That's not how I remember it
During my days in Japan, I spent most of my life staying inside the comfort of my own home playing video games and watching anime by avoiding school. But one fateful day when I left my room to get the limited-edition copy of the new MMO that came out, I saved a girl from getting ran over by a truck and got myself killed instead.
That might've been the end for me but instead I woke up to find myself in a room with an annoying goddess who informed me the truth of my really, really embarrassing death and promised me a new life of adventure like that of the MMO games I always played. After having up to here with the so-called deity after treating me like crap, she presented me the choice to bring anything with me to the world. So, I chose her and dragged her with me as a party member only to be surprised at how useless she really is!
After recruiting an explosive-obsessed mage and a perverted masochist paladin, I started what I thought was to be an adventure of a lifetime only to discover it as a lifetime of debts, deaths, and dolts. Though I guess some good things did happened here in this world that I would never have in my old life. I ended up becoming filthy rich, our party are well known (for better or for worse) after slaying numerous Demon Generals, and to think I would end up having feelings for a certain someone who loves me unconditionally who is now currently riding on my back.
Still, wouldn't hurt anyone at all if fate decided to ease up on the beatings my life had to endure. Who knew that a Japanese girl from another world would have to deal with such crap like this? I just want to hole up in my room, eat snacks and play games, and wait for some other hero-in-the-making-shmuck to slay the Demon Queen.
"Megumi! Megumi!"
"Yes, I'm Megumi."
"Were you impressed by that explosion just now? I think that may have been my best one!" the boy shuffles excitingly making the female adventurer readjust her grips on his leg.
"Kazuman! Keep still or you're going to fall off!" Megumi shouted. "It is impressive I'll give you that. But you know what would be even more impressive?" She turns her head to him and gives him a sweet smile.
"I'm not going to learn other magic."
"Worth a shot." Her expression sours and glances away to avoid the red glare.
"You may be an explosion sommelier, but you still have yet to grasp the majestic feeling of what it's like to reduce mountains and armies to naught but ash and cinder. How it feels to wield the very essence of destruction in the palm of your hand."
"And how exquisite the taste of dirt must be when you face plant into the ground after every cast." Megumi snorted.
"Such is the cost for power."
"Would that cost be usefulness? Hope you still got the receipt…"
"There you go again! I'm not useless! I slain Demon Generals and toppled a Mobile Fortress Destroyer!"
Megumin nods, "I guess so… after you spent most of your time twiddling your little thumbs until our party took care most of the work."
Kazuman opens his mouth to retort but the realization of her words stung him. Crestfallen, he looks at the ground and mutters, "You're right."
"Huh?" the girl stops in her tracks and stares in shock at her male Archwizard.
"What good is a spell that hits really hard once if I can't even stand up after? In fact, why did I bother learning such magic? Advanced magic, intermediate magic, hell even Basic magic have more use than Explosion."
"What in the world are you talking about!?" Megumi shouts, "Explosion magic is the best! You said it yourself!"
"Calm down! Weren't you the one who been egging me to learn other spells since we met? And why are you so defensive about it, you don't even have Explosion magic on your card!"
"Of course, I do! I'm the number one mage from the Crimson Magic clan! The first in her class to become a sorcerer! And I won't stand for this insult!"
"W-what? But, I'm from the Crimson Magic clan… right?"
The two stares at each other for a moment before simultaneously their brains finally clicked.
"AHHHHHHH!" they both scream except for Kazuma who got cut off from falling off her back.
"What are you doing with my clothes!?" Megumin points accusingly at the boy who is currently rubbing his head. "When did you do this!? How did you do this!? What kind of pervert are you!?"
"I didn't do anything! And besides you're wearing my clothes too! And what are-wait…"
Megumin feels the all too familiar appraising look Kazuma is giving her, except she notices his eyes are sticking to a certain part of her body. Feeling the blood flowing to her fist, she raises it readying to strike until she feels something shifting on her chest. She looks down.
"!?"
"H-hey, what do you think you're doing!?"
