Chapter 3: Darkness Obsession...

======================{Part 1: Touched by an Angel}======================

For an amount of time I couldn't be too sure about, I felt a sense of loss and disconnect, floating within an endless sea of nothingness. I couldn't see nor hear nor speak aloud or think. All I could do was feel and even that really wasn't much to go on. And then, I saw a light and I was naturally guided into it.

I then awaken, floating in the air of a room that looked vaguely familiar to me. It was a room that made one think they were somehow living within a prism with light flowing like water all around it from just beyond the crystal. It took me a moment before it came back to me; exactly where it was I was at.

This was the throne of Eris, which I have only ever been in once before, after the events of our encounter with Verdia. It takes me a moment to orient myself within this place, till it felt like I was standing before I began to look around, wondering where Eris was right now as I couldn't see her.

"Greetings dear soul, I am sorry to have to tell you this, but you have unfortunately perished just moments ago."

The voice made me jump, immediately taking note of the fact it wasn't the somewhat familiar voice of Eris I could recall within my mind. Instead, this voice sounded a tad bit younger, with more of a mousy squeak to it. I then look, finding a beautiful girl with golden hair in twin braids slung over her shoulders and over her chest down to her waist come floating past me.

"My name is Clover, and I shall be guiding you on your journey into you next life, be it rebirth as a baby or to move into the heavens where you can rest in quiet comfort for eternity. No doubt you have questions, but I can assure you..."

"Yeah, you could say I have questions. For one thing, where's Eris at?"

My question makes the cute kid I was looking at freeze before she nervously begins to fidget around, in a manner similar to what Yunyun often does whenever she's really nervous.

Taking a moment to look at this girl closely, I realize just how young she actually was... or how young she was trying to look at any rate, having the appearance that would imply she was around ten years old, though it may have simply been a preference thing with her here. And then I noticed another important detail about her, the beautiful white gold wings on her back. That must mean she's an angel.

"Um... lady Eris? You want to know about... lady Eris here...?"

"Yeah, that's right. Shouldn't she be here or something? No offense to you, kid, but I really need to speak to her pronto. Tell her Satou Kazuma has made an unexpected visit to see her."

"Satou Kazuma? (sighs in relief) Oh, what a relief. That makes this all better then."

It does? Care to share with me how knowing I'm me now makes everything better here, kid.

The angel named Clover, after taking a moment to compose herself, quickly hops out of Eris's fancy chair and runs over to me, the look she was giving me was that of an excited fan girl finally getting the chance to meet her idol or something similar to that anyways.

"I can't believe it. I really don't believe it. Here I am finally getting the chance to meet with THE Satou Kazuma here. I've heard so much about you, sir. Lady Eris is always talking about you. So much so that I can't help but feel I know you just as well as she does, even though we never met before."

OK, now this wasn't anything like I was expecting here. I mean, here I am with an excited ten-year old looking girl hopping up and down in front of me, looking like she was in heaven... oh wait, we are in heaven or very close to it at least. She then produces a pen and paper and says excitedly-

"Can I have your autograph."

{Insert Image 1}

Once I had finished giving her my autograph and the little angel girl calms down some, I ask her again about Eris' whereabouts. Like before, my question makes her freeze before she nervously looks away while scratching the side of her cheek in a manner that was very familiar to me by this point.

"Y-Yes, lady Eris... she-she's currently... taking care of some... important business, yes that it exactly. She's away right now taking care of very important business. Important GODLY business here... yes"

(Down below, a certain someone is going around the continent, looking for a certain perverted arch priestess with a thing for younger sister types and her search has currently brought her into a seedy tavern where she's having a few drinks with the regulars while beating them at playing darts.)

Seeing the angel avert her gaze from me, sounding all nervous and with very little confidence was worrying to me here. After a very long and awkward pause, I finally say-

"So... what happens to me here now, Clover? Do I need to decide if I want to be reborn or move on to heaven here?"

"Hm? Oh right, you don't need to worry about that. Lady Eris has instructed me that should you ever show up here in this place and she wasn't available to attend to you herself, then I was to take her place and see your soul returned to your body, provided there was a body for you to return to. And if in the event there wasn't, to keep you company until her return and she would take it from there."

So Clover, on the order of Eris, was to make a special exception for me. Does that mean Eris herself sees me as some special case then? Wish she was here right now to explain why that would be, not that I'm complaining. Oh, speaking of which.

"So, can my soul be sent back into my body? What exactly happened to my body anyways? And what about my friends. Are they OK? With how quickly everything went for me down below, my head's a little fuzzy on the details, you see."

"Completely understandable, seeing as you were eaten by that Golden Nemean which is strange. Never in my time as lady Eris' angel assistant have I ever heard a case where anyone had died in that manner."

Come again? Are you saying I am the first to become the dinner of that oversized kitty cat?

"Are you sure about that, Clover. According to the crusader in our party, there were reports of the Golden Nemean having attacked and killed other people before me, all men from what I've been told. I don't know the exact numbers though."

Hearing that makes Clover cock her head to the side in confusion before she snaps her fingers together, which makes a book appear in her open hands. She then scans through it with insane speeds before closing with a loud 'clapping' sound.

"Are you sure you heard right, Satou Kazuma? According to the soul registration log, you are the first ever to have paid a visit here who has died in such a manner. Unless those who died were so evil that their souls were sent directly into Perdition, you would be the very first on record with us up here."

Seriously? If that was the case, then what was all that about down below then? I think I'm going to need to do some serious investigating here once I am able. Anyways, back to the important topic.

"You said I was eaten by the Golden Nemean. How would the others go about retrieving my body then if that is the case? I mean, I doubt they would be able to slice it open, seeing as it was doing a damn good job taking our attacks without even flinching. I hope no one was crazy enough to let themselves get eaten by it and try to take it out from the inside. And I'm really hoping they aren't waiting for me to get pooped out either because in that case, I'm not sure if I'd want to be revived then."

Clover shakes her head, then says-

"I think the crusader was planning on trying that, the being eaten part that is, but the Golden Nemean managed to run off before she could take any action. As for how your body could be retrieved. That has already been done and the priestess monk girl is currently repairing your body using the added benefits of the special pendent lady Eris gifted to her, having been passed along by the high priestess of the faith."

I remember hearing something like that when we had that run in with that Ran girl. Does that mean...?

A sudden pulse like ripple passes through us, making me start looking this way and that while Clover lets out a depressed sigh.

"Ah man, she's finished already. And here I was hoping we could... oh well, perhaps some future visit then. So, are you ready to go back now?"

"Yeah, sure... But you haven't really told me anything about what happened down there. And why do you seem so depressed that I'm having to go back now? Don't tell me you..."

She brings a finger up and presses it against my mouth to quiet me. She then gets up onto her tippy toes and kisses me on the forehead. When she pulls away, she says-

"I just gave you a blessing there. Not quite as powerful as what a full-fledged goddess can grant, mind you. But it will help speed up the recovery of your body, alongside the usual healing that comes from either magic or potions."

"OK, serious time, Satou Kazuma. You want to know what happened, how they managed to get your body back? You'll need to ask them yourself. Just remember, there is far more going on than what you have currently considered. Recall events from the past and see the connection. And also, you only can save that introvert girls future here by making a big sacrifice yourself for her."

"Hey, what are you talking about? Why does everyone always need to be so damn cryptic."

Clover sends me an apologetic look, clearly wanting to tell me more but can't for some reason. Maybe there was some sort of rule about these things or maybe it had been Eris who had told her to avoid saying to much about stuff. All I knew was that I found myself being lifted into the air, moving into a pool of light that was swirling above me.

Clover sends me a kind smile before saying one last thing.

"I have faith you'll figure it all out quickly, Satou Kazuma. That you will save your friends. And, if we should ever meet again, will you tell me about yours and lady Eris's time together during your days on Arbel?"

What was that now? About me and Eris... on Arbel? Why does everyone always do this to me here? I wanted to yell back what she meant by all that, but in that moment, I entered the pool of light and found myself heading back to my awaiting body.

=========================={Part 2: Promise Me...}==========================

More than a fair amount of pain and an exceptional amount of discomfort were the things that greeted me the very moment I found myself regaining consciousness. It was a struggle just to open my eyes followed by an annoyingly long wait before my vision had cleared enough for me to make out anything within my immediate surroundings.

Once I was able to confirm I was inside me room, laying on my bed, I turn my head... slowly by necessity because of the stiffness in my neck to my side, finding a sleeping Megumin sitting on the floor while her head was resting on my bed beside me, her hand firmly grasping onto my own.

I tilt my head upwards as best I can here, scanning the room to see if anyone else was in here. I don't see anyone else though that could easily be because they were all on the floor beyond my current line of sight. The low lighting didn't help either. While I couldn't be sure, I'm going to take a guess here and assume it was early morning, maybe six to seven in the morning.

With the strength I was putting into tilting my head up failing me, I allow my head to rest back against my pillow before testing out various limbs. I could move my fingers well enough, I guess. My toes too. Moving my arms and legs proved far more difficult. So much so that I couldn't really move them well, but I was at least able to move them which was a good sign at least.

I then test the level of pain and discomfort I had to deal with, surprised to find that the part of me that was hurting the least here was my right arm. I can't help but think it funny that the one part of my body that took the most beating in the past was the one that seemed to be doing the best in this moment.

Well, enough wasting time here. Better wake Megumin up and find out what happened to me, and everyone else, after I became that damn lion's dinner. I especially want to know how they got my body out of it.

"Hey, Megumin. Can you hear me?"

Megumin mumbles something but otherwise doesn't wake up. After several more attempts with words, I move on to squeezing her hand. I finally combine the two which makes her stir. She sits up and smacks her lips, taking a few moments before she takes notice of my eyes being open.

"Kazuma?"

"Yeah... rise and shine-OMPH..."

Megumin, caught up in the moment, quickly throws her arms around me, hugging me tightly which makes me cry out in pain and beg for mercy. It isn't until Cielo, having come to do her usual check-in, has to rush over and pull Megumin off me before she accidentally kills me.

Once that had been resolved, and Megumin taking a few moments to apologize for getting carried away, she steps out of the room to get the others while Cielo begins using Heal on me. By the time Megumin returned, with Lynn alongside her, I was feeling just well enough that, with a little help from Cielo, I could sit up just a bit.

"Feeling any better, Kazuma?"

asked Lynn, getting a shrug in response from me before I then say-

"Actually, not really but I am feeling better than I was just a moment ago."

I then take notice of two notable absences in the room, leading him to ask-

"Where's Yunyun and Darkness?"

"Darkness is right outside. She's... understandably nervous about coming in. As for Yunyun? She's... she had to go back to the Crimson Demon village for... reasons."

Megumin's tone when talking about Darkness was noticeably less than positive sounding. I don't blame her, seeing as it was because Darkness being stubborn back there that landed me in the situation I'm currently suffering. But when she talked about Yunyun, there was a noticeable degree of hesitation in her voice, making me furrow my brow as I say with as serious a tone as I could currently muster.

