Chapter 7: Devil's Vengeance on this Awful Village!
Part 1
When do you intend to marry my daughter?
Megumin's mother, Yuiyui-san, asked me this.
I was asked a question I had no answer to.
Rather than intention, I had no immediate desire to marry Megumin, or anyone else, for that matter.
At least, this was the stance of my present self.
The norms of this world, of this medieval era, where people would normally marry before their twenties, clashed with what I knew as common sense.
In terms of cultural and technological advancement, this world belonged in the 15th century, if inserted in the timeline of my own world's history.
Meanwhile, I was still, at heart, a 21st century boy.
"Mother, please leave Kazuma alone. Even if you are joking, he will take it seriously. Now, please help me set the dishes," Megumin said, coming to my rescue.
"Fufu, I will be right behind you, dear."
Yuiyui-san gave me a meaningful look before finally releasing my arm.
The guest room was about half as large as the living room of our mansion back in Axel. The floors were covered with a thick, black carpet. The walls were painted a striking red. There was a motivational poster in a wooden frame hanging on the wall, and it read, "Looking Cool is more important than Winning."
There were two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a small kitchen with a fridge and a stove oven with a single element. There was a pot of boiling bean sprouts on the element. The appliances were powered by a single Manatite crystal.
"This is a rechargeable Manatite crystal," Rain explained. "While normal Manatite crystals become obsolete after one use, this crystal can keep absorbing mana even as it runs out. This item would cost a small fortune outside of the home of the Crimson Demons, but in here, a mere guest room is equipped with such a rare commodity…"
"Any self-respecting Crimson Demon can make a simple magic item like that, no problem," Megumin said. "Why buy it when you can make it?"
"Oh? So can you make this 'simple item', Megumin?" I asked.
"...You already know the answer. I spent all my SP on the Explosion magic skill tree. My magic item crafting trait is still at its most basic stages. At most, I can make you a potion that gets rid of the drowsiness that comes after eating a heavy meal."
As if I'd have a need for such an overly specific and redundant medicinal effect.
We all gathered at a table in the living room, where Yuiyui-san served us the rice gruel and slightly salted bean sprouts.
"Wow, this is the most food I've seen in awhile!" Megumin's little sister, Komekko, said.
The servings were minimal. I had a couple spoonfuls of rice gruel and four pieces of bean sprout, and Yuiyui-san had been generous with my servings.
"Fufu. Mama went all out today!"
Seriously, how poor was this family?
I took out my wallet. "Um, please don't take offense, but I'd like to give you this money…"
As I was about to take out a substantial amount of Eris, Megumin stopped me and pulled me to the side.
"Kazuma, while I appreciate your concern for my family, please trust me when I say that giving them more money will do more harm than good."
"No, the way your family is living, subsisting on rice gruel and bean sprouts, honestly breaks my heart. Shame on you, Megumin. You should be sending your family more money, or at least you should have asked me to increase your monthly allowance."
"Before you jump to insulting conclusions about me, please listen first! Although it is quite awkward for me to talk about it...the problem lies with my father…"
Megumin had on a melancholic expression I had rarely seen from her.
"By the way, where is this father of yours?" I asked. "And what does he do for a living?"
It was a rather direct and rude question to ask, but I needed to know what the breadwinner of this family was doing, for the family's financial situation to become this dire.
"...Like I said, I'd rather not talk about it. All I can say is that even if you give my mother more money, all of it will go to my father, and he will waste it all…"
My heart sunk.
I saw now why it was hard for Megumin to talk about this.
A father who wastes the family budget on frivolous distractions, like alcohol, excessive gambling, and the company of other women…
This was that kind of scenario, wasn't it?!
So that was what Megumin meant, when she said that money wouldn't solve the problem. If I gave Yuiyui-san more money, her wretched husband would just take it for himself, and waste it all on booze and women.
"Hm? Komekko-chan, you have a lot of bruises on your leg!" Aqua, who immediately got along with Komekko as they were of a similar mental age, said this. She began casting healing spells along Komekko's leg. "Where did you get all of these bruises?"
"Oh. Um. I fell down the stairs…"
That was the most typical excuse of an abuse victim!
I could picture the family situation clearly now!
And it made sense, why Yuiyui-san was trying to hook me up with Megumin earlier.
She was trying to have Megumin live a better, secure life by marrying her off to someone who was financially stable and reputable.
To have her daughter marry for financial stability, rather than for the sake of mutual love...
This story was too tragic!
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. "Yuiyui. I'm home."
"Oh, that must be my father," Megumin said.
It was that scumbag father!
