"Wow, they are so adorable!"

Wiz was just gushing over Phenex and Legolas as they both looked at how she seems to want to hold them, but they were just as content as being with their master than in a powerful Lich's arms. I came by to get my pet dragon's something to decorate them with, something akin to a collar or of the sorts. I looked around the shop with fervor as I hope to find something that wouldn't cause any weird to happen as Kazuma told me of all the useless junk that Wiz gets for her shop. Hopefully I can find something of the sorts that she purchases.

"Say Wiz-san," I ask as she finally manage to grab ahold of Phenex and was petting her with glee. "Is there anything that you have that could be used as a collar for my dragon's?"

Wiz stops her petting, to Phenex's relief, as she puts a finger on her chin, as she thinks over my question with what she could possibly have that could be used as a collar. "Nothing I think I have would be useful if you just want to put a collar on both of your dragon's, but I could make a custom collar that grows with the pet in mind."

I grab Wiz's hands in my own as I say, "That would be a great idea, Wiz-san. You're a lifesaver."

"Just from offering to make a collar for your dragon's. Geez, you lucky bastard who got not just one, but TWO dragons from who knows where." Grumbled Kazuma as he sits at the table with Aqua sipping tea that Wiz-san provided as Megumin and Darkness look around the shop.

"Jake! Jake!"
"Yes, Jake here."

"Look what I found, a necklace that is said to raise the user's magic ten-fold, but comes at the cost of your li- Hey, give back the necklace, I want to raise my power, darn you!" Megumin struggles to reach the necklace that would literally kill you if you keep using it, so I put the necklace on a high shelf, where she can't reach because of her height. I go back and talk to Wiz as Megumin continues to try and grab the necklace, failing at each attempt.

"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! ALL ADVENTURER'S TO THE FRONT OF TOWN!"

That certainly doesn't sound good.

At the gates of Axel

Our party gets to the front of Axel as the rest of the Adventurers are there with standing in the far end of the field is a Dullahan on horseback. He begins to monologue about how every day for the past week was he being blown up with Explosion magic while staying in an abandoned castle near town. At that word of explosion magic, I look to Megumin, who in turn looks at a different girl, another Wizard perhaps as everyone is looking at her, but she stammers quickly and replies that she can't even do Explosion magic.

Oh Megumin, what have you done this time.

As I look at the Dullahan again, I notice his giant sword hanging at his waist. A greatsword in size as the handle looked to be to big in my hands, but with a little work. . .

Kazuma's POV

'HOLY CRAP! A freaking Dullahan. Of all the luck that this party has with danger, from the maniac that's obsessed with Explosion magic to the crazy guy that can store anything in a Infinite Storage Dimension, which I believe to be a VERY useful ability, especially having the item needed at hand. As well as the hellish training that he put me through, I'm glad to not have gotten his form of crazy as if I'm right then. . .' Before that thought was finished, Jake suddenly rushed forward, reaching into his I.S.D. and grabs two shortswords and proceeded to charge the Dullahan head on.

"So, one of you has the gall to take me on? Very well, if you insist on not telling me the name of the Explosion user, then perish along with this pathetic town. I am Verdia the Dullahan, I'm one of the Demon King's Generals, pleasure to make your acquaintance." The now named Verdia unsheathes his great sword and proceeds to ride his stallion towards Jake. Jake looks to be serious as he goes for a cross slash, but is blocked by the blocking of Verdia. He then pushes Jake off and swings his blade diagonally, hoping to get a hit in and finish him off.

Jake regains his bearings as he blocks the slash, and then he turns the block into an attack as it slides up the blade towards Verdia's head. Jake screams in frustration as the Dullahan then throw's his head in the air.

Damn it! What should I do? I look at Megumin again and notice that she hasn't moved an inch.

"Oi! Snap out of it! We gotta find a way to take on the Dullahan so Jake won't go and kill himself." I berated. I seen how she finally responded to my words, but she shakes her head.

"How can I help when all I do is wreck everything with one shot? If I cast my Explosion magic now, then Jake will get caught up in the blast as well."

She's got a point, no use in sending a large Explosion with him at the center of it. Darkness suddenly steps forward as she pulls out her great sword.

