Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke - Chapter 17 - The Shark’s Bait

“I don't want to die anymore, so I'll aim to be the strongest――!”After being stabbed by a random attacker, he was reincarnated in Japan, a place where 'demons' like yokai and monsters exist――and moreover, he was born into a family of 'exorcists' who exorcise these monsters!Exorcism is an important job that involves killing monsters, but it is also a dangerous job where people can die.Therefore, he――Itsuki, made a decision.In order to never die again, he would become strong.He aimed to be the strongest and practiced magic tirelessly since he was a baby――until he realized.“Huh? Isn't this too much?”This is the story of an exorcist who, despite being an ordinary person, became the strongest without realizing it due to excessive effort.

Coming out of the Ideal Human Project, Mizuhara Ayato was referred to as the 'perfect human'. However, life was not so simple for this unfortunate boy. Stuck between other genius students and a meritocratic high school, Mizuhara would find himself unable to live a calm life.

Who really is Mizuhara Ayato?

Apathetic, listless and uncaring, will anyone ever make Mizuhara feel something? Even in the harsh conditions of the Tachibana System, he shows no signs of struggle.

Is he the ultimate proof that nurture is stronger than nature?

***

Sara Fujiharu, the cutest girl in the school, is also known as the 'Seatmate Bully'. Every few weeks, the class seating changes and every time, Fujiharu-san gets a new target. What's her goal? To make the boy sitting next to her fall in love, and once she does, she destroys their heart, crushing their love.

Why does she do this? I still don't know.

It's March 23rd, the day of the seating change. So far, ten boys have fallen for her traps, her playful attitude, and her innocent face. Not a single boy so far has managed to brush off her attacks-and every single time; their weak hearts have been crushed.

Now it's my turn.

However, my heart is not so easily played with.

their example, leading to continuous warfare! However, the aboriginal people of this otherworld who have been blinded by the aesthetics of violence! Rightnow! And in the future! Let me teach you what kind of mecha represents the romance of a man! Let me show you what kind of propulsion is the iron torrent! Let me instruct you what kind of weapon is the deterrence for peace (implied by “nuclear” here)! Let me! Teach you! What exactly is the air-to-ground cluster offensive and the all-round air, sea, and land strike!! Gentlemen! I, indeed, love war! But what I love even more is to stop war with war and bring about a prosperous future where the whole world is unified for thousands of generations! Unite all nations and subdue all races! When the whole world is united as one, it will last forever...

Betrayed by the kingdom he bled for. Executed by the brother he once protected. Daemon died a war hero—branded a monster.But death isn’t the end. Not for him.Reborn on the day of his cursed birth, under the same blood-drenched eclipse, Daemon remembers everything: the lies, the poison, the crown soaked in his mother’s blood. This time, he won’t beg. He won’t protect.He’ll burn the empire from the inside out.His twin brother Gabriel—the golden child, the “righteous” king—stole everything. So Daemon will take it all back, piece by piece.The nobles who cheered at his execution? Dead.The soldiers who held him down? Ash.The kingdom that worshipped a fraud? Buried under screams.This isn’t about justice. This is about revenge, and Daemon’s not stopping until his brother’s skin hangs from the palace gates.The empire made a monster.Now it gets to meet him.