beside him summoned a glowing sword just to scratch her back.
A boy stretched and accidentally made the ground explode with lightning.
Jin Haru gulped.
He was a normal kid.
Born in a poor neighborhood.
No bloodline magic.
No training.
His ability was so weak, the mana scanner thought he was a potato.
But he had a big heart and a big dream.
He wanted to become a mage.
Not to be famous.
Not to be rich.
He just wanted people to stop laughing at him.
---
"Number 004. Jin Haru."
His name was called.
Jin nearly fell.
His legs dragged him to the glowing exam platform.
Hundreds of people were watching from the stands—parents, teachers, and even the media.
The exam proctor, an old man with a beard longer than Jin's future, nodded.
"Please demonstrate your magic ability."
Jin raised his hand.
Mana flowed.
Slightly.
Just a tiny bit.
"F-F-Fire Ball…"
Nothing.
He coughed.
Sweat rolled down his forehead like rain on a window.
"F-Fi—Fire…Ball…"
Still nothing.
Then—
BOOM!
His mana surged in the wrong direction.
It backfired.
His eyes went wide.
His chest hurt.
His head spun.
"Ah…?"
He fell backward.
Flat.
Eyes rolled up.
He died.
---
Gasps echoed through the arena.
A healer ran to him.
"His heart stopped! He's not breathing!"
Students screamed.
Cameras clicked.
The exam proctor stood in shock.
No one expected a student to literally die from nervousness.
---
But what no one knew was...
This was just the beginning.
In another world.
A battlefield burned under a red sky.
Ruins stretched for miles. The land was cracked, lifeless, and soaked in blood. Smoke rose from broken towers. Giant skeletons littered the ground—dragons, giants, demons.
At the center stood a silver-haired man.
Eyes glowing crimson.
His black armor was cracked and soaked in his own blood, but his expression stayed calm, cold, even bored.
His name was feared in every realm.
His title caused kings to tremble.
"Demon King Jin Haru."
He stood alone.
Surrounded by ten enemies.
Each one was a legend.
---
The Ten Heroes.
Chosen by the gods.
Blessed by divine weapons.
Each one powerful enough to destroy armies.
They circled the Demon King like wolves around a dying lion.
The Sword Saint pointed his holy blade. "It's over, Demon King Jin Haru!"
The Flame Emperor roared, fire surrounding his fists. "You burned half the continent! You think you'll get away with that!?"
The Holy Maiden floated above, wings of light spreading behind her. "We won't let you return again. This time… you die for good!"
The Demon King smiled.
A slow, tired smile.
"…Loud, as always."
He took a step forward.
His boot crushed bones beneath it.
"Ten of you. One of me. Does that really seem fair?"
The Storm Spear Hero spat. "You slaughtered millions. You deserve no fairness."
The Demon King rolled his neck. A few bones cracked.
"Still talking?"
He raised his hand.
The world shook.
Darkness spread from his body.
The sky cracked.
Winds howled.
The heroes flinched.
Even now—after bleeding, after fighting all day, after being pierced by dozens of divine weapons—he was still strong.
"Let's dance," he said.
---
The sky turned black.
Flames and lightning filled the battlefield.
Swords clashed. Spells exploded. Mountains crumbled.
The Ten Heroes attacked together—coordinated, furious, relentless.
But the Demon King fought like a demon possessed.
He crushed the Storm Spear Hero.
Tore through the Iron Monk.
Sliced off the Flame Emperor's arm.
He laughed even as his body was torn apart.
"You call yourselves heroes…? You're just scared of my power!"
He summoned a black hole with a snap.
The battlefield bent.
Even the gods watching from above leaned back in fear.
---
But finally, the Sword Saint struck.
With all the power of ten blessings, he pierced the Demon King's chest.
"Now, everyone!"
The Holy Maiden raised her staff.
The Ten Heroes unleashed their final attack—a divine seal made of light and time.
The Demon King coughed blood.
But he smiled.
"Too late."
---
> [Skill Activated: Eternal Reincarnation]
[Soul Transfer Initiated]
He grinned through bloody teeth.
"Try again in the next life."
BOOM.
His body exploded in light.
The battlefield was gone.
The heroes shielded their eyes.
---
And far away…
In another world…
On a magic exam platform…
A weak boy named Jin Haru had just died.