"As a Crusader, it is my duty to protect the people, especially those that need it. I shall join the fight too."

Now Darkness is heading in too. I start thinking about what I should do to help in this. Man would something give me a sign. I look back towards the fight as Jake is giving his all while I'm on the sidelines, trying to think on what I should do to contribute.

Just then, I notice as Jake takes out another blade after all the beating the shortswords took finally gave way as they shatter from him block another slash attempt by the Demon King's General. This blade had a design as if it was made with the sea in mind as there were blue all over the blade except for the grip, which was a light blue. The blade itself looks to be designed exactly like a fishes fin with the lengthy fin blade to being about two and a half feet in length and it was encrusted with a blue gem at the hilt of the blade. If I remember correctly it was a magic sword that an Adventurer commissioned, but was abandoned after the guy croaked on going on a quest. Jake was intrigued by the blade as hence the name Ocean's Breath did that make him want it for his sword collection.

He made a slash and the blade glowed blue before a slash of magical water fly towards the General. Verdia saw it and realized what it was as he dodges the slash.

So that was it.

Jake's POV

With both of my blades broken to pieces, I reach into my storage and think magic sword. The only downside I found when I got this ability was that when reaching in to grab an item of choice, you got to be specific or it'll give you an item that falls under that category. So when I thought magic sword, it allowed me to grab the most recent sword in my collection, Ocean's Breath. Without hesitation, I launch a slash at Verdia from a distance away as he launched me back with one of his blocks. The blade glowed blue for a second before it let off magical water that formed into a blade of water that launched towards the Dullahan.

"Gah!" screamed Verdia as he dodges the blade of water that passed by and sliced a boulder nearby into two.

. . .

"IT'S WATER! THAT'S HIS WEAKNESS!"

Kazuma was heard from the entire battlefield as everyone that can use Create Water started launching water spells at the Demon King's General as he dodges every single spell.

"Wahhh! Hey! Woah, watch it!" As the Dullahan tried his best to dodge every blast of water coming his way, he failed to notice me closing the distance as I get in close and slash horizontally at his arm, which proceeds to fall off. Coincidentally, it was the arm holding Verdia's head. I then proceed to kick the head towards Kazuma from the great distance as I yell out, "Hey Kazuma, up for a game of soccer?!" He immediately gets a dark glee on his face as he gets my plan from afar, and proceeds to get the other Adventurer's to kick the head around.

Now that the undead former knight couldn't see what his body was doing, it was vulnerable. Darkness joins the fray of battle and proceeds to strike at the Dullahan. Only for her attacks to miss COMPLETELY and cause her to blush in embarrassment.

"Out of the way, Meat Shield, you'll only cause harm on yourself."

"?!" Darkness looks at me in aghast as she then squirms on the spot and moans at the thought. I ran past her while saying quietly as I pass by, "Really, you're turned on even on the battlefield?"

"I did not?!"

"But I saw you moan and squirm."

As Darkness and I bicker, I notice in the corner of my eye that Aqua started to run towards the Dullahan's body as she starts to prepare a spell. I stop what I was doing and head on towards my prize.

"SACRED EXORCISM!"

A bright light engulfs the Dullahan's body as I jump through the spell itself and claimed my prize.

The Dullahan's great sword.

Darkness POV

I am utterly astounded. Not only did Jake-san kept the Dullahan Verdia at bay, but he single handedly took his weapon just as Aqua does her duty and exorcises the undead knight before the weapon disappeared.

There was silence before the rest of the Adventurer's cheered for victory over one of the Demon King's generals.

I look down in disgrace as I look to my great sword myself. How pathetic am I to even call myself a Crusader. For all my defense do I lack offense capabilities. With no other means of defeating my foes, especially one of high caliber as one of the Demon King's generals, do I lack the necessary resolve to take on one of them. Look at Jake-san, he charged right on in, doing battle until even his blades broke against the force that a Dullahan brings.

As I mull over my own shortcomings, Jake-san notices my gloomy look on my face as he walks over to me.

"Darkness, is something wrong? Shouldn't you be happy since we beat one of the Demon King's generals?"