As Yuiyui-san rose to open the door, I stood before she did, and gestured for her to stay down.
"Wait, Yuiyui-san. I would like to talk to your husband, man-to-man."
Darkness and Rain, who were busy staring at the pitiful meal before them, looked to me.
"K-Kazuma? Why would you suddenly want to speak to Megumin's father man-to-man?! Are you perhaps asking permission to…!"
Darkness said something incomprehensible.
"Dustiness-sama, forgive me for saying so, but how dense could you be? I've only known this party only for a little while, but even I have sensed that Megumin-sama and Satou-sama are like that."
Rain said something equally incomprehensible.
"Kazuma, I think you're misunderstanding something here. No, I know that you are misunderstanding something," Megumin said.
Ignoring the others for now, I patted Megumin on the head.
"You've been trying really hard all this time, right? I'm sorry that I never noticed until now. Let me take care of things from now on, OK?"
"...Just for the rare chance of seeing the usually perceptive and observant Kazuma make a fool out of himself, I won't interfere," Megumin said.
What a tsundere. Wouldn't a simple 'thank you' suffice?
I had this thought as I opened the door and met the man who had been tormenting Megumin's family.
"Eh? Sorry, did I get the wrong door? No, wait, I recognize you...aren't you the leader of my daughter's party? Oh, she did say that she was coming to visit. Anyways, nice to meet you."
Before me was a man with a stern, but not unfriendly look on his face. He wore shabby work clothes that had patches and tears on the fabric.
He seemed like a decent man, if a bit run down.
But I would not be fooled by physical appearances alone.
"Listen, um, sorry, but I don't know your name," I admitted.
I was off to a poor start.
"I am Hyoizaburo. Number one...er, I mean, I am a magic item craftsman. One who has mastered Advanced Magic," he said.
"Hyoizaburo-san, there is something of great importance that I must talk to you about, man-to-man."
I repeated my intention.
For some reason, Rain was going 'kyaaaa~!' in the background.
"Hm...is that so? And would this involve my daughter, Megumin, perhaps?"
"Uh, yeah, it does."
Of course she was involved. Was this guy trying to play mind tricks on me?
He looked behind me and I followed his gaze to Megumin. "Megumin, welcome home," he said.
"Yeah, I'm home."
"Thank you for sending us a portion of your savings every month. As a man, I only feel shame, accepting money from my own daughter, but as a father, I am so proud of you."
"T-Thanks, father."
Eh?
What was with this pleasant atmosphere? Perhaps I read the situation wrong?
I started to panic.
"With that said, I acknowledge you as an adult now, Megumin. Not only have you proven to me that you can survive out there, in this cruel world, but you even did such a great deed as defeating the Devil King…"
OK. Now I was certain that I had some misconceptions about this family.
"...And as an adult, I recognize that you are now autonomous, and can make your own decisions."
He returned his attention to me.
"Satou-san...or perhaps I should call you Kazuma-kun? I appreciate the gesture, to ask for my blessing, man-to-man, but that is not necessary, as you are now both adults. But, since you went this far, I will oblige. You may have my daughter's hand in marriage."
I had made a terrible misunderstanding.
But this guy was making an even bigger one!
"S-So it was true?! Megumin and Kazuma are like that?!" Darkness said.
"Kyaaaaa~! Congratulations, you two!" Rain-san said.
Yuiyui was wiping tears of happiness from her eyes and Komekko and Aqua were cheerily clapping for us.
They were making a big misunderstanding, too!
What a mess!
Megumin stood up and went over to me.
"See? This is why you should properly listen to me."
"Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry, ma'am. I will try not to be so presumptuous from now on, ma'am."
Watching us, Aqua smirked.
"Heh. She already has him whipped."
Part 2
Hyoizaburo-san was a magic item artisan, but he wasn't a very good one.
Though he was talented and had a vast amount of latent magical power, even for a Crimson Demon, for some reason, his products just didn't sell.
Well, everyone aside from Hyoizaburo himself knew the reason why his products didn't sell.
"I don't get it," he said. "Aside from one magic item shop from Axel, no one is interested at all in my wares."
His wares included things like a collar that would grant any wish, but would strangle the wearer if the wish wasn't fulfilled.
Or a portable toilet that creates the sound of waterfalls when used, so as to provide privacy for the user, but had the effect of attracting monsters due to the loud sound created.
And so on and so forth. I immediately recognized which magic shop in Axel he was referring to.
"So that's why you don't send them a lot of money every month," I whispered to Megumin. "You don't want your father wasting any more money on the construction of his products."
