Chapter 6:

Part 1:

(Cielo's POV)

A few hours before-

"By the way, what did Verdia mean when he called you a multi-class?"

Kazuma's question caught me off guard for a second; but I shouldn't have been surprised that he'd ask me that though.

"It means more or less what it sounds like; I'm one of those rare individual's who comes along once in a blue moon that has the potential to have multiple classes at any one time. In this case, two classes. Since the day I was born, I've always had an affinity with healing magic which is why I'm going to become a priestess of the Eris faith."

"However, as a result of my father's incredibly intense training regime, I also gained access to the Monk class as well. Because of this, when I received my Adventurer's card, it showed that I could learn all the skills available to be used by both without restriction."

Kazuma, upon hearing my words, gives me an understanding nod.

"I see, I see; I guess that makes... Wait, then that means...?"

He turns away from me suddenly and I could see him grab his head as he waves back and forth.

Curious, I lean in close and hear him say in a low, almost whisper like tone-

"Dammit, that means she has more of a cheat-like gift than what I received when I was sent here, which was nothing at all. That's not fair."

"Um... cheat-like gift?"

I asked him, causing him to go rigid; then look back at me nervously.

"You could still hear me... Never mind that, now. We-yeah, we need to get out of here before Verdia and his worm food army decide to take action and try to stop us."

I agree with that; giving him a nod.

Kazuma then leads the way with me following close behind.

Well, not to close as I didn't want my phobia to suddenly kick in.

That was something we didn't need right now.

His words though did make me think. I recalled Lia saying something to me once about having come from a far away land; one farther than what anyone could hope to reach even by sailing the ocean.

She had also said something about being gifted with a power before coming here; a cheat-like gift one could say.

Does this mean Lia and Kazuma could have possibly come from that same distant land?

I'd have to inquire on this matter more at some later time.

Once we had reached the top of the stairs, we began to walk down a dimly lit hall way; only the faint light from a few candles scatter here and there to keep us from being blanket by total darkness.

We moved from door to door, opening them and seeing what we could find within.

Nothing of importance, really.

We soon reach a fork in the hall and after doing something Kazuma called 'eerie-meenie-minnie-moe', we continued down the path his action had chosen for us.

We continued to walk, checking doors and repeating that same 'game' over and over but it was soon becoming clear that we weren't getting any closer to finding an exit. In fact-

"I think we're going around in circles here, Kazuma."

Kazuma looks at the wall and the number of doors in this hallway then looks back at me and say-

"I hate to say it, but I'm thinking your right. We probably should have taken that left to Zanzibar."

"Zanzibar?"

I asked, not understanding his words.

"Never mind, just a reference to something from back where I'm from. Anyways, let's try this last hallway and if we don't find something, we'll backtrack and see if we can find something not so familiar."

I nod; not having any better ideas to offer in place of that one.

Once again, we found nothing of interest in any of those rooms. However-

The last door was a curious one; curious in the fact that it was the only one that was locked for some reason.

"Do you think that there could be something good in here?"

I asked, looking at Kazuma.

"Only one way to find out... Specter."

I jump as Kazuma becomes all see through, like a ghost.

Before I could say anything, he then passes through the solid metal door like it wasn't even there.

Despite that jump scare he just gave me, I still have to admit it had been preety cool to see.

After a moment, I hear the sound of the lock being released followed by the door creaking open.

A bit of light filtered into the hall thanks to the door being opened as well.

Once I was inside, and the door closed I say to Kazuma while trying to sound mad-

"Hey, warn me next time when you go to do something like that. You gave me quite the jump scare."

He replies with a cheeky grin, saying-

"Oh, don't be like that, Cielo. You know you liked it."

He then laughs while I puff my cheeks out.

And yes, maybe I DID like it, just a little. Not that I'll ever admit it to him or anyone.

After a moment, I begin to look around the room; seeing it was filled with a ton of crates all filled with small bottles. At the far end of the room was a door; the light filtering in from the cracks.

"Where are we and what do you think are in these bottles?"

I grab one of the bottles from a crate; Kazuma doing that same from another.

I look at the label and read-

"Armor Polish; Heavy Magic Resistance Edition."

I cock my head to one side, wondering what that meant.

"I think it means that when applied to any suit of armor worn, it will enhance the wearer's resistance to any magic based attack. It also says on the back that this stuff is especially effective against Holy type magic. I'm guessing this guy is taking at much precaution as he can get his hands on to survive."

I nod as I move and examine a few more crates. They all contained the same item though many were now filled with empty bottles,

Made sense especially seeing as his stay here was only meant to be a short one.

I then move past Kazuma, who was still reading the back of the bottle he was holding, and examine the far door that had light filtering through its cracks.

I open that door, happy to find that it hadn't been locked and find that beyond it was a large courtyard.

On the far side, and along the sides of the courtyard were walls, walls, and more walls. I could see some openings but couldn't be sure if they opened up to outside the castle or just led back inside.

Either way, it was something better than what we've had to work with at the moment.

"Kazuma, I think we... should... Kazuma?"

As I turn to look back at him, I feel that something had changed. I couldn't quite place what that change was but it made me suddenly feel nervous.

"Kazuma, are you OK?"

I asked again, finally getting a reaction as he turns around to look at me...

...with a glowing green eye...

Part 2:

(Megumin's POV)

"What do you say, my second...?"

The Dullahan says these words, making a figure appear from one of the two stairways located just behind the throne.

Almost immediately, the hooded creature breaks into a run before leaping over the Dullahan; attempting to pounce on Darkness who just barely manages to dodge back in time.

I breath out a sigh of relief.

It had landed in a crouching position but is quick to stand, allowing us to see its face.

Looking upon it; I feel as if my heart had been frozen in mid-beat and my whole body begin to shake.

It couldn't be... HE couldn't be...

It was Kazuma; showing plenty of signs that his transformation into a Lich was drawing close to completion.

But it couldn't be Kazuma. He had escaped, along with this 'other prisoner', right?

I didn't want to believe but there he was, standing right there before us and between us an the Dullahan.

And the look on his face wasn't one on acknowledgment, but one of unfamiliarity.

He didn't recognize us at all.

"Meet my new second on command. I'm sure you three will get along... Quite well indeed..."

Without realizing it, my hold on Kazuma's short sword had gone slack, resulting in it slipping onto the ground with a louder clattering sound.

"Megumin, don't lose focus now. We still have a job to do here."

Yelled Darkness; not taking her eyes off of Kazuma or the Dullahan.

"But... it's Kazuma, we can't..."

My shaking was only getting more intense. I knew that Darkness was right; but-

"What did you do to him? Tell me, Demon General."

Darkness demanded in a low and threatening voice.

"I didn't do anything, apart from placing the Lich curse upon him that is. I can't recall if I told this to either of you before, but I know I did warn him that if he learned any Lich skills and used them, that there would be consequences to that action. And this, it seems, became one of those consequences."

Despite the current state I was in, I still somehow managed to find the will to ask-

"But you said before that you had no idea where he was now. That you allowed him and that other prisoner the chance to escape. Was that a lie too?"