I gave a sigh as I reply back, "Well, YOU took on the general by yourself while I waited for a chance for an opening, yet I couldn't find myself to charge head in and put you in danger. For that, I am sorry." I lower my head in shame as I stew in my own head over what transpired as well as-

I was interrupted from my thoughts as Jake-san flicks my forehead with a considerable amount of force as I reel back in shock.

"Hmm! What was that for?!" Jake-san looks me straight in the eyes as he gains a concerned look on his face. "You're probably thinking that you didn't contribute because you couldn't jump in, right?" I now gain a surprised look as Jake-san sighs before looking into my eyes again. "Look," he starts, "It's okay to beat yourself up about not jumping in, but what matters is that we're alive. I personally thought it was terrifying going up against that guy."

I was stunned. Jake-san, who goes into battle with a manic grin is afraid. Now that I think about it, he always had a look of a madman on his face whenever we go into any battle, whether it be against bandits or against great beasts on quests. I decided to ask a question. "You mean all this time, you were afraid to go into battles?"

Jake-san chuckles as he gives me a tired look. "Of course, I've been afraid. Ever since I came to Axel from a peaceful nation did I ever not think that I was afraid I might die. If there's one thing I'm afraid of." Jake-san paused for a moment, as if coming to terms with his words before looking at me with a tired, but cheerful smile. "It's that I don't want to die. If there's one thing that I want to do is to live my life to the fullest and have no regrets when I finally kick the bucket."

I don't know what kicking any bucket means, but from the sound of it, it means when you finally pass on from this world. I look at him in a new light, instead of a crazy, insane adventurer with a knack for working hard at his job do I see that in all this time he was nothing but a sweet guy with a bad temperament when you get on his bad side. But he's overall a person who would not hesitate to lay down his life if it meant to help other people live their lives. He's nothing but what every Adventurer should strive to achieve in what they want to be instead of just another job to earn riches and fame.

"Well, looks like we did it! And thanks to me no less as a great goddess should be-" Aqua joins the conversation and interrupts my train of thought before Jake-san smacks her upside the head.

"Way to go and ruin a serious moment. No wonder Kazuma says you couldn't read the room if you tried, you wannabe goddess." Jake-san sneers at Aqua while sticking his tongue out and pulling at his eyelid downwards.

"Hah?! What do you mean ruin a serious moment?! I just think you deserve to praise the wonderful being that finally got rid of that nasty undead, you ungrateful jerk!"

"Oh wow, thanks Aqua-sama, you single-handedly beaten a general from the start. Yay." Jake-san says in the most sarcastic way, especially at the end there in a most 'amused' way while giving a slow clap. That just upset Aqua even more as she goes on a tangent about being called the ACTUAL goddess of water, Lady Aqua. But that just sounds absurd to even think of impersonating a real goddess, let alone someone like Aqua.

Jake's POV

Later at the Guild Hall

"THREE CHEERS FOR THE HEROES OF AXEL!"

Everyone hollered and screamed chants of victory cheers for the work done today at defeating one of the Demon King's eight generals as drinks were going around even though it was one o'clock, making it a big after party for the whole team of party members that tributed to the slaying of Verdia the Dullahan. Even Megumin was cheered for, even though I can tell that she knows that she didn't DO anything except cause the arrival of a General. And looking between her and Kazuma looking away as I asked them about, dodging the question with another one at how the other did in a heated argument against each other. After getting a straight answer out of Aqua out of earshot of any other Adventurers listening that she also went on trips with Megumin as she lets off her Explosions everyday for the past week since she founded a spot to do so. I'll have to reprimand her later at how she decided to NOT do a water spell I spell that was in her new repertoire of skills I spent her skill points on when we both took each others cards at the same time.

But seeing her getting praise for not letting off her Explosion spell hit her hard as she looks to be on the verge of tears from getting praise for doing nothing. I cut her some slack as I grab some beers as she sees my good gesture before Darkness could notice yet to take away the adult beverage despite being thirteen. We both cheered for the victory as we get recognition from the death of a General. And the next time one shows up, she'll give them the deadly blow to the next General they come across.

Megumin's POV

I feel woozy.

