Prologue.
"-Will you open the gate?"
Huh? ...
"-Will you open the gate?"
Aah… It's this dream again. I, Satou Kazuma, was having this weird dream where I am in the front of this gigantic door in the middle of… nowhere, it's just me, the door and this weird voice in the middle of nothing.
"-Of course I will open it… if you actually let me DO IT!"
It has been three days dreaming this, in my all my experience reading manga, watching anime and playing videogames… this is a situation where the chosen one is being selected to wield an awesome power to accomplish a noble mission to accomplish a unique destiny. Only if this damn gate can be opened!
But the gate is pretty by the way, it has those natural motives that looks pretty aesthetic, looking very Arabian-like, the leads to the high part of the structure where the sun is, there's a symbol… and eight-pointed star, I swear that I saw that symbol before.
It feels kind of… magic. Probably that makes me not so angry with this.
"- Will you open the gate?"
Of course I willing open it, that's redundant at this point.
"-Will you want to open the gate?"
That´s a given considering that I've been dreaming with this after losing a good dreaming session with the Succubus service and I… CAN'T… DREAM… ANOTHER… THING!
… Hey, that's new.
"-Will you need to open the gate?"
Of course I… I… I…hum, do I really need to? Is not that I am forced to do it anyways, not being to dream other thing sure is annoying, but I am not risking my life to open this big gate.
Crap, this voice got me with this one
"-Ufufu…"
"- Hey, what is so funny?"
"- That the time of you, Satou Kazuma, opening the gate is really soon. You will grow from that moment, and until that time… I bid you my farewell."
"-HEY, what is the meaning of that? ... You stuck me on this weird dream-state with all your crap of "Open the gate; Open the gate" and then you leave me with half-assed sentences, I DEMAND a true answ… oh no, OH NO, not the vacuum again…"
*FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU*
In half of my rant, a powerful wind blows, flying me off the door to the hell knows where.
"- Don't you ever think that I finished with you, typical mysterious voice! I'll be back for answers… true answers, for if I really am a chosen oneeeeeeeeeeeee…!
GAH! … Haa... Haa... Haa…
"And of course, I'll awake after all of that…how typical."
CHAPTER 1: Gifting this protagonist with a Gate.
I was sweaty from this experience… for the third day in a row, even after I put more Manatites to cooling off my room using my ingenious system… and the cooling artifact that I bought from Wiz shop. Anyways, looks like its early, really early for my taste, this isn't good for a night animal like myself.
Oh well, better find what to do before the sleep and the bead calls me back to its wonderful grasp. Deciding to refresh me a little, I left my room, going to the kitchen for some water and stretching my legs before a good bath.
Aaah… this is refreshing after a night of weirds dreams, but it would be nice being some sort of Chosen One, and not a fill for a fee of some idiot goddess I know and brought with me to this world out of my spite.
*Yawn*
In the mid of my internal monologue, someone was yawning behind me, turning back I saw who was… a tall and attractive blonde woman, the Crusader of my party: Darkness, a woman of strong will and noble disposition… if you're willing to pass her twisted personality of a perverted masochist, and literal uselessness for anything except being a meat shield and brew a good tea.
"-Morning, Darkness"
"-Oh… Good Morning Kazuma, did not expect to see you awake this soon"- Answered me the woman, who´s wearing her normal sleep dressing, which is rare considering her other "clothes" that "accentuate" her figure, which is her strongest point above everything else and the possible reason that she is a woman in heat all-year around.
"-Well, there is always a first time for everything Darkness, maybe is the time to finally mature and being a proper adult men"
"-Only if you could learn a proper job, stop lazing around with just eating food to get experience points, and learn some skills that actually could be worth in combat…"
While she´s saying this, she looks for the teapot to make some of tea.
"-Hey, my skill are actually useful…"
"-Hah, really Kazuma? Really? At this time of the day? ..."
"I´ll agree with you… It's a pretty morning to waste in senseless discussions. Excuse me, but I´ll go to the bathroom to wash this sweat I had since last night… Hey! Don't look at me like that! It's not what you're thinking!"
After I said that Darkness watched me with a face of "Ugh, too much information"
"-Anyways, see you later. Oh… before I go, could I ask: Do you know some Gate-related old story or legend? One with relation with an eight-shaped star as symbol?"
"-Ah? No. I never listened something like that. Why do you ask that? Never mind Kazuma, you should go and talk to Megumin, she's feeling weird since a couple of days ago."
"- Weird in what sense?"
I still remember she's still mourning about Wolbach, could be that matter is still affecting her.
"- I don´t know, Megumin is saying that the magic is feeling weird, that the enchanting of the spells doesn't go as supposed and is not only her, all the magic users in Axel are feeling this way."
Hey, I think you're asking too much, this isn't something I could resolve if it is this big of an issue.
"- Ok, I'll see what I can do, but don't expect too much, since this is a big thing and I'm not much of a mage, and my memo can afford your request."
Why do I even said that!
"-Wow, how considerate of you, Kazuma-san"
Darkness said me dryly with sarcasm? Hey, that's new from her, maybe my influence is not that bad after all. After that, I headed quickly to the bathroom before something weird or stupid (or both), picking Chomusuke (my favorite bathing companion) in the way, after activate the heater and putting the advice of not entering, I'll proceed to pleasure myself in a relaxing morning bath.
"-Haaaa, this feels good… don't you think, Chomusuke?"
"-Nyaaaaaa…."
That cat felt so comfortable in the habitual punch-bowl I made for her, she looks so cute despite being a demonic cat that breathes fire… and is scared of a chicken, truly a complete contradiction, and talking about contradictions… someone is slamming the door with a boastful voice that I know too damn well.
"-Hey Kazuma!, I hear from Darkness that you got up early sweaty and in heat, wow, it's good to know that you are maturing to get early to do something productive, but you have to control yourself eh? Of course Darkness is really attractive, but what happened if your virgin impulses take the little reason you normally have? Luckily for you, I am here to talk here about those awkward things, because as an Arch-Priest it is also my job to guide poor miscarried man & woman for the good way, and being such a good goddess for you I am always available for you as a counselor. Hmph."
