an: remember, this is purely a fantasy world. Nothing is realistic, and merely ideas from this author. And no, I was too lazy to search for references so...

Mana

"What is mana?"

A natural fluctuation of energy of this world was merely just a general outlook. It's acceptable but for a person who wanted to have a deeper knowledge of mana, this sheer description is not enough.

"Mana it's the purest of form. It was a manifestation of form before it turned into elements. So in short, mana is a form at its purest. Sourcing from the nothingness, chaos and energy. Mana is what constructs this very world, this very universe, so it was some sort of law."

"Law?"

Kazuma inquired in confusion. This topic greatly interests him, so listening to Megumin's explanation, he couldn't suppress his curiosity.

"Yes, law. Mana's existence is certain, could not be erased nor eradicated, like energy. It's always there, anywhere, anytime and any moment. It was like a law that declared that before anything was formed, there will be mana. Our teaching said that the first was nothingness, then chaos, then energy, mana, and finally, laws. The law of nothingness, the law of chaos, the law of energy, the law of mana, the law of five elements, etc. The first four laws were always deemed as "The Law of Everything" because everything originated from these laws."

"Laws came after the four originators? Then why the law of the four originators exist?"

"From my current understanding, laws are certainties, never will they be eradicated. But before laws were formed, certainty did not exist. Only when laws were formed that certainties existed. And when it formed, nothingness, chaos, energy and mana were included in the category of laws or certainties, but it was merely a "category" meaning that certainties were merely below the four originators."

"Is "certainty" some sort of term or... something else?"

"Certainty is law in this case. Terms did not exist before the Awakening Era."

As expected of the first genius of the Demon Academy, while Kazuma noticed some holes within her explanation and hypothesis, it was still such an impressive understanding of the things that originated everything. But still, Kazuma was still quite lost.

"If that was the case, then, why mana could be utilized, but nothingness, chaos and energy couldn't? If one of the originators could be utilized, then why not the rest? Why can't people control the laws below mana yet they can utilize the law of mana? If laws are certainties, then how could they be changed and amended by us, mere ants, if we compared our size to the size of the universe?"

"I-I... I... don't know."

Megumin stuttered and Yunyun gaped. Komekko was still unaware of these teachings so she merely stopped walking and stared at her big sister in confusion.

"Nee-chans, Onii-chan, what's wrong?"

Her call did nothing, so she just grasp Kazuma's hand and enjoy the comfort it gave her. The hand's owner, Kazuma, was still thinking, unaware of their turmoil.

After a few minutes, Yunyun and Megumin recollect themselves and went to ask Kazuma about something when he said something that made them bewildered.

"You know... "utilizing" doesn't have to be anything big. Housewives using the river to wash the clothes counts, people using fire to cook and light up their houses counts, children playing around with their handmade flags with the help of the wind counts, a spark of lighting that ignited a fire when creating a flame counts, even the threshold of civilizations, the surface of the earth, counts as utilizing these laws. In the eyes of people, laws are mighty, towering, colossal, yet, if you think about it, just walking on the earth and soil of this planet counts as utilizing these laws."

By now, Yunyun and Megumin are already trembling. Yet again, Kazuma amazed them, with his perspective towards laws. In truth, Kazuma Satou was always interested in laws, a topic many novels he read always talked about. And now he just merely stating his opinion.

"It's not as hard as you think, in the first place, when people utilize these laws, you have to remember that laws that they utilize came from mana, mana came from energy, energy came from chaos, and chaos came from nothingness, so-"

"-Indirectly, we always utilize the four originators of everything in every single second of our lives!"

Megumin and Yunyun's eyes are shining, like two crimson moons. Crimson Demon showed their excitement or extreme emotional reactions by the glimmer of their eyes, and right now, Megumin and Yunyun showed their glowing, blinding gazes towards Kazuma.

His theory is technically correct, but there are still many holes. For example, if that was the case, then how come living beings hadn't discovered everything within this universe, no, even this world yet? If they can utilize the originator of everything, the nothingness? So what everyone did is not utilizing, it's more like they are borrowing one in infinity of nothingness, even that one in infinity that they borrowed will return to nothingness in the end. Miniscule could not describe the capability of living beings in utilizing the law of nothingness. It could be described with one word, and that is nothing.

Still, there are countless possibilities from such hypothesis. And Crimson Demon, their likeness towards flashiness aside, is absolutely obsessed with knowledge. Even the elders of Crimson Village would be trembling with excitement if they heard such deduction, not to mention two young girls full of curiosity. And it came from the person that they were already captivated with.

Fatal, too fatal!