I drink some of the stuff called beer that the adults always drink, but have not got the chance to drink until just five minutes ago with Jake-kun.

". . ." Wait, Jake-KUN?! When did I start referring him like that. Then I sip some more beer.

"Ah?!" suddenly I start to feel an urge to really go to the bathroom this second. Jake-kun suddenly sees me start to wobble and catches me and puts down our drinks. He starts leading me off somewhere, hopefully the bathroom.

I was right as we went into the women's restroom with Jake-kun leading me to the toilet, I ask what we're doing, but then start gagging. I rush to the toilet and release vomit into the toilet. I look back and see Jake-kun to be watching me, with a worried glance on his face. I go back to unleashing the insides of my stomach. After a while, I stopped retching into the toilet. I look over and Jake-kun was there and he helped as he patted my head and said comforting words of worry as he rubbed circles on my back.

It felt nice.

Jake's POV

Not even five minutes into drinking does she get wasted on a couple gulps of beer. Shows how much of a lightweight she is.

Regardless of being plastered over a bit of beer shows she's got too much naivete on how much she can handle. But as soon as she was about to fall to the ground, I knew she was close to blacking out. So I saved her the trouble and bring her to the bathroom to let her puke out her insides until she feels a bit better so I can carry her home to bed. I knew that rubbing circles on a person's back helps them feel better. That's what Okaa-san always did when I felt nauseous as a kid. Turns out it helps them a lot.

Just as I spoke words of comfort, Darkness walks into the with a red face.

Everyone freezes.

With nary of a chance to explain does Darkness goes onto a rant of us not being old enough to drink beer and that whole lecture lasted an hour before she left to look after the other hopeless drunk that is Aqua and Kazuma.

With a sigh, I pick Megumin up and carry her on my back. As soon as I set her on my back do I feel it. Despite being a petite girl, a chest is still a chest as she leans on my back further.

"?!"

I tense up as I quell the monster that is a fourteen-year old's raging hormones. Damn being so young with these raging hormones.

With the little resolve I have that is keeping me sane, I start walking out of the restroom and start making my way to the exit. On my way back to the mansion.

At the mansion

Dear whatever god or goddess is listening, please make it stop.

During the whole trek to the mansion, Megumin started spouting off stuff in a drunken stupor, like how she'll be the next Demon King or Explosion is the only spell she will ever use in her life. It was fine listening to that as it got a good chuckle out of me, but then it got worse. Megumin then starts going on about not having good guys being noble and kind and just being rude and lustful. She even went on a tangent about not having any boys from her hometown have the guts to tell her they liked her. Though from what I gathered, her insufferable personality might have been what caused the boys to not like her.

"A-and another thing *hic*" she continues, but what was said next made me freeze as soon as we got to the front door of the mansion. "Why haven't you said anything about me, huh? I-I'm a girl too. What d-do you *hic* think of me, Jake-kun?"

I stop momentarily as I process her question in my head. What did I think of this tiny ball of explosive fury that was speaking from what is apparently her heart as of this moment. "Well~, w-what do you think of m-me? *hic*" I could go on about how I liked what any man likes and be done with it, but something inside me told me different. Like, somehow, the words came to me in but an instant, as if it came naturally in my head.

"Well, to be honest," I gain a flushed look on my face as it turns bright red from what I'm about to admit not only to a drunk Megumin, but also to myself as well. "I think that you're immature, yet you show off some good wisdom from time to time; you're reckless, which is probably your strongest point to take on any beast and come out on top; you're probably one of the most insane people I've ever met with this whole party we've made, yet I can't help but love that side that expresses what she likes and dislikes at a whim." I take a deep breath as I finally speak out. "Maybe that's why I've had a crush on you, ever since we formed that two-man party all this time."

I look back at Megumin and saw her look flustered. As soon as I saw her, she turned away from looking at me in the eyes. I face back forward with a red tint to my cheeks as well. Why did she have to ask these sort of questions as soon as she gets wasted on a few gulps of alcohol? I reach for the handle to the mansion and proceed to the stairs as I take little miss tipsy to her room so she can sleep off this drunken stupor. Thankfully she probably won't remember asking that question tomorrow.