Megumin nodded and whispered back, "Yeah. And my mother, for some reason, keeps supporting him with his work, even though we've been in poverty for as long as I can remember."
What a messed up family this was.
I'd rather if he was a typical deadbeat father, then at least the solution would have been simple.
It took awhile to clear up the misunderstanding, but we eventually got Hyoizaburo-san to accept that Megumin and I weren't about to do a shotgun marriage.
"How did you even get the idea that I wanted to propose to your daughter, Hyoizaburo-san?" I asked him.
He looked over to Yuiyui-san. "Well, my wife put the idea in my head, about Megumin finding a 'super capable guy', so when you started talking about 'important matters that must be spoken of man-to-man', I naturally assumed that you were asking for my blessing on your marriage..."
"You have to admit, Kazuma, that with the way you worded it, it would be natural for us to presume all sorts of things," Darkness said.
"I can't believe my instincts were wrong!" Rain said. "I am usually good about sensing these things!"
"Kazuma and Megumin would make a terrible couple, though!" Aqua said. "I mean, they both fight all the time and I'm pretty sure that Megumin's body type doesn't fit Kazuma's preferences at all…"
Aqua went on a fit of "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" once Megumin jumped on her and pulled her into a headlock.
"I don't get it. Is 'marriage' something you can eat? Is it tasty?" Komekko asked.
"Ah...sure, Komekko-chan. That's what it means," Hyoizaburo-san said. "Marriage is a tasty treat shared between two people who love each other very much."
"Oh...darling," Yuiyui-san said.
Despite their age, those two acted like they were still newlyweds.
"Ah, I get it. Buzucoily-nii taught me something similar to this. If marriage is a tasty treat shared between two people who love each other, then that means onee-chan and her new boyfriend want to 'eat each other out', right?"
"That's it. That no good NEET will receive a full-powered Explosion," Megumin said.
I was too tired to say anything more about the matter.
It was still around noon, but with everything that happened in the Ethereal Realm, and with all this business in the home of the Crimson Demons, I wanted nothing more than to take a nap.
"Is there a hotel we can stay at during our visit?" I asked. "I'd hate to impose on the village chief more than we need to."
"There's no hotels since we rarely receive outsiders. But some people rent out spare rooms when visitors do come," Yuiyui-san explained. "In fact, I can refer you to a friend."
Yuiyui-san wrote me up an address. "Thanks. OK. I will get this settled now, then."
"Oh, you're leaving so soon? I'd like to chat with you for a bit longer."
"I am also interested in the leader of my daughter's party," Hyoizaburo-san said.
No, if I stayed there any longer, my head would explode from the stress.
I excused myself as politely as I could. The others all decided to stay and chat with Megumin's family.
I had other reasons for wanting to leave, though extracting myself from that stressful bunch was my main priority.
I sought after the village chief.
When I went downstairs, I saw that Yunyun and the chief were sitting by the kitchen table.
The chief looked to be in a jovial mood, opposite to Yunyun's nervous one. She looked like she was about to collapse from nervousness at any point in their conversation.
"Wow! To think that you saved Megumin from danger so many times! You are such a loyal friend, Yunyun! So loyal, in fact, that you chose to cut your hair similar to Megumin's!"
Yunyun flinched at that last comment.
"Y-Yes! When the Giant Toa...I mean, when the Griffon and Manticore had cornered Megumin's party, I came in and slayed the Griffon and Manticore with my finishing move Light of Saber...!"
"Amazing! Truly amazing!"
I expected Yunyun to exaggerate about her adventures a little...but to replace the Giant Toads from that time with a Griffon and a Manticore, was a bit too much.
But, Yunyun needed all the help she could get.
Deciding to help her out, I came to confirm her lies.
"Ah, how nostalgic. We would have been in quite a bind if Yunyun didn't use her finishing move, Light of Saber, to kill that Griffon and Manticore. I was especially inspired by Yunyun's speech. 'You filthy creatures...you dare hurt my precious friends...for that I will unleash my Certain Kill technique! Light of Saaabeeeeerrrr! That's what she said, word for word."
"K-Kazuma-san?!" Yunyun squeaked. "Sorry! Wait, I can explain!"
I put a finger on Yunyun's lips. "Ah, don't be so humble, Yunyun. You saved all of us, didn't you? No need to be so modest!"
The chief looked at our interaction and chuckled.
"Ah, Satou-san, or perhaps I should call you Kazuma-kun? Fufu. You sly dog. If you were dating my daughter, then you should have said so earlier!"
Not this again.
What was the deal with these fathers thinking I was dating their daughters?