The Dullahan twist the hand that was holding his head in a way to indicate him shaking his head.

"And I was telling you both the truth, in a manner of speaking that is. I really don't know where he is... In here, I mean."

The Dullahan then uses a finger and taps it against Kazuma's head.

"I confess that this wasn't something I thought would happen. Normally, one who's been cursed to become a Lich like this usually doesn't start losing their sense of self until the final twenty four hours. While him using Lich skills to aid the other prisoner to escape did accelerate his time closer to the final hour, it hasn't been enough to reach that final twenty four yet. Perhaps..."

Dullahan then extends his head holding arm out, as if he was leaning forward before adding-

"... Your friend was just a far weaker minded man that I first thought he was."

He then laughs as he pulls his head back towards his body.

"I've had enough" yelled Darkness as she quickly moves around Kazuma, trying to continue her assault against the Dullahan, but Kazuma quickly moves to once again block the way.

At the same time, the Dullahan raises his sword high above before slashing it down to strike both Kazuma and Darkness; only for Kazuma to turn all ghost like, thus allowing the blade to cleave through him with injury.

Darkness just barely managed to bring her own sword up to block the attack though the force was still powerful enough to cause the ground beneath her to sink downward just a bit.

Kazuma then moves out of where the blade was passing through him before becoming solid again then slamming himself hard against Darkness, pushing her back away before the Dullahan's attack could overpower her and cut her down.

"I see, you want to have her all for yourself, is that it, my second? Very well, I shall watch and observe. This will allow me to asses what you can do in order to determine if we should make any pit stops, for training purposes, while we return to your new home."

Kazuma turns back to look at him, then back at Darkness who was already picking herself off of the floor.

He holds out his right hand and says-

"Bone Scythe."

Both I, and I'm sure Darkness too, watch in shock as Kazuma's skeletal right hand begins to glow; a long bone like handle forming just before the palm with a blade of bone forming at the end. He then takes hold of it, spins it around a few times, which would have been damn awesome to watch if the situation wasn't what it is, then takes up a battle stance against a now standing Darkness.

"Now, attack..."

Commanded the Dullahan.

Kazuma then lunges forward, doing one amazing swing of the scythe after the other; his speed and precision being nothing short of amazing as Darkness goes onto the defensive with barely any chance to react, let alone counter.

Had Kazuma always been this skilled with a scythe, or just with weapons in general? Or was this the result that came from learning this skill or in becoming a Lich?

"Kazuma, stop... It's me, don't you... remember me?"

Yelled Darkness, quickly becoming overwhelmed by Kazuma's onslaught.

I wanted to help, I really did. But could I? I was of the mage class, we didn't do hand to hand combat. If I did jump in, could I really help Darkness? Or would I only be a burden; make things even harder for her?

And, it was Kazuma we would be fighting, too. Could I really fight him on top of that?

Just as I was about to drop to my knees in defeat, I hear the sound a laughter; the Dullahan was laughing at the sight.

"I don't know why, but watching this play out almost makes me feel alive again. Perhaps from a sense of nostalgia relating to something I can't remember off the top of my head or maybe it's a sign that even in life, I was a sick and twisted person. What do you think, cowardly mage?"

He looks at me for just a second. While I couldn't see his face, apart from his one visible eye, I was sure he was smiling at me. He then returns his attention to the fight.

Kazuma's scythe strikes were beginning to breach Darkness's defenses, starting to scratch against her armor though luckily not deep enough to either scratch said armor nor go deep enough to cut through; not that it could cut through the armor but who could really say for sure?

But it was the sight of seeing tears beginning to fall from Darkness's eyes that made something inside me snap.

I gritted my teeth as I knelt down and retrieved Kazuma's weapon; making sure that I had a firm grip on it. I then looked at the Dullahan and saw his attention was fully on the fight.

I couldn't bring myself to attack Kazuma; not when he was like this. But Kazuma wasn't our enemy here-

The Dullahan was.

And right now, his attention wasn't on me which meant that I have an opening to attack him.

I'm not sure if perhaps the Dullahan had some sort of power or ability to control Kazuma when he was in this state. He had said something about Kazuma's mental fall happening sooner than expected. What if that was because the Dullahan himself was having some control over that?

I then break into a run, circling around to the back of my target.

I doubt this would work, let alone possibly release Kazuma if he was being controlled. But I still had to try. How could I call myself his friend, and technically the party's second in command, if I didn't.

The Dullahan must have sensed I was coming as he begins to turn towards me. But he was to late-

I thrust the short sword into what I was hoping to be a weak point; a spot that wasn't covered in armor.

The blade sinks into the black, fabric like goo.

Dullahan growls; not so much from physical pain but more like surprise that he was struck in such away. He tries to bring his sword around at me but his armor made him slower than I as I pulled back enough to avoid his swing. Then, while he was still in that swing, I charge him again-

This time aiming for his exposed eye beneath his helmet.

"Wait, Megumin..."

Darkness yelled but there was no stopping me now.

Well, except for the Dullahan that was as he suddenly lurched one of his knees forward, connecting it against my gut which sent me flying back; blood being coughed up from my mouth.

As I try to recover as quickly as I could, I feel his dark shadow fall over me.

"That wasn't a bad strategy, little mage. Had I still been a man of flesh and blood, that first strike would have been most effective against me. And if your second hadn't been stopped by my own counter, you may have even weakened me for a few minutes. I would have recovered after a few though; one of the perks that comes from being an undead is magical regeneration."

I finally stand; my legs being just a little bit wobbly though. I give the Dullahan a smug smirk.

"Then how about you give me another shot at it? I'm sure I'll do even better next time."

"Tempting, very tempting indeed..."

He says as he prepares to swing his sword at me again. His stance telling me he was ready to make any needed adjustment to his attack in order to better counter any moves I may try to make.

"As much as I would like to see how THAT would play out; I'm beginning to feel bad about putting you two threw this ordeal? I wonder, perhaps I should curse you two with the same curse as I did to your friend? That way, you three could stay together forever. What do you say?"

I see the same small flame appear on the tip of his blade that had appeared before, when Kazuma had been struck. I prepare to act; to do something though his words caused an unexpected thought within me-

If we couldn't save Kazuma; if we did fail here and now, would that really be the worst possible outcome here?

I curse myself inwardly for even thinking that and for letting that very thought distract me for the split second the Dullahan needed to bring his sword down upon me.

...CLUNK...

Kazuma was suddenly standing between us again, his scythe nearly being sliced in half by that attack; much to mine and everyone else surprise.

Kazuma then drops the scythe onto the ground, the impact finishing the job in breaking it in half before it disintegrates into dust.

"Kazuma?"

I said his name, feeling my cheeks warm just a little. Had he just jumped in and saved me?

"What are you doing, my second?"

Asked the Dullahan, his voice low and looking for answers.

"What needs to be done..."

Was the reply Kazuma gives, looking back at the Dullahan then he returns to looking at me.