"What happened? What exactly are these reasons you speak of? And what happened after... everything went the pot back there?"

Megumin, Cielo, and Lynn looked at each other nervously and clearly unsure on something. Something told me they hadn't taken the time to plan out how they were going to approach this topic once I had woken up, thus leading me to tell them-

"I already know I died back there so there's no need to sugarcoat that little detail. I met with some angel attendant to Eris who filled me in on that part. What I don't know is what happened after that, like how you all were able to get my body back, seeing as it was in the stomach of the Golden Nemean."

It takes another moment before I finally get an explanation, from Lynn.

(flashback-Lynn POV)

We came running out of the cave, Yunyun and Cielo first with me bringing up the rear. Seeing us approaching her in our panic, Megumin quickly reacted by approaching us, asking what was going on.

"Blondie fucked up in there."

I yelled out, making Megumin want us to elaborate. Instead, Yunyun tells her-

"We'll tell you as soon once we're all safe. For now, be ready to fire off an Explosion or Dragon Slave the moment Kazuma and Darkness get clear of the cave."

Megumin nods before taking aim with her staff. For the next few moments, things were tense as we waited... waited... waited...

And then Darkness comes flying out fast, hitting the ground hard as she goes into a roll which we run up to her to check on her. Just as we reach her, a loud ground shaking roar freezes us in place as the Golden Nemean emerges from the cave. It's glowing eyes flickering as it turns its gaze our way.

And then the glow in its eyes fades, making it give off an air of confusion, like it didn't know what was going on here. It then looks at us again, at Darkness specifically before I could feel a sense of unease come over it. It then does something none of us had expected.

It makes a run for it.

"Looks like this mission ends in failure for us."

"Shouldn't we consider going after it?"

asked Yunyun, getting a no from Cielo.

"As fast as it's moving right now, I doubt we'd ever be able to catch up with it..."

"Who cares about that. Where's Kazuma at?"

shouted Megumin, making us realize that our leader and friend was still MIA here. He hadn't emerged from the cave along with Darkness. Was he still in there, possibly injured?

"Wait... don't go running off. We-we still haven't finished with you..."

said Darkness, quickly returning to her senses as she struggles to get up while reaching towards the direction the Golden Nemean had run off too, as if she felt doing so would somehow stop its escape and force it back this way. Cielo then says-

"Forget about that guy for now. You need healing Darkness. I'll take care of that while the rest of you head back into the cave and find out why Kazuma hasn't joined us out here yet."

We all go to nod, but seeing Darkness suddenly flinch when Kazuma's name is mentioned gives us pause. A look of absolute guilt and despair comes over Darkness, making us all ask together-

"Darkness, what's wrong? Where's Kazuma?"

It takes her a few moments before she is finally able to speak and when she does, it's obvious it was taking everything she had to do so here.

"He... he... he... the Golden Nemean, it... it ate him. Kazuma was..."

"WHAT!?"

We all scream out, our eyes going from her to where the Golden Nemean had run off too then back to her in shock and disbelief. It wasn't possible, it couldn't be possible. Kazuma had been... eaten. Kazuma... was dead.

"No, that's wrong. That can't be how it went down in there. You have to be lying, Darkness."

screamed Megumin, grabbing her and shaking her hard. All Darkness could do in this moment was to turn away, saying she was sorry over and over while tears began falling down her cheek. With that, Megumin collapses onto her knees, her own tears falling fast as was the case with all of us.

"We have to go after that thing. If we hurry, then maybe..."

I quickly suggest, wanting to believe that we still had time here. But Cielo, knowing that one of us had been the voice of reason, places her hand on my shoulder and says-

"We can't. No matter how fast we run, we'll never catch up with it. And even if we could, he'll already be..."

She couldn't finish, the hand that had been touching my shoulder pulls away before being clenched into a tight fist. I couldn't believe it, none of us could. Kazuma, our friend, our leader, was gone...

"It's all my fault."

"What did you say?"

Darkness turns her head to us, to respond to Megumin's question. I had never seen so much guilt, regret, and self-loathing on the face of a person before as Darkness says right out-

"Kazuma told us to retreat, and you all did. But I didn't want to give up yet, so I stubbornly acted defiant and stayed where I was. When he told me to run, I refused. And then the Golden Nemean came at me and he-he... he pushed me to safety and because of that, Kazuma was..."

[SLAP!]

The sound reverberated across the area as we all looked on stunned at what had just happened. Darkness most of all as she brings a hand up to her face where a clear hand shaped mark was forming. And the source of that mark, Megumin, was looking at her with a furious expression.

"You? What happened to Kazuma was because you... even after we ALL made that promise to him?"

Darkness just turns away in shame, unable to say anything in response. But Megumin looked like she had more to say here. A LOT MORE. But, before she could begin saying it, Yunyun suddenly stands and with a surprising degree of calmness, says to Cielo-

"Can you revive Kazuma if we could get his body back right now?"

"Yunyun, what are...?"

"Can you, or can't you?"

"Uh... yeah, I think so. I mean, I will. I would definitely bring him back. Thanks to this special pendant Eris herself made for me, sent to me thanks to the help of mother Clerica, my healing powers have been greatly improved to be on par with that of the divine, or so I was told. With this, I can revive the dead so long as their bodies are still intact enough for me to repair."

Hearing that makes Yunyun nod before she steps away, pulling her wand out. Once she had made some distance, she stops and kneels down onto her knees before using her wand to etch into the earth some kind of design, one that was glowing from the mana being used to draw it.

Curious, we get up as well and walk over to observe what it was she was making. As I look at it, I couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding coming from it. This was something dark, something forbidden, of that I knew quite well. Cielo and Darkness clearly didn't know what Yunyun was making.

But from the look on her face, Megumin did know, and her expression wasn't a good one.

"Yunyun, is that...? Are you planning on using THAT spell?"

"Are you saying YOU wouldn't use it, if you had ever taken the time to learn summoning magic's?"

Megumin is quiet after Yunyun's response while I continue to observe her work on making the circle symbol which I now knew to have some connection to summoning. Was Yunyun planning to call forth some sort of demon or devil here? No, wait... I know what this is. I turn my head towards Yunyun, looking at her with concern. Was she really going to...

"Yunyun... Megumin, what's going on? What are you making and how is that going to help Kazuma?"

When neither Yunyun nor Megumin speak up, I decide to speak for them and say-

"That is a forbidden summoning ritual, one that has been outlawed by all mages due to the extreme risk that comes from using it. Unlike the usual summoning ritual, which allows one to call forth a familiar from the underworld, this will permit one to call forth ANYTHING and EVERYTHING from ANYWHERE."

"And Yunyun's going to use it to summon Kazuma's body right to us?"

Yunyun nods while continuing to work on the circle. I then continue by saying-

"But, like I said, there is a risk from using this method. The risk is that in exchange, the user must take on a terrible curse. In most cases, it is a mana degradation curse which in not treated quickly enough, will cause their bodies to lose the ability to produce mana forever. It can also cause other side effects as well, including... death."

For the next few moments, there was silence as Yunyun finally finishes the circle and goes to step inside before Megumin stops her, asking-

"Yunyun, there has to be another way. Also, you and I both know this method can be incredibly fickle to use. Even if you focus on Kazuma with all your being, you may not actually retrieve Kazuma's body but something random instead. I'll do it in your place, seeing as my skills at magic are better than yours."

Yunyun shakes her head before gently saying-

"I know your family is said to be the most skilled when it comes to summoning rituals, but we both know your lack of focus on learning those details will be more of a burden than a blessing here. I, on the other hand, spent a great deal of time learning about summoning as I was so desperate for a friend back home, I was will to even accept a devil as a friend if they would have me."

"Yunyun..."

"Besides, thanks to the warning given to me by Soketto during our recent trip back home, I was made aware that something like this was going to be needed one day which is why I was able to place the 'mark of risk' onto Kazuma when he was recovering after the battle with Sylvia and Medusa."

"What's this mark of risk, Yunyun?"

I asked, not being familiar with it. Megumin answers for her by saying-

"Think of it as an anchor, of a sort. With that mark placed on the desired object ahead of time, it will guarantee this rituals success with summoning the very thing we wish it to summon. But it's only meant to be used on inanimate objects. To actually summon a flesh and blood body, regardless on if its alive or dead, it will definitely... Yunyun."

Yunyun shows a brave and confident smile to Megumin before saying-

"I'll leave it to you to take charge after I've done this, Megumin. You already know what needs to be done. And now, time to get Kazuma back."

Megumin makes us step back as a pillar of light rises from the summoning ritual. The whole area is bathed in a dark light as Yunyun begins to chant, her image distorting within the light. And then...

She performs the forbidden summoning...

(present-Kazuma's POV)

"After that, your body appeared upon the circle and Cielo moved quickly to start healing and reviving you while me and Megumin attended to Yunyun, who had passed out following the completion of the ritual. At Megumin's suggestion, I used Teleport to bring us right back to the mansion so we could place you in your bed. Once we knew you were alive and would be alright, I used teleport to send myself, Megumin, and Yunyun to Axel so we could have Wiz send us to the Crimson Demon village."

Megumin immediately takes over at Lynn finished speaking, saying-

"Yunyun should be fine. We got her back in the care of our clan's best and brightest. I'm sure they'll be able to stop that mana degradation curse before it can do any permanent harm to her mana or her body. She'll just need time to recover, and she'll be back here, getting in to even more trouble along with the rest of us."

That was good to hear be said. Yunyun really took a big risk for me, didn't she. Before she comes back, I'll need to come up with something that can truly show my gratitude here. But before I turn my thoughts onto that, there's still a few more things that need to be done.

"Once I'm back to full strength, I'll be using teleport to send us over to the village in order to see how's she's doing. So, how long will I need here before I'm one hundred percent, Doctor Cielo. And, out of curiosity, how long was I out for anyways?"

After taking a moment to think about it, Cielo says-

"You should be able to get out of bed again by tomorrow morning. As far as everything else goes, I'm going to say three to four days. As your personal doctor here, I recommend total rest and relaxation for that amount of time, understand."

We all laugh at hearing that before I give her a confirming nod. She then says to me-

"As for how long you've been asleep for. This is the morning of the second day since that incident."

Two days huh? You'd think I'd feel more rested than what I do right now. Guess going through what I just did doesn't really offer anyone a chance to get any proper rest. Anyways, enough wasting time here. I better hurry up and get this next bit over with. I turn my attention towards my bedroom door.

"Darkness, will you come in here."

My calm yet cool sounding tone makes the others tense as we wait a few moments before Darkness finally, meekly, enters the room with her head held low. When she finally reaches my bed, I await her words before I would speak mine. It takes her a few moments before she is finally able to look me in the eyes, saying with sadness and remorse present-

"Kazuma, I... I-I'm so sorry about this. Everything that day was my..."