Probably.

The next day

I was lounging on the sofa, playing with both Phenex and Legolas as they have taken to me pretty well, have responded to their names with a glance towards me in recognition, and they have taken to their new collars pretty well. Phenex has a green cord around her neck with a red gem with her name on it while Legolas has a red cord around his neck with a green gem with his name on it as well. When I went to Wiz's shop earlier today to see if she had it done, she had them ready for them and everything. I made sure that they weren't cursed or had a strange spell added to the collars as I didn't want anything bad to happen to my dragons.

My dragons. Really makes this fantasy-vibe almost surreal with having two dragons as familiars. Whenever I presented them to the twins, they both wanted the collar that the other had. Thinking that it's just preference over their twin's, I switched the gems hanging on the collars to the other one and both of them have been happy since.

Just as Legolas tried to nip my finger as I taunted him with it, Megumin walks into the living room as she yawns and rubs the sleep out of her eyes.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. Had a good dream while you were passed out?"

Megumin stops for a moment and looks at me with a surprised look that lasted a second before she looks normal again by replying back, "Well, I can't remember what happened yesterday after our battle with Verdia, I think it started when you offered me a drink."

In my mind, I was sighing in relief that she doesn't recall our conversation when we got home. I respond back, "Well, you are a lightweight when it comes to handling your booze, so from now on, no more alcohol for you until your old enough."

"?! Huh?! You can't just deny me the right of adulthood that is drinking booze!"

"Well, it would have been fine if you didn't puke your guts out in the women's bathroom at the guild hall and then had to be taken home to sleep off the booze."

"?!"

Now that got a reaction out of her as she then pieced together what I said as she holds herself self-consciously.

"I didn't do anything that Kazuma would do so just forget about it."

A look of relief graced her face as she sighed. She walks over to the sofa and sits on the other side of the sofa. Legolas scurries over to her as she holds out her hand, and the emerald dragon puts his head in her hand as she starts to pet him, getting bits of purrs out of him. I chuckle as I watch my green little dragon baby be fawned over by the Crimson Demon that is my party member. Phenex comes over to me as she nudges my hand as well, earning her some well-deserved pets from me as well.

The rest of the party enters the living room as well as Aqua whines about not having the sofa all to herself as the dragons spewed fire at her in response, causing her to yelp and hiss at the dragons in response. Kazuma was doing the push-ups behind the sofa as he is sticking to the regimen I set him up on. If he thinks he could skip out on making sure to stay in shape, he'll sorely be mistaken by what I would make him do as punishment.

I giggle as that thought comes to mind, sending shivers down Kazuma's back. Darkness takes her leave as she went to the guild hall to scour more quests to do, seeing as she also has a drive to improve by going on more quests when she couldn't help me out in the defense against Verdia. I'll have to talk to her later to work on the swordsmanship that is her swinging a great sword and missing everytime.

The door slams open as Darkness rushes into the room and spots me.

"Jake-san! You should come to the guild hall, it's very important."

The rest of us look at her and wonder what I could be needed at the guild hall for?

At the Guild Hall

"And it is without further ado, does Jin Jake-san and his party be rewarded for the slaying of Verdia the Dullahan. Here is your reward for three hundred million eris for his bounty."

The whole crowd of Adventurers cheered for our victory once again as I am handed by Luna-san over THREE HUNDRED MILLION ERIS. This is enough money to retire and live a leisurely life. Of course, I would like to do nothing but kick back and relax, but an unsettling feeling resided in my gut, like something was bound to happen with such a victory such as this. But when I looked over at my party members, their faces of joy at all the money being given to us as we're all going to split it evenly, I couldn't help but sigh as I didn't want to bring down the mood. So instead, I hollered a shout of joy as our party will forever be remembered as the party that took on the Demon King's Army.

But that's not until much later on in this story.

Okay, another chapter down. I am still working on my storytelling, so if it needs to be fleshed out more, please leave it in the reviews so I can work better to make this story better. I am shooting for a longer chapter next one, so it'll be a while for the next one. Not like the last chapter which took too long and was too short, but a good fleshed out one is what I'm aiming for in the next one. Until then, see ya on the next chapter!