As if on instinct, I begin to move towards Kazuma; possibly to hug him as tears begin to build up in my eyes.

"You're still you; still in there... Kazu-"

"Apathy!"

He says suddenly, his eyes flash as they lock onto my own.

It was as if an intense impulse of power passed right through me and suddenly, I felt all my will power, all strength I had within me to do... anything, was gone; completely purged from my being.

Once again, my hold on his weapon fails, sending it falling onto the ground once more.

I was quick to follow as I collapse onto my knees, unable to move as my wide eyes observe Kazuma coming closer and closer till he was right on top of me.

He then kneels down and places a hand beneath my chin and tilts my head upwards to once again meet his gaze.

"Kazu-ma?"

I weakly get out as he begins to close the distance between us.

I try to move, to act, to do something but my body wouldn't respond. Even my mind could barely function as he drew closer and closer.

Was what I think he was going to do about to happen? Was this really how my first kiss would play out? No, not like this. I didn't want my first kiss to be under these sort of circumstances.

He finally drew close enough that our noses were touching. The tears that had been building up had started to fall as I weakly said his name one final time.

"Megumin..."

He said before closing that last bit of distance between us-

But it wasn't his lips meeting mine that had happened. Instead, it was him pressing his forehead against mine as his body once again become all ethereal; his forehead then partially passing into my own.

My body began to shake as my mind was bombarded with images, words, and other things; all happening so fast that I couldn't process it in that moment.

Just as quickly as it had happened, it was over as Kazuma pulled away then became solid again.

He then leans to the side and whispers into my ear; words that make another tear fall.

Kazuma then pulls away, moving back to stand beside the Dullahan.

All the while, I remain in my kneeling position for just a moment longer before I finally fall to the ground, the world becoming murky as my mind continues to process everything.

Part 3:

(Darkness POV)

"MEGUMIN..."

I yelled as she collapsed onto the ground, unmoving.

I move to run over to her, to check on her but the Dullahan gets in between us, his sword connecting against me, sending me flying back against the wall behind me.

If not for my armor protecting me, I was sure I would have been cut by his attack; maybe not sliced in half, but injured enough to have taken me out of this fight too.

"You shouldn't let yourself get distracted while in battle; no matter what that reason may be for."

I growl as I go to stand, finding my legs to be unsteady.

The impact, while it hadn't injured me, had still had an effect on me regardless.

"I was worried about my new second there for a second; seeing him come between me and the mage like that. But it seems he wanted to deal with her personally."

He then turns to look at Kazuma and ask-

"I'm guessing you want to play rough with this one as well, am I right?"

Kazuma didn't respond; instead just keep his attention on me.

"Kazuma, why? What did you do to Megumin? What did you do to her? How-how could you...?"

"Have you forgotten already, Crusader? The Kazuma you know is gone; swallowed beneath the maelstrom of darkness that is the mind of a Lich. In fact, I'm not even sure what's left of his mind is even still able to perceive anything that is going on out here."

"And as to your question; what did he do to the mage? That was a rather terrifying skill called Apathy; a skill that is very rare even among the Lich class. I should know as another of the Demon General's happens to be a Lich and she has said as much to us; her companions. Apathy, when used on a target, will rob them of all willpower and, by extension, physical strength. This will leave any target effected completely vulnerable for a set period of time; that time based on if the Lich maintains it or if its just for a blink length of time."

He then looks back at Kazuma and says-

"While I understand if you want to deal with her too, being that she is also a comrade of yours, I nevertheless command you to stay back and allow me to finish her off. Is that understood?"

Kazuma simply closes his eyes for a moment; I'm guessing that was his way of bowing as an answer.

"My command isn't just out of being greedy, well it isn't just about that..."

The Dullahan had turned his attention back to me, getting my attention back onto him as well.

"I am worried that letting him continue to attack you both could risk him having a relapse and regain something of his old self. Now that I have learned that he has actually learned the Apathy skill, that means I must insure I return him to the Devil King. Having that power at our beck and call will make all future campaigns far, FAR more easy for us going forward."

Dullahan then begins to walk towards me; slowly as if to allow me a few moments to try to formulate some final strategy to use against him. Not that I could come up with anything on the spot.

In truth, strategy was never my strong suit. I was always more of an 'in the moment' kind of girl.

I really wished I had devoted more time to learning strategy in my spare time.

I begin to think all the same. Could I use that holy wave thing that I can unleash from swinging my blade at the Dullahan; possibly hurt him with it?

No, that would be futile. Maybe I could hurt him to some degree, but that's all that it would do; hurt him. I doubt it will do enough damage to really wreck him, let alone kill him.

Face it, the only chance any of us would have here is if we had a priest; or better yet, an Arch Priest, here to use anti undead spells against this guy. But, as we are now, we could have never won this fight.

And we were foolish in even thinking we could have.

I look at Megumin one final time, mentally making an apology for failing as a Crusader and a friend...

And that's when I saw it-

Laying beside her was her staff; one hand holding onto it tightly. The red magicite gem having a small, but growing light coming from it.

She hadn't had her staff out when she had went down; at least I don't recall her having it out.

When had she...?

A thought races through me head as I quickly look beyond the Dullahan to Kazuma who had turned away, looking at the large wooden door that led out to the throne rooms balcony.

I then noticed the door was hanging open, ever so slightly.

And while I couldn't be certain, I though I could see an eye peeking through.

Kazuma, probably sensing that I was looking his way, turns back to look at me which brought my attention back onto him.

He then gives me the slightest of smirks; just barely noticeable but I knew it was there.

While I made sure to keep my face looking like a mixture of panic and defeated, I inwardly couldn't help to feel re-energized.

This fight wasn't over yet.

The Dullahan had finally reached me and brings his weapon up, preparing to slice you down.

"I'll make this offer to you one final time. Do you wish for yourself, and that little mage over there, to join your friend in becoming a Lich? While I'm sure it could be inconvenient at first, but at least you three can stay together... forever."

I give the Dullahan a smirk, saying-

"I thank you for that offer. But as a loyal and devoted follower of Eris, I can't betray that faith no matter what; even if my desire to stay beside my leader is just as strong. I believe Megumin would say something to that effect as well."

"I see. I understand your decision... And for what its worth, I AM sorry for all of this."

He increases his grip as he goes to swing his blade down onto me-

But its stopped at Kazuma leaps up at the Dullahan, using one hand to grab onto the sword and pushes it backwards; all the while using it as a brace to help him get right over the Dullahan's body.

He then aims his free hand directly downwards, right at the spot the Dullahan's neck and head would be.

"What are you...?

Yelled the Dullahan, shifting his head to look up at Kazuma.

"Create Water."

Yelled Kazuma, a surprisingly large amount of water shoots out of his free hand which mostly flows into the opening in the armor; the rest splashing his outside. The Dullahan's cry of terror is drowned out by the water coming down on him as streams of water start to burst out from the spaces between pieces of his armor.

After a moment, Kazuma ends the blast of Water and finished up by flipping over and landing before me.

