WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 5 of The Misfit of Demon King Academy, "The Transfer Student," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Anos Voldigoad is feeling a bit lonely in this new era, but he has made good friends with the Necron sisters. And now, another fellow is about to join his team: Ray Gransdori.
Ray is a transfer student, and his swordplay and appearance are downright nostalgic to Anos, and for good reason. Anos has every reason to believe that he is not the only one who died 2,000 years ago and came back in a new form, and if he's right, then Ray should prove a vital ally for the future.
In the past, Anos Voldigoad stood at the top of the demon world, but he wasn't quite alone. He had a good friend in Shin, who was possibly the greatest swordsman in the world at the time. He demonstrated his incredible power against a water monster, but despite this success, he was feeling rather down. Shin knew that he had limited time to stand by Anos' side, and he urgently wanted to know if he could be resurrected in the future to continue to be with his king.
Fast forward two millennia and Emilia the teacher announces that a transfer student is on his way to the Demon King Academy. Anos soon meets this new student: a white-haired boy with the red and black uniform of a full-blooded demon. But unlike most other students here, the new student, Ray Gransdori, is quite warm to Anos and wants to join his team.
It doesn't take long for Ray to prove his worth. During a practical test, the students are attempting to wield powerful swords, and only the worthy can even pull them out of the ground. Misha is among the students who can't draw them, but Ray picks up a sword with ease and teaches a lesson to two thuggish students who confront him. Anos is quite pleased but the best is yet to come. Now it's time for a battle test, and Ray wouldn't miss it for the world.
For this team battle, Anos leads Misha and Sasha into the fray while Ray becomes the other team's leader. While Sasha and Misha keep the enemy team busy with their powerful, castle-conjuring magic, Ray and Anos go head to head. For a handicap, Anos picks up a humble tree branch, which is about four feet long, and uses it as a weapon against Ray's saber. They duel, and it's on a level that no other student at the Demon King Academy could comprehend. Anos finds this refreshing: at last, he faces an enemy who can stand against him for more than a few seconds. Ray probably doesn't have what it takes to defeat Anos, but he's more of a match for him than the other students here, and Anos definitely doesn't want to end the battle too soon.
After a point, Anos is satisfied, and he allows Ray to slice off a piece of his branch-sword before disarming Ray and forcing him to surrender. Ray comments that something about Anos feels familiar, even though they just met, and this hints at the possibility of Ray being a reincarnated Shin. He swears that he will defeat Anos in their next duel, but says so in good sport, and Anos looks forward to it, too. For now, it's unclear whether Ray will join Anos' team or whether he really is Shin (and will regain his memories). But it's a start.