"K-Kazuma! It finally happened! I hit my growth spurt!" Megumin grasps at her now swollen chest. She breathes heavily as she moves them around, feeling an electric jolt coursing through her body with each pull.
"S-s-stop molesting yourself, damn it! We got more important things to settle here!" Kazuma protested but couldn't keep his eyes off her.
The Megumin he once knew has indeed grown to that of a well proportionate figure. Her chest is poked out almost like Darkness' and her hips have gotten wider and more pronounce. The clothes she's wearing is just the same as his but clings tightly around her body. She was already a beautiful girl in her small frame, but now seeing her like this while she's fondling herself in front of him, he could feel a marathon race in his chest.
He reaches his hand to his heart it out of fear of it bursting out but just noticed his own arm for the first time. He takes a moment to inspect his body only to discover it to be much smaller both in size and weight.
"What the hell!? Did I shrink!?"
Megumin turns her attention to Kazuma's shouts and finally realized the young man's body as well.
"You're so small. You look like a kid!" She looks over at Kazuma and then back at herself. She reaches into her belongings and pulls out her Adventurer card.
"Kazuma! I don't think it's just that I grew, and you shrunk! My adventurer's card says that I'm an Adventurer class!"
Kazuma pulls out his own too and gasps, "Mine says Archwizard? Did we just exchange classes somehow? But what happened to our-ahh!"
"What's wrong?"
He falls on all fours and stares at the ground with the most defeated look on his face. "My… skills… they're all WASTED! All I know is Explosion magic!"
"You…!" Megumin attempts to the strangle the now short Kazuma but instead withdrew her arms under her buoyant chest. "The only 'wasted' thing here is this pointlessly large skill set."
"Excuse you! That 'pointlessly large skill set' is what carried this team! I don't know what's going on here but as soon I figure out where to find the respec option I'm going to properly fill this card out with a real magic build!"
"Don't you dare waste my points like that!" Megumin gestures angerly at him, "Then I'll just change all your points into Explosion!"
"S-stop moving around so much!" Kazuma turns his head.
Megumin frowns at the weird response but caught the side glance he made at her body. She grins, "Hou…"
"W-what are you getting so close for!" Kazuma falls back onto the ground when his face turns back to meet with hers. Megumin bends down to look at him, purposely letting her new breasts stick out despite having no reveal in the chest area of her clothing. But it was enough for Kazuma to get a good sense.
"What's wrong?" she dallies, "Is little Kazuma nervous now that I became his ideal woman?"
"I-ideal? What are you on about!? Quite teasing me!"
"I'm not teasing~" She sits down in front of him with her hands by her sides and leans forward. "You're the one who can't resist looking… you want to touch them?"
"Yes."
She jerks back in surprise. "T-that was quick!"
"What, you expect me to pull a 'oblivious protagonist' cliché or pretend that my dignity is too good for this and let the opportunity pass? Just who do you think you're talking to?"
"Is that so…? Well…" she glances away suddenly feeling bashful, "Go-"
"GOD BLOW!"
"HRRK!" Megumin's face caves in from the right side of her face for a moment before she was sent flying across the plains.
"M-Megumin!?" Kazuma gazes at the limp former-Archwizard crumpled to the ground before turning his head to the goddess-
"Darkness!?"
The blonde woman before him is wearing the suggestive, divine attire that use to belong to Aqua but instead of the blue colors it was changed to yellow. She casts Kazuma a quizzical look before placing her hips by her side.
"Don't just call me by that! I'm Lalatina, the Goddess of Darkness, remember? I accept either Lady Lalatina, your Gracious Lalatina, or the Goddess of Darkness, Lalatina."
"I'm not going to call you any of that! And what do you mean goddess!?"
Darkness looks hurt by Kazuma's words, and instead of huffing and puffing like she usually would when she gets the slightest bit of disrespect, she swells her cheeks and tries to suppress her tears.
"What's with you!? First Megumi and now you? Is it so much to ask for praise, worship, and respect!?"
Kazuma stares agape at the woman. Was this a prank? Did they elaborately set up a plan to switch their classes and everything to freak him and Megumin out? If so then her impression of Aqua is so dead on it's downright terrifying.