---
> [Reincarnation Target Found: Jin Haru (Human – Dead – Age 16)]
[Merging Memories… Done.]
[Power Level: Sealed]
[To unlock powers: Reach Level 10.]
---
The Demon King opened his eyes… in a teenager's body.
"Guh—!"
Jin Haru jolted upright.
Air rushed into his lungs like a slap to the face.
His heart pounded.
His fingers twitched.
He blinked hard and looked around.
Crowd.
Arena.
Magical glow.
Oh no.
This wasn't the battlefield.
This wasn't hell.
This was… school?
"Where—?"
Memories rushed in.
Two lives at once.
One, the mighty Demon King Jin Haru, destroyer of realms.
The other, a weak, nervous human boy named Jin Haru, who just died in front of an audience.
And now... they were one.
"What. The. Hell."
He looked down at his new hands. Thin. Pale. Weak.
He clenched his fists and felt absolutely nothing impressive.
The crowd stared at him.
The exam proctor blinked in disbelief.
"D-Did he just come back to life?"
"Did he fake it?!"
"Zombie!?"
Someone threw a chicken sandwich.
He caught it without thinking. His stomach growled.
Apparently, death made him hungry.
But more importantly...
Where was his magic?
He reached inside himself.
"Come, Shadow Void Spear."
Nothing.
"Demonic Flame Wave."
Not even a spark.
"Teleport."
He stomped his foot.
Still here.
He checked his stats.
> [Name: Jin Haru]
[Race: Human]
[Level: 1]
[Power: Sealed]
[Strength: 3]
[Magic: 1]
[Stamina: 4]
[Title: Weakest Mage Applicant]
"…This is a joke."
---
The proctor cleared his throat. "Uh… you okay?"
Jin Haru stared at the old man.
He was used to teachers bowing before him, not looking confused like they forgot his name.
He stood up tall, chest out, regal expression on his face.
"I am the great Demon Ki—"
Wait.
No.
Wrong world.
"Uh… I mean... I feel much better now. Can I try the exam again?"
The old man frowned. "Try again? You just died."
Jin smiled. "Just a little nap. I'm good now."
---
Back in line, the other students whispered.
"He's the guy who passed out."
"Did he say something about demons?"
"Looks like he has brain damage…"
Jin Haru clenched his fists.
"Level ten," he whispered.
"If I reach level ten… I'll crush this school."
He paused.
Then sighed.
"…Right after I pass the stupid exam."
Jin Haru stepped up to the exam platform again.
His eyes glowed with pride.
His back was straight.
His aura? Completely non-existent.
The proctor raised an eyebrow. "You sure you're okay?"
"Of course," Jin said, voice calm and noble. "I was simply… testing the limits of life and death."
"...Right."
---
This was a basic magic exam.
All applicants had to cast a spell to show their potential.
Simple stuff.
Some cast fireballs.
Others summoned wind blades.
One girl even created a floating flower garden.
Then came Jin.
He stepped onto the glowing circle.
He raised his hand, confident.
He whispered the chant from the boy's memories.
"Uh... Fire Ball."
Nothing.
"Fire Ball…?"
Not even smoke.
"Fire Ball."
A tiny puff of smoke came out.
From his finger.
And immediately went up his nose.
"ACK—COUGH—"
He sneezed, slipped, and fell face-first onto the glowing platform.
---
Silence.
Then someone in the crowd laughed.
Then more.
Then the entire arena.
"PFFT—he fell!"
"He almost died from a Fireball spell!"
"Is he possessed?!"
Jin Haru slowly sat up, smoke rising from his nose like a used chimney.
He rubbed his forehead, red with shame.
"…I destroyed kingdoms…"
Another sneeze.
"…I burned entire armies…"
More laughter.
"…Now I'm the punchline of a children's cartoon."
---
The proctor cleared his throat. "Well, Jin Haru… technically, you did cast a spell, so you pass."
"Really?" Jin blinked.
"Yes, but only the bottom class. E-rank."
The class for magic failures, troublemakers, and magical potatoes.
"Enjoy your stay," the man added.
---
As Jin walked off the platform, he gritted his teeth.
"I'll show them."
One day.
He'd unlock his power.
And when that day came...
"Everyone here will kneel."
He sneezed again.
"After I buy some allergy medicine."