"-though in the first place, we never utilize laws, as they are certainties, we were merely borrowing them-"

Kazuma was still being immersed in his own thought when he noticed the crimson glowing lights. Being the target of four glimmering, bewitching bright crimson eyes, Kazuma couldn't help but feel a shiver beneath his skin. Kazuma, the prideful Crimson Demon, is arrogant and brave, but even he would shrink from these two pairs of eyes.

They are filled with excitement, passion and some ambiguous things that he could not comprehend. But Kazuma knows one thing. If the ambiguous things were ignored to develop, something will happen, something that while unknown, could possibly affect them.

Kazuma and Kazuma Satou both are not very good with emotions. So while Kazuma was extraordinary whether it was physically or mentally and Kazuma Satou possessed a great head on his shoulders, emotions were something that was still ambiguous for them. The reason Kazuma Satou possessed a bad relationship in the past was this, the lack of sensitivity in emotions, resulting in him being broken-hearted. The second factor is the lack of experience and maturity, as he was merely 11 years old back then.

Five years were wasted just like that.

"Waah! You guys are so time wasting! What are you doing, being sculptures in the middle of the road?! Come! On!"

Komekko's shout brings them out of their thoughts. Megumin and Yunyun turned their heads to Komekko and nodded, before glancing at Kazuma with their glowing eyes.

"We will introduce you to the path of the mage!'

"Despite being the top of our generations, we definitely spare as much time as possible for you, Kazuma!"

The reply they got was a helpless nod. It was one of his main objectives, but why does he have a bad feeling?

'Come on, Kazuma, you are conceitful, despiteful, resentful, prideful and arrogant!'

'...This won't work.'

With Komekko as the lead, they use the main road. Kazuma's path is his personal path, and he wanted things to stay that way. Using the main road is more efficient anyway.

Kazuma noticed that they actually entered the inner region, which contains important figures of Crimson Village. But it's expected since Megumin and Yunyun are the top of their generations.

"I can't guide you as I was worried that my Father will go frantic with my absence, so I will give you my notebook. It's that fine Kazuma?"

Yunyun softly said, there's a hint of regret in her tone. Kazuma glanced at her before nodding.

"It's fine, the time isn't appropriate anyway."

"I, however, will be always available!"

Yunyun snapped her head at Megumin in shock.

"Megumin! Y-you, you, how could you be s-so, so..."

"How could I be so what?!"

Yunyun could only muster incomprehensible stutters and point her index finger to Megumin, who had her head up high, with a conspicuous blush on her face. It was a comical scene but Kazuma only felt concerned.

'But it's true that the current time is inappropriate-'

"Ahhah! Y-You, you knew that a girl and a boy in the same room is taboo! And the current time makes it even more sinful! Megumin, you're too shameless!"

With her common sense, Yunyun counterattack and she gradually become more confident. Until-

"Hahahah! Those lame rules? Only children would follow them! Unlike you, Yunyun, a child, I, Megumin, am a full-fledged adult! Hmph! M-mere a-a-adultery acts are nothing t-to me!"

'Isn't this too much!?'

It was bad enough that she's not denying it, yet she decided to make the whole thing worse. Kazuma could only watch as the scene unfolded speechlessly. Unaware that the current situation was initiated by their "favourable impression" of him.

Behind such a comical exchange of words is a declaration of the willingness to do the unspeakable acts. Crimson Demon is also famous for their boldness. And Megumin was bold even amongst them!

Fortunately, Yunyun and Kazuma did not manage to grasp Megumin's true meaning. They brush it off as her way to show off how she already turned into an adult, which she didn't. And even if they did, Kazuma would brush it off as her lack of experience in this matter. Like any sane person would do. Yunyun's response is still unknown.

This shows that despite Megumin's extreme boldness, she isn't bold enough to openly declare her "willingness". Showing her scepticism towards such matter. While she was caught off guard when she was "struck", she was still the number one genius of her current generation. Throughout thinking for decision is absolutely important, and Megumin knew that.

But still, to consider such a decision despite meeting a person for mere hours. Young people are stupidly reckless, and coupled with Crimson Demon's boldness...

Thankfully though, her target wasn't like her. If not-

"You are too shameless, Megumin!"

"Hmph!"

The argument gradually calmed down as they got near their destination.

Kazuma's expectation was on point, but he still underestimated their status.

'The patriarch! It's the patriarch's home!'

While Kazuma froze on his spot, Yunyun ran into the patriarch's home. Megumin just calmly wait for her while scolding Komekko for her shamelessness, unaware that her shamelessness actually surpasses Komekko's.

He gradually regains his calmness and at the same time, Yunyun ran out of her home, grasping a book with black leather as its cover.

She stopped before Kazuma and smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, I'm the heiress of the Crimson Village of Crimson Demon. I have my formal name but I don't think it's necessary for the time being. So just call me Yunyun."