And here you have it, Aqua: the Arch-Priest of this party, and the goddess of water… more like parties, doubts and lazing around the store of a poor lich that will disappear someday thanks to the divine presence of this useless goddess, why everything that comes from her mouth always sound like an excuse to kick her? Must be a penalization for be so annoying, especially in the morning.
"-Certainly, I must be maturing because I find sooo arousing have dreams about gates that leave me in sweat for days, of course must be the reason that I can deal with your annoyance, and not the unwillingness to face it in such a nice morning."
"-Aww, Kazuma, Kazuma, Kazuma… there is no need to be so hasty, after all you're a new matured man… a man so kind enough that you'll let me the heater on for your favorite goddess, Can you? Can you?…"
Ugh, this idiot bitch… Can't you read the mood? I want to enjoy this rare moment of peace with this cute cat (whom I hope she'll become a cute cat girl), and you come to ruin the mood.
"-Alright, alright, since I am "mature" nice man, I'll let you the heather on, but… you must tell Megumin that I want to talk with her, think it of favor that I ask to such a "Good Goddess", that needs this bath badly and is not for wash some weird smell of alcohol (and vomit), and who obviously don't need to use perfume to hide it."
Like I will not notice that you were outside drinking booze until morning after that purification quest that you did recently… yeah, I know, I followed and watched you spending the money of the reward, and I did not care because this is the very reason that's why we don't let you that much allowance, you idiot Goddess.
"-Heeeey… and here I tough you were a mature man with unbridled urges that makes you sweaty, but you're more of a Hiki-Neet who talk a couple of nice words to mock the wonderful goddess that's me, you will suffer DIVINE RETRIBUTION, you know?"
"-Well, looks like no one will use the bath soon, what you say Chomusuke? We´ll go out and turn off the heather?"
The cat looked at me uninterested of this conversation. She then turned her head and just…
"-Nya…"
"-Thank you Chomusuke, very convincing from you."
"Ok! Ok! I'll go to find Megumin and tell your request, since you're…. nice, yes nice! You will let the heather on, right Kazuma-san? And is not because I spend my mana doing party tricks all night."
"-Yeah, Yeah, I´m the nice Kazuma-san, just go… I´ll keep it for you, and tell her to find me in the grave of the garden in two hours!"
Without giving a thanks for this, she left in a hurry, and I decided to end the bath-time… haaa, I was having such a good time, but Aqua was right in something: Since when I have a good talking? Is not that I had a bad time expressing me, but I feel my speech pattern slightly differente, heck… even while I'm thinking, I´m doing it with more language than normal.
"-Purrrrr,Purrrrrr…."
Meanwhile Chomusuke is being adorable purring while I dry her, sometimes you are the only one who understand me in this house of crazy, little cat
TWO-HOURS LATER IN A MORE OPEN SPACE
I was in the garden of the mansion, doing what I do every day: take care of the Grave of a poor little girl that died too soon, and thinking what Darkness said about the magic thing, after experimenting some troubles with activating the heather of the bath and probing with my basic spells, the "Tinder" was behaving in a weird manner, normally is just a constant and stable flame, but now just fluctuates it's intensity, if I´m having some trouble with this, I can imagine the worries of more proper mages.
"-Hey, Aqua told me you want to talk with me."
A voice from behind me took me out of my thoughts, as I turned my back my head I looked back at the origin of this voice… A young girl with short brown hair y brilliant red eyes watching me, in her habitual red dress and her arm crossed expecting to know why she's called here.
"-Morning Megumin, yeah, I want to talk with you because Darkness is worried about you, and told me about your concern of this problem with the magic. But in truth, I don't know how I could help"
"- Kazuma, no one knows so don't worry about it, this is weird you know? One day we could cast whatever we want and to the next day, our spells won't go the correct way and explode in our faces if we're not careful enough, even I have problems with my powerful explosions, and worry me so much that I cannot be able to purge this urge to make things go BOOM."
Even with all of this, you could never go out of character huh? But is refreshing seeing so worried about a serious things like this that cannot be resolved with a BOOM! That steals the spotlight. And then, this little Arch-mage part of my party, with the only specialty of make explosions, you could say she's an Explosion-junkie, scratch her cheek with one of her fingers and asked me…
"-Hey Kazuma… you want to accompany me to cast my daily explosion? It's been a time since we the last time we did it together without involving a fight against the Demon King forces, just for the fun, and I want to hear you to rate my explosions again."
Is this a trigger event in your route Megumin? Because this things are the one that I seek the most in this fantasy-world life, and after all, there is progress I want to make of course, after all… you make my heart race and I want to take it back making you feel the same with this new-found ability of smooth talk.
ANOTHER TWO HOURS (AND A ADVICE TO THE HUNTERS GUILD) LATER
"-Well, from someone like you, who's obsessed with explosions… that was very lacking, not even close to the hundred points mark, this is seriously bad Megumin, if we don´t find a solution to the magic problem you will be even more useless…"
"-Haaa? Now is the time to talk about my uselessness, don't you Satou Trashuma-san? Taking advantage while I am down, how typical of you… and I thought you have matured like Darkness said, but you're only sound good! Give back my expectations!"
"-Why do you even have expectations of me?! I was joking about maturing this morning!"
"-…such a waste…"
I heard that you know? Is not that I don´t want to mature, I also want to look cool while doing it, you know loli whining-magician… wait a second, there something flying close to Megumin, I am interested because it looks like made of light…
"-Hey Megumin… keep still"
"-Ha ha, very funny… oh, Kazuma-san."
"-Shhh!... There's something…"
"-Don't "shhh" me! It's sure that you will finally take advantage of me and doing some weird payback, you… crazy man!
I never has taken advantage you know! After all this time, you still believing that I lack the control and the decency to do something… that's why I count to the Succubus Service! Truly the best friend of the male adventurer of this town.