"Kazuma, you..."

He looks back at me and gives me that cheeky grin of his again.

"Sorry about that, Darkness. I had to play both him and you guys in order to get Verdia's guard lowered otherwise that wouldn't have worked."

"That's fine; you can explain everything in full later. But what about...?"

I turned to look over and Megumin, only to find her getting back at her feet and giving me a thumbs up.

Had that Apathy been a ruse too? No, there's no way Megumin would have just known about that beforehand. But then how... of course, when he had become all ghost like and had passed his forehead into hers. He must have somehow made a mental link with Megumin and told her what was going on and what he needed her to do.

Question now was what would Kazuma need for me to do now? No matter what it may be, I must be ready to do it once he tells me without question.

"DAMN YOU, you actually played me like a fiddle just now. I would complement you for such a successful trick if it didn't piss me off."

Roared the Dullahan.

"So what happens now? You gonna kill all three of us?"

Asked Kazuma, sounding surprisingly cocky.

I would chastise him for that, but I knew he had something planned.

And because I had to admit this situation was now starting to turn me on.

"I will kill your friends, no question about that. But not you, oh no. I will let you watch and suffer as they die. As for you, I already said that you have become far to valuable to lose now and that still stands. Now, say your goodbyes for your friends for the time has come for their demise."

The Dullahan throws his head into the air; meaning he was going to use that Over Gaze skill again.

"Kazuma, that's..."

"OVER GA-"

"Cielo, NOW!"

Me, Kazuma, and Dullahan all shout out at once.

The balcony door slams open with enough force to knock it off its hinges as a person I didn't recognize; a girl, comes racing into the room, moving with insane speed.

She leaps into the air and sends her fist slamming into the Dullahan's head which sends it flying hard into the wall; denting the helmet in the process.

Kazuma then rushes forward and moves around to the back of the Dullahan's body; lowering himself down onto all fours around his legs. He then gives me a look, asking for me to act.

Understanding immediately what he wanted me to do, as I charge forward and throw my whole body weight into the Dullahan's body; forcing it to fall backwards onto the ground.

The girl named Cielo lands on the ground then immediately back flips and twisting her body as she comes down onto the Dullahan's downed body, throwing blow after powerful blow with her fist into the Dullahan's body, leaving deep dents and damaged joints in her assault.

"OK, Darkness help Cielo and follow her lead."

I nod as I join the new girl who motioned for me to get to the opposite side of the Dullahan and help her lift his body up.

Once done, and being taken aback by just surprisingly light this heavy looking suit of armor actually was, Cielo told me to help her bring it out onto the balcony.

Kazuma, meanwhile, moved ti collect the batted head of the Dullahan who I could hear complaining and cursing at his current state.

"How dare you? Do any of you have any idea how long its gonna take me to gets these dents banged out?"

"Oh, that's not gonna be an issue for you here in a few moments."

I also hear Megumin saying something to Kazuma. I couldn't be sure exactly what it was other than to 'remember the teachings' he had told to her in her mind.

I'd have to ask about that once this was over.

"Hey, are you listening to me?"

Asked Cielo. I shake my head and finally give her my attention.

"Sorry, I'm listening now."

We reach the balcony and she points out to the distant guard tower just beyond the wall.

"Kazuma wants to two of us to throw this guy's body over to that tower, or at least as close as we can get it."

"What, that's crazy. I doubt we'll even manage to get him over to the far side of the courtyard from here."

I said, looking out at the expanse. Sure, this armor was light but even with the both of us putting our all into it, that was still an impossible feet to achieve.

"Kazuma knows that, which is why as soon as we do it we'll need to then grab him and throw him as well. As he's smaller and lighter, he will quickly catch up to the armor while its still in flight, grab hold of it, then enter his Specter form, then blast mana out from his legs like a booster and hopefully make it the rest of the way or as close as his few seconds of added flight will permit before it expires. Your mage friend will then fire an Explosion blast at where ever they land to finish the Dullahan off for good."

Kazuma can't be serious? That plan... that plan was just sheer stupid.

"But what about Kazuma? Being caught in blast will kill him too."

"If he's in Specter form, he'll be able to avoid taking damage... At least I hope he will. He said that it would."

Kazuma then joins us and drops the Dullahan's head onto the ground, getting more complaints about the ruff treatment.

"Are we ready?"

He asked us.

Cielo nods, albeit hesitantly. However, I wasn't ready to go along with this.

"Kazuma, I object to this plan. This is incredibly stupid. Surely there has to be a better plan that you..."

"It'll be fine. I know the range of Megumin's Explosion's. You'll probably be hit with a shock wave and be sent flying back but I'm sure this part of the castle won't collapse... mostly sure anyways."

"I'm not worried about us, you idiot. I'm worried about..."

My yell is stopped as he places a finger over my mouth; making me blush. He then says in a cocky and smug sounding voice-

"Hey, it's me here."

That's what I mean, I wanted to say but don't as he looks at Cielo and ask-

"Will you be OK, what with your Androphobia and all?"

Cielo nods, saying-

"If its just for a second or two, I should be able to touch you without freaking out."

What did that mean? I look back at Megumin, wondering what her thoughts were about this?

She was busy chanting something but the magicite crystal looked like it was fully charged and ready to fire. So what was it she was chanting? Possibly whatever words Kazuma had told her to reassure her of this crazy plan.

"OK, let's hurry and do this. I want to get home and get cured of this curse as soon as possible."

That's right, we still had to worry about that.

His words restore my resolve as I help Cielo in hoisting up the Dullahan's battered body and then, with all of our might, send it flying into the air.

Kazuma quickly steps forward and we repeat the process; sending him flying right after.

From our vantage point, we see everything played out as Kazuma had hoped. He reached and grabbed onto the Dullahan's body then summoned forth a blast of mana from his legs that propelled them both; just barely making it to the far watchtower.

Kazuma had readjusted the Dullahan's armor at the last second, to act as a battering ram of sorts as they collide with the tower; the impact being just enough to send them crashing through the stone like a canon.

"Now, as for you."

Said Cielo as she bends down and collects the Dullahan's head.

"Wait, can we talk about this? Look, I know I went a little overboard here. I took things to far, I can see that now. I can't help doing these things, ya know. I am an undead after all."

The Dullahan tries to talk his way out of this but it was to no avail as Cielo tosses his head into the air before leaping up herself and slamming her fist against him again, sending his head flying to join the rest of him.

I couldn't be sure on if he had made it inside the tower as well or not, due to the smaller size of the helmet and it fading from few by the time it reach the tower but I was at least sure it had reached the towers perimeter.

I look back towards Megumin who was walking towards us; repeating her chant over and over. As she drew closer, I began to better hear what she was saying. She must be repeating to herself whatever it was that Kazuma had said to her. Once she reached us, she held her staff out before herself and said the words she had been chanting one final time, loud enough for all to hear-

"Follow the teachings of the Gurren Lagann; believe in the Kazuma who believes in me..."

"EXPLOSION!"