Megumin slowly collects herself from the ground and looks back at the woman with the same incredulous stare he's giving her.
"D-Darkness!? Did you do that? Why!?"
"I told you it's LADY LALATINA!" says the woman who is now flailing her arms around like a child.
Kazuma suddenly feels a soft hug from behind with his head touching a hard piece metal. He looks up only to be met with Aqua's unusual kind face and winks at him.
"… what the hell is going on." he mutters.
"Honestly Megumi," Aqua spoke out, "just because he's the only male member of our party doesn't mean you have to sexually harass him all the time."
Megumin stares at the Goddess of Water, the same person who was dragged into this world with Kazuma, the same person who usually always rubs him the wrong way, the same person who never shown genuine care so casually as she wraps Kazuma in her arms as a way to protect him from her.
She opens her mouth planning to ask them what's going on but what came out instead is a monotone, threat sounding line.
"Get your hands off him." Megumin feels her face flaring up at the end of the realization. She wasn't sure if it was somehow a pang of jealousy or the just the disturbing sight of them getting along that made her like that.
The three party members stares at her in shock. Kazuma felt his heart skip a beat but his attention was suddenly pulled by the Aqua Crusader who shifts strangely behind him. "S-such a cold line…"
What.
"Seriously, get a load of this Shotacon! I know boys his age would be very lucky to have a girlfriend, but you need to behave yourself! Always stealing his boxers and trying to get him to cope a feel from you in public! It's no wonder people from Axel town refers to you as Trashmi and Scummi."
"S-shotacon!?" Megumin exclaims in shock and humiliation.
Seriously? That was the only part you picked up on? And besides the boxers part, that doesn't sound so bad to me…
Kazuma looks back up at Aqua. She's decked out in the similar Crusader armor Darkness use to wear except without the shades of yellow it was blue instead. The girl notices his gaze and looks back down at him with a genuine smile like a protective older sister would to her kid brother.
Yeah, nothing about this feels right to him at all.
"Let go of me, useless."
Aqua recoils in shock by his blunt words but then fidgets her body and blushes. "S-so cruel…"
Alright that's enough!
"Quit it!" him and Megumin shouted in unison. The two swapped party members stares at the both of them and glances at each other.
"Quit what?" Darkness asks.
"The whole act! The different clothes! The personalities! It's all wrong!" Kazuma shouted.
"Yeah! And what's with the whole 'sexual harassment' accusations!? That's Kazuma's thing not mine! And who the hell calls me Scummi, I want names!"
"What the hell are you on about?" Darkness bends over with her hands at her hips. "Did you two hit your heads from the Explosion earlier? You're the bratty girl who dragged me from the heavens into this world all the while of you taking full advantage of us! And you're the so-called protégé of the Crimson Magic clan who mastered the most powerful magic of all!"
"Taking… advantage?" Kazuma repeated.
"So-called…?"
"Don't mix them up! You both know well what they're referring to! Now quit flirting with the boy and go slay the Demon Queen already, you shotacon!"
"Quit calling me that! I'm not doing anything for you, do it yourself!" Kazuma gazes in wonder at Megumin bickering with Darkness with a feeling of sympathy.
"Waaaah! I'm so sorry, Lady Megumi! I didn't mean it!" the Aqua-impersonating Darkness prostrates herself pathetically before her.
Megumin shoots Kazuma a look that says, 'let's get out of here'. He nods in agreement then shouts, "Hey Aqua! I forgot to mention that I left a particularly expensive wine bottle in your room earlier. Did you get it?"
The blue-hair crusader gives him a questioning look, "Huh? Oh, thanks Kazuman but where did you get the money to- "
"What!?" Darkness suddenly grabs Aqua by the collar, "You got that in your room, and you haven't even shared it with me yet!?"
"L-Lalatina, I didn't even- "
"We're heading over there to crack that bad boy open now!" The yellow goddess pulls the blue crusader away to the direction of their home. Leaving the two behind to take a moment to painfully process the strange events.
"… did she just call me Kazuman?"
