The following content will contain spoilers from Misfit of Demon King Academy, Season II, episode 3, currently streaming on Crunchyroll.While the issue of Avos Dilhevia no longer seems to be a problem, the False King still has many followers, whereas others simply want to see Anos Voldigoad taken down a notch, with the Heavenly Father God NousGalia leading the assault. To make matters worse, The Four Evil Royals have joined in the witch hunt, prioritizing the identification of The Child of God, who is the key to the Demon King of Tyranny's destruction.
Each of the corrupt Kings previously sent a minion to do their bidding, prompting subgroups of Anos Voldigoad's team into battle, who soon dominated their opponents. However, Anos and his admirers find themselves no closer to singling out the Child of God; in fact, it seems like everyone is a potential candidate with some kind of Divine connection, leaving more questions hanging in the air.
Off to Aharthern
It's expedition exam time for the demons, and so Erdomaid DittiJohn has a quest for his students to embark upon. The group has ten days to locate the Great Spirit Forest, with only vague rumors to guide their way and a hint to watch out for fog, which may contain some helpful Tithi Spirits. Not long into their search, Anos stumbles across a mysterious girl being beaten by some thugs, who are laughed off stage, quite literally, before the stranger makes her case. Dazed, confused, and amnesiac, the masked maiden knows two things for sure: she must get to Aharthern, and the Tithi Spirits come out to play during an eclipse.
Refusing to wait nine whole days for a natural occurrence, Anos takes matters into his own hands with Ih Guneas, creating the perfect conditions for the comedy-seeking cuties. Even though the Tithi are most likely to respond to "cutting edge" paraphernalia, Misha believes a joke is in order; too bad this group doesn't have a comedic bone to share between them! After several failed attempts, the mischievous Spirits eventually show their faces when the Anos Fan Union arrive, each with a "Club of Anossu" in tow, which the Tithi found hilarious!
The supernatural critters immediately recognize the Demon King of Tyranny and declare that "Lena" also looks familiar; however, her doppelganger has apparently already passed away at some undetermined point in the last two thousand years. Interestingly enough, they identify Misa as a child of the Great Spirit Leno (she has that distinctive scent) but clam up the moment her mysterious father gets mentioned, as the Spirit King demands that remains a secret. Furthermore, the Tithi appears to have no recollection of Shin Reglia, who would not have willingly left Leno's side, but they do know where the Demon King's first batch of subordinates tend to hang out and are willing to lead the way.
The Spirit School and its King
It comes as a surprise to most that a Spirit School is hidden within the depths of the Forest, although it is quite evident that "Lena" is quite comfortable in the familiar surroundings, and is even beginning to regain some memories. The minute the school bell rings, she calls out the arboreal teacher's name before he even appears, and is allegedly no stranger to the Hidden Wolf Gennul, either. Anos and his squad are joined by the Four Elite Royals, who are making another move at dethroning the Demon King of Tyranny (while Erdomaid DittiJohn remains conveniently out of sight.)
The Scarlet Monument King, Gilisiris Dello, accompanied by the King of Curses, Kyhilam Jiste, and the King of Netherworld, Eges Code, fill up the remaining seats and it seems like they are in for the long haul, as nobody is permitted to leave the facility (or meet the Spirit King) until they graduate with top-notch marks. As usual, Anos is highly confident in his study methods, and ups the ante by requesting one intense, condensed examination (as opposed to three smaller ones) and proceeds to make a bet with Gilisiris Dello regarding their results. If all of Anos' subordinates pass with flying colors, The Scarlet Monument King must reveal his master's identity; however, if they fail, Anos' Source is up for grabs!
Put to the Test
To prepare for the big day (which is only a week away), the group heads off to the breathtaking Forest of Books to read up on everything they can about Spirits, which takes Anos about five seconds (while poor Misha only got halfway through the library's contents in that time.) The others, however, will have to put in a great deal of effort and do things labouriously, but at least the Demon King of Tyranny is willing to help out wherever he can. After their intense study sessions, test day arrives, and, from what Anos can tell, the troop should have no issues answering the simple questions; however, he is utterly shocked to see them all completely perplexed.
Smelling a rat, Anos questions Gilisiris' trustworthiness after concluding that the test papers had been tampered with; however, he has no proof to work with. Sensing that his subordinates are doomed, Anos decides that it is time to pull out the big guns and brings Venuzdonoa, the Abolisher of Reason, into the game to do some meddling of his own. Now that the very fabric of logic has been disrupted, all of Anos' team receive a 100% pass rate (while the Royals technically fail.) Impossible, considering the circumstances.
The outraged King Gilisiris goes through the students' marked exams himself, while the Great Education Tree Eniyunien makes lame excuses for each "correct" award. However, when one answer (assumedly Zeshia's) simply reads "I don't know," Venuzdonoa's influence is revealed. Anos proceeds to prove that the question papers were indeed altered and also gets confirmation regarding the Spirit King's authority over Gilisiris. And now, it's off to meet the mysterious master in the flesh, whoever he may be.
Not Everyone's a Winner
According to Misfit Lore, rumors are incredibly powerful (as Sheila Glanzudlii has proven in the past), so the fact that someone has gone so far as to remove Leno from the local literature is indicative that they want this Great Spirit dead. The fact that Shin Reglia has also gone missing is not a comforting thought, as this elite swordmaster has a pristine record and would not have been easily overpowered. Furthermore, the fact that Rivide didn't work on Leno's memory restoration is a testament to how long ago her mind was fiddled with, as this potent spell can reverse time with a limit of one hundred years. Does this all have something to do with Avos Dilhevia's mind games to claim the title of Demon King of Tyranny, or has that whole story been laid to rest since Lay Glanzudlii's "retirement" from that position? Maybe hiding the Child of God from the good guys is the end game here; only time will tell.
Season II of Misfit of Demon King Academy has spoilt viewers with jaw-dropping imagery and although episode 3 has some truly wonderful artwork to boast about, the integration of CGI is lackluster and poorly executed, leaving a rather bitter taste in one's mouth. Eniyunien's animation is almost unbearable, especially in stark contrast to the Tithi and Forest of Books, while "Lena's" celestial-styled disguise is somewhat disjointed and distracts the eye from the surrounding beauty. Thankfully, no corners were cut while creating the Four Evil Royals, who each have unique and memorable character designs that are simply oozing with authority.