Explosion Series: Stylish Sword vs Explosion Maniac Begins

"Didn't you promise that you'd tell me more stories of your adventures?"

"IRIS, STOP THIS! TELL YOUR SERVANT TO STOP! CLAIRE, DON'T TRY AND GRAB ME! W-WAIT!", Kazuma screamed as he was chased around the entire room by an angry Claire, who was doing her best to capture him. In the other corner, Iris and Megumin were loudly arguing over who deserved Kazuma more.

"Just what happened to that shy and cute girl who rarely, if ever spoke up?!", Kazuma wondered. Unfortunately, lost in his thoughts, he was tackled by Claire who finally managed to hold him down. She bound his wrists with a rope and tightened them, excessively. Kazuma cried out in pain, but was surprised to see Claire blushing and breathing heavily.

"Is she...another Eroness?!", he thought while shuddering internally. Iris looked over at the two, and then nodded triumphantly, before rushing towards Claire.

After this, a beautiful girl wearing plain clothes came towards Iris and Claire who were holding Kazuma down. Megumin started tearing up, and leaped towards the trio who had captured her beloved.

"RAIN? YOU TOO?", shouted Kazuma. Rain simply looked at him with pity and guilt and then used the sleep spell on him. Kazuma immediately fell asleep. Megumin looked on confused, wondering why they didn't just teleport.

"Ah...you must be wondering why I didn't teleport to the castle, yes, Demon King Slayer? Well...for some reason the people at the castle have tightened security and put up anti-teleportation wards. So, we had to come here all on a cart. Well...we could have teleported from a nearby town, but Lady Iris wanted to experience adventure and thrill. So, here we are.", Rain explained, with a simple smile.

"B-but...Kazuma and I are dating...what about our relationship…?", Megumin mumbled, as tears slipped down her face.

"What are you talking about? You can marry Onii-sama after I'm done! We both can live in the royal castle together!", Iris said with a smile to Megumin. Megumin brightened up at first, but her mood soured immediately. "But...I don't want to...share him…", she muttered. An angry Claire stepped up, and berated Megumin," You stupid girl! The Princess is being kind enough to share her beloved with you, and you do this?! Have some manners!"

Iris gasped, and told Claire to stop, but not before Megumin could stand up and yell right back at Claire. "Oh? You think you're a hotshot just because you're kind of beautiful, huh? Well, Kazuma told me exactly what kind of a person you are, you lolicon freak who gets excited whenever the time to bathe with Iris comes up! Huh? Talk now, you absolute ASS!"

Claire blushed and began to tear up, without denying what she had said, while Iris simply looked on at the brave Megumin with admiration. Rain was trying hard not to laugh, to maintain some semblance of dignity.

Iris simply rushed towards Megumin and caught her in a tight embrace. "You really are amazing, Boss. You're like my cool older sister!" Megumin blushed and then laughed, saying it was what was expected of a Crimson Demon as accomplished as her.

Iris then said," Well...after seeing just how much braver than me you are, since I could never have raised my voice like that, I must say...Onii-sama is more worthy of you. And so, I bid you farewell."

And so, Iris walked away.

Before turning around and smiling widely at Megumin.

"...is what you'd expect me to say, no? Well, Boss, I'm sorry but I simply love Onii-sama far too much to give him up! Either we both marry him, or I marry him! There are no other options. And so, I now bid you farewell. Rain, please teleport us to the castle!"

And so, with a bright flash of light, Iris had left with Kazuma, leaving behind a slack-jawed girl.

"That...that girl! I'll teach her a lesson! How dare she get my hopes up and then dash them immediately! I too, shall teleport! TELEPORTATION SPELL OF THE CRIMSON DEMONS, ACTIVATE!"

Somehow, a tumbleweed moved across the empty street in the background. Megumin gritted her teeth in frustration, and took out her adventurer card. "I still… have some points…", Megumin thought.

And so, with a feeling of sadness pervading throughout her body, she bought the teleportation spell.

"It seems like I'll have to go to her for help..."

…

Kazuma sat up straight in an incredibly soft bed, and blinked, looking around. He instinctively reached out to his left, running his hand through...air?

Kazuma was confused. "Megu...min?" As he was lost in his thoughts, a sharp rap to the door surprised him. However, before he could even answer, the door opened, and a timid blonde girl peeked her head through the door. "G-good morning, Onii...chan."

Kazuma opened his eyes in surprise. "M-morning?! Onii-chan?!", he asked incredulously. Iris blushed and simply nodded. Kazuma asked," Where is Megumin?" Iris shook her head and said, "Boss isn't here. We kid- took you from your home so you can marry me. The marriage ceremony is a week from now. You have to marry me since you defeated the demon king!"

Kazuma simply questioned," Why can't you marry that Katsuragi Kyouya guy? The number third adventurer?"

Iris poked her tongue out and said," He's so narcissistic and arrogant! He may be leagues above you in terms of strength but he's a bad person! So I don't want to marry him."

Kazuma sighed, and wondered just what had happened to his little sister while he was away. When had she become so...normal? Also, since when had she started casually roasting him?!