Got you! After trapping the thing that was on Megumin shoulder with my hands, I look at it and looks like a little bird-butterfly thing made of light, and it doesn't look that is scared or reacting at all, it is just here in my palm moving its little wings, looking kind of cute.
"-Hey Megumin, are you seeing this little thing… Do you know what it is? It's my first time seeing one this little things."
"-What are you talking Kazuma? I don't see anything… Are you kidding with me?" "-Of course not, can't you see the little thing in my hand?" "-I only watching your hand, you look like a dumb kid showing some bug before splattering it… why don't better carry me to the town, and please… stop with that thing of "smooth-talking" I… just don't like it, is weird and doesn't feel like the everyday Kazuma."After confessing some concern to me, I just carring Megumin back to the mansion with the thought of maybe that little "bird" and the gate of my dream are connected in some way.
The rest of the day was pretty normal, everyone doing their routine as for me, I was in my habitual sheltering in my room. Megumin didn't talk to me after that, nor she wanted to see me anyways, but for now, I have more things to think, especially about those little and maybe someone could help me with it… yes, tomorrow could be good to ask her about it.
THE NEXT DAY, AT A HOUR MORE BELIEVABLE TO AWAKE AND MAKE VISITS.
I walk through the town, after a night of not dreaming anything… at all, I come to a specific part of the town, more exactly, a store owned by a kind woman… who was human, is pretty strong and is a Lich… her name is Wiz, one of the generals of the Demon King who sells lots of items of high level... in a town beginners adventures, but this isn't the thing for I have come today, accompanying Aqua in her habitual visits to play and make a mess with the other worker of the store, and now that I'm here…
"-Hellooo Wiz, The Wonderful Me has come to shine your day, ready to play and drink tea with you! So bring the punch-bowl to end quickly that menial task, and enjoy the marvelous presence that's me!"
And right off the bat, Aqua enter like this is her house, then an adult lady with long brown hair, who normally has sad expression and sweet semblance, come to us whit a smile and a punch-bawl full of water.
"-Greetings Aqua-Sama, it's good to see you so lively today, and I coming ready and ah… Good Morning Kazuma-san, it's been a time since I saw you, how could I help you?"
Oh Wiz, you're so refreshing and comforting, why aren't you the goddess and not… this… idiot!
"-Actually yes, I met something peculiar yesterday when I was with Megumin for her daily Explosion, it was like a little bird-like thing made of light…"
"-You mean a Pixie?"
"-Nah, it's not a Pixie, Wiz-san, looks like more a pair of wings put togetheeerrr… hold a moment please."
As Aqua was playing with the water like a little kid, my attention was taken by the mysterious thing who was flying around the shop, as yesterday I carefully captured to show it to Wiz.
"Look Wiz-san, I captured one, it is like this."
"Ehmm… Kazuma-san, what do I have to see? You're just showing me your hand. It this some joke?"
Wiz asked me awkwardly, as I show her the little thing-being.
"-I´m not joking with you Wiz-san… I swear I´m holding it, can´t you see it? It happened to me yesterday with Megumin… aww… at this point, you'll believe I'm crazy."
"-Hey Kazuma, what are you holding? Show me! Show me!"
And of course… this little problem children was just playing with the water, ignoring my conversation with Wiz-san so I showed her the little light thind that was resting peacefully in my hand.
"-Awww… he's so cute, it´s like a little butterfly made of light, come on let me holding Kazuma, Please! Please!"
Wait… she can see it?! That's unexpected, well… no, It is supposed I guess, since she's a Goddess just that thing doesn't show normally, with some doubts I lend her the little being. She then proceed to cuddle it against her cheek
"-Look at you, so small and pretty just like my children Zell, I bet you'll be good friends with him… Hey! Don´t go! I don't want to harm you"
And then Aqua proceed to chase the little being, getting out of the punch-bowl and wetting all the place with her feet.
"-Aqua-sama! Please don´t wet the floor, I just cleaned before opening!"
And Wiz-san begun to chase Aqua who was making a mess, crying on how she makes an effort to make clean the store, meanwhile the other worker of the store make an appearance, the former General of the Demon King, and Demon in its own right, the so called Duke of Hell, Vanir.
"-Ohohoo! Greetings customers, or should I say the idiotic Goddess that comes every day to cause ruckus and annoyance to the great moi and the money-wasting shop owner, and… wow, what is moi, but no one that the guardian of this problematic goddess, boy whose mind is never straight in intentions and dreaming with weird gates,"
As always this demon is annoying to deal, with some scheme to gain personal gain… and I thinking again with elegant words, this thing is beginning to slip… wait a minute…
"-How did you…"
"-Oh boy who is always forgetful of details, if good for thou to remind that moi is the devil of foresight, nothing in the mind of man can be hidden from moiself, and before you could question: No, there is no knowledge from my part about gate-related stories or legends."
"-So there is no sense to ask anyways…"
"-I will pass such insolence boy that see more than everyone believes, because there is something that has gotten mine attention in the past days, this little beings that occasionally fly around are quite the intrigue, especially this ones"
As Vanir said that he took one flying thing in the act, surprisingly he can see them too, but the little one he took is… black? And they look rather aggressive by the flapping of the wings
"-Before you ask again boy, Moi do not know what are this thing who fly idly around, but Moi can be certain of something… they emanate emotions, and this black ones possess such negativity that Moi cannot ignore, although the aggression of it".
As Vanir releases the little black being, it flies quickly and erratic around and it's away through the window.
"-Very well boy who is attracted to those things, something is happening and I do not know what could be, even me with my prodigious foresight only see a mist of mystery around the this events, so the best advice Moi could give thou is: Stay at the expectative, because Moi is feeling that thou boy will be involved in something big."