Did I really seem like the popular type?!
"N-No, you are mistaken, father! Kazuma-san is not the boyfriend I told you about...um...it is someone else who lives in the town of Axel…"
So it was her!
Just how many lies did this girl make?!
"I see...I would like to meet this boyfriend-san soon, then."
"Uh...yeah, I'll have him come visit soon…"
I did all I could to help her, but I wasn't about to involve myself in any more misunderstandings.
I could give her a moment of reprieve, though.
"Um, chief-san, there is something that I'd like to discuss with you, in private…"
This time, I would not say that it was an important matter that must be spoken of man-to-man.
"I see. From the looks of you, I can tell that this will be serious. Come, follow me to my study."
As the chief left, I took a moment to talk to Yunyun.
"If I ask one of my friends, I'm sure one of them will be willing to pretend to be your boyfriend," I whispered to her.
"P-Please do!"
...I meant it as a joke.
Part 3
"So, what is it that you wished to discuss, Satou-san?"
The chief's study was lined with shelves filled with thick books. The king's study was much larger and had a more varied collection, but I was sure that the Crimson Demons had some unique literature not available elsewhere.
There was a tall oaken desk next to an open window overlooking the village. The chief came over to the window and closed it, snuffing the inflow of a cool breeze.
"I want to talk about the Devil King army," I said, not wasting time. "I learned from Megumin that these attacks are not all that unusual for you guys, but, I was actually sent here by the King of Belzerg, King Joethaneal, as well as a...um, a powerful scryer. They have reason to believe that the home of the Crimson Demons are in great danger…"
No need to go into deep detail about Vanir's involvement, even though he was the one who kick started this whole thing.
"...Although I didn't notice anything unusual about the attack two days ago, there's no reason to doubt your claim. I'd like to thank you for your warning, however, I don't see what further adjustments we need to make in our defenses, even if the attacks will be more severe from now on. I know that it doesn't really seem like it, but we are always on the lookout for outsider attacks, and we have hidden sentries everywhere."
"I see," I said. "So Buzucoily-san had been telling the truth about his 'patrolling' duties. Megumin owes him an apology."
"...Actually, no. Buzucoily-kun is just a NEET who loiters around the village."
Why did I get my hopes up for that guy?
I could see the chief's reasoning, though. If their defensive systems were already at its optimal level, then what was the point in altering it? As Vanir's scrying power was blocked by a powerful individual, he couldn't provide any specifics aside from warning us of a 'great danger', and without knowing exactly what this danger was, there was little we could do.
At this point, all we do was wait for an attack and counter appropriately.
"Regardless, with our power, and with your party's presence, I think that it will all turn out fine! And even if we lose, as long as we look cool in the process, then it's definitely worth it! I'd like you to hear one of our favorite sayings, Satou-san. 'Looking Cool is more important than Winning.' We try to live by those words, Satou-san, we really do."
I couldn't help but really worry about this village.
With my meeting with the chief concluded, I resumed with my other business of import, finding a place to stay.
I followed the directions Yuiyui-san gave me.
Along the way, I was greeted by passing Crimson Demons in the usual way. But, after introducing themselves, they wouldn't continue the conversation past that point and resume with their business.
These guys just really liked introducing themselves in that grandiose fashion, I noticed.
"Across the bakery, turn at the Coin Laundry, and then...ah, there it is."
I came across a two story house. It was no mansion, but it was an upper middle class house.
I knocked on the door.
"Coming~!"
Opening the door was yet another young looking and beautiful mother. She had her hair tied in a ponytail, wore a red choker around her neck, and had an apron over a black casual dress.
The genetics of the Crimson Demons, especially with the women, were outstanding.
Every Crimson Demon woman I've encountered so far, in terms of looks alone, would have been on the level of idols and actresses back in Japan.
When it came to personality, however…
"I am Sakunori! Number One Housewife of the Crimson Demons! One who has mastered Advanced Magic!"
...They were like that.
I told her that I was looking to rent a couple of rooms, and that Yuiyui-san sent me.
"Ah...your features, I knew that I've seen you from somewhere! If Yuiyui-san sent you, then you must have come here with that Megumin-chan. You must be Satou Kazuma-sama!"
She ushered me in, and as I took off my shoes, she commented on them.
"Those are some peculiar footwear, Satou-sama…"
The replicas of the N*ke sneakers, my 'Boots' of Speed, usually caught the eye of the people of this world.
"T-This is a shoe from my homeland, a far away country…"
I said that, even though I bought these shoes from a shop in Axel.
"A stranger from a mysterious land…ah, my Crimson Demon sensibilities are tingling!"