The mana swelling within her staff shot forth, racing across the courtyard and colliding with the watch tower; blasting it and the out wall of the castle closest to it into smithereens.

We had indeed been sent back by the shock wave; almost colliding with the wall at our backs. It had been a good thing to as the balcony had collapsed because of the shock wave as well.

Once we had recovered and returned to out feet, we returned to the now hole in the wall to see a plume of smoke rising into the air.

After getting Megumin onto my back, I jumped down into the courtyard with Cielo right behind us.

We then began to run towards the hole in the wall; towards where Kazuma had last been at.

Before we had gotten there however, we saw a dusty Kazuma emerge from the smoke and head towards us; making us breath in a sigh of relief.

"OK, let's NOT do that ever again."

He said as we reached him.

"Are you OK, Kazuma?"

Asked Megumin.

He looks himself over for a moment, then gives us the thumbs up.

"All things considered, pretty good. In fact, I... I feel... strange..."

His words faltered as he spoke; his body began to teeter before collapsing on the ground.

"Kazuma?" Megumin and I yell together as I rush to and bend down beside him.

Cielo was right with us and said-

"Check his left hand. Verdia said he placed a countdown timer there to help him keep track of his remaining time."

I nod as I pull one hand away from holding Megumin and check his palm.

"It says he still has thirty hours left..."

I start to say but then Megumin breaks in-

"But it's starting to count down faster. At this rate, he'll only have three hours before it's to late."

"Then we need to move, now."

Ruffian's voice catches us all by surprise as he enters the courtyard. Without another word, he quickly comes over and scoops Kazuma up.

"Can you three keep up?"

He asked.

"Don't worry about us. If you can get him to the cathedral faster than we can run, then do it. We'll get there as soon as we can."

I said to Ruffian who nods in response before getting up and breaking into a run.

The three of us stare at where he had just been; blinking a few times at just how fast he was gone.

"Damn, that guy is fast."

Said Cielo

"I didn't know someone as muscular as he is could move like that?"

Adds Megumin.

"All the more reason we should be running too. We can't let him show us up now."

With that, we followed after Ruffian and as I ran, I prayed a prayer to Eris, begging her to not let us lose Kazuma.

Part 4:

(Kazuma's POV)

For the longest time, I was lost in an endless darkness.

How long had I been here? What was happening to everyone?

I could recall bits and pieces but nothing concrete; my mind felt murky and dim.

And then I felt a warm hand caress my cheek and all the darkness and murky dim faded into the light.

I opened my eyes and sat up; taking a moment to look around my surroundings.

Have you ever seen a prism before? Imagine what it might look like if you were seeing it from the inside of the prism with a rainbow kaleidoscope of light flowing around the outside.

That's what this place looked like to me.

"Satou Kazuma, I welcome you to my... well, I guess you could call this my 'throne' of a sort."

The sudden soft and kindhearted voice reaches my ears, filling me with such soothing warmth that I wanted to bask in it forever like the sun.

A girl then appears; wearing a purple, violet, and white outfit that looked like something a priestess would wear.

She was extraordinarily beautiful too; perhaps more so than any girl I had ever seen before.

And her soft eyes, filled with such love, left an impact right within my very soul.

Wait, where am I anyways?

I look down and see that my hands were somewhat transparent. A thought immediately came to mind.

"My name is Eris; also known as the goddess of fortune and the one worshiped by the Eris faith."

So this was Eris. Yep, she definitely looked the part of a goddess if you asked me.

But then I recall my previous thought; being here with a goddess could only mean one thing and that thing proved my thought was valid.

"So, does this mean I'm dead... again?"

Eris smiles as she shakes her head.

"No, Satou Kazuma, you are not dead. You came very close to dying though. Luckily, your friends got you back to Axel safely and, due to it being to late for the curse to be dispelled normally, I communed with the high priestess and granted you permission to be placed within the 'sacred vessel' so that I could heal you directly myself."

"Really? Thank you for that. I do have to ask though; why did you help me out? And what exactly is a 'sacred vessel' anyways? And, while I'm at it, what's up with this place? I mean, don't get me wrong; it's freaking beautiful but not what I had expected a goddess of fortune's holy place to look like. I mean, that water goddess had a water theme going on and...?"

I recalled something important.

"Speaking of, I need to file a complaint while I'm here. Forgive me for what I'm about to say, but that damn so-and-so was beyond rude to me when I died then had the audacity to send me to this world before I had even made my decision on what I wanted my 'cheat power' to be."

Eris was taken aback at my words.

"Wait, what happened when you met with lady Aqua? Please, tell me everything. And don't worry about language here. I've heard more than my fair share in my time doing this."

And so I told her everything; how Aqua or whatever her name was had lied about the manner of death I had suffered, the laughed at me over the actual cause of death. How she became very threatening and scary when I called her out on her conduct. About her words when she was telling me about the 'cheat' options, and then how I was suddenly booted down into Eris's world before I had even chosen.

Once she had heard me out, Eris fell back into a chair of crystal that had appeared behind her and let out a long, exasperated sigh.

"Lady Aqua, really? Can't you take your job seriously for even a few minutes. I'm sorry about this, Kazuma. I'll be sure to talk to master Pathos about this and have him chew her out for her actions."

"Who's master Pathos? Is he like some higher tier of god that you both answer to?"

"He is, but its much worse for Aqua. Master Pathos is also her older brother and he gets really annoyed when she act like a spoiled child. He's also the only person Aqua will listen to without question, when they're actually together that is. He can be VERY scary when he gets mad and only she can make him mad."

Now I kinda felt bad for saying anything. From the way Eris talked when she spoke of the relationship between Aqua and Pathos, Aqua didn't like being on her brothers bad side.

"Now, onto the questions you asked me before. You noted that this place doesn't fit into what you would probably see as a proper representation of a goddess of fortune's throne. Well, that's because fortune is a rather abstract thing to visualize. Some see it as wealth and some as luck. The list goes on but because fortune isn't really something that can be made physical, I decided on how I wanted my throne to look. What do you think of my choice?"

"Well, I can definitely say its pretty awesome. I like it even more than the throne Aqua was hanging around in though I will confess that was the one thing from my experience from meeting her I liked; when it was all calm and tranquil that is."

Eris smiles before moving on to my other questions.

"I could tell you what I meant when I said 'sacred vessel' but I think I'll leave that for my high priestess to answer once you awaken. And as for why I'm helping you, well...?"

She then takes on a rather cute pose; winking at me as she places a finger against her cheek.

"That's-a-secret."

Her playful and cheery tone make me blush.

A moment later, I find myself feeling that something about her felt very familiar. In a strange way, she kinda reminded me of-

"Now then, before I allow you to return to your body and awaken to rejoin your friends, I have a few things I need to warn you of. Can you hand me your Adventurer's card for just a moment?"

"Uh... yeah, sure."

I reach into my track suit and pull it out. I then walk over to her and hand her my card; suddenly asking myself two questions as I do.