~/~
"This must be a dream!" Kazuma exclaims as the two walks down the side of town. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary, except he notices certain people he usually sees hanging around the Guild wearing entirely different class gear. It seems that his party is not the only ones that swapped.
"If it was then why are we both here?" Megumin swivels her head to face Kazuma before readjusting it downwards to his new height. "… you didn't buy another 'cursed object' again, did you?"
"O-of course not! Don't remind me about that…"
"What about that hero relic? Do you think it caused all this?"
Kazuma strokes his chin at the idea. "It definitely sounds like it, but it only swaps the souls. Our bodies are different, you're more… grown, and I'm thin as a toothpick!"
"I wasn't that thin…" she mutters.
"Are you kidding me!? Look at these arms! If I was sent to jail, I could I just slide between the bars to escape!"
"Why you!" she picks up the short Kazuma and brings him close to her face. "I like to see you grow while you rely on eating nothing but bread crusts and Yunyun's lunch!"
"I-I didn't mean anything by it! Put me down!"
"Serves you right for all those times you treated me like a kid! Now I got the ideal body you wanted and all you're doing is complaining about my life?"
"Again! What's with this ideal woman crap you're talking about!?" Kazuma cries as the girl is shaking him by the collar. "You're still the same as always!"
"The same!? Have you noticed how everyone is looking at me right now!"
"That's because it looks like you're strangling a child!"
Megumin turns and notices the citizens all giving her strange looks and whispers to each other.
"Just look at how she's treating him."
"Is that the Trashmi? And is that poor boy her victim?"
"By the goddess, I wish that were me."
Her grip suddenly loosens letting Kazuma drop back down to his feet. H watches the dark expression washes over her face as she reaches out her hand in a familiar way he done before.
"Ah! She's going to use Steal on us! Run!"
The crowd of people disperses away leaving the two by themselves. Even though it was all directed at Megumin, Kazuma couldn't help but feel attacked himself.
She turns to look at him with a smile trying to hide her embarrassment and gives him a shaky thumbs up. "H-how's that?"
"What? Are you seriously asking for my approval of that?"
Ignoring his question, Megumin looks away and places her hand onto her chest. Kazuma looks around the now empty street, trying to think of anything to help break from the awkward silence before she speaks up.
"Do you… not like me still, even with this body?"
"Huh?" he turns with a confused look on his face but freezes when he sees her eyes tearing up.
"N-no, that's not what I meant. We both were acting different back there, but you're still the same Megumin I- " he swallows, "-I know."
The girl tries to avoid letting him see her face but Kazuma can clearly hear her sniffling before she replies, "And is that bad to you…?"
"No! Of course, it isn't! I'm happy you're still the same! I like that you're the same! The body is just a nice bonus is all- "
"Hou~" her expression changes immediately as she gazes into Kazuma's eyes. "Is it now?"
Did you… did you just tricked me!?
"Nevermind! You're nothing but a rotten chuunibyou brat! I see bodies like yours all over the place, it doesn't interest me at all!" he crosses his arms and looks away to avoid her invading gaze.
Megumin chuckles to herself.
"What?" Kazuma asks, now annoyed.
"You know Kazuma, members of the Crimson Magic clan are known for their glowing eyes. Which usually is triggered when they feel excited…"
Kazuma froze. He looks to his right at the nearest building with a large window and sees that his eyes are glowing red on their own. In any other situation, he would be blown away at how cool he looks but now this trait feels more like a glorified nosebleed.
"It really suits you." Megumin beams. He notices her eyes are now is just a typical shade of blue. She really looks like a regular Japanese girl.
So, it's more than just class and personality swap… I'm a member of the Crimson Demon race! Wait, does that mean I have an embarrassing bar code on my butt too!?
"We're going to Wiz's place!"
"Huh?"
"We need to figure out what's going on and get back to normal!" Turning his head to face the Adventurer Megumin, his eyes still glowing red. "If anyone can at least point us in the right direction, that would either be her or Vanir!"
"B-but Kazuma-wait!" Megumin chases after him as he didn't wait long enough for her to even answer.