Megumin glanced at them and was surprised. She didn't really pay attention before but Kazuma is towering, even when their age was two years apart. Despite being twelve, Yunyun merely reached his shoulder. And don't even talk about her, she only reached Yunyun's ears, and that could be even considered as tall in her generations. It's not that Crimson Demon is tall, it's just that Yunyun is always a tall girl. The boys were mostly shorter than her, while one or two would be equal with her in height.

And they are ten years old.

Still, Kazuma and Yunyun were merely two years apart yet the height gap is monstrous.

'How could such a person exists?!'

Strong, cold, calm, handsome, intelligent and now he's tall too. Height doesn't matter but it's always more pleasant to look at one with a height that's more than average but not exaggerated either. Proportional, in short.

Kazuma's height was the result of his training. He was naturally tall, and combined with the training, it wasn't surprising for him to possess such a figure despite being twelve.

'Too much!'

The flashiness, the intellectual hypothesis, and now his overall looks. In the view of Crimson Demon girls, it's indeed too much for Megumin.

"This book contains the basics and the principle of mana. Degrees, mechanics, and forms of mana. I hope it would be useful for you. But I think the second part will be more beneficial for you, considering your exceptional hypothesis."

"Thank you."

Yunyun isn't good with general interactions and socialising, looking at her shy behaviour. But it seems like when it comes to serious matters, she's definitely dependable. Looking at her attitude in giving him the book, Kazuma was impressed by her once again.

'One's a genius and the other is smart. Fate is sometimes fair.'

"Kazuma, Kazuma! Come on, we're going to my home. Have a good night Yunyun! We'll meet up at the academy as usual!"

Yunyun showed an unwilling look but she nodded nonetheless.

"Good night for you too!"

"Good night, Yunyun."

Kazuma bid her farewell before following the hopping Megumin and Komekko. He showed an amused look on the shade of his dark crimson eyes.

"Bye... Kazuma."

Such an eventful night for her. Before, Yunyun merely listened to the women of Crimson Demon about how fantastic a certain feeling could be. But fortunately, Yunyun got the chance to feel it.

'It's absolutely wonderful.'

Incomparable to anything else. Yunyun would never let this feeling go anywhere.

Crimson Demon is absolutely loyal. Towards the one that they put their feelings to, not even the God of Death was capable of severing such a strong connection. He could merely pull them apart in their physical forms for attempting to severe it. Yes, it's that exaggerating.

'Megumin, being your rival before was merely a vague feeling. But now, you are undoubtedly my eternal rival!'


'Now that Yunyun mentioned things about her name, I realized that their name was actually quite... unique.'

Yunyun. Megumin. Komekko.

Crimson Demon has many traits and characteristics, which was obviously to show how "different" and "special" they are. Weird names are one of them. But it doesn't really bother him, name must have their own meaning. But now that he thinks about it, they are pronounceable in his language. But it was like a bunch of combinations of words that resulted in unclear meaning.

"Megumin, do you have a formal name?"

"Yep! But it was used only for formalities and whatnot. If you didn't know, all of Crimson Demon possessed formal names."

Then what's his?

Kazuma Satou.

"What's yours?"

"U-Um..."

Megumin started to act shyly. For such a bold person to act like this, Kazuma's intuition starts to furiously coil within him. He doesn't have the chance to clear the situation because Megumin was too fast.

"I-If it was the same sex who asked your formal name personally, it means that they wanted to be brother/sister closer than blood. B-b-but..."

"But?"

Kazuma subconsciously asked. He knew what she will say but he was too immersed and dumbfounded. He was absentminded, completely acting on instinct.

"I-If it was the opposite sex, t-then they asked you for your hand in m-m-marriage."

*DING!

As if there was a colossal bell in his head, a ring echoed rather loudly. He definitely has to clear up this situation but he saw a residence not too far away from him. And as if she was intentionally avoiding him after they talked about it, Megumin dragged Komekko with her and ran to her home.

Kazuma staggered forward.

"W-Wait-!"

"Goodbye Onii-chan! Don't forget to visit tomorrow!"

By the time they were gone, Kazuma dumbfoundedly stood in the middle of the night.

'A-Ah...'

"T-This... this is such a rapid advance..."

Megumin "forgot" one thing though. The formal name could not be revealed easily. Indeed, what a trap he had fallen into.

With the pridefulness and the arrogance of Kazuma, the Crimson Demon, he could not believe that he was thrown into such a hopeless situation.

'Well, at least she wasn't shameless enough to actually teach me at such time.'

Thinking of that, Kazuma hurriedly went back to his home, anxious that he would jinx himself.