"I only asked one thing from you, Darkness. One simple thing, to pull out if I gave the order. You promised you would without question. You lied and because of that..."

"I know, I know what I did, and I am so sorry for that. Because of me, because I..."

"Because you fucked up, not just me but Yunyun too had to suffer a terrible price to set things right."

Darkness lowers her head, no longer able to look me in the eyes. I was angry, furious even. But seeing her in this state was enough to tell me my words weren't necessary now. So, I instead let out a sigh before saying-

"Just this once, I will forgive you, Darkness. But if this ever happens again. If your refusal to do as told results in anyone else being hurt to the extent that it happened this time, I may have to make a hard choice myself here and ask you to... leave the party. Do you understand, Lalatina?"

The others remain quiet as Darkness looks at me, her face shifting to being one of seriousness here as she says-

"Yes, I understand, Kazuma. I swear I won't ignore your orders ever again. The next time we go after the Golden Nemean, I'll..."

"Next time? NEXT TIME!?"

My sudden and snap response makes Darkness freeze while the others shrink back, probably from the anger they heard in my voice.

"There isn't going to be a next time, am I being clear on that. We had our shot, and it didn't go well. As much as I hate to say this, it will be better to wait till the appropriate people come to Axel to deal with that matter."

I wanted to bring up my thoughts on that matter, how the Golden Nemean only became hostile after Darkness had touched it, but I decide to stay quiet there for now. Instead, I say-

"The next time any of you visit the guild, tell Luna we're canceling the quest. It was too much for us. I want you ALL to promise me right here, right now, that none of you will pursue the matter any further."

"But Kazuma...?"

"BUT NOTHING, DARKNESS. Don't forget who's seen as the leader of this party. It's me and I'm saying we aren't going after it again, no matter what. Am I being clear here. AM I... (cough)"

I begin hacking and coughing like crazy in that moment, enough so that blood splatters my hand, forcing Cielo to quickly begin healing me again while Lynn runs to get me some water to drink. Once I had calmed down, I send a serious look towards the girls and say-

"Promise me... the matter of the Golden Nemean. You'll let it go!"

One by one, they all promise me with Darkness being the last to do so. There was a hesitation in her words I didn't fail to notice, but I was too tired in this moment to really care. Once I was back in tip top shape, I'll find out what is really going on with her as I knew there was something wrong.

I couldn't place it yet though. But there was one thing I did know and that was that eventually, someone was going to say something, or something was going to happen, be learned, that would make all the puzzle pieces of this mystery make sense. And when it does happen, I'll probably be kicking myself for not having figured it out in the sooner. But I'll deal with that when it comes.

For now, I just wanted to sleep and try to forget about the feeling of being swallowed by a lion.

========================={Part 3: To Save Ones Savior}=========================

I ended up spending the rest of the day in bed, for the most part. Enjoying having Megumin and Lynn waiting on me hand and foot while Cielo gave me several more healing sessions to help improve my condition. Man, I wish when I thought the words healing session that it was actually an innuendo for something spicier here. Ah, perhaps someday, perhaps someday.

On a side note, I didn't see Darkness again after that first time, probably because she couldn't bring herself to look at me do to the guilt she must have been feeling. I was also told that she had stepped out not long after I had woken up and hadn't returned till after sunset and, at least to my knowledge here, she never said where it was she went to.

Speaking of being told things or the lack of such, I was never told what state my body had been in once Yunyun had successfully summoned it from the belly of the beast. Probably for the best as I really wasn't sure I wanted to hear the details, especially if in addition to reviving me, Cielo had been forced to also use the power that pendant gave her to rebuild certain parts of me as well. Maybe one day but definitely not right now.

I also wanted to further inquire exactly how that forbidden summoning ritual actually worked as there were details I still didn't understand about it, like how that 'mark of risk' was supposed to work. I decide to go ahead and wait till I make the trip to the village to check in on Yunyun before I'll do that as Megumin herself may not know the finer details, seeing as she hadn't been one for paying attention in class, by her own admittance.

By the morning of the next day, I was feeling much better. Not well enough to be going out to do quest mind you, as my body still had a degree of stiffness and discomfort plaguing it, but enough where I could finally get out of bed and do minor stuff for myself. Of course, this also meant I would probably be expected to start cooking the meals again. Probably a good thing as apart from myself and Yunyun, all the other girl's kind of suck at being cooks.

Once I was up and dressed, I leave my room and begin looking around, surprised to find no one around from the looks of it. They weren't in their rooms nor were they downstairs, unless they were down inside their not-so-secret hot spring bath at the moment. The only one I could find was Chomusuke, curled into a little ball and sleeping away on the sofa.

I pull out my pocket watch, checking the time and seeing it was a little past nine in the morning. Confirming that, I close the pocket watch and return it to my pocket before saying with a slightly raised voice-

"Where is everyone?"

Just then, Anna comes passing through a wall from... somewhere in the mansion and, upon seeing me, quickly comes floating over to my side.

"Morning Kazuma. So, finally feeling better after your little misadventure the other day?"

"Well enough that I was able to get out of bed and walk around. By the way, just where is everyone anyways? Did they head out for some reason."

"Yeah, down to Axel or so they said. Wanted to take on a quest so they could get in some practice with those new spells you taught them, or so Cielo told me. They probably want to make sure what happened before never happens again."

"Yeah, probably... Can't believe ALL of them would go though. I mean, you'd think at least one of them would want to hang back just in case I needed some assistance. Oh well, none of those girls has ever had what my neck of the woods would consider to be common sense. Never mind that for now. Did they say when they would be getting back?"

"Hm? I think they said by sundown at the latest."

That long, huh? Well, guess I'll be going by myself then.

"Anna, could you do me a favor. I'm going to be going to the Crimson Demon village so I can check in on Yunyun. Make sure she's OK. Once the others get back, tell them that for me. Depending on how things go, I'll either be back for dinner or in the morning at the latest."

"Sure, but are you sure you're OK with go out on such a trip?"

"I think so. Only one way to know for sure, am I right?"

Anna nods as I lean down and poke Chomusuke a few times, waking her and making her give me a sour look. Obviously, she doesn't like being awoken from her naps, something I can relate too.

"Sorry about that Nia but I wanted to see if you wanted to come with me for a little trip here?"

Chomusuke's response was to yawn, stretch, then hop onto my shoulder then onto my head before curling herself up again and going right back to sleep. I'll take that as a "yes, now let me get back to sleeping here."

"Sure, leave me here, all alone and by myself."

said Anna, crossing her hands over her chest while puffing her cheeks out in annoyance. My reply was to smile while reaching out to fake ruffle her hair before saying-

"Just be patient here, my little ghoulie. You'll be able to leave this mansion just as easily as the rest of us can soon enough."

"Huh? What did you just say, Kazuma. You just said something I demand to know more details on."

My response was to smile at her while activating teleport. No doubt, she was going to be giving me an earful once I return from this little trip. Once the teleportation ends, I find myself standing outside a familiar looking building, that being the home of Megumin's parents and little sister.

I consider knocking at first, to let them know I was in town. But after a momentary pause to think about it, I decide to wait as by this time, both parents would probably be at work and Komekko would surely be with one of them. Besides, seeing any of them now would be a distraction from my main objective here. I'll stop in and see them once I'm done checking in on Yunyun.

I then make my way through the village, seeing very little had changed from the last visit. I had a few stop and greet moments with the locals as I made my way, but luckily didn't have a run in with that crazy teacher nor any of the classmates who would see the absence of Megumin and Yunyun as a perfect chance to 'steal' me for themselves.

Side note, that statue of the three of us was still there and it still weirded me out a little here. Once I had reached the clinic that acted as the village hospital, a familiar figure emerged. That figure being the doctor who had taken care of me following the Medusa fight.

"Ah, it's you. Satou Kazuma if I remember your name correctly here."

"And you would be correct, doc. Sorry to make a sudden appearance like this, but is Yunyun in there? If so, would it be possible to go in and see her?"

"You're wanting to check in on her? Actually, she isn't here in the clinic but back home. I felt letting her rest in her own bed would be better for her than in the bed of the clinic. As far as seeing her goes, you'll need to check in with her parents for that though I'm sure they'll be fine with it. Why don't we go together as I am on my way there myself to check in on her."

I nod as I join the doctor in walking to Yunyun's family home. As we walk, I decide to ask the doc about her current condition.

"So, is she doing any better, doc?"

After a moment of silence-

"She's... doing well enough for now. But... I'll be honest with you, Satou Kazuma. It's not looking too good for her here. The level of arcana saturation she suffered was... a lot more than what is normal, even when using that forbidden summoning. So much so that I... I doubt we'll be able to save her ability to create mana internally here."

No, please don't tell me that. Don't tell me that there's no chance here for her to make a full recovery.

Perhaps sensing my thoughts, the doctor looks at me and says-

"Don't misunderstand me here. We're still going to do everything in our power to stop that from happening. But you need to understand that the curse is attacking the 'mana core' within her body, which is what produces the mana we rely on. And it's not that we can't undo the curse either. Rather, it more about time. As strong as the mana degradation curse is, she only has a few days left at best before her mana core is completely overwhelmed and rewritten, thus cutting her off from regular mana forever outside of relying on manatite crystals for spell casting."

"Overwhelmed and rewritten? What does that mean?"

"It means instead of producing mana, her core will instead start producing arcana instead. I'm not sure if you already know this or not, but arcana is essentially the mana of Perdition, the lower realms. Also known as Hell. While being able to tap into some arcana here and there isn't entirely a bad thing for us Crimson Demons, to have our entire mana core turned into an arcana core would be dangerous. So much so that if it does happen with Yunyun, then we'll have to seal her core and with it, the arcana, for her own protection. I wish I could tell you more on this, but that information is exclusive to members of our clan and those who've married into the clan."

I see. I had known idea about any of this. For one thing, they have the ability to save her, but likely not enough time. If my understanding is correct, the purge a curse like that from her is something that probably takes a lot of work and time, which is what they don't have. I wonder, is there something I could do for her?

("To help her?")

I ignore those words I heard in my head. There was still something I needed to know so I look again to the doctor and ask-

"Can you tell me about the summoning ritual she used to recover my body. To save my life and put her into this situation she's in now."

"You wish to know, huh? Very well, I'll tell you. First, you need to understand how summoning works in general. To put it simply, the act of summoning draws arcana as its power source. The energy that's unleashed is pure arcana which means the summoners body is bathed in arcana when summoning anything to them, especially so if they're summoning either a demon or a devil."

"Now, the human body has a tolerance for arcana exposure. Not much of one mind you but enough to make using a summoning ritual acceptable, at least when it comes to summoning lower tier demons. Higher ranked demons and devils, on the other hand, may be more than what the average human body can withstand. Now us Crimson Demons, on the other hand, are far more durable for... reasons. We can handle the kind of arcana released when going for those superior entities."