After a few minutes of running, the two now stand before the store. Much to their relief that the place seems at least the same on the outside.
Kazuma ponders to himself now: if everyone is swapped with another then does that mean Wiz and Vanir swapped too? The thought of a timid mask demon and a scheming lich brought a humorless smile to his face. At least it's better than what Aqua and Darkness ended up as.
He opens the door to the sound of the familiar bell ring.
"Welcome!" a male, deep voice calls out from the back.
Huh? That isn't Vanir. But it sounds so familiar… who could be-
"Megumi! Kazuman! To what do I owe the pleasure?" A tall figure clad in black armor emerges from the back. The two gasps at the sight of the familiar knight who had once long ago threatened this town after having his own castle bombarded by explosions day after day.
"Beldia!?" they both shouted.
"Y-yes?" the knight who has now placed his severed head onto the shop counter now taps both his index fingers together nervously in a manner that is like Wiz.
"I-is something wrong?"
"Everything. Everything about this is so wrong." Megumin slumps to the ground.
"I… do not understand?" the body turn its direction probably in way to convey confusion.
"Look you know what, it's been a long day, so we'll roll with it. Beldia, do you know anything about weirdly realistic dreams or whatever that's been going on?"
The Dullahan shrugs, "Not specifically… is there something wrong? You'll have to forgive me, I been busy keeping the place organized and clean the past week so I may not be up to date with the current affairs of the town. My apologies."
This is the undead knight that had mercilessly slaughtered three adventurers in one swoop and casted a death curse on the entire town. And here he is now bowing over and over apologetically like what Wiz would have done.
"Alright, whatever. Is Vanir here or whoever is pretending to be him at least?"
"He's… in the back, I'll go get him." The Dullahan quickly disappears into the back of the store. Then re-emerges to grab his head from the counter and rushes back inside.
After a moment, a familiar greeting calls out to them.
"Ah! If it isn't the comedic couple taking hungry glances at each other when the other isn't looking, how can I help?"
The two flusters before Kazuma speaks up, "Vanir, is that still you?"
"If you're referring to the body I am in possession of, then no I'm not. But whatever this character switch dream is, it is ineffective in replacing me with anyone since they would end up just becoming moi."
"I knew it! It is a dream!"
"Yes, congrats on figuring it out yourself before visiting us to inquire the said question. Now that that's settled are you two here for the contract? We can have the girl possess both of your best traits, high intelligence and high luck would certainly make a powerful mage or a capable magic-oriented adventurer."
"Kazuma, what is he talking about?" Megumin stares accusingly at the sweating boy.
"Who knows!? Just Vanir being Vanir I guess, hahaha!" He pulls the said demon aside and whispers. "Can you really do that? How does that work? Is it like Fire Emblem: Awakening or do you just choose what stats to carry over?"
"I don't know what this 'Awakening' you speak of, but I assure you it's-ah, I can taste the raw emotion of contempt being directed at us. Let's continue this some other time."
Kazuma retreats next to Megumin and avoids her scrutinizing stare.
"Are you really the Vanir we know? Are you trapped in this dream too?" Megumin asks.
"Not exactly. The false memories in my head tells me that everything is the same except everyone is switched with one another, and I was only able to know by using Divination to see that you two would visit and tell me how everything's not what it seems to be. Indeed, I may just be another figment of the dream and you two are the only ones truly aware of it."
Wow must be heavy to suddenly realize that your entire existence is just some imagination of the brain. Yet he doesn't seem too bothered by it.
"Why should I be bothered? The real me exists and is very much alive. This whole ordeal would just be bothersome to us. So better a fake than the real one." Vanir smiles.
"Quit reading my head! Well then what do we do? Are we trapped?"
"Doubtful, you two will eventually wake up. I suggest you find whatever's causing the dream and to be rid of it immediately."
Kazuma stares at the smiling masked man with doubt. "Just like that? No 'life-threatening' problem or some evil force we have to fight?"