Why was I wearing my track suit here? Why did my soul or astral body, whichever one this form was, have my card with it? Maybe both were just some sort of projection of myself?

Eris takes my card and begins to look it over carefully.

"Strange... Or should I say, Stranger? This is very weird..."

She mumbles to herself, as if I wasn't here or she had forgotten I was in the moment.

She finally does look at me and ask-

"Kazuma, are you SURE you didn't receive any cheat from Aqua?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I didn't. At least, I don't think I did anyways. Why, do I have a cheat power after all?"

Hearing my words, Eris went back to looking at my card again for a moment; once more mumbling something though I fail to hear her this time.

"I don't know. Just looking at you; at your card, I would have to say no. And yet, when I look closer and can't help but feel something is off here. Even your class being called Stranger is an anomaly to me. I honestly can't say for certain what this could mean for you right now."

After another moment, she hands me back my card.

"For now, don't worry about it. Do keep track of anything weird that might happen in the future though. I can't help but feel uneasy about this."

"Should I get rid of this card and get a new one? Maybe you could give me one to replace it; one that would be more normal."

Eris thinks about this for a moment then says-

"Maybe that's what we should do but I want to observe and see what may happen in the future. It may end up being nothing but fate has dealt you this card; for good or for bad. For now, lets just play along and see where it leads you. Don't worry, if anything bad happens because of this decision, I will personally step in a save you, I promise."

Hearing that did make me feel better. I mean, what better safety could one be promised than one that came from a god, or goddess as the case her was.

"Now, for the other matter. As you know, you nearly became a Lich just a little while ago. With my power, I have cured you of that curse so there should be no further fear of becoming one in the future. At least, there shouldn't be..."

Huh? What did that mean?

She must have guessed my thoughts as she answered them right away.

"Something weird has happened though. For some reason, a 'seed' of the Lich curse still lingers within you. It's so stubborn that even my power couldn't remove it. It's possible the unusual nature you seem to have, as implied by the anomalies within your Adventurer's card, like it saying your class is called Stranger, may have something to do with it."

"What does that mean for me then? Could I possibly start going all Lich again in the future?"

"I don't know, to be honest. All of this is uncharted ground for me though once you have returned, I will go to the divine archives and see if there is anything written there as all know knowledge within creation can be found there so I'm certain I'll find the answers we seek."

That makes me breath a sigh of relief.

"All the same, I fear tapping into those three Lich powers you used while dealing with the Dullahan could cause the 'seed' to start growing and once again send you spiraling into becoming a Lich. As such, I have placed a lock on those skills for the foreseeable future."

"That sounds like a good idea. I mean, it sucks that I won't be able to use them again as they could be very helpful but I'll trust your judgment on this matter."

"You may not be able to use them any time soon, but there may be a way to use them again one day."

Hearing that makes me perk up; I ask her how.

"The threat that comes from those three skills is due to their tier ranking. Both Bone Scythe and Apathy are considered Advance tier level while Specter is ranked Expert tier. Because of that, using them, even if only a small amount, could trigger the curse to reawaken within you. However, if you can build up an immunity to the curse, then it will become safe for those skills to be unlocked and made yours to use again as you see fit whenever you wish."

"Awesome; so how do I build up an immunity as you called it?"

"Simple, learn a low level Lich skill and use that on a regular basis. If you look at your card, you'll see a new option to select called 'Immunities'. Tap it and you'll see a bar that what keep track of how often you use a low level Lich skill. Use it enough and you'll eventually gain the immunity and thus, it will be safe to let you regain access to those three powers again."

I look at my card and sure enough, everything she had said was true. Not that I thought she was lying-

"OK, good to know. But where would I even find a Lich to learn any new skills from? And why would a Lich even help me anyways? And why would you even suggest I do this to begin with? I mean, I thought goddess's would hate the idea of asking anyone to do something like this."

"Oh, I do hate suggesting it. But, even I can see beyond my prejudices when the greater good can be served and helping you to master this is a very good thing in my opinion. As for how you'll find a Lich? I've heard a rather kindhearted Lich can be found around Axel though I can't be sure where. If you ever find him or her, ask them if they will teach you a low tier skill. And as for why they would help you? Honestly, they probably won't so you may have to help them out first. Just, try not to do anything to... Well, you get what I'm saying."

I nod as I look at my card one final time before putting it away.

"And now, our time here must come to an end. Your body has been healed and your friends are waiting for your safe return to them so it's best to not keep them waiting... Oh, I should do this before you go."

Eris then stands and approaches me. She then leans in and does something I didn't see coming-

She place a kiss on my forehead, creating a tingling sensation.

"I have placed a special mark upon you. It will normally be invisible to all who look at you but it will appear in times when I seek communion with you. Not that you'll be able to see it as your mind will be linked back to this place so we may speak again should the need arise. Another Adventurer, a girl named Chris whom I believe you know, also has such a mark upon her. I give this mark only to those whom I most trust to take care of certain matters down in the lower realms."

I place my hand over the spot she had kissed. I had to admit, it had felt nice when she had done it.

Eris then makes a motion with her hand; causing a portal of light to appear behind me.

"That will take you back to your awaiting body. Until we speak again, Satou Kazuma."

I nod, then give her a warm smile as I turn and head for the portal. I stop before it for just a moment, then I start to step through-

"Kazuma, one last thing."

I stop and look back at her.

"Sometimes, when we receive shocking news, it can causes people to do something rather rash and foolish in the heat of the moment. While this moment can be painful, please be the better person and forgive those who made that impulsive choice. It will mean a lot to those who erred and wish to seek forgiveness."

OK, that made no sense at all to me. I wanted to ask Eris what she meant by that but I doubt that she would elaborate if I did ask.

All I could do was to say that I'll try to do that; to be the better person.

With that, I stepped into the portal or light and returned to my awaiting body.

Part 5:

My eyes slowly opened as I found myself staring up towards a ceiling coated in pure amethyst crystal.

I quickly realized that I was laying in a liquid pool and I sat up to better look at my surroundings.

This pool I was in was filled with what looked like milk; glowing milk to be more exact.

I felt like I was living out the opening of Breath of the Wild; except unlike Link, I was completely naked.

Also, the room looked far nicer than the Shrine of Resurrection did in that game.

Like with the ceiling, the walls and floor were also coated in a smooth shell of amethyst.

Looking to my left, I saw what appeared to be a mirror though it didn't have any reflection upon its surface. Next to it was a table and on this table was my clothes.

I got out of the pool, grabbing a towel that had been laid beside it and dried myself off before walking over and collecting my clothes.

Once I was fully dressed, I looked around to see if there was any sign of an exit.

Apart from the pool and this table and the mirror on the wall, the only other thing I saw what looked like a wardrobe of some sort.

My fantasy familiar brain had already guessed that the mirror was probably the exit; one of those enchanted mirrors that, when touched, would react as if the glass was like liquid metal. The fact it didn't have any reflection upon it further confirmed that to be the case.

Instead of heading over to the mirror though, I opted to check the wardrobe first. All I could find inside was a set of clothing and what appeared to be Adventurer's gear.