I see. Now I beginning to understand why it's usually Crimson Demons that are relied on when summoning things is needed. Still, that doesn't explain what happened to Yunyun. Also...

"I think I understand now. But how did Yunyun's summoning of my body from the belly of the Golden Nemean cause her to be over-saturated with arcana? And also, what does a 'mark of risk' have to do with any of this also?"

"Mark of risk? Oh, that explains so much now."

OK, definitely don't like the sound of that.

"Why is Yunyun in her current state? The simplest and easiest answer to give here is because she summoned YOUR body. When using a summoning ritual from the material world we live in, more arcana is required. This is because in order to summon the object, you have to pull it out of our material world into Perdition and then from Perdition back into our world upon the ritual seal. Because of this, the amount of arcana needed is increased. The more 'valuable' the object being summoned, the more arcana needed to do it."

"When I say 'valuable', I don't me things like wealth here. I'm talking about the nature of the object. Even if your body was just a corpse by that point, it would still be seen as a high value summons as it would have only just died and thus, some aspect of your soul may have still been connected thus the level of arcana needed to summon your body would have been immense. Size can also be a factor in these things."

"And as for the mark of risk? That is simply an anchor to latch onto. By placing a magic symbol onto an object, or person, then drawing that exact mark into the center of the summoning circle, it makes it become the defacto object that will be called forth when the ritual is done. It helps to save some effort of the part of the summoner when it comes to focusing on what it is they want to summon. But it can also add a little extra arcana into the mix as well as the marks have to be infused with arcana by the summoner to begin with."

"I see. I wonder when Yunyun even placed that mark onto me to begin with? And where on me..."

"She probably did it while you were recovering from your injuries following that incident with the Devil King's General. As for the where and the why, only she can ever answer that question.""

So that's how it is. I really wished you would have given me some warning here, Yunyun. But it, and you, did save my life so I can't complain. Now that I know all this, I wonder if there is anything here I can do to save her in turn?

("There is an option, if you are willing to take the risk.")

"Tell me, Satou Kazuma. Since waking up, have you noticed anything unusual with your body? Have you suffered any peculiar thoughts as of late?"

What's all this about? Has there been anything?

"Nothing that comes to mind. Why, should there be anything like that happening?"

"Maybe... maybe not. Keep in mind it wasn't just Yunyun who was exposed to extreme levels of arcana that day. Your body was also exposed to as much, if not more, arcana than her's. Of course, seeing as you were dead at the time could have made all the difference, but the fact you were exposed to so much should have had some kind of effect on you too. Once we're done checking in on Yunyun, would you mind coming with me so that we can give you a quick examination. For your safety, of course."

"Sure, I don't mind. I wish you hadn't told me that as I'm starting to feel a little freaked out here now."

The doctor laughs as we continue on our way. Shortly thereafter, we reach the home of Hiropon and Rikarika, arriving just in time to see a few female mages walking out, all of them looking a little glum.

"Those are the special curse breakers that have been working on trying to save Yunyun. Judging from the looks on their faces, it's obvious they have their doubts here."

Terrific, just what I don't want to hear. Once we stepped inside, we are greeted by Rikarika who upon seeing me, comes over and gives me a warm hug, grateful to see I had recovered. She then gives the doctor an update, and not a positive sounding one at that. After that, Rikarika leads us into Yunyun's bedroom.

When my eyes finally fall onto her, I find my heart breaking at the sight. She was very pale with shallow breathing. Her eyes had a sunken look to them, her skin had a sheen to it that was probably from sweat, and her hair didn't have any of its usual color or luster. In truth, she looked like she was suffering from some intense fever.

I stand off to the side while the doctor takes a few blood samples from her, followed by giving her an injection of something. He then takes his leave, asking me as he goes if I could stop back by the clinic after I leave here so he could examine me. Once he was gone, I move over to Yunyun and say as her mother joins me-

"This is all my fault If only I had been faster, I could have pushed Darkness out of the way without..."

Rikarika throws me into another hug, this one tight and rather painful as she says-

"No, this isn't your fault. You did what you did to save the life of a friend, just like my little girl did what she had to do to save you. Don't ever lament on what happened as you can't change that. Instead, focus on what it is you can do going forward. Not just for yourself, but for others as well... for HER!"

I nod as I send Rikarika a quick glance before looking back at Yunyun, deciding to find out exactly what 'she' had been talking about.

"Miss Rikarika, I hate to ask this but... can I have a few minutes alone here with Yunyun."

"Of course, take as long as you need. Though not to long as Hiropon will be returning home shortly. While I'm sure he won't mind you being here, visiting Yunyun, he may have issues we letting you stay in here alone with her, considering she isn't exactly decent beneath the covers."

In other words, she was probably mostly naked right now. I give Rikarika a nod followed by her stepping outside. I wait a few moments before closing my eyes and saying in a low, quiet voice.

"OK wisp of Entropy, start talking. What exactly is this option you brought up a few moments ago?"

I could sense 'its' precense come into being behind me, back-to-back you could say. After another moment, 'it' finally speaks up.

{Insert Image 2}

("Ah, so you did hear me. And here I thought I was going to need to speak louder.")

"Stop fucking around already. Is there something I can do here to save her? If so, then tell me now."

("Pull out your adventurer's card and bring up the skill page. I have already made it available for you to unlock.")

I do as it tells me to do. Once I had brought the page up, I saw that there was a new skill that had indeed appeared from out of nowhere. Even more curious was the fact it fell under the category of skills exclusive to Lich's.

("That there is quite an interesting skill. While not a rare skill by any means, it would seem it has functions to it none have ever discovered before. In fact, I doubt even that Lich who runs that shop back in Axel even knows its full potential.")

"And you do, I take it?"

("One of the advantages of having merged myself with the seed of the Lich curse within you. Because of that, I now know everything one could ever wish to know about Lich's and their powers.")

Everything, huh. That's a scary though. But I'll deal with that another time. For right now...

"OK then, tell me about this skill and how can I use it to help Yunyun?"

("This skill is the one a Lich can use to inflict a negative status condition onto another. Many believe the negative status effect to be random but a Lich with either a high enough power basis or has built the skill up enough can control what that negative status effect will be.")

"OK, that's interesting but that doesn't help me or her here."

("Indeed, as inflicting her with another negative would only make things worse. Now, here's the part that few know about this skill. It isn't just about inflicting a negative status effect. It can also be used to steal a status buff from someone too. Say, rob them of having their strength or defenses enhanced.")

"Seriously? I think I get where this is going but how would that help Yunyun here? After all, I sure you'd agree that having a mana degradation curse wouldn't be seen as a buff."

("Very true, it isn't a buff. However, I never said this skill could only take away a buff or inflict a curse now, did I? That is another misunderstand about this skill. It can both inflict and take away a buff or a debuff from someone, all at the whims of the user. You don't hear about this because why would a Lich want to help someone?"

"Good point. So, if I learn this skill. I can use it to pull that curse out of Yunyun."

("And into yourself, yes as it has to go into something. The question you have to ask yourself is will you be OK with being infected by the mana degradation curse in her place? Know that the method Crimson Demons use to break curses like these will only work on a Crimson Demon. They won't be able to help you. Also, you'd probably lose your ability to use mana faster than she currently is.")

"I can live with that. After all, I came from a world and a life where mana was nothing more than mere fantasy. Going back to that won't kill me. Sure, I will have to change up how I do things from now on, start relying on manatite a lot more, but I can still live with that. Yunyun, on the other hand, to have to live her life without the powers she's had with her since birth... I won't let that happen. Not ever!"

What was there to think about, really. For Yunyun, for any of them really, making such a sacrifice was easy. I tap my card and unlock the new skill, feeling the awakening of its understanding within my mind. Once I had put the card away, I ready myself for the task at hand.

"Kazuma?"

I heard Yunyun say with a weak voice as she opens her eyes just a little. At seeing me smile back at her makes her tear up. I knew she wanted to move, to hug me here but she was presently too weak to do so.

"Kazuma... you're really OK. I-I'm so happy to see it was all worth it."

"It was worth it, Yunyun. And thank you, for saving me back there. It really means a lot to me that you would do that for me. And now, it's my turn to save you here."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll understand soon enough. Ah... I do have to ask your permission though."

"Permission? For what?"

"Um... well, I'm kind of going to need to... put my hand on your chest. I mean, over your heart in order to do this and..."

I turn my head away to hide my blush as Yunyun, despite the situation, giggles at seeing me embarrassed. She then reaches out the hand that was closest to me, taking hold of mine and guiding it onto her chest.

"I don't mind. In truth, I don't mind you touching me... anywhere really."

I could see she was just as embarrassed as I was, especially with saying that to me. Despite that, there was a confidence I rarely saw in her eyes when she had said that as well. She had really come a long way since that day when we had first met one another.

I give her a nod before taking my other hand and placing it against her forehead.

"Just so you know, Yunyun. This will be the first time I've done this, so I don't know how it's going to feel on your end. If by some chance it doesn't feel very comfortable, if it hurts at all, just try to bear with it OK?"

She gives me a simple nod before closing her eyes. Either because she was bracing herself for what could be coming or because she was simply enjoying my touch, or perhaps both. I then close my eyes, take in a deep breath, and activate this new, untested skill on her.

"Hex!"

======================{Part 4: The Countdown Begins}========================

I slowly made my way outside Yunyun's room, being careful to not stumble as it would be taken the wrong way by Rikarika, who upon seeing me had gotten up off the ground from what looked like a prayer pose or something.

It made me wonder if she was sending a prayer to their Nekopara god or if she was actually sending a prayer to Eris herself for a miracle. Luckily for her, I believe that miracle has already been given here, just a few minutes ago in fact. At least I hope so.

"Kazuma, are you OK? You're not looking very good right now."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Feeling a little winded is all. I need to keep in mind I myself am still on the mend here. Anyways, I think I've distracted Yunyun long enough from getting some rest and I have to make a return trip to see the doctor, on his orders. After that, I'm thinking I'll be staying in the village for the night. I'll stop back by in the morning before I leave to check in on Yunyun."

Rikarika nods, though the look of concern was still there. Just as I was about to exit the house, I hear her ask me once last time if I was sure I was doing OK. I turn back to look at her and smile.

"I'll be fine, I promise. And Yunyun too. I have a feeling she's going to be just fine as well."

Once I had left the house, I begin heading in the direction of the clinic, but deciding to make a slight detour over to the village's clothing store first in order to purchase some gloves to cover my hands with. Just as I reach the store, I stop and look down at my hands, seeing a less than positive sign upon them.

Following my use of Hex, something strange had happened. Gray colored lines had formed on the palms of my hands, resembling cracks though they didn't feel like cracks when touched. So far, this strange sight was only on my palms, but I had a feeling that was going to quickly change.

Once I had purchased the gloves and put them on, I was finally making my way to the clinic, 'it' finally decided to speak up at last here.