"I know you had a rather… difficult time on this world, but not everything is trying to kill you. Unless… this is the work of a rogue Succubus that is currently keeping you two trapped to drain all your life essence. Would explain why your dreams are linked together but you have that bothersome deity in your house keeping vigilant guard against our kind. Whatever it might be, you should stop it post-haste. Unless you happen to enjoy the altered reality, I know that one seems to be enjoying the benefits." He points to the former Archwizard girl who is now looking at herself in the mirror, or rather a certain part of herself.
"Can you please tell her to stop displaying such gestures near the entrance? Dream as it may be, I will not stand to have my customers scared off by her."
"R-right…" Kazuma fetches Megumin and the two said their farewells.
"Come back again!" the Dullahan, Beldia, waves them goodbye before resuming sweeping the floor.
~/~
"So, we just got to wait until we wake up?" Megumin questions. The two are now currently sitting on the grass overlooking the lake. Kazuma would rather head home and lounge around but the whole Darkness/Aqua situation is too much for them to handle.
"That's the plan," he mutters.
Megumin looks at Kazuma again. His frame really does remind her of her real body, how small and young he looks. It's probably not of the question to believe that their ages have swapped too, but she could see how people would mistake him as a kid.
"…" The thought of that now however just irritated her.
"So," Kazuma breaks the silence, "How does it feel to be me for a day?"
Megumin shrugs, "Well… if you're talking about how others think of me, it's kind of humiliating. And these memories seem so… real, like I can just recall everything that leads up to this moment…"
"Guess they switched ours… neat." Kazuma sighs and looks out onto the lake. Then he suddenly swivels his head back at her, "Wait, how much can you recall!?"
Megumin avoids his gaze but accidentally lets out a "pfft!"
"What!? What did you see!?"
"I-I'm sorry!" says Megumin as she clutches her stomach before letting out a laugh, "It's just… I don't know what a 'truck' or a 'tractor' is but even I-hahahaha-even I can tell how slow it was moving!"
"Aahhh!" Kazuma covers both of his ears, "Stop! I don't want to hear it!"
"I-it's just… to think your first death was that all along…"
This little!
"Two can play it at that game!" Kazuma announces as he clutches both sides of his temple.
Megumin smirks and crosses her arms at him, "Trying to embarrass me with my own memories? Nice try, Kazuma, but a Crimson Demon is not afraid of the past- "
"HAH!?"
"W-what!?" Megumin exclaims at the sudden cry breaking through her demeanor.
Kazuma slowly turns his head to the girl with a horrified expression. "It was you!? You're the reason why the Axis followers from that town were acting like bloodhounds!?"
Megumin shifts nervously to herself to avoid his glare, "N-no- "
"Don't lie to me these are your memories!"
"Well at least I didn't play with myself while I was sleeping in the stables next to Aqua! Have you no shame!?"
"Ack! W-well at least I don't take advantage of Yunyun's kindness! Pretending to don't know her after all that time you two spent together in school? How cruel can you be!?"
"Like you never took advantage of anyone! I bet there's a nasty memory somewhere of you harassing someone in your homeland!" Megumin squints despite the physical effort causes no effect on recalling memories.
As if, I was just a person minding my own business back in Japan. Maybe I was taking advantage of my parents by not going to school and secretly hide in my room while they thought I was attending. I'm ok with that so it's not like-
Kazuma notice Megumin's face suddenly shifts to a sad expression before letting her hands fall to the grass.
"W-what?" he gulps nervously but still irritated, "Is it that bad? It's not like I hate my parents it's just- "
"-it's because of her… Kazuma, I…"
He pauses. Her? Who could she be referring to-oh.
Her. The childhood friend he knew. His first love, and the person who promised to marry him before he saw her with another boy. Right.
"Why do you look so down," he mutters, "It doesn't really matter."
"It does… I mean, I shouldn't have. I'm sorry." Megumin withdraws her legs to her chest.
