Kizui: Six months old

Grace: Three months old

It was nighttime in the fantasy world. Everyone was asleep, Kazuma and Megumin in their shared bed and Kizui just a few feet away in her crib. Aqua and Darkness in their respective rooms, and Grace right where Darkness could easily access from her bed. Aside from the occasional chirp of a cricket or the sound of water running, everything was completely silent.

"WAAAAAAAAH"

Kazuma was abruptly awoken by the sound of an infant wailing. He suppressed the urge to scream in frustration and instinctively glanced towards his daughter, but Kizui was only being woken up by the sound. She stirred uncomfortably, her red eyes casting a gentle glow on her pillow. Megumin shot up shortly after in a similar manner.

"Eh? Kizui?" she murmured. Kazuma smirked as he looked over his wife. Even with bags under her eyes, her hair disheveled, her face half-asleep, she was still the sexiest girl he'd ever seen.

"Why do I get the sneaking suspicion that Kazuma is thinking something inappropriate?" Megumin grumbled, but her smile told the truth. Shortly after their marriage, Megumin had found herself taking some of Kazuma's somewhat perverted tendencies. Still, though, she quickly got out of bed to pick up Kizui, whose face was red and scrunched up.

"Shhh… everything's fine…" she whispered. Kazuma already had a sneaking suspicion as to what was disrupting his sleep. He marched out of his bedroom and into Darkness'.

"What in Eris' name is going on here? I almost slept for a whole hour!"

Then he gasped.

For the first time, as far as Kazuma was concerned, Darkness was absolutely exhausted. She was groaning on her bed, her face red with irritation, and her makeup (which Kazuma didn't even know she wore) was ruined beyond repair. Her gown was partially pulled down as if she was about to try to breastfeed. Grace was bawling in her crib.

"Darkness?" Kazuma exclaimed in shock. "Are you okay?"

"Just another five minutes… I can't move another inch." She tried to cover her ears with a pillow.

Kazuma sighed and gently lifted the crying infant out of the cradle.

"Come on, what's wrong little darling?" he whispered, trying to rock her back to sleep while suppressing the urge to scream at someone. "Please, for the love of all that is holy, go back to sleep! Wait a minute."

Kazuma angrily stormed down the hall, into Aqua's room, and slammed open the door.

"Eh? Kazuma?" The bluenette wiped the drool from her face as she woke up. Apparently, she had slept through the commotion. Kazuma thrust the child into her arms.

"Darkness is practically dead from exhaustion, I can't sleep, and neither can Megumin or, most importantly, my daughter! So take some goddamn responsibility and take care of your freaking kid!"

"Eh? That's not fair; why are you blaming me?" Aqua whined, ignoring Grace. "It's my fault babies cry!"

"You think I don't know that by this point? That's why Megumin and I agreed to take turns dealing with Kizui's crying! Darkness has hardly slept, and she could really use a break! Parents are supposed to work together to take care of their kids!"

"Shut up! Who are you to lecture me about responsibility, you stupid NEET!"

"I have a job, family, and a house! In fact, now that I think about it, you're more of a NEET than I ever was!"

"How dare you!" Aqua angrily drew back a punch as Grae cried louder. "You'll pay for that-"

Their argument was interrupted when Megumin suddenly entered the room and handed Kizui to Kazuma. She was smiling, but in that way, someone smiles when they are incredibly enraged by something.

"Hold her," she said firmly. "I need to go blow off some steam."

She stepped out onto the balcony and shut the glass. While the magically soundproofed doors left the room silent, save for Grace's crying, Kazuma could tell his wife was screaming like a mad banshee before an Explosion went off in the distance.

Something about the impact seemed to soothe Grace as her crying stopped, though she seemed somewhat uncomfortable.

"That's better." Megumin clutched the orb of manatite atop her staff as she merrily walked back to the group. She sniffed. "Ugh, Aqua, change her diaper, for goodness sake!"

Aqua inhaled deeply through her nose, and her pupils shrank.

"Uh… Kazuma-"

"No."

"Ugh, fine!" she picked up Grace and put her on a blanket on the floor. "Anyways, isn't that the third Explosion today?"

"I think the pent-up stress converts into extra mana or something." Megumin shrugged and giggled. "I won't lie, it's pretty great to let off multiple Explosions."

"That's not the only thing you've been having multiple of recently." Kazuma flashed his wife a dirty smile. She smirked.