I was starting to really grow tired of the mannerisms of these people.
"Hold on, Satou-sama, let me call my daughter. Oi, Funifura, come down here for a second!"
The voice of a teenage girl replied from upstairs.
"What is it, mama? I'm busy trying to give Somahiko-kun a bath! Hehe, come to the bath with onee-chan, Somahiko-kun..."
I shuddered. Another one of those appeared.
"Get down here you bro-con! I want you to interact with a man that is not your little brother, you bro-con! Then maybe you'll lose those bro-con tendencies of yours! Bro-con!"
"Stop it with the 'bro-con', already!"
Please don't just decide to use me as a means for behavior correction, I thought.
This Funifura girl eventually came downstairs.
Her hair was still wet as she came down from the bath, and the only thing she was wearing was an oversized black T-shirt with a skull design.
"What man could you possibly be talking about, mama?! The only men in this village are all in their forties and married! And one of the rare bachelors we have is that suspicious Buzucoily-san who always comes to Komekko-chan's house to play! Geez! I wish that someday, a decent man would come to the village and…"
When she finally reached the foot of the stairs, she locked eyes with me and her face became pale.
She pulled the hem of her shirt down, to cover her bare legs.
Sakunori-san turned to me. "Satou-sama, this is my daughter Funifura. As you can see, she has very smooth and beautiful legs."
"...Mama, I hate you so much," Funifura said, as she sobbed tears of humiliation.
Part 4
"T-These are the two rooms we have available..."
Two rooms with one queen-sized mattress each.
Darkness and Megumin could room together, while I could room with Aqua.
"I see. I'll take it. Do I have to pay a down payment?"
"N-No, as long as you pay the rent after your stay."
Funifura was left in charge of giving me a tour of the house, while Sakunori-san attended to the lunch she was in the middle of cooking, before I arrived.
This time, Funifura was fully clothed and her wet hair was wrapped in a towel.
This girl, who was not used to the company of guys around her age, was putting up a valiant effort, even attempting to make eye-contact when we spoke.
I surveyed the dimensions of the room, all the while thinking about the possible property damage Aqua or the clumsy Darkness could inflict, and how much money I needed to set aside for the repair fees. As I did so, Funifura asked me a question that I should have expected would be asked of me, based on an overarching theme that had been developing recently.
"S-So, you are Megumin's boyfriend, right?"
Yes, I should have seen it coming. That thematic thread of my supposed relationship with Megumin, ties itself once more in another of my interactions with these predictably unpredictable Crimson Demons.
"Now, where did you get that idea from?" I asked. "From Megumin's mother? Or did I speak in a way that somehow alluded to my apparent relationship with Megumin? What is it, Funifura, tell me!"
She recoiled from my passionate outburst.
"Er, actually, I am Megumin's schoolmate, and she sends me letters from time to time. I don't know how I should say this, but…the description she gave about your relationship, about how you two took a bath together, or about how you casually sexually harass her...I just assumed that your relationship was like that."
And why would Megumin feel compelled to share those details with others?!
Was she showing off about having a boyfriend, like Yunyun had?
I needed to set this matter straight!
But, with Funifura, I couldn't come up with a convincing comeback.
Certainly, if viewed from the outside, the interactions between Megumin and I could be interpreted as flirtation.
Somehow, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed in front of Funifura.
"Ahem. This is hard to explain, but although Megumin and I do have a relationship where such instances of intimate skinship occurs, and I feel comfortable enough with her to pull off stunts that could be interpreted as 'sexual harassment', I assure you that there is nothing to it more than that…"
"I-I see. So even though you two are not in an official relationship, you still do this and that…"
"!"
I just realized my mistake.
I made it seem like Megumin and I had some sort of 'friends with benefits' arrangement!
As I was about to continue dispelling this mistaken notion, however, I felt a peculiar vibration echoing throughout the house.
I thought of it as a non-event, some kind of quirk in the structure, but Funifura had an alarmed look on her face.
"Satou-san, I recognize these tremors. Quick, we need to evacuate. Follow me."
Caught along with Funifura's sudden authoritative attitude, I followed her downstairs.
Sakunori-san met us. She handed Funifura a staff and she held one herself.
"Satou-san, are you armed at all?" Funifura asked.
I was wearing casual clothes and no armor. I didn't have my partner and my bow and arrows with me, but I always kept a hidden dagger in a hidden seam in my pants.
I took out the dagger and showed Funifura.
"...Better than nothing. We must gather in the town square. Follow us. In case we are attacked on the way, Satou-san, please provide support, but leave the fighting to those with proper equipment."