Yeah, you shouldn't have. But then again, we were both getting out of hand delving into our dark past. And her memories…
"I should be sorry too then." Megumin looks up at him. "I can see what you went through with your family. I shouldn't be chiding you about taking Yunyun's lunches. You really were in a terrible spot. You and your family deserved better. And all I got are just embarrassing memories and a poor excuse to live a recluse life. I'm just a pathetic NEET who overreacted over a child's promise- "
"That's not true!" Megumin snaps. "She was your first love! I never had understood the way you were before until now. If… if you had decided to be with someone else, then maybe I would do the same…"
She casts her eyes to the ground before she pulls herself closer. Kazuma watches her but doesn't make any attempt to move.
"These memories are making me feel like I been through the same, but I haven't… and I don't want to. Kazuma, if you don't mind me asking… but is the reason you were so reluctant to be with me. To love me… was it because of her? Are you afraid I would leave you?"
He says nothing but his mind stirs up a war inside. For a while he never thought the event really bothered him… or has it really and he just refused to acknowledge it? Thinking back to it, it was a major reason he became reclused. But saying it out loud to himself just sounds pathetic, especially to a girl who lived in poverty. He imagines how people would laugh or chastise him for being that broken over a first love. But Megumin didn't laugh at him. She didn't mock him for it.
Because she's in love with him. Him, her first love.
"I won't leave you," she answers tearfully, "You know me. I'm stubborn. I'm dedicated. If I set my heart out for something, then I won't stop. You're the most important person to me and I love everything about you. But I… I don't want to guilt you into loving me. It's your choice too."
Kazuma gazes out onto the lake. The sun is now setting upon the horizon, casting an orange glow across the land. It took him a moment to recognize the area. The place where they went on their first date together, which ended up as a family picnic thanks to a certain goddess.
He turns to face Megumin. She rubs the tears from her face before looking back at him expectantly. Not knowing what to say in this situation, he exhales before reaching to her.
"Kaz-nnn!" Megumin felt his lips pressing against hers. A moment of irritation flashes in her eyes at the sudden move but quickly melted away as her emotions surges by the intimate contact. Her mouth shifts openly to embrace the kiss as her arms move on their own to hold him. After getting lost in the moment, Kazuma regains his senses and breaks away. Their mouths still connected together by a string.
Wiping it off, he glances away and accidentally spoke out in a squeak tone, "Does… that answer your question?"
Megumin looks at him for a second before letting out a "pfft!"
"W-what are you laughing for!? Was it that cheesy?"
"N-no, I'm sorry! It's perfect! Just the kind of response I would expect! But hearing it out of that body just makes it-ahahahaha!" she falls back on the ground laughing harder than before.
Kazuma now feels an even stronger sense to retreat into his room now than ever. Megumin rises before wiping away a tear and smiles.
"It might sound callous, but I'm glad you two never got together. Because you wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't have met my first love."
Yeah but if I wouldn't be here, then I wouldn't have to sleep in the stables, get dragged into a pile of debts, die in more ways than I even knew was possible!
Still, the thought of it doesn't seem so bad to him now. In fact, he feels as if something was lifted off his chest. Maybe bringing it into the light with her, just made it bearable to him.
So bearable in fact, he could feel another feeling lifting off. Like his feet.
Wait-
Kazuma suddenly found himself pressed against the ground; his frail arms pinned to the side. He looks up at the former explosion mage giving him a suggestive smile.
"Megumin, what are you doing?" he struggles for a bit, but her newfound body strength overpowers his easily.
"I just…" she starts breathing heavily, "that kiss just got me a bit excited. And that body of yours is so cute…"
You really are a shotacon!
"Idiot! We're close to the road and out in the open! It may be evening but there could still be people passing by!"
Megumin giggles and leans a bit closer.
"I don't mind. You heard what they said about me. In this reality, I'm the ill-rumored heroine who teases her little Archwizard- "
"Pretty sure they said, 'sexually harass'."
"-as I was saying: my reputation here doesn't mean anything to me, but I don't mind playing along... hah, your eyes are glowing again~"
He could tell from the heat alone from his cheeks just how red his face must look to her. The sight of it seems to encourage her as she boldly presses her breasts against him and gives him a wet kiss on the head. This new body of hers is so erotic, but the way she's using it is dangerous!