"-Oh great, the one thing I wanted the most, to be involved more problematic things"
"-Well, if you excuse me boy, Moi will aid the hopeless shop-owner who was crying because her magic was behaving weird and cannot cast properly in discipline this delinquent goddess that is destroying the commodity of the store! HEY YOU, FOUL DELINQUENT GODDESS, STOP THOU IDIOCY AROUND, OR SUFFER MY VANIR-STYLE DEATH RAY!"
As expected Aqua keeps following the flying thing who was happily going around, and making a disaster while the poor Wiz-san just follow her crying and Vanir joining the comedy act… it's better if I go away from this disaster so I used the "Hide" skill to cover my presence and go without someone notice my parting.
As for the rest of the day, I was just wandering around Axel looking at the little white & black little things, there's more white ones than black ones, but looks like they're avoiding each other, like they're repelling for some reason. Despite this, it was a very normal day, I met Darkness in the way and stopped her from taking the slimes of some poor man… again, and trying to find Megumin but she go with Yunyun to some place, at least I wanted to talk to her and she was very weird. After all, I parted ways from Darkness who go to her house for some matter and went down to a certain part of the town what I go constantly…
The Succubus Café. After been freed from that weird dreams… I can finally enjoy some sweet dreams time! After all, it's hard to live with such beautiful… errr, crazy, yes, crazy girls! Hahahahahaha. In my way to the hotel, I found Aqua playing with some kids in the park and I told her the excuse that I'll be with Dust & Keith partying around (my typical alibi) and I'll be outside the night, despite the suspicious stare from the idiot goddess I forgot she knew about the café, but it went smoothly after all… this is weird…
LATER THAT DAY, IN A VERY EXPECTATED NIGHT.
All right, now that everything is set for a good night after a good meal with little alcohol, a good bed, and a complete disposition to have veery good night is set, I rested hoping to fall soon in slee… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
… And I am in the mansion, alone…
… Hearing someone close…
… And it's bathing, humming a song from this world…
… And she's happy…
… And I willful…
… Walking through the hall, through the corridor…
… I come to the bathroom, and oh! Look! The door is open…
… I quickly took my clothes before noting that I don't have cloth to begin with… hey, that's convenient…
… With my heart ready, and something else at disposition…
... I go inside the bath, it's steamy but there is a silhouette, of a mature, curvy and very well developed lady…
… Unable to wait more I go through the steam…
… And… And…
…AND…
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
A sudden strong (very strong) shake felt through all the place, waking me up from the dream… I… paid…
GODDAMMIT! What have the world against me having a good dream now!
"-Dear customer…"
After I hear the voice of a little girl, I saw someone I knew… the loli succubus who was assigned to give me the dream service, she looks frightened the poor thing, like something scared her.
"-What happened? Did something scare you?"
"-Umm… L… Look up your head dear customer, what is that?
She pointed out over my head, and I saw it… It was the little beings I saw before but they were so much that before, like a swarm moving as a wave and then begin to react very aggressively and suddenly got out the room, as I opened the window, the image I saw in the sky was something I have never seen and I'll never forget.
Two great streams of light are clashing in the sky, one of pure white and one of deep black, crashing one against another repeatedly with an imposing CLAM! CLAM!
And looks like I'm not obviously the only one watching the spectacle in the sky, people of the town begin to get out of their houses and whatever the hell they're hiding, to watch the spectacle in the sky, everyone was afraid of what the hell is happening… and I don't really know what is this and what to do, this overpowers me.
"-IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!"
"-IS THE DEMON KING FINALLY ATACKING?"
"-THE SKY IS FALLING!"
"-I NEVER GOT LAID, AND WE´RE GONNA IDE"
"-SACRIFICE THE WEAK TO THE NEW GODS!"
"-I ALWAYS LOVED THE WIFE OF MY NEIGHBOUR"
"-WHY DO I HAVE TO LIVE HIDING IN THIS TOWN?"
And of course, mass panic and too much information for the event that it's happening, when everything is about to get worse, a sudden light shine over the stream with a strong DOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNN dispersing those streams and disappearing in the night, some of the beigns of light reappears again, much more than ever before and flying around, during all this mess, the loli succubus was hugging my arm (which is by the way pretty sweet) frightened.
"-Dear customer, what was that?"
"- I think I am the last one to ask, because I have no Idea of what was happening… haaaaa, and I believed today would be finally the day I could have a good service."
AT THE NEXT DAY, AFTER A MASS SCARE AND AN OBVIOUS JUVENILE DECEPTION.
After the last event in the night, I didn´t sleep really well and I couldn't stay until my normal hours of slumber, disappointed for all what happened, I didn´t want to go to the mansion besides, the days is just not feel right, it's like you put a gray filter to the world and enjoy the miserable and grumpy faces of everyone, like a asshole god would do to its twisted entertainment, as I walk across the town ignoring the flying beings, coming close to a coffee, I watched to familiar faces: The archer Keith and the delinquent adventurer Dust, who lives in prison and constant poverty.
"-Hey Kazuma, good morning"
"- 'Sup, Kazuma."
They both have the same bitter expression as I.
"-Morning guys, pretty day we have today huh?
"-You tell me, after finally being out of prison, I hoped to hit a girl and get a date with her…but now, is better find what to do that got me back to prison, see ya guys."
"-Don't do anything to grave, tomorrow we're going to questing! Really Kazuma, this day just don't feel right."
"-Yeah, I lost a service from the succubus from what happened, it's just so frustrating that my luck did not worked from this,well, see you later Keith, I'll going to eat I the adventurers guild."
"-Uh… All right, take care Kazuma…I hope the day gets better."
After partying ways from Keith and heading to the adventurers guild, the town is acting weird… well, more weird than usual and more bellicose, like fighting for barely nothing going for the punches almost immediately and treating with distrust and discord to each other… ok, something definitely is happening, the people of this town was never this aggressive or negative despite the quirkiness of the people.
Once in the adventurer's guild, I enjoyed a good meal of giant toad with a good beer, as I watch the other adventurer's argue with violent intention or bickering with the staff for absolutely the stupidest of the reasons… wait a second, I did just not note this before because the mood of the day but… there is many of those little beings, specifically the black ones and they are pretty active around the people, and they're getting more actives the more violent people is becoming.