The chief wasn't exaggerating about the villagers' preparedness. Already, fully armed Crimson Demons were vacating their homes and heading to the town square.
Along the way, Funifura met up with two friends of hers named Dodonko and Arue. I noticed that Arue had the same eye patch as Megumin's.
"Oh, I gave Megumin that eye patch as a graduation gift," Arue explained.
"And Funifura and I gifted Megumin with her magic staff!" Dodonko said. "C-Come to think if it, Megumin defeated the Devil King using the staff we gave her, right? I can't help but feel really honored and touched…"
"...As if that self-involved Megumin would be thinking of us at such a moment," Funifura said. "I bet she was singing praises for herself as she was casting Explosion on the Devil King."
They knew Megumin so well.
"By the way," Arue said. "Did you happen to run into Yunyun on the way to the village, Kazuma-kun?"
"Ah, yes, I did."
"I see. So she received my letter. I can't wait to hear what she thinks of my new novella…"
She called me by my first name so casually, even adding "-kun", despite the three year age gap between us.
Come to think of it, this Arue was even more 'developed' than that Yunyun!
I had come across another dangerous individual.
As we were chatting, there was another tremor on the ground.
"What's causing the tremors?" I asked.
It was the seemingly knowledgeable Arue who answered, "The sheer size of the Devil King army as they march to the village causes these tremors."
I couldn't imagine the size of the contingent we were about to face.
"However, since there is a forest filled with tough monsters around us, the Devil King army usually arrives to the village while already sustaining heavy damage, and we easily finish them off. And if they set up camp outside of the forest, we can just snipe at them from afar with spells. In short, the Devil King Army's constant attacks are nothing more than a way for us to relieve stress, so please rest assured."
These guys were frighteningly capable.
I had a feeling that, if this village full of Advanced Magic users were more motivated, the Devil King would have been dealt with a long time ago.
In fact, it seemed that it was only Megumin and Yunyun who took adventuring seriously, and even the poor excuse of a mage Megumin, who could only cast one spell a day, was more than enough to defeat the Devil King.
I understood why the home of the Crimson Demons was a place of interest to all sides of the spectrum, both to the king, and the Devil King army.
"But, even if meet them head on," Arue continued, "the victory will still fall to us…"
She just raised a flag, there.
"L-Look out! At the sky!"
A Crimson Demon girl, another really attractive one (seriously, what was up with their genes?!), pointed to the sky.
We all followed her gaze.
"!"
At the sky were Giant Wide-Winged Cheepers, but the sight of them, while quite unusual around these parts, wouldn't have raised our concerns.
But in the talons of these birds, hanging on like they were flying a glider, were soldiers from the Devil King army!
Part 5
Swooping to us, almost diving, the Cheepers drew closer to ground.
Then they unlatched their talons and released their passengers!
With a war cry, the Devil King army soldiers rapidly approached the ground. But, as they seemed to fall to their certain dooms, a voice echoed through the open air…
"Feather Fall!"
Just ten feet before landing, the laws of gravity were circumvented, and the soldiers slowed to an almost serene descent.
"Hah! The Tremors were just a feint! A minor earth spell! Didn't expect us to attack from the sky, did you? Archers, draw your arrows!"
From the same voice, likely amplified with magic, came this command. A portion of the soldiers, as they fell in slow motion, drew a bow and notched an arrow.
"Satou-san, get behind us!" Funifura ordered.
I did as I was told, seeing as I was more of a liability out there, than anything, with all these Arch-Wizards around.
"Everyone, cast Protection from Arrows!"
With everyone's efforts, a force field large enough to contain us all, was erected, deflecting the multitude of arrows.
"Good call, Funifura," Arue said. "Now, someone cast the Message spell to the chief and call for…"
As Arue issued commands, the voice cackled menacingly.
"And I thought Crimson Demons were smart. Laaaaame. Quick, while they are all still casting Protection from Arrows, casters, do your thing!"
As the soldiers all wore dark cloaks instead of distinguishable armor, it was hard to classify their roles in battle.
We neglected the possibility of the presence of other casters aside from the one who used Feather Fall.
That voice...that feminine voice cackling in glee...had considered everything while orchestrating this attack.
This wasn't just any ordinary tactician.
The sky was covered by the various spells rapidly descending upon us.
Now, I could use Expeditious Retreat on myself, and combined with my Boots of Speed, I could survive.
But, running on my own, even though it was the logical thing to do, was exactly what a Scum-zuma would do.
At this situation, though, the best thing I could do was grab the person nearest to me, and try to leave the area of impact together.