"Fufu, I forgave Darkness for what she did to you, but I still can't help but feel jealous. Did she do this to you before I barged in? How far was she going?"
"H-hey! Could you just give me a moment before you-ahh!" he cuts off after feeling soft valleys sliding across his chest. Megumin recoils a bit as if the electric jolt surged through him to her body.
"Everything's so sensitive… this is it, Kazuma, even if this is a dream it all feels so real… this body is made for you so let's just indulge ourselves. Just for tonight, please?"
Kazuma gulps and gives her a meek nod. This feeling of being overpowered by a female adventurer wasn't what he thought it to be. It's humiliating but somehow even more exhilarating. And with his small stature compared to hers she's like a life-size body pillow he keeps in his closet back in Japan, only softer, warmer, and well... real.
So this is what it feels like having a matured woman take control. He never entertained such a thought, especially being dominated by Megumin of all people. He understands now why it was such a common choice for the adventurers of Axel in that-
Hold on. Dreams? An out of place sexual encounter? Females overpowering younger versions of adventurers?
"-Megumin."
"Yes, Kazumaa?"
"Did you… did you went to that Succubus' place and created this dream between us?"
The dominant female adventurer froze. Her face switches from her sexy confident demeanor to a petrified stare like she saw a ghost.
"… nooo…"
"Are you telling me that if we wake up, you and I won't feel a bit drained and you won't happen to be around 1000 eris coins short?"
Before she could answer, a brief light appears causing Kazuma to blink rapidly away at the brightness before opening them again to the now petite Megumin dressed in her pajamas still pinning him down on his bed. The light from the window and the sound of birds chirping informs him that it is now morning. Somehow, they wasted an entire succubus dream.
He looks back up at Megumin with a passive expression on his face. She said nothing as she shifts her eyes away from contact with her hands still gripping down his arms despite him being capable now to easily break free.
"Well, go on. I'm not stopping you." Kazuma said.
"A-a-a-a-!" She finally lets go much to his disappointment and retreated to the furthest edge of his bed. She buries her beet red face into the blankets and began shouting, "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!"
Kazuma waited for her to calm down before she could explain. Apparently, Megumin didn't like how he would visit the Succubus' place even after they started spending their nights together. So out of jealousy, which she claims not to be the case at all, she threatened to blow the place up. But one of the succubi convinced her not to by telling her about their ability to link dreams and how they set up the fake reality to whatever fantasy she wants. And so, she decided to take up on the offer and got their demon-loathing goddess liquored up so she won't be able to chase them away.
"That's… you could've told me about it first!" Kazuma protested.
"But then you would expect it! And it felt easier for me to go through it because I was in control."
"That's not okay!"
"Says the one who bought a 'love curse' statue that nearly got us killed!"
"Agh, alright you know what let's just call it even then!"
"I wasn't going for even!" Megumin presses her face into the blanket again, "I just… wanted you to see me as a woman…"
His expression softens at the poor girl. He gently takes Megumin's head and moves it towards him. He peers into her crimson eyes, almost noticing a faint glow bringing a smile to his face.
"If you ask me, I prefer your eyes here better than that dream. No, not just that, everything about you as well. Just like how you love every part about me too."
He pulls Megumin in for a hug. Her body stiffens for a bit before relaxing into his arms by returning hers.
"Thanks… for all those things you said," Kazuma whispers, "I like this better. The way you fit into my arms; it's really comforting."
"D-don't get used it!" her voice cracks, "I'm still growing! You'll see, I'll have a body that'll knock that dream version out of the water!"
Kazuma chuckles but she could tell it wasn't mean-spirited. She takes in the moment, feeling the warm embrace she's conditioned to after all those rides he gives her after Explosion practice.
But I guess, Megumin thinks to herself, I couldn't be happier right now to hear him say that…
Author's Notes
I like to thank everyone for their support and for enjoying the story. Writing this has been really helping me to relax and get my mind off things and reading your responses fills me with joy. Hope you all are as excited as I am for the upcoming movie and to see the two finally starting their romantic subplot together. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it!