"Hmph… Kazutrash."

"Get a room, you two," Aqua grumbled as she finished changing Grace. "Now, I'm going back to sleep."

"Me too." Megumin yawned. The tired couple made their way back to their room. Kazuma put Kizui back to bed and tucked her in. They crawled back into their own bed and faced one another.

"This is probably the fourth night in a row that this happened," Kazuma muttered.

"I'm gonna thank my parents, next time I see them," said Megumin.

"Yeah, me too… oh wait," Kazuma recalled the reality of the situation. Megumin noticed.

"Do you miss them?"

"Honestly, it's kind of difficult. On the one hand, I barely talked with my parents. But on the other, I really would like to show them all that I've done since I came here, especially given how disappointed they were in me. I would've at least liked for Kizui to meet her paternal grandparents. Or at least her uncle."

"They sound like decent people." Megumin smiled. Kazuma sighed; he could never feel sad for long when he was with the girl he loved.

"Goodnight, my sweet demon."

"Goodnight, darling."

Kizui: Eight months old

Grace: Five months old

"Yes, who's Grandma's little imp? You are!" Yuiyui cheerfully held her granddaughter in the air. Hyoizaburoo glanced at the young couple.

"Thanks for inviting us over to meet the newest addition to the family. Though, I must add…" the old man narrowed his eyes at Kazuma. "It has been quite a long while since a Half-Crimson Demon was born. I believe the term is… Crimson Cambion."

"That name is incredibly creepy for my child!" Kazuma recoiled in horror at such a term.

"Ah, that's such a cool name!" Megumin snapped her fingers. "I'm going to teach it to her as soon as I can."

"Are you serious?"

Meanwhile, Komekko was sitting aside in a comfy chair as Yuiyui played with Kizui.

"I can't believe you're already starting a family, big sis." The teenager chuckled and casually summoned a glass of water. Having dealt the killing blow to Sylvia's first form, she had gained a significant amount of experience points and thus an extensive power at an early age. Since then, her abilities had only gotten stronger over time, and she was now a formidable adventurer of her own right.

"Well, things happen." Megumin giggled. "Anyway, what are you doing lately?"

"Same old, same old." Komekko rolled her eyes. "Just going around questing. It's nice to be strong, but I don't really have any friends at my level, so I'm still adventuring on my own."

"Keep trying, and I'm sure you'll find some friends someday." Kazuma smiled. "I mean, just look at Yunyun."

The future chieftess in question was playing peek-a-boo with Grace while Darkness watched.

"She's grown a lot since before. She even has a boyfriend, albeit a pretty weird guy," said Megumin. "How are she and Dust doing anyway?"

"I heard things are getting pretty serious with those two," Kazuma said. "Kizui might have a little cousin pretty soon."

"Really?" said Komekko. "Wouldn't that be nice?"

"On a similar note, do you plan on giving her a sister or brother anytime soon?" Yuiyui asked. Megumin crossed her arms in an X shape.

"Absolutely not. I'm not going through that again for at least another year."

"Alright, just throwing it out there." her mother chuckled. Kazuma rolled his eyes. Ever since Kizui was born, Megumin's parents had both been over the moon regarding their new granddaughter. Though he would imagine his mansion would be a pretty good incentive too. He found it best not to think in such ways.

"Kazuma, Kazuma!" Aqua came running over with a stupid look.

"Yes, I'm Kazuma."

"I'm gonna head down to the bar. Do you mind watching Grace for me? Thanks!"

"Hold it right there, Aqua!" Kazuma yanked on her pale blue locks just as she turned to leave.

"Yowch!" Aqua shrieked. "Hey, that really hurt, you miserable piece of-"

"AQUA!" Darkness practically scolded her. "Watch your language!"

"And another thing, you've been going there way too often. It's common knowledge that parenting and alcoholism should stay as far apart as possible."

"Eh? Who are you to be lecturing me, Scumzuma?"

"Hey, only Megumin is allowed to call me that! And only when we're alone on Saturdays!"

As that was going on, Komekko cleared her throat.

"Is it always like this with those two?" she said. Her older sister and Darkness nodded.

"They've been at each other's throats ever since we started adventuring," said Darkness. "Sometimes I'd wish they'd focus some of that frustration on me so I could get a piece of… wait, no no no!"

Darkness slapped herself out of her blushing stupor.