Kazuma, who was lost in thought, was caught by surprise by a pouting Iris who sneaked up to him. "Shouldn't you hug your future wife, Onii-chan?"

Kazuma felt uncomfortable and so was about to push her away, but suddenly, his enemy detection skill activated. He could feel the bloodlust coming from someone behind the door.

Kazuma looked around for a bit before realizing Claire was staring at him with hate...and jealousy?

He shuddered internally and realized that if he didn't hug Iris, he stood to lose a lot more than just his life.

"I'm so sorry Megumin!", he thought before pulling Iris into a hug, who silently squealed in happiness.

Kazuma had thought the bloodlust would fade away if he did that, but it only intensified. Iris then sighed, and looked back towards the door. "Claire, please stop it." Kazuma heard a few apologies muttered under her breath, before the bloodlust receded. He shuddered. "That was incredibly terrifying."

"Well, it's time for breakfast now! Please wait, your butlers and maids will bring the food after which you can relax in the baths!"

"Oh...alright. Thank you but uh, is there any way for me to go back or at least talk to Megumin?"

"Dear onii-chan, why would you want to talk to Boss when you have someone like me right here?", Iris said striking an… incredibly weird pose.

Kazuma just stared at her in confusion till she blushed, hurriedly apologized and then scampered out of the room. "She really is just a shy brocon girl, isn't she."

Soon, Heidel walked in, carrying food.

"Good morning, Sir Satou."

"Ah...Good morning, Heidel. Before anything else, I'm incredibly sorry for calling you Sebastian all the time back then and not apologizing for it."

Heidel's calm demeanor broke for just a moment, as he blinked in surprise. However, he quickly regained his composure and bowed to Kazuma. "I thank you for your consideration, Sir. Now, here is your breakfast. It includes some pheasant breasts, with spinach and asparagus, and some caviar on the side in case the flavour is overpowering and you wish to enjoy a taste of the ocean. Before I take my leave, should I ask the maid Mary to come dressed in a shorter skirt and a dress that leaves more of her shoulders bare?"

Kazuma was awed. What a capable gentleman! Is this the level of comfort the royalty live in every day?

"Maybe living with Iris isn't a bad idea- NO NO NO! Megumin comes first. Speaking of which, I miss her a lot. If she were here we could have slept on this gigantic bed together and I could have fed her the food...huh, why are my eyes beginning to sweat?"

Kazuma shook his head and then turned towards Heidel who was looking towards him with an impassive face, and said,"Ah...actually, please don't tell her to do that. I think I owe her an apology as well for being so scummy. That'll be all, thank yo..u...Heidel?"

Kazuma's voice trailed off in surprise as he watched Heidel stand, slack jawed. Heidel once again bowed deeply, and walked out, thanking Kazuma.

"I guess past me was truly a piece of crap, huh?"

Kazuma finished his food and cleaned his face but then heard a knock on the door. He simply shouted, "Come in!"

Mary then timidly walked in. She bowed and greeted Kazuma who called out to her.

"Mary."

She whipped around, keeping her face low. Kazuma noticed that her lips seemed to be trembling. He felt guilty. Extremely guilty.

"Yes, Master."

And yet her voice betrayed no hint of fear. Still, he noticed that she seemed to be bracing

herself for something. Kazuma had a rough idea of what it was that she was worried about.

"What Heidel probably told you is true. I am very sorry for sexually harassing you that much in the past. Though it was true that I was fooled into thinking you're supposed to do that to

maids… no, that's just an excuse. I am very sorry. For everything. I don't expect you to forgive me, at all. What I did was beyond horrible. Again, I apologize."

Mary looked up at him. "May I shut the door, Master?"

Kazuma, though confused, nodded to give his consent.

She shut the door, and then the windows, and then turned around, taking a deep breath.

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! I HATE YOU! YOU ARE THE REASON I LOST MY INNOCENCE BEFORE I WAS SUPPOSED TO! I HAD TO DEAL WITH NIGHTMARES EVERY FUCKING NIGHT BEFORE SLEEPING BECAUSE OF THE CRAP YOU PULLED AS A 'JOKE'! I DON'T CARE IF THEY EXECUTE ME BECAUSE OF THIS! YOU RUINED MY LIFE!"

She paused to breathe, and then switched to an icy cold tone.

"I'm glad someone knocked some sense into that useless brain of yours, you lazy freeloader. You are lucky the Princess likes you, or everyone in this castle would throw you out of here at the first chance they got. I expect you to never talk to me again, unless it's work related."

Kazuma froze up in the face of her fiery wrath. He was scared, but knew she was right.

"Apologizing can't fix everything, huh?" , he thought helplessly.

"Alright. Won't everyone have heard that, though?"

"The doors are soundproofed. Nothing that was spoken here should be mentioned outside the room, alright?"

"Okay."

And so, Mary opened the doors and windows, and then cleaned his room.

"I will take my leave now, Master. I thank you for your patience."

Kazuma simply nodded, taken aback by how quickly she had gotten her emotions under control.

He then walked towards the window, and looked outside.

"If only she was here to help me through this mess... I bet all the other servants feel the same way..."

He missed Megumin already.