The courtyard of the Royal Academy had never seen such chaos.
Liam Everhart, the actual Chosen Hero of Light (and accidental Demon King), sat on the ground, staring at the silver-haired girl in the summoning circle. She blinked back at him with wide, innocent eyes.
"Um… hi? Are you… me?" she asked nervously.
Liam groaned. "No. I'm supposed to be the Hero. That's me. That chicken on my shoulder is my… uh… sidekick? Weapon? Demonic pet? Long story."
Clucksalot puffed his chest out like a general correcting a recruit, letting out a threatening bok-krrrraah! at the girl.
She recoiled. "Your… chicken… is alive?"
"Yes, and it's dangerous. Don't touch it."
The instructor, a tall man with a beard longer than a small forest, waved his hands desperately. "Quiet, all of you! This is the Royal Academy! The summoning has… gone… differently than planned."
Liam groaned again. "You're telling me the summoning went wrong? That's not different, that's catastrophic."
The silver-haired girl, apparently named Aria Moonfall according to the summoning panel above her head, tilted her head. "I… didn't do anything?"
"Exactly," Liam said, slamming his hands on the ground. "You're the Hero now. I'm… apparently just a spectator with a demonic chicken. Great. My life is ruined."
Lyria hovered above him, her wings flaring like a malfunctioning spotlight. "NO! This is not acceptable! The prophecy clearly stated—Liam Everhart is the Hero!"
Liam rubbed his temples. "Yes, yes, I know. But apparently prophecy works on… plot armor? Or destiny mechanics? Or something."
Clucksalot jumped from his shoulder and pecked at Lyria. She screamed. "DON'T TOUCH ME, CHICKEN!"
---
Orientation Disaster
After the chaotic summoning, Liam, Aria, and Clucksalot were escorted to the Academy's Orientation Hall. The hall was enormous: spires of glowing crystal, floating staircases, hovering books, and students practicing magic mid-air like it was a casual Sunday walk.
"Alright," said the Headmaster, a small man perched on a giant flying owl, "new Heroes! Welcome!"
He peered down at Liam and Aria suspiciously. "You… you are not the same person."
Aria waved awkwardly. "I'm Aria Moonfall. I'm… apparently the Chosen Hero now."
Liam muttered under his breath, "Apparently."
The Headmaster frowned. "And who is… that?" He pointed at Liam.
"I'm… Liam," Liam said, waving weakly. "I'm supposed to be the Hero, but apparently my chicken is more qualified than me."
Clucksalot squawked loudly.
The Headmaster's eyes widened. "A demonic… chicken?!"
"Very demonic," Liam confirmed. "And dangerous. Also, very picky about corn."
A nearby student whispered to his friend: "Is it normal for the Hero to be accompanied by a chicken that could probably destroy a town?"
"No," the friend whispered back. "But normal in this Academy is… weird."
---
Class Schedule or Chaos?
Orientation ended with a magical announcement:
> All Heroes-in-Training must attend classes, learn magic, combat, and… etiquette.
"Combat?" Liam asked nervously. "I… literally fought a demon yesterday. Do I get credit?"
"Credit?" Lyria floated beside him. "For destroying a general with a chicken? Absolutely not. That's considered excessively dangerous improvisation."
Liam groaned. "This is so unfair."
"You do know* you're technically half-demon now?" Lyria added casually. "Which means your mana signature is… chaotic. Very dangerous. Probably unstable. Don't blow anything up."
"I didn't sign up for this," Liam muttered, already plotting ways to skip classes.
Aria, meanwhile, was practicing her summoning magic in the courtyard. She raised her staff, called forth glowing symbols, and summoned a small fire elemental that danced on her hand.
"Wow…" Liam muttered. "At least someone here is competent."
Clucksalot hissed. "Competition."
---
Lunch Break: The Chicken Diplomacy Incident
Lunch was served in a massive hall with tables that stretched for miles. Magical food floated in midair, students sat on levitating chairs, and a bard played a lute in the corner.
Liam tried to find a quiet spot. Clucksalot, naturally, had other plans.
A student with purple hair and pointy ears sat near him, looking nervous. "Uh… is that a chicken?"
"Yes," Liam said. "And it's dangerous. Keep your hands away."
The student laughed nervously. "It's just a chicken."
Clucksalot glared. BOK-KRRRAAAH! The purple-haired student screamed as the chicken jumped and poked him so hard his hair went white in shock.
"You… warned me!" he yelled, shaking feathers off his robe.
"You did not heed warnings," Liam said. "This is basic cause-and-effect, magical edition."
Meanwhile, Aria waved at him from across the hall. "Are you… okay?"
"I'm alive," Liam said. "Barely. My chicken is not okay with your existence."
---
Training Ground Shenanigans
After lunch, the students were sent to the training grounds: a massive arena with floating platforms, swinging pendulums, and monsters for practice battles.
"Alright, Heroes," shouted the instructor. "Demonstrate your abilities!"
Aria summoned her elemental fire spirit gracefully. The crowd clapped politely.
Liam sighed. "Time to show them… nothing."
Clucksalot hissed. "Show them chaos."
Liam reluctantly waved his hands. A burst of black and golden energy shot out of him. He tried to control it, but… well, chaos happened.
The energy vaporized a training dummy, sent a pile of dirt flying into a student's face, and somehow teleported the Academy cat three hundred meters into a tree.
Lyria screamed. "I told you! UNSTABLE!"
Aria looked horrified. "Are you… okay?"
"I'm fine," Liam said, ducking a falling tree branch. "This is just… hero stuff."
Clucksalot flapped around, squawking proudly.
The students began whispering. "That guy is… terrifying."
"He's hilarious!"
"I want his chicken!"
The Headmaster, still perched on the owl, sighed. "We might need… special accommodations for him."
---
The First Real Test
By afternoon, the students were divided into teams for a "Capture the Flag" exercise. Liam and Aria were paired together—reluctantly.
"Please don't blow me up," Aria whispered.
"Only if you threaten my chicken," Liam replied.
The match began.
Immediately, Liam tripped over his own feet, crashed into a magic fountain, and accidentally summoned a small horde of shadow minions.
Aria screamed. "STOP! Control them!"
Liam tried. Clucksalot tried. Chaos ensued. The minions scattered, the fountain exploded, and half the Academy's training dummies were decimated.
Surprisingly, the opposing team panicked and ran. Liam had accidentally won the round.
Aria blinked. "You… won?"
"Yes," Liam said, brushing dirt off his clothes. "Chaos wins again."
Clucksalot strutted proudly.
---
Evening: Reflection (and Regret)
As the sun set over the Academy, Liam sat on a rooftop overlooking the courtyard. Clucksalot perched beside him.
Lyria floated next to him, looking exhausted. "You are… unbelievable."
"I'm exhausted too," Liam muttered. "I didn't sign up to be a Hero, a Demon King, or a walking disaster. I just wanted… a normal life."
"Normal?" Lyria scoffed. "You have a chicken that destroys things. You're half-demon. You are the opposite of normal."
"Exactly," Liam said. "So why is everyone treating me like a hero?"
"You're… going to have to get used to it," Lyria said.
"I have no choice, do I?" Liam muttered.
Clucksalot clucked in agreement.
From the rooftop, Liam watched the Academy glow in the evening light. He sighed. This was going to be a long, absurd journey.
And somehow, he had a feeling that the chicken was going to be the smartest one on the team.