Definitely, these things are connected to whatever is happening the day that is making the people act like shit, and they're beginning to swarm and move wildly like a wave of a stormy sea, reacting even more with this negativity… I really have a bad feeling of this…
"-Be prepared… It's about to come…"
Wait… is that typical mysterious voice again? What a great time to talk you know?
"-What's about to come? ..."
"-Destiny…"
"-Oh no… you've about to come with your prophetic crap about "destiny", and when you say it it's obvious that something bad is about to come… so why don't you stop raising flags and answer me this: Am I a Chosen One of not?"
As I was saying this I begun to move without knowing why, but those things flying are giving me a really bad feeling about this, even worse than fighting the generals of the Demon King, for some reason… they´re beginning to gather.
"-You´re one… of many that will answer this call, and waiting for you and them to answer with the word that will open the gate."
Now we're heading to something… Wait, one of many? How many? And Why I'm not the only one? Damn… and here hoping that I was finally something special.
"-So… what word is that? Because it must be something complex to learn or pronounce."
"-Ufufufu… The funny thing is, Satou Kazuma, that you probably know that word of all of the chosen people, and is a word pretty easy to remember, by the way."
"-Is that a word from my world? Because that's the only way I could know said word."
"-Hehe…"
As supposed the typical mysterious voice, it would not give me a direct answer, why this entities have to be so obsessed with riddles? ...Then, I suddenly felt a shiver down my back, a pretty strong one.
"-You should hurry…"
And with that, I stopped hearing it, just in the moment a powerful "FWOOOOOOOSSSSHHHHH" comes from behind, and I turned back and I saw it… the black little beings begun to gather over the sky of the town forming a great mass of pure darkness, now is the time to run… fortunately I was close to the mansion, so the race wasn´t that long, as I came to the mansion, I saw the girls in the living room… doing whatever the hell they're doing with Darkness who was tied in the floor.
"-I don't want to want to know what are you're doing, so untie Eroness a get prepared, something really bad is about to happen"
"-What are you talking about? And don't call me Eroness! It's to…hah… embarrassing…and… excruciating …hah… to be seen like this!"
And it's in heat again this crusader. Now's not the time to become a masochistic mess you idiot.
"–Hey Aqua, who's talking? Because I only hear an annoying sound around the hall."
Megumin! What is happening to you? Why are you so cold? It is because for the thing of the other day? Why you act like this?
"-Maybe it's the Beansprout of Kazuma who's talking little non-senses with those stupid talking abilities that makes you feel awkward, don´t you think, Megumin?
This idiot is not helping!
"-Ha? What… what are you talking about? Of course I… I'm not feeling awkward for the ridiculous talk of that idiot Kazuma!"
"-Hey! It's not the moment to discuss stupid things now! Something is not right, can't you feel it in the air? And it's going to get worse!"
I tried to reason with this problem children of mine, hoping to whatever the typical mysterious voice warned me would not be so dangerous.
"-Kazuma, what are you talking abo…"
Darkness can't finish that sentence when the emergency alarm of the town sounds, and the voice of the receptionist is hearing through all the town.
"-This is an emergency state, calling to all the adventurers, a mysterious being has been formed at the center of the town square Axel, be prepared for confrontation, this is a special quest whose participation is obligatory for all the registered adventurers."
After we heard that communicate, I was not worried… but scared about what would happen, and seeing the face of my party, they finally understood what I was talking.
"-I told you so, now get prepared, we're going now".
A FEW MOMENTS LATER, HEADING TO THE TOWN'S SQUARE.
"-Kazuma… how did you knew that this would happen? Are this related with the event of the last night?"
Darkness asked me as we're running to the town-square, she was completely surprised about the fact that I knew something and that makes me suspicious to her.
"-Is not that I knew THIS… ha… would… ha… happen, I just knew that… haaaaa… something bad… haaaa… would o-occur…"
Really I was running too much in too little time, and I was a bit out of shape, we stopped to recover my breath and to say this:
"-When this emergency is over, I'll tell you everything I knew, but you have to believe me besides, Aqua can see those things."
I said this as I signaled the little black beings in the sky that was heading to the center of the town, to the square. Darkness & Megumin then watched to Aqua… and why since yesterday everyone can see this things, it has to be with that "event".
"-Ehh?! Don't suspect of me, of course I can see those little cut things but I never knew that they can do THAT, I just believed that they're some type of pixies that I can capture some of them for my child Emperor Zell".
"-That's enough! The town is in emergency, and after that you two will have to explain… a lot."
As Darkness said that, we renovate our run, with Megumin pretty silent all the chat like fearing something, I can understand her.
And we reaches the crowded Square of the town and I watched it… It was a demon-like being of pitch-black color, of long arms and short legs, with an inflated belly and having a white hagoromo that connects to a black belt with golden earrings and indumenta of white cloth, his head is bald with long ears, with two fangs getting out of his mouth and three eyes, every one of them have are bloodshot giving it a crazed expression, watching him is feeling painful and have an aura around it that makes me uncomfortable, but.. I felt that I saw something like this before.
"-Hey, Kazuma!"
Someone took me out of my thoughts as calling me, I watched who was and is Tyler, a crusader that was the leader of the party that Dust & Keith are part, I greeted him and asked what happened.
"-I was around when everything happened, a swarm made of Dakrness begun to gather around and form that from the skeleton. It was pretty disgusting to watch, and after that, the thing just stay floating there…"
"-And what about the resident people?"
"-They were evacuated, but all of this especially that thing feels so… off."
I can understand how he feels too, there's something so weird, and it's feels that this will become violent so soon…
"-How could that horrible thing dares to wield a sacred cloth of the gods, return that Hagoromo! Return it! Or face the divine retribution, you abomination, pfft… ayayayayayayayay, Kazuma-san! Kazuma-san! Why're you so mean with me! I just want to teach it a lesson, boohoo!"