That wasn't much better than running by myself.
At this point, though…
My options were severely limited!
As I made to grab the person nearest to me, I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"I got you, Satou-sama. Teleport!"
There was that sensation of being pulled through space.
From the streets of the residential area, I was transported to a large gathering of Crimson Demons. This was the town square.
I looked to the one who teleported me, Rain.
"Rain, there are others…!" I began to say.
But I noticed the light of teleportation magic flashing around us. Arue, Funifura, Dodonko, and the rest, were teleported by other members of the Crimson Demon clan.
"Thanks," Arue said, to the girl who saved her. "I don't think we could have casted Teleport in time while we still had Protection from Arrows active."
"I guess this isn't the time to be acting cool, huh?" The girl said. "I wanted to make a cool entrance before saving you, but there was hardly any time for that."
"At least we got them with the old teleportation trick, though," Arue said. "That always seems to annoy them."
"Oh, so you thought that I wouldn't consider your pesky Teleportation, too, huh?"
Emerging out of another flash of bright light, above us, still floating in the air, was the Devil King army.
I looked for the source of the voice, but with all of them wearing the same uniform, it was too hard to pinpoint.
"You were all in the middle of casting offensive spells!" Arue said, amplifying her voice with the same spell. "How did you use Teleport in such quick succession?!"
"Duh," the mysterious leader said, "Teleportation scrolls, baby! And just try and cast spells at this close range, dummies! You'll end up killing yourselves before we even get to you!"
"Oh yeah? We'll see about that! Magic Missile!"
Arue used a single target attack instead of a big, powerful one, in order to avoid getting us caught up in it.
"Magic Barrier!"
The enemy casters easily countered the attack.
"Laaaaame. Like, tots laaaaame."
This taunting was getting annoying.
"Everyone, let's retreat for now!" Arue yelled. "Use teleport!"
"Not so fast! Troops E to I, do your thing!" commanded the leader.
"Planar Binding!"
Spiritual chains ensnared each of us, anchoring us to this dimension.
So, no Teleportation, or spells similar to it.
"...No matter! Let's do this the old fashioned way. Ruuuuun!"
"Way ahead of you! Troops L to Q, go!"
"Barricade! Magic Barrier!"
A wall of black steel, layered over with a transparent barrier, surrounded us. Funifura casted Light of Saber, in an attempt to cut through the metal, but the spell fizzled upon making contact with the barrier.
I used Farsight on the enemy casters and saw that they were all using Manatite crystals and magic rings similar to those that Megumin had purchased from that magic item store, which drastically enhanced magical power.
So that was how they could match the prowess of the Crimson Demons.
They were prepared for everything.
Their archers rained arrows upon us, but the Crimson Demons created a Protection from Arrows barrier on the opening of the Barricade wall.
"We're going to land soon! Let's see how you mages deal with good old fashioned close quarters combat!
With another war cry, the warrior types of the Devil King army drew their concealed weapons from their cloaks.
At this rate, the army would reach us in just two minutes, tops.
But this was no time to panic.
I looked to Rain. "Did you come here with the others?"
"Yes! They're somewhere here...ah! I see Darkness...I mean, Dustiness-sama!"
I had a plan.
And the primary component was Darkness's participation.
"Darkness, come here, pronto!"
The crowd parted for Darkness.
"Kazuma! I'm glad that you're safe…!"
"Yeah, yeah. Now, stay there for a second."
I regarded the crowd.
"Does anyone here know the spell, Feather Fall?"
Several people raised their hands up, including Rain.
I chose Rain. I intended to ask her in the first place, but I didn't want to waste time asking one person when I could ask several.
"Rain, when I yell the number '1!', cast Feather Fall on Darkness. Darkness, when I yell '2!' use your Decoy skill. Don't ask questions for now, just please trust me!"
They both nodded.
I regarded the crowd again.
"All of you! Prepare your most accurate, single target spells! No AoE's. Focus on accuracy, not power. Follow Arue's example and use a spell like Magic Missile. And fire at one soldier of your choice when I yell '3'. Got it?"
I received multiple 'Rogers!'.
"OK. Now spread out in a circle, everyone. Form an empty space in the middle."
Even though they didn't understand my intentions, they all carried out my orders.
While this was happening, I saw Aqua and Megumin spreading out with the crowd.
"Wait! You two, I need you!"
They came to my side.
"I'm all ears, Kazuma," Megumin said.
"Kazuma, Kazuma, what do you need me to do?"
I wished that they had always been this compliant to my orders.
