"So to make things clear, Wolbach and Chomps have worked things out. Everything is settled, and we're all on good terms." Kazuma reiterated to his girlfriends the next morning as they ate breakfast around the table. "If there are any other issues, I'd like to formally request to not be the one to have to deal with them. It's exhausting."
"I'm just happy there's no bad blood between my idol and my familiar," Megumin breathed a sigh of relief. However, she did give Kazuma a skeptical look before adding, "Although I do have to call into question your weird nickname for Chomusuke."
"Oh yeah, like Chomusuke isn't a weird name to begin with." Kazuma snarked, earning himself a scoff of mock offense from the diminutive mage. "Well, she seems to like it just fine, don't you Chomps?"
Said cat was busy rubbing herself on Kazuma's legs while he ate breakfast. Darkness chuckled, "Well, it certainly seems 'Chomps' has become quite attached to you. I never would've taken you as a cat person, Kazuma."
"To be fair, I wouldn't have either." Kazuma admitted freely, before leaning down and scratching the cat under her chin, earning a pleased purr for his efforts. "Guess I just hadn't hung out with a cat long enough to get attached before. Back home, we didn't have any pets. My parents...kinda hated the idea."
Like flipping a switch, the mood went from pleasantly relaxed to uncomfortably tense. Kazuma himself regretted slipping up by mentioning his parents aloud like that. There was a reason he rarely talked about them openly, and now that his trio of girlfriends were aware of it, it made his stomach tighten like a knot.
As carefully and calmly as Aqua could manage, she asked, "Hey, Kazzy? The girls and I were wondering...do you still love your parents? There are no wrong answers and you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but…"
"It's...definitely a loaded question, to be honest." Kazuma replied with a bitter chuckle, before pursuing his lips and considering it further. "I...I think I do. They're my family, after all. Deep down, under all the layers of harsh words and steely eyes, they had to love me too, right? I mean...I was their son. T-they had to feel something other than contempt for me, r-right?"
Even Kazuma was having a hard time believing his own words. Sure, he had his fair share of screwups back home: letting his grades slip, almost getting arrested for public urination (long story, don't ask), there was even that one time his parents beat him up because he asked for them to remarry so he could have a stepsister.
...Alright, so maybe he did more than just screw up from time to time. But even so, families still love each other no matter what, right? So how come he wasn't feeling that in his words anymore?
The girls all looked amongst each other, wearing similar expressions of concern and muted agitation at the reminder of Kazuma's previous mistreatment. Even Wolbach, who was standing nearby, found herself struck with a sudden urge to wrap the young man in a hug and assure him things were going to be alright, despite not knowing the specifics of what he was going through.
Darkness gulped before reaching her hands out across the table and placing them atop Kazuma's balled fists. She spoke softly, "Kazuma, take my words with a grain of salt, but if you want my honest opinion, you're better off forgetting about them. They're not worth it."
"Not...worth it?" Kazuma echoed slowly, eyes narrowing slightly. "Dark, I-I can't just- -"
"No, I'm quite certain you can." The crusader countered swiftly, her tone still kind while earning a firm edge. "You parents clearly were not the best influence in your life, and regardless of what precipitated their actions, I can say with absolute certainty that they are not worth your sadness. You deserve better, Kazuma."
Megumin, in an attempt to hold back her tears, ran around the other side of the table and rushed to hug Kazuma. "Besides, we're your family now," she stated while burying her face into the crook of his neck. "We promise we'll be better than them, I know it!"
"I swear on my divine power that none of us will let you go through such trials again." Aqua assured him, her tone deathly serious as she followed Megumin's lead and also crossed over to embrace Kazuma, who was getting more and more emotional by the second. "You're in safe hands. We promise."
When the distraught teen couldn't think of a valid counterargument, he settled for melting into his family's embrace. He tried to steady his hitched breathing to avoid breaking down again, but it did little to prevent the tears from pouring down his face. Kazuma really wasn't expecting to get this worked up again, especially not this early in the morning.