"Sorry, I've been so pent up as of late. I'm starting to act like my old self again."

Kazuma felt a pang of guilt for his crusader friend. While Aqua was indeed one of his most valuable companions, he could understand that her commitment was often… inconsistent. As Aqua harumphed and starting chatting with Komekko, he shuffled over and whispered in Darkness's ear.

"Meet me behind the house in half an hour. But don't tell anyone, especially not Megumin."

That day, the succubus cafe gained a new customer. Kazuma had stopped visiting the place himself a year or two after he and Megumin got together. While there was the rare night where they would enter the shop together and share a conjoined dream of passionate loving, it was no longer his primary source of relief. Even still, that didn't mean he held no respect for the business and its employees. Besides, Darkness could use some good dreams.

Kizui: One-Year-Old

Grace: 9 months old

It was an average day for the young family. Darkness had been a lot happier lately, though for no apparent reason, and Kazuma and Megumin celebrated their daughter's first birthday just yesterday. Things were really looking up for the adventurers.

"Mama!"

Megumin almost spat out her coffee. She did a double-take to make sure that she heard her daughter correctly. Kazuma had heard it too.

"Honey did she just…?" he said. His wife wordlessly picked up her daughter, who was sitting on the carpet.

With a smile, Kizui repeated, "Mama!"

"She talked!" Kazuma exclaimed. He laughed in delight and gleefully embraced his family.

"I'm her first word, oh my gosh..." Megumin felt a tear coming to her eye, which in turn started glowing brightly as a candle. She wiped it away and excitedly laughed, clutching her baby ever tighter. Kizui didn't seem to understand what was going on but laughed anyway.

"Hang on, let me hold her for a second." Kazuma took her in his own arms and smiled. "Hey, can you 'Papa'? 'Papa.'"

"Pa...Pa…" Kizui struggled for a moment before looking up at her father with innocent eyes. "Pant-su?"

Both of her parents' faces turned blue. Kazuma could already sense his wife glaring at him with malice.

"Kazuma-san, what exactly have you been saying around our daughter?"

"I swear, I haven't used that kind of wording in years. Kizui probably just mispronounced it or something!" He quickly exclaimed. Megumin didn't appear to believe him, but she simply rolled her eyes and took her daughter back.

"This is a special occasion," she said. "Why don't we bring Kizui along for today's Explosion?"

"Bakaritsu," Kizui repeated.

"Wow, she catches on quick." Megumin smiled. "Come on, let's make a great one today."

And so, the family of three headed off for the day's activities.

A couple months later…

"Kazuma, Megumin, Kizui, Aqua!" Darkness excitedly entered the living room with Grace in her arms.

"Yes, I'm Kazuma"

"Kizui Desu?" said Kizui, sitting on the floor. Ever since she learned how to talk, she'd been randomly repeating words that she heard, for better or worse.

"Grace just said her first word!" she set her child down in front of the others. "Come on, sweetie, can you say it again?"

Grace looked up shyly.

"Ka...ka...Kazuma?"

"Eh?" Kazuma's eyes widened.

"Huh? That's not what she said earlier." Darkness said, picking her up. Grace realized she was there again and smiled.

"Mummy!" she said.

"Oh, there it is. You did it!" Darkness cheerfully smiled at Grace.

"Wait, why did she say my name?" Kazuma said. "I mean, I know we say my name a lot, but why on earth-"

"Yeah, good question!" Aqua snatched Grace from Darkness. "She hasn't said anything like that to me! Come on, Grace, say "Aqua" or "Mother" or maybe even "Goddess of Water?"

"Uh, that might be a bit-"

"Shut up, Darkness."

Grace nervously curled up in Aqua's hands.

"Come on! Not even my own flesh and blood…" Aqua frowned and handed her back to Darkness.

"She's still young, Aqua," said Darkness. "Just give her a bit of time to get closer with you."

"Eh? That sounds like a lot of work…" Aqua groaned.

"Why do I get the odd feeling that this can only end disastrously for that poor girl?" said Kazuma. Aqua didn't react. "I was referring to Grace, by the way."

"KAZUMA!"

As this was going on, Kizui had crawled over to where Darkness had set down Grace. The young demigoddess glanced at the Crimson Cambion with a curious expression. Kizui laughed and hugged the green-haired girl tightly.

"Grace, I love you!" she said. Grace didn't know how to return the hug, but she felt nice.