Wait, all this looked familiar. In fact, looking at this stuff made me think of-

I shake my head to clear those thoughts.

It was probably a coincidence. I mean, there was no way Chris had ever been in here before.

Although maybe I should ask her the next time I see her, if I remember to ask that is?

I returned to the 'not' mirror and touch the surface with my finger; creating a ripple to pass across the surface. Pulling my hand back, I nod before stepping through this 'looking glass.'

I then step out into another room; a large desk off to my right and a cabinet to my left.

And kneeling in prayer just a few feet before me was a woman deep in prayer.

"Um... Sorry for barging in like this."

She looks up to look at me following my words; giving me a warm smile before standing.

"So, you have finally returned to us, mister Satou Kazuma. My name is Clerica, high priestess of the Eris faith. I trust you are feeling well then."

I do a few stretches and twist, finding my body seemingly working fine.

"It would appear so. Eris has already filled me in on what happened to me before. I need to thank you for what you did to help in saving me. I do have one question; just what is a 'sacred vessel?' Eris said that you would explain that to me once we met and I can assume that either that room or that pool I was laying in was this vessel thing?"

Clerica nods before explaining.

"Its both, actually. The chamber you awoke in the the Sacred; a place that is reserved to be the lady Eris's personal chambers for whenever she descends onto this land. The Vessel is the pool of sanctified water that she uses to bathe away any taint that may try to cling to her holy being when she is down here. Or so I was told by my predecessor."

"Wait, if that's true then was it OK for me to be bathing in it then?"

She gives me a warm smile and says-

"It was the lady Eris who bade me to take you in there and place you within the pool. Normally, only the high priestess is permitted to even know about the existence of that room to begin with and even then, can only step inside if our lady permits it. In saying that, I must thank you as I have always wondered what the inside of the Sacred would look like. To have seen it; to take in its majesty, is something I will cherish for all time."

I scratch the back of my head; feeling a little nervous about seeing something that special too.

"And on that note, mister Kazuma. Can I trust you to keep what you saw in there secret. While my fellow followers are decent, good nature people; I fear how they would react if they learned someone who wasn't part of the faith was permitted entry when they would not ever be given that honor."

"Sure, I can do that. I'm actually good at keep secrets. So, where are my friends at? Are they doing OK? And how long was I even in there anyways?"

"If you follow me, I will take you to them."

With that, Clerica turned and headed towards the door and I quickly follow after her.

We emerge into a long hallway and as we walk, she answers my questions.

"First, you've been in there for forty eight hours. I don't know if you needed all that time to heal but that's how long you needed to awaken at the very least."

"As for your friends, they have been here almost every second since they arrived. The only time they have stepped away is if they needed to hit the baths and other bodily needs. They are doing fine; but they have been very worried about you though I doubt I need to say that."

We then pass through another set of doors, emerging into an impressively large room; the main chamber of the Erisia Cathedral.

It only took me a moment to see Megumin and Darkness, both talking with a priestess. It took me a moment to realize that it was Cielo, now dressed in a priestess attire.

"Attention, my friends. There's someone here to see you."

Announced Clerica to the girls.

They looked our way and, upon seeing us, I could see their eyes water as the jumped up and ran towards me.

Megumin reached me first, wrapping me in a tight hug.

Darkness was quick to follow as she to hugged me; sandwiching Megumin between the two of us though I didn't hear her complain.

Cielo came as close as her Androphobia would allow and while she didn't make physical contact with me, I could still tell that she was relieved to see me OK as well.

{Insert Image}

"Kazuma, you idiot. Do you know just how worried we were about you?"

Cried Megumin.

"She's right, you really had us worried about you. What took you so long?"

Agreed Darkness.

"Sorry, it's not like I had a choice in the matter. But I am here now and I'm fine. That's enough isn't it?"

They kept hugging me for a while yet before they finally released me and took a few steps back.

I then look at Cielo and say-

"So, I can see you have some new attire going on now. Does that mean you were accepted into the church?"

Cielo nods as Clerica answers for her.

"She has indeed. In fact, lady Eris also asked me to accept her though I would have even without the request. It seems Cielo here has a lot of potential. So much so that she might even be the one I've been waiting for; that being a potential successor for the position of high priestess one day."

"Really, that's great to hear. Congratulations. Cielo."

"Thank you, Kazuma. And thank you for saving me. Once my father comes looking for me, I'll be sure to send him your way so he can thank you himself."

Clerica then claps her hands together to get out attentions.

"I apologize for rushing this touching moment along but it's time for your training session, Cielo. Mister Kazuma, I may one day come calling for your services, if that's OK with you. A simple request that I would trust to no other to fulfill."

"No problem. If its to help you or Cielo out with anything, I-no, we will be happy to do anything you need of us."

Megumin and Darkness nod an agreement.

After that, we said our goodbyes and left the cathedral. The bright sunlight did hurt my eyes for a second but they were quick to adjust.

"So, what should we do now?"

Asked Darkness.

"Well, I think we should get some breakfast, or lunch? What time is it anyways? After that, maybe we could go out and do a quest."

"Are you feeling up for that though, Kazuma? After what happened, I can understand if you would want to take a few days off to just rest and relax."

Said Megumin, giving me a worried look.

"It'll be fine. I mean, sure, I would definitely like to kick back and take it easy for a good while. But in order to do that effectively, we'll need something we currently do not have; a home. Once we can get that, then I'll take a much needed, possibly long delayed vacation."

"And you think we'll allow you to take one at THAT time when it eventually comes?"

Darkness said, teasing me a little.

"Maybe, maybe not? I'm sure I'll find someway to convince you two."

And with that, we headed off to the guild hall to grab a bite to eat and after that, to find our next adventure.

Epilogue

The next week was something of a wild one.

Megumin and Darkness had taken time to explain to me what had happened to them here in Axel after I had been taken.

Hearing what they had to say made me feel angry with many of the Adventurer's that operated in this town. I was glad to learn that not all of them were douche bags though.

At least I hoped not.

I, in turn, told them about what happened to me when I was being held by Verdia, including how me and Cielo had met, escaped, and how we had come up with that crazy plan that had somehow worked.

I had also had a run in with Ruffian and thanked him for helping my girls when they needed help the most. He told me if I wanted to thank him, then I need to keep moving forward as he has a lot of expectations where I'm concerned.

I wasn't sure I was worthy of such faith but I guess I need to live up to it, right?

Also, good news was given from the Captain. It appears that little ruse he joined in playing had worked as neither Megumin nor Darkness would have to suffer any punishment for their actions.

Maybe it was because they had been a major part in saving the town from the Dullahan, if not being the heroes of the hour.

And on that subject, we didn't receive the reward money for defeating the Dullahan; at least not yet. The reward for taking him out was three hundred million eris which was way more than what the Axel branch of the Guild had access to.

It would have to be prepared by the main branch over in the capital and delivered to us which would take a week. Luna had also said that there was something else needing done but she wasn't sure what it could be.