I looked at each of them. "Listen, I know that you two are the prideful sort, but the roles I have for you...is something that would definitely go against your principles. Are you OK with that?"
They were uneasy, but eventually nodded.
"Megumin, don't use Explosion. Aqua, I need to use Drain Touch on you to absorb your mana."
I thought for sure that they would argue, but they only smiled and nodded.
"You always have everyone's best interest in mind," Megumin said. "For your sake, I will control my raging instincts."
"I know that I'm not exactly the smartest, but that's why I keep you around, Kazuma! I'll leave the planning to you, but in exchange, I want you to count on me more often!"
I couldn't help but become touched by their words.
I placed my hand on the back of Aqua's neck, the best spot to draw mana, and casted Drain Touch.
As I did so, I mentally prepared myself for what was to come.
My heart was beating so fast that it hurt.
I had never commanded so much people before.
The pressure of having personal responsibility over these many lives was astronomical!
Come on, Kazuma.
Isn't everyone saying that you're a good strategist, or whatever?!
Time to put one of your only redeeming qualities to work!
I had these thoughts to encourage myself, as I waited for the perfect timing to execute my plan.
The soldiers, as they fell, began to pan out. Just as I expected, they were ordered to take us out one at a time.
After all, no one could handle taking on two Arch-Wizards at the same time.
A gap began to form in the middle of their formation as they copied the circle we arranged ourselves in.
"Haha! Take this, you rotten Crimson Demons!" The voice taunted. "You guys have been a pain in my ass for the longest time! For all the stupid shit you guys put me through...this is revenge, you hear me?! Revenge!"
Just what did the Crimson Demons do to piss this person off so much?!
I took my hand off of Aqua's neck. I was buzzing with the mana of a goddess.
This was more than enough.
I took a deep, calming breath.
"1!"
Rain laid her hands on Darkness.
"Featherfall!"
Without wasting time, I went over to Darkness who was now as light as a feather, and carried her over my head. I ran with her to the center of the circle.
"2!"
"Decoy!"
As Darkness used Decoy, I gathered all of Aqua's mana in my lungs.
"Wind Breath!"
I unleashed my most powerful Wind Breath thus far on Darkness's weightless body. She was propelled at a fast pace onto the air, screaming as she ascended.
"Kazuuuumaaaaaa?!"
She shot through the gap in the soldier's formation. With the Decoy skill active, all of the soldiers eyes turned to Darkness.
With their attention fixated on Darkness, the enemy casters couldn't counter our spells.
And most importantly, their tactician was distracted.
Now was our time to attack!
"3!"
The Crimson Demons unleashed their spells.
"Eldritch Blast!"
"Magic Missile!"
"Ray of Frost!"
"Acid Arrow!"
Some spells hit the same soldier, as the attacks were not coordinated, but with this large gathering of the Arch-Wizards here, although we didn't have the entire village in assembly, there was more than enough spells to go around for every soldier.
Still descending slowly, bodies hung limp in mid air, some injured, some unconscious, some dead. After that barrage, there was hardly anyone left who could so much as draw their weapon when they finally landed.
And with all this devastation...
"...I see. So you're here, among this rotten lot."
That feminine voice, again.
In the midst of bodies drifting to the ground like leaves in autumn, was a single figure in the uniform black cloak.
They pulled the hood of the cloak back.
Red hair, pale skin, and black horns.
Bat-like wings stretched out from under the cloak.
And a crimson armor was revealed underneath.
"Just as well," she said. "Everyone I owe a serving of vengeance to has conveniently gathered in one place. Lucky me! Kukuku!"
As she cackled, with a shimmer of bright light, she vanished.
"Kazumaaaaaaaaaa!"
And from the distance, we could still hear Darkness screaming.
The Crimson Demons started cheering. The wall around us began to crumble. There were friends hugging and couples kissing.
I gave Megumin a high five. "As always, good job, Kazuma," she said.
"Thanks for holding it in."
"...I'm not as impulsive as my reputation might imply."
As I was about to thank Aqua for allowing me to use a Lich skill on her, I saw that she was looking at me with a confused look.
"Hey, Kazuma, your strategy was cool and all, but why didn't you just ask me to use Sacred Break Spell on the Barricade and Magic Barrier? We could have teleported away, at that point. Then we wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble."
At the very last moment, Aqua reminded me of something important.
But, I didn't want to feel like I wasted all that effort for nothing.
"Fufu. Haven't you heard that Crimson Demon saying, Aqua?"
I struck a flamboyant pose.
"Looking Cool is more important than Winning!"
Chapter 7 END
Next Chapter: Infiltration as a Masked Devil!