("You'll be fine, huh? Are you sure about that?")

"I was wondering when, or even IF, you were going to say anything to me following what happened back there. So tell me, wisp of Entropy. How long do I have till my mana core is gone?"

("Till the day comes when you find yourself once again walking in a world without mana present within it.")

Eh? Wait, what do you mean?

"Care to explain yourself? Didn't I take the curse Yunyun was suffering under into myself back there?"

("Yes, you did indeed. But I never said I was going to let it infect you to that degree now, did I? Because the loss of mana could be problematic for you, both in the short term and the long term, I decided to instead redirect it into the Lich curse itself, where it would be both absorbed and neutralized into nothingness. In other words, the mana degradation curse is no longer an issue.")

"That's strangely kind of you. Tell me, why would you be so gracious as to help me out here by doing that?"

("Sigh, it seems you truly don't understand things yet. I guess I can't blame you as you haven't considered EVERYTHING that has happened here as of late. Shall I go ahead and tell you?")

"You mean I have an option here? Fine, fill me in on what I've failed to realize here."

("First, recall that it was said that the usage of that forbidden summoning ritual is dangerous because of the over-saturation of arcana it will cause to both the user and the one being summoned. Yunyun paid the price for it by being inflicted with the mana degradation curse. But what about you? Sure, you were dead but not SO dead that your body wouldn't also be made to suffer because of that exposure. And yet, nothing has happened with you. Surely, you must have wondered why by now.")

I don't think I like where this is going.

("The reason why nothing has happened is simple. It's because all that arcana that your body absorbed was immediately sucked into the Lich curse within you. Now, can you remember what it was you were warned about before? What things could cause that little seed to sprout within you again?")

"What could cause me to start turning into a Lich again? Well, there was overusing those more advanced Lich skills I have access too which is why Eris locked them, until they weren't. Even so, I haven't used Specter and Apathy that much and even now, with Hex, I don't think I used all of those three together enough to triggering that seed into doing anything here. Sure, I rely on Drain Touch a lot, but I was told it couldn't trigger any trouble for me. Quite the opposite as it would help me build up that immunity ability Eris gifted me with way back when."

("Ah yes, that Lich Curse Immunity. Tell me, when was the last time you even bothered to check on that, to see how your progress there was even going.")

"When did I last...? Well, I checked on it... actually, I don't think I've ever taken the time to see where it was at other than that first time I looked at it, at Eris' insistence. I guess I forgot about it, huh?"

("Well then, better late than never don't you think so?")

True enough, I guess. While I wanted to ask 'it' what this had to do with our little talk about the arcana exposure, something told me I would soon find out. As I pull my card out, I realize I was standing in the middle of the road, having come to a stop to have this little talk here. In order to make sure I don't look weird to locals; I begin walking towards the clinic while bringing up the screen where the immunity bar was located.

Or rather, where it should be located as it was no longer there. Instead, there was a digital clock in its place, on countdown no less. Looking at it, I saw that it said 29D-23H-52M. While I didn't understand what any of that meant, I couldn't help but find myself starting to feel nervous now.

("As you now can see, you no longer have that immunity in development. It was actually lost during the second encounter between you and one of the fragments sent to collect you from my main body. Instead, you now find a timer on countdown. Want to know what that's all about?")

"That would be nice, yes."

("Before I tell you, allow me to finish up our previous discussion over the arcana. Like I said a few moments ago, it was ALL absorbed into the seed of your Lich curse. You already talked about things that could trigger that seed to awaken and restart your turn into a Lich again. But there was another you forgot to mention. Perhaps because you forgot that it was a potential threat.")

"And that would be... wait, do you mean?"

("Correct, the arcana exposure. You may not be aware of this, but a Lich's power comes from arcana, not mana. The more arcana it can draw in, the stronger the Lich will be. Seeing as your body had to be momentarily sent into Perdition before being brought to Yunyun, that was a moment where you were exposed to a lot of arcana and all of it was sent right into the curse.")

"So, in other words. Because of the method Yunyun was forced to use, my Lich curse was fed a great feast of energy here. Does that mean what I think it means?"

("Yes and no. All that arcana being absorbed into the curse certainly sped it along, but it wasn't quite enough to trigger germination within the seed. However, absorbing the mana degradation curse, which itself is based around arcana, made all the difference. The seed has finally awakened and that countdown timer you saw on your card tells you how long you have left before you turn into a full Lich. Those crack-like marks that have appeared on your hands. Also a sign of that countdown. The more it covers your body, the closer to becoming a full Lich you'll be.")

"I see, so was this your plan for me all along here, Entropy? To see me turned into a full Lich?"

("What I want is to bring you home. What I want is to make you stronger. What I want... is YOU and ONLY YOU! While this is a less than ideal way to go about helping you become stronger, it is a way and one that will work.")

"Provided I can beat the curse, you mean. What will you do should I be able to overcome this curse within the allotted time? Won't having my body, mind, heart, and soul being lost to the Lich be seen as a bad thing for you and whatever your plans for me in the future?"

("It'll be fine. What happens to your current body is inconsequential. I already have a superior body waiting for you once I have collected you. A body similar to what I now have. In truth, all I need is your soul, which will be safe no matter what. I might have to reach inside in order to bring YOU back out again, but that won't be too hard for me to do, given what it is I have gained.")

"You know, I could just go to the Erisia Cathedral and send a prayer to Eris. I'm sure she would help me, save me from turning into a Lich again. It may not seem like it, but me and her are pretty tight, you know."

("That won't happen again. I'll make sure of it. Besides, why would you want to run from this? Don't you have any faith in your ability to overcome this obstacle yourself? I know I said before that you becoming a mindless Lich isn't an issue for me, but that doesn't mean I want that to happen here either. In truth, I have faith you can overcome this challenge. Just like all the others that have come before. Well, I must take my leave for now. Know that I will continue watching you and cheering you on.")

Once I couldn't feel 'it' anymore, I let all the tension I hadn't realized I was holding in me come breathing all out. In truth, I wanted to shout and scream out into the open air. I wanted to lose myself in a panic attack here. Less than thirty days to solve what I hadn't solved in months? It was impossible.

Granted, I hadn't really made an effort to solve it either. Hell, I had forgotten that it was an actual issue for much of that time. Well, if what 'it' said was true, I better get off my butt and start figuring this out. But first, I need to find out what the hell is up with Darkness and see that made right.

And before even that, I have a visit to that clinic... oh crap, what it the doc takes notice of the Lich curse this time, now that it has finally become active again?

"This is why I really hate making doctor visits..."

======================{Part 5: A Great Crimson Secret}======================

Despite my fears, the little examination I had been given hadn't led to the village doctor taking notice of the Lich curse, which I couldn't help but find strange. I mean, just how do you miss something like that? Perhaps that wisp of Entropy had something to do with it?

Regardless, the sun was going down by the time I had come walking out of there and while I had wanted to go ahead and use teleport to return home, I decided I would go ahead and stay the night here so I could pay Yunyun one finally quick visit in the morning, just to make sure my actions had actually worked.

Also, I had told Anna to tell the others I might not be back till morning anyways so there's that too. Question now was where to stay and the answer to that was pretty obvious. I was standing once again outside the home I had gifted to Megumin's parents. After a second to take in a breath, I knock my hand against the door.

"Whoever it is, go away. We're entertaining guest right now."

came the voice of Komekko after a few moments of waiting. They were entertaining guest? I wonder who that could be? Had Megumin and the others come here as well. Were they currently inside, possibly waiting on me to swing around. Only one way to fine out.

"Ah, you hurt your big brother's feeling there, Komekko. And here I was going to make you some yummies for your tummy."

No sooner had I said that had the door been thrown open with such force that I barely had time to jump back in order to avoid being hit, only to then be hit full force by the little bundle of energy that was Komekko who hugged me with a strength you wouldn't think a child of her age should possess.

"I missed you, big brother. Are you really going to make me some food?"

"Sure I will, little sprout. Just leads me to the kitchen and I'll get started at once."

Komekko nods excitedly before grabbing onto my hand and guides me into the house. Just as I was pulled into the living room, I find an unexpected sight...

"Mwah-ha-ha-ha, so glad to see you join us, dependable business partner who has made Moi's dream of his own personalized dungeon grow ever closer."

"Kazuma, this is a present surprise. What are you doing here?"

came Vanir, having appeared from out of nowhere which nearly gave me a heart attack. Wiz pops her head out into view from behind him to let me know she was also here. Sitting at a table nearby was Hyoizaburoo, quietly taking time to drink something. Yuiyui's emerges from the commotion, having heard all the ruckus and welcomes me as well.

"Ah, Kazuma. What brings you here? Is my first born with you as well? What of the rest of your party."

"First, can I ask what these two are doing here? It's not often I see you both leave Axel."

Wiz answers that question by saying-

"We wanted to celebrate with our long-time business partners, Kazuma."

"The now somewhat reliable shop-keep is correct. Thanks to the combination of the products you have been making for Moi as well as your help with perfecting the products partner Hyoizaburoo makes for us, the shop which had once barely been able to stay open has now become one of Axel's most successful. We were invited to celebrate all the good tidings and thus, here we are."

So, they're here to celebrate. Makes sense. Also hearing that the shop is doing well now is also a good thing. I look to Hyoizaburoo and asks-

"So, does this mean the family is now raking in the eris it has long desired?"

"More than I could have ever imagined we'd get. Wait, you aren't going to..."

Going to what? Oh, he must be worried I would ask for the 200 million eris I gave them to be returned to me. Geez, these guys were greedy, huh. I tell him that wasn't going to happen, that I had given them that eris back then. Hearing that makes both Hyoizaburoo and Yuiyui sigh in relief.

They then once again ask me about my presence here as well as where Megumin and the others were at, so I explain the situation. After hearing my explanation, they nod their understand with Yuiyui even saying she had heard that Yunyun had returned suddenly, though she didn't know the details there. After that, I found myself in the kitchen making dinner while Yuiyui watched me, taking notes.

And Komekko also watched me as well, drooling the entire time.

Following dinner, Wiz and Vanir excused themselves as they needed to get back to Axel to reopen their shop. According to Wiz, she often got her best customers during the night. Customers who also operated a local cafe of a sort somewhere in Axel. She even gave me their calling card and said I should stop by there from time to time as the service was nothing short of heavenly.

The name of this cafe was "Fantasy Dreams Cafe: when you wake up, you'll feel like a new you." Sounds interesting. I might go check this place out one of these days. As Wiz prepares to use teleport, Vanir pulls me off to the side to talk privately.

"So, I heard you had to head back home not too long ago. Something about a troublesome minion trying to take control of your territory. I'm assuming things have been dealt with then."

"Ha-ha-ha-ha, but of course. It was but a minor annoyance for one such as Moi. However, Moi does foresee another visit back home soon in order to ensure a valuable asset doesn't get taken away from Moi."