Wolbach watched from the sidelines, warring with herself over what to do. She was part of Kazuma's little family now, but she didn't feel quite comfortable joining in on their moment. Baby steps were necessary in situations like this, and she was well aware of that. Ultimately, she decided on making an honest attempt to comfort him in private, despite having very little experience in that counseling.
However, in an ironic twist of fate, the fragment of Wolbach which personified her wrath lept up onto Kazuma's lap and pawed at his chest. The dark goddess could sense the burning desire within her other half: it was trying to let him know that everything was going to be alright. It was enough to make Wolbach smirk and shake her head in disbelief. Now she had officially seen everything.
"T-thank you, guys. Really." Kazuma muttered weakly from within the embrace, a sad but thankful smile rising on his face. "You guys really are my true family...I don't know how I could even repay you for that."
"All we ask is that you come to any one of us if ever you feel upset," Darkness said softly. "If you just need to talk or hug, our doors will always be unlocked for you, don't forget."
"I'll keep that in mind, Dark. I promise." Kazuma replied, matching the crusader's tone before laughing sardonically. "Wow, this is not how I saw my morning going. I prefer to keep my trauma tucked away to dusk, y'know?"
"We all have our scars to bear, Kazuma," Megumin said. "But sharing them and seeking aid from those we can trust takes a lot of inner strength. And that's something you've got in spades."
"Heh. I'm honored you think so. Thank you guys, again." Kazuma stated, drying his eyes as the group gradually disengaged, save for Chomusuke, who remained in his lap. "Hey, moment's over fuzzball. Find your own seat!"
The cat somehow managed to give Kazuma a smug look, one which he bet she picked up from her owner. Chomps proceeded to sprawl herself all over his lap, getting nice and cozy in the process before falling fast asleep.
"Oh, you unbelievable little shit." Kazuma hissed with no real anger, sparking a small round of chuckles from his assembled friends as he cast Wolbach a pointed look. "Did she pick this up from you or Megumin? Because one of you is definitely to blame for this."
"Oh, I can assure you this is all her." Wolbach snarked, her own small smile rising in response. "Truthfully, I think this might just be something she established all on her own."
"Just my luck. The little goblin's become a nuisance, just like her owner." Kazuma joked, earning himself a sharp gasp and flurry of punches from Megumin, who he eventually brushed off with another laugh. "So, what do we have planned for the day? I didn't really think to ask before."
"Well, I figured we could pick your Explosion training back up, since we don't really have much else planned, to my knowledge anyway." Megumin interjected excitedly, her eyes flaring slightly at the prospect of finally getting in some practice again. "We could bring Wolbach with us, and maybe even pick up Yunyun along the way!"
"What's this? Megumin excited about bringing Yunyun in on the fun? Maybe I really was onto something with that mind-control theory," jested Kazuma.
"Oh, come on! I wasn't that mean to her! Usually...maybe a little." Megumin attempted to retort, faltering slightly before shaking her head. "Anyway, there's no reason why we shouldn't bring her with us, right? She needs training just as much as we do!"
Wolbach piped up, "Forgive my intrusion, little one, but I've heard that this Yunyun girl was your one and only rival. What sense does it make to train one's arch enemy, exactly?"
"W-well...it wouldn't be fair to just leave her in the dust, would it?" Megumin replied hastily, looking slightly flustered by the question. "I mean, just because she's my rival doesn't mean she shouldn't hone her skills! How else is she going to improve, and remain worthy of the title?"
The dark goddess gave the archwizard an all-knowing smile before relenting, "Fair enough. I've spent enough time around Crimson Demons to 'get a feel' on their customs. I understand completely."
"Good. I'm glad to hear you could understand my reasoning!" Megumin hummed, before turning to Kazuma and flashing him a bright smile. "So, you up for more Explosion practice today or what?"
"Sure, I don't see why not," Kazuma said as he shrugged half-heartedly. "Even though I doubt I'll get much use out of it in battle, it is a blast to use. Never mind the pun."