And lastly, the quest we did for that week as we waited were surprisingly easy although maybe it was because the girls opted for the easiest ones; for my benefit. And in that time, I became painful aware of Darkness's inability to actually hit her targets; even when they were standing still.

Is that even possible? I mean, really?

Anyways, the day of the delivery of our reward had finally come and we were sitting inside the mess hall, eating lunch and chatting as we awaited Luna to bring us our reward.

"So, what do you think of this one?"

Asked Megumin as she showed Darkness a house available over on the north eastern side of the city.

With our forthcoming influx of eris, buying a decent sized house to finally live in was just a few hours away.

"Hm, it looks nice. It having a nice sized backyard will be useful as well. I can turn in into a training ground for us to work with. What do you think, Ka-Kazuma?"

They both look at me as I was busy reading from my Adventurer's Guide. I was looking up something specific; something that had been bothering me for a good while.

"Wha-Oh, sorry about that. What were you two saying?"

"You first, what's got you so lost in that book?"

Asked Megumin.

"Well, I was looking up on class information. Darkness, you said your class was Crusader; and you chosen to specialize totally into a defensive build. Is that right?"

Megumin and Darkness look at each other then back at me-

"Yes, that's right. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was reading up on Crusader's and it says that the Crusader is meant to be more of a offensive class as it develops more in the offensive side of growth. Even its special class specific skills are attack oriented. If you were really wanting to go all defensive, then you should have gone the route of a Paladin."

Darkness drops her silverware as she looks at me with wide; shocked eyes.

Off beside her, Megumin had already guessed where this was going and now had a smirk on her face. I had a feeling she would soon be laughing at Darkness's goof-up. Maybe she would try to hold that laugh in, for Darkness sake, but she would be laughing regardless/

"What did you say?"

Darkness asked.

"Well, it says here that Paladin's are the defensive class of holy Knights; their stats geared more towards defense. They can also learn skills like Cover that would allow you to instantly jump in between an ally and an enemies incoming attack so long as you're within range to do so. And while both can also learn holy magic to a degree; Crusader's only learn attack based holy spells while Paladin's can learn supportive magic like Heal."

"So, in other words, Darkness made a goof then? Darkness, please tell me you didn't choose the Crusader path just because it was the first advanced tier job of the Knight class that you saw?"

Said Megumin before she broke out into a laugh.

Darkness could only whimper as she buried her face in her hands to hide her embarrassment.

I smirk at her as I reach across the table and pat her shoulders.

"Oh, don't be like this, Darkness. We all know you like a little humiliation."

She shakes her head defiantly as she says-

"I do but not this kind of embarrassment."

Our fun comes to a quick end as Luna makes a coughing noise to get our attention.

"Sorry for the interruption, but could I see you three for a moment?"

It looks like it was time to get our reward. We nod at each other and get up, following Luna over to the reception desk so we could have a little privacy. Well, hopefully get some privacy at least.

"So, we can finally get our reward?"

I asked excitedly.

"Um, yeah... about that..."

Hearing the tone in her voice suddenly made me worry.

Once we had reached a secluded spot, Luna said-

"First, I should let you know that the reason the reward took so long to be sent was because an inspector was sent out to examine the state of the castle."

"Why would something like that needed to be done?"

Asked Darkness.

"Well, prior to the Dullahan taking the castle as his personal vacation spot, an inspector had been sent to assess the current state of the castle for a possible restoration project. The goal, from what I was told, was to turn it into a museum to display the history of the kingdom."

I already had a feeling where this was going and judging from the look Darkness had on her face, she did too.

"After the second assessment; which included a very detailed examination of the areas of the castle that had been damaged or destroyed following the first assessment, it has been decided that your group, being the source of the damage, should pay a fine to the royal family who own the site."

Megumin steps forward, clearly angry as she yells.

"What, but that's total crap. We saved Axel from that Demon General so how can they treat the heroes of the hour like this? And how can they even think of blaming us to begin with? I mean, the Dullahan was the one staying there so wouldn't the damage be his fault?"

"I understand and agree with you, but they have determined which damage was causes as a result of Explosion magic; both from that blow that finished him off and the progressive damage you causes when you went out there for those two weeks to use the castle as target practice."

I shoot Megumin a look; making her turn away quickly.

"You said you made sure that is was OK to blast that place, huh?"

I'm sure she heard the sarcasm in my voice but she didn't respond.

"Luckily, they aren't including an other damage done, either by you or by the Dullahan. All they're asking for is you to pay for the damage caused by Megumin's Explosion."

I sigh in exasperation. I guess we'll have to hold off buying our new pad for another day.

"So, how much will we have to pay anyways?"

Asked Darkness.

"About nine hundred million eris."

Said Luna meekly.

I felt as if I had a thousand ton weight dropped down onto me.

With eyes as wide as I could possibly get them to go and all color draining from my face, I stutter out the price she had said, over and over in total disbelief.

Beside me, I heard Megumin say something, followed by Darkness as well but my mind was in to much shock to register their words.

"Luna, you can't be... please tell me that you were just joking with me?"

She goes to say something, but something happens that makes her pause for a moment.

She finally recomposes herself and says-

"Well, luckily for you, mister Satou, you won't have to pay that much. Because you and your... party had managed to beat a General, which was an unexpected accomplishment for beginner Adventurer's to achieve, the royal family has graciously decided to cut the bill down from nine hundred million eris to four hundred million eris. I'm sorry, but that's the best deal that you can hope for."

"So, in other words, instead of the full amount, we'll only have to earn one hundred million eris after giving up our reward. I understand that this wasn't your fault but this whole affair really makes me want to call bull shit on this whole kingdom."

She nods her understanding.

I sigh again before turning back to face the girls.

"Well, guys. As old saying goes, easy come easy... Megumin? Darkness?"

Both his teammates had disappeared while he had been in his shocked moment.

I go at ask Luna if she knew where they had gone, but I then recall the words Eris had told me before-

"Sometimes, when we receive shocking news, it can causes people to do something rather rash and foolish in the heat of the moment."

"They ditched me, I can't believe they ditched me..."

I say in a panicked tone

Luna taps me on my shoulder and I look back at her.

"Um, how do I put this. Please, do your best, mister Satou."

After that, she quickly excuses herself. I, meanwhile, just stand there as I look to the sky with a weak, defeated laugh coming from my mouth.

"I see... So this is my life now... Dammit all, I should have let myself become a Lich."

Next time: Chris returns and finds the situation a little tense with the party. Kazuma is acting all weird, like a zombie while Megumin and Darkness are almost afraid to approach him. But before she can do anything to help alleviate the matter, Cielo shows up to make an unexpected request of our heroes. Meanwhile, another person sent to this world from Japan, who has a isekai hero mindset, returns to Axel after a three month long Quest and upon seeing the girls, he decides that he has to have them join his harem- I mean his party, no matter what.

Be here as we begin the Advent of the Destroyer arc.

Image: Kazuma being hugged by Megumin as Darkness is running up to him and Cielo off to the side.