"I see, well good luck with that. Also, seeing as we're both here right now. How's my special order coming along?"

I was referring to a request I had made with Vanir a few weeks ago, an order that related to special plans I had for Anna.

"Ah yes, that request. You'll be happy to hear Moi has been able to locate the materials you need and should be able to deliver them too you here soon."

Vanir's jovial expression then shifts, becoming a more serious one as he leans in close and says to me with a low voice.

"Allow Moi to give you a little prediction here. Forthcoming events will result in you going to a faraway place. A dark place from which few ever return. But do not fear nor try to run as these events, so long as you play your cards right, will ultimately be to your benefit."

"What do you mean?"

"Vanir, I'm ready here."

shouted Wiz, interrupting our conversation. Vanir acknowledges her words then looks back at me and says-

"You'll understand soon enough. Know that Moi can see that you'll be alright in the end. Also, take it easy on those girls of yours. None of them are in full control of themselves right now."

"Eh? Again with being cryptic? Can't you people ever be direct and to the point with me."

"Ah yes, there's some dark emotion for me to finally savior. And here Moi was thinking I would have to go hungry tonight too."

Vanir laughs maniacally as Wiz says goodbye and the two of them vanish into the teleportation light, leaving me there to fume. You know, there are times I really wish that guy had died that night.

Speaking of which, much later in the night I found myself being woken up suddenly by Yuiyui who asked me to join her outside so that we could have a private talk. Once we were outside, sitting down and all, I allowed myself a few minutes to gaze out over the whole village before saying-

"So, you wanted to talk with me about something? Also, how's your new 'assets' working out for you?"

I was of course talking about her boobs here. Maybe it was just me, but I couldn't help but wonder if they had gotten even bigger than they were when I had last seen them. Yeah, probably just my imagination here.

"They're doing very well, all thanks to you and that magic tome of yours. Speaking of, has my first born seen any growth yet?"

"A little yes. She's been wearing some enchanted bra or something which makes her look like she's still flat when outside the mansion. You know, it's funny in a way. She was once going on about wanting bigger breast yet is now shy about letting people knows she's finally getting them."

"Hearing that she's suddenly becoming shy isn't any surprise to me. Who knows, perhaps she doesn't want just anyone seeing her recent developments. Perhaps she wants to leave that for your eyes only."

Could that be the case? She does like to make me aware of her developments as often as she can as of late. I'll ask her about that one of these days.

"Anyways Kazuma, I believe I should get to the reason I wanted to talk with you in private. Recently, I became aware of a little incident that happened over within the Red Prison that involved yourself, my daughter's former classmates, and their teacher."

I go rigid at hearing that, wondering if Yuiyui was about to ask me if she could have a little 'taste' of the action as well here. She probably knew what I was thinking as she quickly follows up with saying-

"Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to do that with me... at least not this night anyways. Instead, I felt I should explain what it was that was going on that day that will explain a few things for you."

"A few things? You mean there's more going on as to why Megumin and Yunyun, as well as all those other girls, seem to experience a sexual arousal whenever I give them demi-mana."

"That is correct. To be clear, I'm sure you giving them regular old mana would also trigger such a reaction from them, just not to the extent as giving them demi-mana does. Certainly not as quickly as it comes about. Now, before I tell you what it is I think is going on, I must ask you to keep what I'm about to say a secret from everyone. This information is a closely guarded secret for us Crimson Demons. So much so that even the men of the tribe don't know about this."

Huh? A secret so big that not even the men of the clan know about it. A secret exclusive to the female members of the clan. OK, you have my attention here.

"Sure, I'll keep it a secret. But are you sure it's OK for me, an outsider, to know when even the men of the clan don't know about whatever it is you're going to tell me here."

"To be fair, I can't say that none of the men know about this as I'm sure one or two could know or at least have a suspicion about this. All I can say for a certainty is the fact my husband doesn't know, and I know Hiropon doesn't know either. If he did, then there would be trouble afoot and poor Rikarika would be too busy dealing with his antics to run the village."

Come again? Are you saying Yunyun's mom is the real leader of the Crimson Demons, not her father? I'll have to ask Rikarika about that one when I see her in the morning, before I leave.

"Now listen closely, Kazuma. This is the secret. Long ago, when the first generation of Crimson Demons were born into the world, there was a little secret kept from the Norse over the source of our power. You see, there's a reason we have the word demon in our name and it's not just for aesthetic reasons. No, we Crimson Demons are literally part demon. Well, we don't know if we have demonic DNA within us or if it's the essence of demonic energy mixed within our cores but... details. The percentage of which isn't exactly known at this time either, nor do we know if it's just one demon type or multiple, at least with the males of the clan."

"I see, so is this why Crimson Demons have a higher affinity for summoning devils and demons then, as well as why your clan can handle higher levels of arcana exposure than regular humans can when doing a summoning."

"Yes, that's correct. Because of our demonic heritage, it is easier for us to not only summon devils and demons into the world, but to also make pacts with them as well. As for the arcana exposure? A Crimson Demon can handle anywhere between twice the amount up to four times the amount before it runs the risk of being a problem."

I see, that does explain a lot here. Makes me wonder just how much arcana Yunyun was exposed to in order to affect her with that mana degradation curse. Still, this doesn't seem like that big of a secret, especially to keep from the men of the clan. And how does this explain why females of the clan have such a reaction to getting mana?

"The information I just gave you isn't the secret I'm going to share with you. The men of the clan know that much. All that I said thus far is a secret exclusive to the clan. Few outside know about it and even when one of our young ones speak of it be accident, most usually assume it's all jokes like they would think with most of our words. Now, I will tell you the big secret known only to the women of the clan."

"Female Crimson Demons... are part succubi."

Part succubi? Female Crimson Demons are technically a kind of succubus? Oh god, everything makes so much sense now.

"I believe I once told you, or maybe it was Megumin, that female Crimson Demons can be very affectionate. That wasn't a joke, Kazuma. We have it within us to be the perfect lovers for our chosen someone. An instinct if you will. When given the proper motivation, we can return that with pleasure no other can hope to match, apart from a full-blooded succubus that is."

I just sit there for a moment, looking at Yuiyui with a dumbfounded expression before I start to laugh. I wasn't sure why I was laughing but I was. She patiently waits till I finish and when I do, I say-

"So, whenever I give Megumin or Yunyun my mana, and when I was made to give miss Panyatopi and those other girls mana too, it triggered their inner succubus into action and made them enjoy it far more than a regular girl would."

"That is my assumption, yes. I could give you a definitive answer if I had you do it to me, but I don't feel me having you do that is necessary. The reason they enjoy it so much, why they want so much is because it awakens that aspect of them. Tell me, as either Megumin or Yunyun asked you to give them a fix even when they don't need a recharge?"

"No... actually, Megumin has been a bit more vocal about me giving her some here as of late. I honestly felt like she was just looking for an excuse for me to touch her in general."

Well, this certainly wasn't what I was expecting here. Now I find myself wondering about Lynn and Cielo. Perhaps Lynn's beast-man blood would trigger a similar reaction to what Megumin and Yunyun experienced. As for Cielo? Perhaps she was just trying to make it look like she was enjoying it?

"So, is there anything else I should be aware of in the future, now that I know this."

"No, nothing to important, apart from the fact that once a female Crimson Demon has sex with someone for the first time, she becomes bound to her chosen lover for life. If anyone tries to use magic to manipulate her or tries to force themselves upon her during a moment of vulnerability, the lovers' bond with lash out to protect her virtue and insure she remains pure for her partner. I've heard if two female Crimson Demons share the same partner, they can also 'play' around with each other as well without triggering the protection of the lovers bond."

"OK, that's a good thing to know... I think. So, is there any physical sign that this bond has been made once it has been made?"

"Hm? Oh, just a little heart shaped mark that will appear on our bodies. Specifically on our lower bellies right above our..."

"OK-OK, I know what comes next. One last thing, seeing as female Crimson Demons are part succubi, does that mean you need to feed like succubi do once you've bonded with your chosen partner?"

"No but taking in our lover's 'vital essence' will grant us a significant power boost for a short period of time. The strength of the boost and the amount of time it'll last is dependent on... I'm sure you can guess what."

"Yeah, I can guess."

After that, with nothing else to really say in that moment, we both get up and head back to the house. Just as we step inside, one final question does come up from me.

"By the way, seeing as Panyatopi was supposed to be involved with her old teacher. Pucchin I think his name was. I'm wondering why her lovers' bond didn't react when I was giving her some demi-mana."

"Either that wasn't enough to trigger it or maybe they haven't actually gone that far in their relationship yet. Or maybe she found a way to stop it from being triggered, who knows."

The following morning, it was time for me to be heading out. To no one's surprise, Komekko wasn't happy with me leaving so soon and was currently hugging my leg as if her life depended on it. Hyoizaburoo looked annoyed, as he understandably should while Yuiyui was smiling happily like she always does. To calm Komekko down, I kneel down and say to her-

"I know you don't want me to go but I really have too. After all, I need to be getting back so I can check in on your big sister and make sure she hasn't gone and done something stupid while I was away, like getting herself thrown in jail for firing off her Explosion somewhere she knows she shouldn't."

"I-I know but..."

"I'll tell you what, little sprout. When I next pay you visit, I'll show you that awesome magic spell I've been working on for you. Will that make you happy? Also, I'll make you plenty more yummy treats to snack on. Promise!"

"OK."

Oh, little Komekko, you are so easily pleased. We're going to have to work on that one of these days. Anyways, with that little matter taken care of, I say my goodbyes to the parents before taking my leave. After all, I have to make a quick visit back over at the home of Yunyun's parents place before I head back to Axel.

Once I had arrived, I knocked on the door and am greeted by Rikarika who gives me a look that makes me suddenly feel nervous. She then says in a quiet and calming tone, one that should have made me feel more at ease here but instead only added to my nerves.

"After you left yesterday, the curse breakers came back around to perform another session on my daughter. Do you know what they told me only moments after getting started? They told me there was no sign of the mana degradation curse anywhere within her. The village doctor also confirmed this. They asked me if I had any idea behind how this was possible, even asking me what happened involving my daughter after they all left. I told them nothing happened, apart from you looking in on my daughter under my supervision and that I never saw anything that could explain things."

Before I could respond to those words, I find myself being hugged by Rikarika with all her strength being thrown into it. Her shoulders then began to shake as she cried onto my shoulders.

"I don't know exactly what it is you did when I left you and Yunyun alone, nor am I going to ask you either. But at the very least, I want to say... thank you... thank you... thank you..."

After several moments, Rikarika finally let me go and gave me such a warm smile that I found myself at a loss as to what to say or do here. After a few moments, I am able to recollect myself here and say-

"Thank you for not asking me about the how of it all. It's not something I'm currently comfortable with talking about, though I doubt either the doctor or those curse breakers would leave it at that. Someday, I will tell you the truth. Anyways, how long will it take before Yunyun is able to come back to Axel?"