"Excellent! Finally, the glory of Explosion magic will be properly explored once more!" Megumin crowed, practically skipping off to grab her staff, happy as could be. "Meet you guys by the front door!"
Kazuma chuckled as he shook his head. Chunni or no, that little firecracker was always fun to hang out with. He turned to Darkness and Aqua, "We'll be back in about half an hour. Hold the fort while we're gone, okay?"
"We'll do the best we can." Darkness assured him, which was...a less than stellar answer, but one he accepted all the same as he filled out of the room, with Wolbach following shortly after, leaving the crusader and goddess to their business. "So, with some free time to ourselves, is there anything you'd like to do, Aqua?"
The water goddess poked her fingers together as she blushed, "Well...there is something I want to do when Kazzy gets back home. It involves that special favor he owes me…"
"Oh? That sounds...interesting." Darkness commented, her own face flushing ever so slightly as a few unsavory predictions sped through her mind before she composed herself (the best she could, anyway). "So, what do you have in mind so far?"
"So, who wants to be the one to cast the first Explosion?" Kazuma asked as he walked alongside Megumin and Wolbach towards town, planning to pick up Yunyun along the way. "I mean, I wouldn't mind, but I figured it's polite to ask first."
Megumin chuckled darkly, "I shall save mine for last. That way my Explosion will end our little session in a grand finale!"
"Uh huh...whatever floats your boat, Megumin." Kazuma replied with a quirked eyebrow, not entirely surprised by the young girl's theatrics. After all, Explosion had always been her first love. "Yunyun can go second, if she'd like to. Wolbach, any interest in some target practice?"
Wolbach, who hadn't been entirely paying attention, glanced at Kazuma in brief confusion before composing herself. "Hmm? Oh, I see...Very well then, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give that spell some practice. It has been quite a while since I had to cast it last."
"Sweet, I'm kinda looking forward to seeing what you've got!" Kazuma replied earnestly, before listing off their new roster. "So it goes me, Yunyun, Bach, and finally Megumin, strongest of the Crimson Demons."
Megumin swelled with pride when her boyfriend added that last part to her title. She felt confident enough to see where his boundaries lay by saying, "Thanks for the distinction, babe."
Kazuma sputtered in surprise, his cheeks immediately flushing a bright red as a bright smile split his face. He didn't really know what to say to that, given how unexpected it was, and mostly made a series of grateful noises before pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head.
"Sorry. Kinda...got overwhelmed for a second there."
Megumin gave Kazuma a cheeky but ultimately sweet smile. "That's okay, take your time~"
"God, when did she get so good at flirting?" Kazuma hissed quietly to himself, before huffing and returning the smile. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"
"I'm a Crimson Demon. Surprises are kinda our thing," Megumin responded as she lightly bonked Kazuma on the head with her staff in a playful manner. "Would you really expect anything less from me?"
"No. No, I guess I wouldn't." Kazuma replied genuinely. There was a beat of pleasant silence as the two shared a pleasant moment...until Wolbach interjected, naturally.
"You know, if you two just planned to flirt throughout this entire ordeal, I could have just stayed behind." She mused with a joking tone, rolling her eyes at their flustered reactions. "I feel like quite the third wheel here, you know."
To shake the embarrassment off of him, Kazuma quipped, "Would you rather have Megumin ramble on about Explosions for an hour? Don't test her because she can and will talk your ear off if you let her."
"H-hey! Don't say that!" Megumin protested, lightly thumping Kazuma's arm in irritation. "I have some self control, thank you very much! I can talk about more than just Explosion, even if it is my favorite spell!"
"Prove it then," Kazuma challenged as he crossed his arms in a smug manner. "Talk about another subject you're passionate about."
"Wha...I-I…" Megumin started, before trailing off as she realized that she actually didn't have much else she enjoyed quite as much as Explosion. "W-well, I...I'm passionate about you, I guess."
Just like that, Kazuma was back to feeling flustered again. He awkwardly scratched his cheek as he muttered, "Oh...uh, I, th-thank you?"