Aqua as I pulled her cheeks, really this peanut-brained goddess! She was crackling her fist and even spit to the ground, can you please stop being a delinquent for once!
"-What's with you and everything have with flags! Can't you see that he's here just waiting to be attacked, the moment he is provoked he will raise its power and destroy everything!"
And before anyone can even listen what I was saying (like always), Darkness advanced sword in hand and ready in combat putting herself in front, why… just… why…
"-You foul monster, your presence is something so unholy that scream confrontation! I can see by that crazed sight of yours that you will take the females adventurers and do your wicked wishes, I'll never let you do your biding! Take me instead and confront me! I'll never concede to those wicked desires of yours!"
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHH! WE'RE GONNA DIE! OF ALL THE MOMENTS YOU HAVE TO BE IN HEAT, WHY IT HAS TO BE THIS?!
"-Urgh?"
In a surprising turn of events, the strange being just raised its hand and did a "Shoo, Shoo" gesture to Darkness, why is this have more sense this idiot crusader?
"-How you dare to belittle me?! Or you prefer younger girls?! Then you are only a dirty monster that must be destroyed for those wicked desires!"
Darkness charges with pretty strong slash, but fortunately (for us) she failed the attack, the black being then watched her and begin to laugh maliciously.
"-Kuh, Kuh, Kuh…"
This give me a bad feeling but… wait, isn't there a manga that I read back in Japan that have those things? One related with a popular tale from Arabia? Yes… Arabia. I wasn´t a great fan of that manga, but I remember that those thing could… regenerate… if they have… enough… Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, noooooo…
This is much worse than I initially thought, and I already know what those little things are, but before I could do or say anything someone was flying over my head, that someone was Darkness who was suddenly punched by the Black Djinn and was sent to a house in the proximity, breaking down the wall, and by impulse I ran to her.
But the worse thing, is with this the fight against that monstrous Djinn begun.
"-DARKNESS!"
"-DARKNESS!"
Megumin who screamed with me, followed also scared for what happened, she was useless in this situation because of the place.
"-I… I´m fine Kazuma, Megumin, my defense isn't for show, you show?"
"-Yeah, because what it is for show is your muscle-filled brain."
"-Hey Kazuma, don't be so harsh this isn't the moment for this." Megumin responded worried
"-Wow, so you finally talking to me, I was kind of worried about that."
"-I don´t what this annoying voice is talking."
This loli said that as she apart her sight from me, really, sometimes you're a pain in the ass, both of you. And since when you're a Tsundere?
"-Don't say that! There's not only muscles in my head, there's… other… things."
At least you´re admitting it, and I hear that last thing, since I have the "Lip Reading" skill, you know? There's no way hiding me things or say it low voice.
"-Anyways, I think what that thing is so let's go, Aqua is going with flow and entered the fray, we need to stop that idiot, here, take my hand… GAAAAGGHHH!
"-KAZUMA!"
"-KAZUMA!"
As I heard the girls, I felt a very strong pain in the head and… everything went black.
Then I woke up in a place I know too damn well… The gate, yes, the one in my dreams, so that means…
"-Ok, when you start talking mysterious voice?"
"-Wow, you know how to ruin a good entrance…"
"-Yeah, Yeah, tell me, what happened?"
"-A piece of rubbish has fallen on your head"
And of course, this would happen… It was too hard to ask for not falling in a stupid way?
"-The good thing is you are not dead, just unconscious which is good because it was a pretty big rubbish."
"-So, what they did with my body?"
"-The girls tied you and put you in a safe place… within a rock."
"-This again? Come on! And how the fight is fight going, Solomon-san?"
"-Well, see it for yourself… and how do you knew my name?"
"-You kidding? I read the manga Magi back in Japan"
"-Manga? What is that? A sort of publication of your world?"
"-Kinda…"
"-Anyway, look how the fighting is going, Satou Kazuma… looks like you knew about the Rukh."
And then a vision of what's happening left me speechless… because that being is now gigantic and breathing fire over the adventurers congregated, and so many of them are charred, and the few that are still fighting are despairing, but fighting against this giant monster, the mages try to be effective but their magic is so fluctuating that barely reaches it or be effective enough to hurt it, the archers is the same tale, and the fighters could only do the frontline to protect the former, I saw Darkness struggling against that thig, part of her armor was melting and she looks pained, even Aqua is having problem with so much people badly hurt or dead by the flames, trying to heal but the injured and casualties and crying for all the work she's doing, I almost pitied her… almost.
When the things are looking for the worst…suddenly…
"-EXPLOSION!"
Megumin casted her magic out of sheer desperation, it was a good explosion and took a good part of that thing, only to watch how it regenerates using the black Rukh that was flying like crazy and becoming bigger, as the poor little girl fall for the exhaustion with tear in her eyes, unable to do anything even now… at this point I just couldn't take it anymore, as I walked to the gate and to open this damn thing.
"-So… you need to open the gate now?"
"-That goes without saying!"
"- Tell me, why now and not before? It is because the emergency? And not because you will look cool doing it while thinking you are a "Choosen One" as you say?"
"-What the hell with the cheap psychologic lecture right now? Now is not the time to that… People are dying… people of my town, and I'm here incapable to do anything about it!"
"-You were incapable even if you're there too, probably you were one of those that died burned by the black Djinn."
"-Ugh!"
He's right, if I was there I could barely do anything, this looks so different than anything I encountered before… I can't believe that one of the things I used to read in the manga's back in Japan we're so real and so dangerous.
"-Just tell me… why I have to open this gate?"
"-To open destiny as I told you before Satou Kazuma, to bring a blessing of hope to this world, to fight the overcoming black Rukh and the wicked ones behind it, who are bringing a curse in the form of the abomination you see."
"-So… this bring you completely to our world, then why you need to do this while the other "wicked ones" just enter like nothing."
"-Because their destiny is to curse, to corrupt, they don't concern about the rules of this or another world, this fight of our destinies rifted my world and went to yours."