"According to the doctor, she should be back at one hundred percent within the next six days. I'm sure she'll want to leave before then, but they were all insistent on having her remain here in the village that long so they can try to figure this all out."

"Well, if there is any problem, just let me know OK. If I have to, I will talk to them myself. Anyways, is Yunyun awake now? If so, can I see her."

Rikarika nods as she escorts me to Yunyun's room where I find her looking way better than she did when I had seen her last. As soon as her eyes lock onto me, her cheeks immediately turn a light pink color as she smiles a most brilliant smile.

"So, you're looking much better this morning."

"All because of you... I mean, because you came to visit me, I mean."

"Well, I have been told my presence does have an effect on people."

More of a negative before I came here to this world but let's not dwell on that thought. I then say-

"I heard you'll be able to come home here in six days, according to your mom. I wish I could stick around till you could come home, maybe see if I can help speed your return. But with all the weird stuff that's going around, mainly relating to Darkness, I don't think it would be a good idea for me to be gone that long."

"I agree. Something is off with her and I'm sure you'll figure it out here soon."

I nod before saying my goodbyes to both Yunyun and Rikarika. As I prepare to activate teleport, Yunyun suddenly says to me-

"Kazuma, I have a request I'd like to make of you. Is that OK?"

"Sure, what is it."

"I-I... I want you to be my partner when I undergo my Crimson Trial here in four weeks. Is that OK for me to have Kazuma as my partner, mom?"

Yunyun wants me to be her partner for... what exactly? I turn to look at Rikarika who tells gives Yunyun an OK nod before she looks at me and says-

"The Crimson Trial is, as the name implies, is a trial. One that any member of the clan who wishes to become the next chief has to undergo in order to be able to take the position. There's a lot more to the details but there's no need to speak of them at this time. So what do you say, Kazuma. Will you help her here?"

"Sure, I don't mind though I don't understand what it is I need to do to help out."

"There's no need to worry about that. When you and Yunyun come back for the trials, both me and Hiropon will explain it all to you two in detail."

"Thank you Kazuma. With you by my side, I'm confident I'll be able to pass it with flying colors."

Rikarika giggles at that, making me and Yunyun look at her, making her say-

"You think so? You may be surprised my daughter. The trials aren't as easy as you may think. But like I said, the two of you will learn the details here in a few weeks. Now then Kazuma, I believe we've kept you long enough. Good luck when you get back home were this issue you have awaiting you is concerned. And be sure to say high to Megumin for us."

I nod before preparing to use teleport again, only to once again stop as Yunyun beckons me over to her where she draws me in and kisses me on my cheek then wishes me good luck. With that and with a new feeling a confidence within me, I activate teleport and return to Axel.

========================{Part 6: Broken Promises}========================

As I stepped into the mansion, I couldn't help but take notice of a stillness, an emptiness in the air. I call out to everyone to let them know I was back, but I find no reply coming my way. Had they gone out again to get in some more training? If so, then what should I do right now?

"Kazuma-Kazuma..."

came the frantic voice of Anna as she comes racing towards me, having emerged from the second floor.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"The others... they never came home last night. In fact, I haven't seen them since before you left."

"What? Are you sure they never came back at all?"

"Of course I'm sure. I stayed up all night waiting for either them or you to return. Can't you see the bags under my eyes that shows that fact?"

Honestly no, now that you mentioned it. Being a ghost, I doubt something like baggy eyes would be a problem to worry about unless you had naturally baggy eyes at the time of your death. And on that topic, do you even need to sleep at all?

What am I doing? This isn't the time to be thinking about all that. The girls are all MIA here. Anna told me they went out to do a quest in order to get in some training. Just what kind of quest would require them too... oh no. Oh no-no-no-no-no-no-no!

"Damn it, they better not be doing what I'm thinking they're doing."

I turn and bolt out of the mansion, ignoring the yells from Anna who was wanting to know what my thoughts were. I tell Chomusuke to hold on tight as I activate Sprint, using it to reach Axel and from there the guild within a few minutes. Once inside, I immediately go running up to Luna.

"Kazuma, it's been a few days since you were last by here. Oh, are the others not with..."

"Luna, did Megumin and the others come by here yesterday and take on a quest?"

"Huh? No, not that I can recall, unless it happened when I was on my lunch break. Why, what's going on?"

So, they never actually came by then. That means either they decided to not do a quest proper or it means the other thing which I really hope isn't the case here. And on that topic.

"Luna, do you recall the quest you held back at Darkness's request. The one concerning the Golden Nemean? Could you quickly give me more details about that. I'm talking about any place it would naturally go to around here. Also, are you sure it attacked travelers who were out on the road before?"

"Pardon? What's this about a Golden Nemean?"

Wait, what? I can see the confusion on her face when I asked her that. Does she not remember? I quickly explain it to her, telling her about the quest, about how she had given it to us and the events that happened during the quest. By the time I had finished, she still kept that look of confusion on her.

"I'm sorry Kazuma, but I honestly don't remember any of that. Hold on, let me check the official records, our master copies of all the quest we hand out."

Once she had done that, she turns back to me and once again says there was nothing like that on record, making me give her a dead pan look.

"You can't be serious here, Luna. I was there, I saw you hand the piece of paper to Darkness."

"I'm not calling you a liar here, Kazuma. I'm sorry, but I just don't recall... recall..."

Luna suddenly goes quiet, making me call out her name with concern. She then brings a hand to her head as she says with confusion in her tone-

"I recall Darkness approaching me, asking me to hold onto something for her. Said she would be back for it once she got all of you. When my hand touched the paper, I-I... my head started feeling all funny. I said strange... things... Kazuma, what's going on?"

"Nothing good, that's for sure. We'll talk later, Luna. Right now, I need to go find those idiots before the do something really stupid... on top of the already stupid thing they've done here."

That being breaking their promises to me, but I'll deal with that later. I go running out of the guild, heading towards the gate that would allow me to head to where we last encountered the Golden Nemean. While it was unlikely to still be there, I couldn't think of any other place they would go to start their search for it.

I was still hoping that I was wrong here, that they had simply gone hunting regular monsters and not the Golden Nemean. The things Luna had said didn't give me much hope for that. If there was any doubt about it before, then all doubt was indeed gone now. There was something dark going on here.

And Darkness was involved with it, somehow. That's it, once I find those girls and get them back home, Darkness is going to tell us everything that happened while she was away. Regardless of if she wants too or not. Once I had cleared Axel, I prepare to add demi-mana to Sprint in order to get to the cave faster when-

"Long time no see, Satou Kazuma."

I come to a stop and look around, quickly spotting a figure leaning back against a tree who then begins to walk towards me, stopping within arm's length of touching me.

"Sorry, but I don't have time to play any guessing games here. I have to go save some idiots I know."

"I know, which is why I'm here. To make that rescue a lot quicker."

"Oh really, and how will you do that?"

I asked, getting a finger held up which told me to hold on a moment. The figure then reaches up, partially pulling the mask they were wearing to the side to expose their face. When I saw the face beneath, I immediately realized I had met this person before.

"You... that Crimson Demon girl from Arcanretia. Why..."

She quickly does the silence pose with her finger over her mouth before covering her face again.

"First off, my official name within the group I'm apart of is Glutton. Sorry about not telling you that before Kazuma but there are reasons for my silence. And right now, I need you to be silent so I can explain things quickly before the others realize I came here to help you. Not that helping you is forbidden or anything, just interacting with you directly. Also, Ego is supposed to be helping out next and it's not for this matter."

"Now, here's what's going to happen here. I'm going to create a portal and you are going to step into it. It will take you right to where those girls currently are though I can't guarantee the landing will be any fun. The moment you arrive, you'll need to be quick on your feet, and with you actions if you want to end the situation you're heading into quickly. Just remember to stay calm and focused and everything will be fine."

In other words, no pressure then. Great, just what I need right now. Still, if this girl... Glutton can help me get to the others quickly, I won't complain here. I then watch as she pulls out some weird metal ball that splits in half, a tear like portal being made between the two halves that made up the metal ball.

"Anything else I should know before I step inside?"

"Once the others are safe, have that monk-priest girl use Break Spell on herself and the others, on everyone just to play it safe. I would even suggest she use Sacred Break Spell if that nifty little accessory she was given by Eris includes that in the list of bonus spells."

I nod as I step towards the portal, being stopped by Glutton before I could step in. I look at her and she says to me-

"Hopefully, when the two of us next meet one another, I'll be able to tell you everything as I know how much you hate it when people are all cryptic with you. Almost as much as being teased and feeling like you got blue-balled, especially when it's done by a certain freeloader who believes she should be praised for doing nothing."

I can agree with all that, though I was a little confused by that last part. Strange, despite the confusion I couldn't help but feel I knew what she was talking about. Pushing that thought from my mind, I thank Glutton for the help before stepping into the portal. For a few moments, I find myself experiencing a feeling like I was swimming around in an ocean of light before finally emerging...

And finding myself straddling the back of the Golden Nemean. It takes only a second for me to realize what was going on before I grab on and hold onto it with everything I have as the beast, becoming aware of my presence, begins doing everything in its power to get me off of it.

"What... Kazuma?"

"What are you doing here?"

yelled Megumin and Lynn, who along with Cielo and Darkness, looked all tired and worn out. Like they had been fighting this creature for a good while now. I shoot them a look while yelling out-

"That's what I want to know, you idiots. Do you have any idea how long you four have been gone? And what's worse, I find you all here, with IT. Never mind that now, let's deal with this situation so I can start yelling at you all."

Easier said than done. Just what exactly could I... duh, seeing as I'm literally riding this guy here, there was one obvious answer on what I could do.

"DRAIN TOUCH!"

I put everything I have into absorbing the mana from the Golden Nemean. Of course, it tries everything it could in order to get me off its back, except for rolling along the ground which I'm thankful it didn't try here. It takes a few moments but its movements soon start to slow and become sluggish.

It was then that I sensed it... somehow. There was an unnatural presence within it, a darkness covering its mind like some sort of fog. I could tell that it was this darkness that was dictating its actions. But how did I know this? Know that there was a foreign force at work here with it?

("It's because of the seeds germination. Your senses are now incorporating the aspects of a Lich's senses.")

Terrific, is that a good thing or a bad thing? Never mind that now, I'll deal with that when the time comes as well. For now, seeing as the Golden Nemean was no longer moving, looking like it was about to pass out actually, it was time to deal with the real issue here. I deactivate Drain Touch and go to stand while the others come running up to me with Darkness saying-

"Kazuma, you did it. You actually brought it down. Now if you'll step aside, I'll..."

Her words come to a quick stop as I turn to look at them, the face I was making here causing them to not only stop but take a few steps back. While I knew there was indeed more going on here than what one could naturally see, it didn't change the fact I was feeling very angry with them right now, to say nothing about them having broken their promises to me. I say to them with a low, icy voice-

"What are you doing here? Why are you all here right now, with THIS thing?"

