The SSS Ranked Demon King Goes to the Hero Academy-Chapter 48: The opening of the Cracks. (1)

"I missed you so much, Mr. Marshmallow!" Ariel said as she cuddled a little creature in her arms.

It was a ball of fluff, light pink in color with a strawberry scent. The creature had two bat wings, a round head, and two antennae on its head.

"I missed you too, Ariel! I’m so glad you managed to pass the trial! I watched your entire trial and you were fantastic," the creature affirmed.

That was a cherub, a magical pet that guided heroes in the world Ariel had been transported to.

Hearing those words, Ariel nodded with pride.

"Yes! I was fantastic, wasn’t I?" she affirmed proudly.

Though deep down she didn’t feel so satisfied. She had been defeated after all.

Plus it wasn’t a pleasant death.

Ariel feared that would be the end, that she would forget all the adventures she had lived and have to return to... That horrible world.

The girl’s chest sank just thinking about it.

However, she was lucky. She made a display of power effective enough for the judges to decide she passed the trial.

Ariel felt great relief upon learning she had passed.

But that fear was still there, etched in her memories, an unpleasant sensation where she failed.

It was true. It wasn’t the first time Ariel had failed. After all, she hadn’t even managed to defeat the demon king of her world.

Apart from other things.

But the sensation remained just as annoying, as was the frustration she felt.

"Yes, Ariel! Your show was a delight for the eyes and ears," Marshmallow affirmed with a sweet and childlike voice.

Ariel hugged the creature tighter, feeling slightly comforted.

The redhead kept walking up the stairs. She was heading to the ship’s deck when she then heard a familiar voice.

"It can’t be," the girl said with surprise as she went up to the hallway.

It was when she turned that she saw her.

The really cool girl she had met in the trial.

As soon as she saw her, Ariel got excited and ran toward her.

"Silver Dragon of the West! It’s me! Do you remember me?" the girl exclaimed as she ran toward the girl.

It was a silly question. Obviously she would remember her. After all, they had just seen each other.

Still, Ariel asked, just to make sure and not make a fool of herself.

Noelia turned to see who was talking to her, but it was Gerald who spoke first.

"It can’t be! Are you Nixa Amenoi?" the boy asked as he practically lunged at the girl.

Ariel noticed it in that instant as her mind sounded the alarm of "fat, ugly, and disturbed man approaching."

Acting on reflex, the girl made an elegant spin while throwing a kick at Gerald’s face, pushing him back.

"Don’t come near me, bastard!" she shouted in shock as she stepped back a few paces to better see who was attacking her. "Ewww, was this guy harassing you, Silver Dragon of the West?"

Ariel asked, looking at Gerald with disgust, who had fallen to the ground.

Noelia shook her head hastily.

"No, no! We were just talking," the girl hurried to say with concern. "D-did you know each other?"

She asked with confusion, seeing that disturbing scene.

"No, there’s no way I know this pervert," the girl answered with clear contempt in her voice.

Gerald got up with difficulty as he readjusted his glasses, which now had a damaged lens.

The boy couldn’t help feeling annoyed by the girl’s words. However, he was so used to insults that he said nothing.

Deep down he knew any girl would be alarmed if a guy like him approached her like that.

"Of course I know her. She’s Nixa Amenoi, one of my favorite singers! I’m a big fan," Gerald said more calmly, trying to clean up his image.

However, that didn’t seem to calm the girl down. Instead of being happy to meet a fan, her gaze became sharper.

"Fan? Pfft, you’re just a pervert, like all men. I bet you don’t even know the lyrics to my songs," the girl responded with a flat tone.

Gerald grimaced. It was true that Nixa Amenoi’s songs were extremely syrupy and cheesy, but the music was good.

Gerald knew how to appreciate art.

However, he couldn’t consent to someone making such an accusation. Affirming he listened to her music only out of perversion was something serious.

Especially affirming that all men who listened to her did so for that reason was doubly serious.

"Are you really saying that? All men are the same? Tch, I hate girls like you. You go around in miniskirts or showing too much, posting provocative photos, but then if you give them a compliment you’re a harasser," Gerald answered annoyed.

That enraged Ariel more, who glared at the boy.

"You don’t know what you’re saying, bastard," the girl affirmed with rage as she gritted her teeth.

Gerald gave her a sarcastic smile.

"Oh, I know perfectly well what I’m saying. You know what game you’re playing when you expose yourselves like that. And in that context, you shouldn’t talk. I know you’ve done several photo shoots to promote yourself: swimsuits, tight bikinis, provocative poses. If you didn’t promote yourself like a whore, so many perverts wouldn’t appear, but that doesn’t mean we all are."

The man responded with a dry tone.

Those words had hit Ariel hard, who was now clenching her fists tightly as she trembled with rage.

"Are you okay, Ariel?" the creature asked as it flew to her side.

She didn’t respond.

How could she be okay?

That man had said very hurtful words to her, and for someone with her personality it was difficult to stay calm.

"Ha, it’s obvious she’s not okay. After all, the truth hurts," Gerald responded with a mocking tone.

Ariel glared at him again.

Did he think she liked posing like that?

Did he think she had a choice?

Ariel was about to explode at that moment, about to lash out at Gerald with all her power.

However, fate didn’t want that to happen. At that instant, space itself shattered.

Everyone felt the danger, turning toward the breach that had just opened, which expelled an ominous presence.

As soon as the limb of a creature began protruding from the crack, the three heroes knew they were in imminent danger.