"-I…wow, this overcomes to me, it's too much and so serious in so little time."
"-Well… I trust you can bear with this because the thing is about to get ugly there…"
As Salomon said that I watched the black Djinn ever bigger than before, over the destroyed area of the square and the surviving group that was barely the half of the summoned adventurers, and covering with its shadow over them. There is no time to waste, as I put my hand over the Gate and recite the words I knew from that manga… and that Arabian tale I barely knew.
"- OPEN SESAME!"
And with those words a sound like a lock sounded inside the gate, feeling something strange flowing through my body, like a warmness covering every bit of myself. The eight pointed-star in the gate begun to glow
"- Now pull it Satou Kazuma! Be willful and open the gate of this new "destiny", don´t you get excited by the idea of mystery? A new world waiting to be discovered, have the courage to make the first step and admire for yourself with the new beauty this world will prepare for you!"
Damn it! Why this man-voice makes more excited than the speech Aqua gave me when we come first to this world, I don't care what he´s saying about wonder and new worlds, I just need to help the survivors and do more than just planning for once… this gate is heavy but is ceding, ceding, ceding!:..
DOOOM
It opened!
As the door opened the eight-pointed star symbol emitted a pulse of light, one so strong that pulls me back, as the inside glows with so much intensity that I could go blind, rays of light begun to fly out of it a great speed to somewhere.
"-Hey Solomon-san, what are those lights?"
"-Something you will discover soon, but for now it's time to awake and witness the miracle you achieved, until the next time we'll met again, live a good life Satou Kazuma, and prosperity to you!"
Before I could say anything, I felt a shake as I awoke tied to a rock and the head feeling like hell, a glow over my head catch my attention, looking upside I watch the same symbol of the gate over Axel shining with intensity and bringing the white Rukh over the town, the energy of that symbol is affecting the black Djinn making him, not only weaker it seems but also fearful of something, whatever it is, must be powerful…
"-Let me show you my gratitude this time young boy, for opening the gate and let us enter to fight for this world, as king of the Goetia Order and first of the Household of our Great King Solomon."
Suddenly a voice sounded in my head, deep, masculine and imposing, very different from the soft voice of Solomon-san, and why he means with gratitude…
KRAKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
Suddenly a powerful thunder shake me in surprise, and a ray of light descend taking physical form of a man with draconic traits, wearing very detailed jewelry and precious piece of cloth in his lower part, he shows in front of the Black Djinn with a stern expression, making clear the difference in sizes, if the black creature was gigantic then the dragon-man is titanic, extending his wingspan an extremely powerful wind that you could consider a hurricane pulls back the black being that I cannot consider a Djinn, since I obviously watching a true one far from the town. And then he talked with a thunderous voice.
"-Hear me you abomination! Your foul existence ends now, because it is the will of me, Baal, first of the seventy-two, that thou shall perish."
When everyone speechless about this apparition, a circle with the eight-pointed star in it, then I suddenly felt a shiver that went through all my body, he's about to release its strongest attack!
"-EXTREME MAGIC!"
When he raised his arm, the sky darkened with storm clouds and a hundred of lightning's appeared from the sky colliding in one point, the energy generated must be monstrous and defy any logic, and the he shoots that power at one command…
"-BAALLINE SWORD!"
A ray of pure power was shoot trough the black being obliterating him and by the sound of it, a couple of mountains from the face of the earth, then he changes his sight and watched me it seems but its deep three red eyes intensified by the black sclera makes sure that he's watching me and then… he smile at me, hearing his voice again in my head.
"-I hope we could see you again in the flow of destiny, young boy."
With this word he begun to disappear and become a light that parted to somewhere afar, despite being so serious I began to like him, you know? ... I hope to see him again, then another voice called me.
"-Kazuma-san! Are you alright?"
"-Yunyun!"
I seriously forgot her, Megumin's only friend and self-proclaimed rival, Yuyun a Crimson Mage clansman like her, I feeling so bad for it seeing her with light burns across her body, she must have fought so hard against that being despite her magic not being able to work as intended, she and the other mages must had it hard against it. Sorry Yunyun, I promise I'll treat you with some good food when everything settles.
"-Yuyun… What about Megumin and Darkness? What about the others?"
"-Megumin was put in a safe place after she casted her explosion, and Darkness-san it's being treated her injuries by Aqua-san, both of her had it hard during the fight, Megumin is feeling so depressed about not being able to help in the fight and is still crying about it, and Darkness was pretty injured, I can´t believe something could damage her so hard… it was horrible, Kazuma-san, that thing… was so vicious even more than the demons, even Wiz-san and Vanir-san who intervened in the battle were struggling against it, and used some strange, evil magic to send them apart the fight…"
"Yunyun, untie me… please, untie me now…"
After the teary Yunyun untied me, I began to walk along across the wasteland that become the square, I watched the charred corpses of the once adventurers of this town, and my chest begun to compress, as fearing the answer that Yunyun would give me… because I could know it, I asked with a frail voice:
"-Tell me Yunyun, what could happen to all the people who died?"
And then, her voice become ever frailer.
"-Despite having a powerful Arch-Priest as Aqua-san, they can't be revived since they were cursed by the flames of that horrible monster, is a curse that has never seen before affected not only their bodies but their souls too, they can't even feel their souls like they're gone… and… and… I just can't continue, waaaaah!
The poor Yunyun begun to cry hopelessly as my heart just crushed… you know, we adventurers live dangerous life always at the limit, always ready to die be it heroically or miserably, but always of our own accord. But this… this unnatural thing cursed their victims destroying their bodies and tainting their souls, making them despair and using them as fuel to make it stronger… because that is the Rukh, the flow of the souls in the river called "destiny" that ascend to what we call heaven, and THAT was taken from then an used like tools from some twisted entity to be toyed with… I…. just… CAN'T… BEAR IT!...
Having fallen to my knees…
"-KUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGGGGHHHH!"