"Y-yeah. No problem." Megumin replied, just as awkward. It was a bizarre state of their relationship that they could switch between lighthearted flirting like it was nothing before immediately switching out to awkward attempts at the same concept. "S-so, where do you think Yunyun might be? We're getting pretty far into town now, she should be around right?"
Kazuma cupped his chin. "If I were a betting man, and I should be because of my luck stat, I'd say she would be at Wiz's shop waiting for you to stop by."
"That's...actually a fair guess, yeah." Megumin relented, nodding in agreement as her smile reappeared. "Well, we should be coming up on it shortly. Wolbach, you want to come in, or would you prefer to wait outside?"
"Outside," The dark goddess answered bluntly. "Wiz and I are not on the best terms right now and I'm not interested in invoking the wrath of the Ice Witch."
"Really? What happened between you two?" Kazuma asked, tilting his head curiously. "Was it something Devil King related, or..?"
Wolbach sighed, "Partially. Serving in some of The Daughter's more ruthless campaigns likely did not paint a decent picture of me to Wiz. Then of course I was present with Serena at the guild hall when that fool decided to kill you on the spot. I highly doubt that improved my reputation with Wiz either."
"Oh. Yeah...I forgot about that, actually." Kazuma admitted, scratching the back of his neck with an awkward chuckle. "Yeah, I can see how that might make things a little...tense. Do you want me to vouch for you, try and smooth things over?"
Wolbach shrugged. "You're certainly welcome to try. Personally, I don't particularly care if she never forgives me; I'm pretty sure I'll continue to sleep well at night if that's the case. However, I don't find her having bad blood with me to be particularly advantageous. So...give it your best shot."
"Will do. I'll see if I can calm her down a little." Kazuma promised, before coming to a stop outside of the shop itself. "Well...here we are. Megumin, you ready?"
The archpriest breathed in and out before nodding. "Starting today, I'm going to try to be nicer to Yunyun. It will be...challenging. But Crimson Demons live for the challenge!"
"Well, I'm sure you'll conquer this 'challenge' without breaking a sweat." Kazuma retorted with a small chuckle, before stepping forward and opening the shop door, stepping inside. "Hey, Wiz!"
The undead shopkeeper looked up from her counter and her face positively beamed. "Oh, Kazuma! Megumin! Welcome, come right in, make yourself at home!" Wiz rushed past the counter and offered them a seat at the one and only table she had in her store.
"Thanks for the offer, Wiz, but we're just stopping in." Kazuma stated, earning a curious look from the lich. "Megumin and I are heading out to practice with some Explosion magic. We were hoping that you knew where we could find Yunyun, so we could bring her with us."
"Oh, well that shouldn't be too hard," Wiz commented as she pointed to a shelf where the girl of the hour was hiding behind. "She stopped by early in the morning to wait for her rival to come. You can come out now, Yunyun! Megumin is here!"
Yunyun, who jolted slightly after her name was called, leaned out from behind the shelf with an embarrassed expression, flushed a shade of red to rival Megumin's hat.
"W-wiz! I'm trying to be discreet here!" She sputtered, before emerging from her hiding spot fully and clearing her throat. "A-anyway, I'm not just waiting for Megumin, but regardless, I'm glad to see you've finally arrived!"
Kazuma could practically feel the annoyance radiating off of Megumin beside him. However, she simply sighed through her nose and attempted a casual smile. "It's good to see you too, Yunyun. Kazuma and I were about to go blow up Beldia's old castle again and we were wondering if you wanted to tag along?"
"Oh! Really? I'd love to!" Yunyun answered ecstatically, her eyes glowing lightly in excitement and surprise. "Oh, I can't wait to show off all my spells! I've been upgrading them as much as I could, since most of the winter quests are so much harder."
"Heh, well, let's see if any of them can hold a candle to my Explosion," Megumin snarked in a haughty fashion. "Although I highly doubt they will. Nothing can compare to the might of the greatest spell known to man!"