"Kazuma, we had stop the Golden Nemean. It was a threat to people, don't you remember?"

said Darkness, not to my surprise. As I narrowed my eyes at all of them, I began to feel it from them too. The same darkness fogging their minds as I had sensed within the Golden Nemean.

"Yes, I remember. I also remember having you all promise me that you wouldn't pursue this quest again. Do any of you remember that? Did that mean nothing to you?"

"We did? Wait, we did... promise that didn't we?"

"Why ARE we out here? We told Kazuma we wouldn't take this quest on again."

"Kazuma, what's going on?"

It seems Megumin, Lynn, and Cielo hadn't been in their right frame of minds when Darkness had brought them out here. They looked confused which definitely cooled my anger with them. As for Darkness, there was something that felt especially off with her. I then recall what Glutton had said.

"Cielo, use your strongest break spell on everyone here, including that Golden Nemean. Something tells me you all have been controlled by someone or something here."

Cielo, while confused by my sudden request, does as I ask and activates Sacred Break Spell, which meant she could use it after all. As the light covers the field, enveloping everything. Once it was done, the threesome of Megumin, Cielo, and Lynn all look at me, clearly unsure about where they were.

"Kazuma... what's going on?"

"Yeah, just exactly where are we?"

Lynn's question comes after she had looked around our surroundings. Obviously, they didn't remember anything that had happened since I had seen them two days ago. Megumin was also looking around and then her eyes fall onto me. No, it wasn't me she was looking at but what it was that was laying on the ground behind me.

"That's the Golden Nemean. But why is it... oh... oh no, what did we... what did we do?"

Like Megumin, Lynn and Cielo had that moment of realization come over them as well once they had also looked at the beast laying near unconscious on the ground. The three of them then look at me, shaking with eyes full of regret as they clearly not only remembered what they had been doing but the promise they had made to me before coming out here and the fact they were here meant they had broken that promise.

"We'll talk about all this once we get back to the mansion."

I said coolly but calmly towards them, beating them to the punch as I knew there would be apologies coming my way otherwise. Understanding my words, the three of them don't say anything more here. I then turn back to the Golden Nemean and walk over to it, kneeling down beside it and saying-

"Here's the deal, buddy. I'm not really all that big a fan of you right now, seeing as you did eat me before and all. You understand right? However, I'm also aware that you, like my idiot friends behind me, weren't in your right frame of mind when all this went down. If you can understand me here, then do yourself a favor. As soon as you get your strength back, leave this place. Leave these lands while you're at it. Right now, something funny is going on and you'd do well to not get any more involved with that."

I couldn't be sure, but I found myself feeling like it did understand me here, that it was sending me a look of thanks. So much so that I send it a little mana. Not much mind you, but enough to where it was able to stand again.

As I do this, I hear Megumin ask me what I was doing though I don't respond. There was a moment of nerves, to be sure. But after a moment of looking at me, it lowered its head like it was bowing before turning away and running into the wilds. Once it was gone, I stand and look back at the others.

"Kazuma, what did you just do?"

asked Darkness, making the four of us look at her.

"Why did you do that? We can't just let it go like that. Have you forgotten how dangerous that thing is? What are we going to tell Luna back at the guild? Don't you even care about the safety of other people that could encounter that man-eater?"

I stare at Darkness for a few moments. While I couldn't sense anything off with her like I had with both the Golden Nemean and the others before, I knew that there was still something wrong. Darkness was still under some sort of influence here somehow and I needed to find out what and how. But, for now...

"You speak to ME of safety, Darkness. What about you, bringing these three here to face such a dangerous beast... and after I had you all promise me that you wouldn't pursue this quest anymore."

"I know we made that promise, but do you really think we can just ignore this..."

"Also Darkness, I had a little chat with Luna before coming out here to find you. Wanna know what she told me, Darkness? That she doesn't remember hearing anything about that Golden Nemean attacking people, nor does she recall ever holding the quest for you. In fact, she said you asked HER to hold onto a piece of paper before you came to the mansion. I assume it was the same you then picked up after."

Hearing that shocks the others, making them turn to look at Darkness who had gone rigid, looking clearly nervous and unsure.

"Darkness, did you... was this all a lie?"

asked Cielo, not wanting to believe it. Darkness didn't say anything, instead just looking away from us.

"Megumin, Cielo, Lynn... your three come over to me and I'll teleport us four home. Darkness, I hate to do this but I'm going to make you walk home. If you want to chase after that Golden Nemean to 'finish' it off, then that's your choice. But you'll be doing it alone. As you walk back, I want you to think long and hard on your actions over these last few days and when you get back, we're going to be having a long discussion about your strange actions and depending on what you have to say, or what you try to hold back from us will determine your future in this party."

My words shocked everyone, especially Darkness who looked at me with a disbelieving stare. I knew the others wanted to say something, but they thankfully kept their words to themselves, instead walking over to join me. I then activate my teleportation while saying to Darkness just as we warp-

"We'll be waiting..."

Once we were outside the mansion, I step forward and open the door and usher the girls inside. Megumin stops before me and asks-

"Kazuma, was that really the right thing to do? Just leaving her back there by herself like that?"

"Just go inside and sit down, all of you. We'll talk about all this then."

They did as I asked, the three of them going to sit on the couch where Chomusuke goes to rest on Megumin's lap while Anna joins us, hovering at my side as I begin my talk.

"First, I want to tell you that while you all were out, I went ahead and paid a visit to the Crimson Demon village to check in on Yunyun."

"Is she OK? Were they able to help her with that mana degradation curse?"

"Yeah, she's fine Megumin. That curse had already been dealt with and she should be able to rejoin us within six days, assuming no one tries to make her stay longer. Now, about that question you asked me a few moments ago."

I take a moment to let a pause hang in the air. No real reason behind it, it just felt like something I needed to do.

"The reason I'm making Darkness walk home is because I want her to think about recent events. I mean REALLY think about it. Hopefully, that will be enough to make her find the strength to open up with us and tell us everything that's going on with her."

"Going on with her?"

"Well yeah, Kazuma's right that there's something up with Darkness. And not just her, but us too. I mean, we broke our promise to Kazuma."

said Lynn, in response to Cielo's words. I nod before saying-

"That's correct. I'll confess, when I learned you four hadn't come back and that you never went to the guild to get a new quest from Luna, I was both worried and angry. I'm sure I don't need to explain why. But when I reached you all, I was able to sense it. The presence of some kind of manipulation magic at work within you all and that Golden Nemean as well."

"Manipulation magic? Wait, is that why you asked me to cast a curse breaking spell on all of us, Kazuma?"

I give Cielo a nod with Lynn quickly asking after-

"How were you able to sense that we were under the influence of a manipulation curse?"

"That's not important right now. Just be glad that I able to sense it to begin with so I could have Cielo break that curse."

I'm not ready to tell them about my little time limit here. Once this matter has been settled, I'll open up to them all then but not now as I need them to focus on this more immediate matter.

"But how were we cursed to begin with?"

asked Megumin, getting a shrug from both Cielo and Lynn.

"I hate to say it, but I think it may have been Darkness who's responsible. Or at least was a conduit for it happening."

I then explain to them my thoughts from before, about my belief that even after having Cielo's curse breaking spell cast on her, Darkness still acted like she was under the influence of the curse. I then ask them to tell me everything that happened with them that involved Darkness before they had left the day before.

"Well, the four of us were having breakfast together. We were debating if we should go wake you up and see if you wanted to join us."

"Then Darkness went and made us some tea. After that, she... brought up the topic of the Golden Nemean."

"She said we had a duty to see that quest to completion, in order to protect the people and to avenge you as well. And we agreed on the spot."

They all look at each other while Anna says-

"So it had to have been the tea then. The curse Darkness is being controlled by must have seeped into the tea and when you all drank, it infected you all like it did Darkness. But what about the Golden Nemean?"

"It must have been when Darkness touched it. I thought it was strange that she would do that."

I nod before saying-

"I think we can all agree that she is still cursed, going by how she acted and what she said after you broke the curse on everyone, Cielo. Tell me, do you have any idea on why that would be the case?"

Cielo thinks about it, as does Lynn and Megumin, with Megumin being the one to say-

"It has to be some kind of magic item. Something that has an anti-curse breaking element to it in order to keep her under the influence even after having such a powerful curse break used on her and on it as well."

"Think you could identify that item once she gets back, Megumin?"

"I think so. If a Crimson Demon focus' their eyes just enough, we can pick up the dark energies that such an item gives off. The greater those energies, the easier it is to spot when we focus."

"So, what do we do now, Kazuma?"

asked Cielo. After a second to think about it, I say-

"After she gets back, we'll ask her to sit down and have a chat. See if she actually opens up to us. If she proves difficult, I'll use Bind on her, and Megumin can give her a careful lookover. We may have to get a little rough with her..."

"Which we all know she'll love, am I right."

"... but if that's what we have to do to get the Darkness we all know back, then so be it. Agreed?"

The three of them nod. After that, we go about making additional preparations for when Darkness gets back, just in case the usual methods didn't work. We even considered using torture as a means to make things easier, plus she'd probably enjoy it too. And all the while, we waited for her to get back as it turned out the spot we left her at wasn't all that far from Axel. Actually closer than what that cave had been to Axel.

But she never showed and soon, we found ourselves falling asleep as we waited for her. And when we all awoke the next morning, we found a simple note laying on the table we had all slept at. It was a short letter, but the few words said everything that needed to be said.

Darkness had left the party...

============================{to be continued...}============================

Image 1: Assistant Angel Clover holding out a pen and piece of paper, asking for Kazuma's autograph.

Image 2: An image of Kazuma and Entropy (wisp) standing back-to-back beside a resting Yunyun.

AN: Before we end this chapter, I want to go ahead and quickly say that originally, there was supposed to be a part seven included in this chapter, in which Kazuma would hear something that would add that final and oh so crucial piece of the puzzle that will make him fully realize exactly what it it that's going on with Darkness. But, because what I wrote had already brought this chapter to 39 pages and my limit is 35 pages, I decided to move it to the start of the next chapter. Probably a good thing as it will add a few more pages to what would have otherwise been a shorter chapter (like the last chapter ended up being).

And as I'm sure was noticed, the countdown has begun for Kazuma. He now has less than thirty in story days before he becomes a full Lich. Well, not even that much all things considered. Be ready as this is going to be one of the BIG focal points for Arc 8 of this fic. And, in two chapters, you'll learn the name of the arc and with that, know where our troublesome group of heroes are going to be going here.

And finally, the thing about female Crimson Demons being part succubus? I may need to do a short story here in the future to add in some additional context about how certain details work, if needed. While I think I covered all the basis here, there is a chance I may have missed a detail or two. If there's anything any of you feel like I may have overlooked or just want further clarity on something, let me know and I'll cover that in a future chapter. Anyways, till next time...