I screamed like I never did in my life, clenching my fist and closed tightly my eyes, my scream surprised the crying Yunyun, but is this the mystery of the new world? The so called beauty of a new world? So unfair for them… so unfair for me.
"-All of this, because of my egotism… because of my idiotic believing of being a Chosen One, if I opened the gate sooner, everyone could be alive… WHY DO I HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS? WHY THE THINGS ENDED LIKE THIS? WHY EVERYTHING DOESN´T MAKE SENSE? WHY… JUST WHY?!"
"Kazuma, what non-sense are you just talking about?"
I heard Darkness coming at the side, bandaged in almost all of her body, seeing she in that state pained me so much, along her was Aqua carrying Megumin, whose red eyes are even more after crying so much. Megumin then talked me coldly:
"-What was that scream? And why do you guilt so much about? Is not that you have anything to do since you fall unconscious at the beginning, so you can't talk so much about it."
Please Megumin… let me explain, it' the least I could do.
"-Hey Kazuma, even me who could have such awesome abilities as Arch-Priest who wasn't very effective, can understand you fragile little boy, because something happened to the souls of this poor adventurers that I cannot find them to resurrect, so it's good to you if you grief for them. Because I am such a nice goddess to you."
Wow... that unexpectedly kind from Aqua, who always is a kick in the butt, even her cannot be conceited in these moments. Then Darkness came to me with a serious expression, the one of a noble and told me putting her hand in my shoulder.
"-Kazuma… please get up, you acting weird since you woke up, you did not get involved in this and yet you grief yourself over what… happened, you told me before that you knew what was that monster, so it's time for you to tell us everything you know… and if you re somehow involved… there's no way I can protect you from what will happen."
I nod to Darkness, so I get up to tell everything.
"-It is not yet the time for explanations, young boy"
Huh?! Suddenly another masculine voice more soft than Baal, began to speak as I felt something in my throat
"-… Kagh"
"-Come on Trashuma, now is not the time!"
Megumin yelled at me but I can't talk, something isn't letting me and just when it couldn't get worse… I see a light suddenly towards me and everything black… again!
"-Wake your mind, young boy"
"-Uuurghhh…"
As I wake up from whatever took me down… I note that I was in a Labyrinth, with walls and stairs heading in all directions and in every wall there's an entrance glowing with light, just where I am?
"-You are in a dungeon, Young Boy"
The voice resonates not in my head but in all the place
"-So this is a dungeon, huh? Why did you do this?! It's wasn't the best of the moments after… that happened you know?"
"-Despite your impertinence, you have proven to be an interesting case… there is a powerful luck in your side despite being a human so weak."
You´re not answering me!
"-Just cut it out, why did you bring me here? And why in this moment?"
"-Because quickness is necessary… This world is changing and needs particular existences that can lead it, so for this very reason and a form of gratitude, I bring you here to my dungeon, to be tested."
When he said that last part, I immediately remember that manga again: The dungeons… The Djinns… and the mean, but I asked anyways to be sure:
"-Tested of what?"
"-A King Vessel"
And then everything settles, so I was a chosen one… to be tested by a Djinn and see if I am worthy of its power, and having the opportunity to be next wielder of the title "Solomon" the Great King. Normally, I could never be any more excited, but after all the death and suffering recently past… I just could not feel anything good coming from this.
…
And then, this new destiny has begun to move.
EPILOGUE.
(From Megumin perspective)
Today is the worst day of my life.
I just survived the fight against a very weird and cruel monster that took so many of the adventurers of Axel. I was so useless since the fight was inside the town, and I was fearing for mine and my companion's life.
Even the Explosion that I am so proud of was so ineffective… sniff… and it just keep regenerating and getting bigger from those little black birds, I could have an idea what those thing could be, but the possibility is too horrible to think… sniff… sniff… I couldn't stop crying and just when it comes the worst… he came, that dragon-man from the sky, is he a God? Or is something else? It was so magnanimous, so powerful to wipe that horrible monster in just one attack…
These power shown are nothing like I have ever seen before in my life, from where it comes? I´m sure that it must have relation with the magic not working as intended.
Just after all of this, I heard a scream that sound familiar but it was so strong, as Aqua carried me telling that it was him who was screaming in the middle of the disaster.
We reunited with Darkness, she must have it harder than me… since her defensive abilities wasn't effective as before.
When we reached him, he was on his knees, and he looks so pained… he wasn't involved in the fight, why he looks like it is his fault?
I answered coldly about his behavior, and I don't know why I do that… but that makes him sank more in his grief and I felt bad for it, after some works of Darkness he stood up to tell us something…
And he was shoot in the head right before he could speak, it was so sudden and suspicious… he must surely know something, so its matter of time that Aqua could revive him to know what he was saying.
After she lend me to Yunyun (since Darkness was too injured to carry me) Aqua came close to him, whining about having to revive him almost all the time, after casting her "resurrection" spell… nothing happened, he is still in the ground, Aqua casted again… and still nothing, I begun to getting worried; then Aqua suddenly slapped him repeatedly while screaming:
"-COME ON, YOU BEANSPROUT, WAKE UP NOW, THIS IS NOT FUNNY!"
Darkness stopped her from hitting him.
"-What is wrong? Why can´t you resurrect Kazuma?"
"-Because he isn't dead! Whatever that ray of light did, wasn't to kill him! The idiot here it's just sleeping"
It's good to know that he is not dead, but know we have to wake him up.
"-Ehmm… something does not look right to Kazuma-san. He's not awaking from the slaps of Aqua-san."
As Yunyun said, he was still dropped in the ground, and I just note that his eyes were lifeless… Seriously, what is happening? All of this is just too weird... and why is everything shaking?
*KRRRUUUUUUUMMMMM*
It was so sudden but that tremor was like something is rising, and as soon as it comes, it finished feeding up the feeling of mystery and disconcert. Why this idiot does not waking up after this?
Aqua watching him better, finally sweating, said something that froze me…
"-Kazuma's mind is not here, just his body was left and I can't know where he went."