"Wow, so you're all powerful and humble." Kazuma snarked, earning an offended sputter from Megumin. "I can see why you're regarded so highly, Megumin. Really selling it here."
"Hey, I just said I'd try being nice to her, not go soft!" Megumin protested. "I've got a reputation to keep up here!"
"Alright, fine. Whatever you say." Kazuma relented, though his smirk never left his face as he turned back to Yunyun. "So, are you ready to head out, or do you need to do anything first?"
Yunyun seized up, still not entirely accepting the fact that she already made it this far without any complications. "Uuhh...I, uh...I-I'm ready now. U-Unless you need to do something first! I totally get it, anything else would be more important first! In fact, you can just forget about me, I-"
Kazuma put his hands up as he stepped towards the blathering hot mess. "Woah, woah, woah! Easy there, girl. Don't talk yourself out of this like that. You're not a burden to anyone, remember?"
"I...I know that. I just...I didn't want to spoil your fun. That's all." Yunyun muttered quietly, averting her gaze as she hugged herself. "I haven't had real friends in so long, I really don't want to lose them now by being too clingy…"
The relatability from this girl hurt Kazuma on a deeper level. She was seriously hitting close to home without even realizing it. It's probably what prompted Kazuma to reach out and hug her so brazenly.
"It's okay, Yunyun, I get it," He uttered softly. "Truth be told, I feel the exact same way. But we can work through this together, you and me. Consider it a learning experience for the both of us. Okay?"
"...okay." Yunyun eventually muttered, returning the hug and nodding into Kazuma's shoulder. "Thank you. Thank you for offering to help me...and for being my friend."
The young man gave the girl a quick pat on the back before pulling away and smiling. "Don't mention it. But do you think you can wait outside with Megumin for a bit? There's something I want to speak with Wiz about first."
"Oh. Yeah, sure. No worries." Yunyun replied, drying her eyes and moving alongside Megumin, who guided her out the door before sparing Kazuma a curious look and stepping outside as well.
Wiz approached the green-clad adventurer as she asked, "Is something the matter Kazuma?"
He sighed, "Kinda...but not exactly? Crap, didn't realize how weird this would turn out."
"It's alright, I'm sure we can work through this," Wiz assured while smiling kindly. "What do you have on your mind?"
Kazuma steeled himself before he spoke, "I refrained from mentioning this before because I didn't want to cause a scene but...Wolbach is outside and she's coming with us on our Explosion session today."
Wiz immediately stiffened, her gaze flicking to the door briefly as her expression hardened and her tone turned stern as she growled a simple, "I see."
"And that's what I was afraid of," Kazuma sighed as he ruffled his own hair. "Look, I understand you two weren't exactly best friends forever and I don't expect that to happen anytime soon. But...do you think you could at least make an attempt to let bygones be bygones? I mean, I hate to be blunt about this, but she's a part of the family now. So can you try to make nice with her or am I stepping out of line here?"
Wiz seemingly mulled over the statement and its accompanying question, ultimately sighing heavily and crossing her arms, a conflicted expression appearing on her face.
"Kazuma, I do not think you fully grasp the extent of Wolbach's previous actions and their consequences. She has killed many while she served the Devil King, and those lives should weigh on her." Wiz stated simply, before turning her gaze away as her tone softened. "However...if she is truly a part of your family, and you trust her to that extent...then I trust your judgment, and I will try to be more accommodating in the future."
Kazuma gave her a thumbs up along with a bright smile. "Thanks Wiz, you're a lifesaver. Which is kinda ironic given the whole lich thing you've got going on. Does that count as irony? I don't know, but either way, thank you for understanding."
"Of course, Kazuma. Again, I must confess, I trust your judgment. If Wolbach has somehow entered your good graces, then I'll assume that she is making an effort to reform." Wiz replied, before she turned her gaze away again. "However, if it is not presumptuous to do so, I must ask; am I a part of your family as well?"
Kazuma blinked, fully unprepared to get hit with a serious question like that. His body threatened to sweat profusely from the sheer nervousness of the situation as he stumbled out an answer. "I-I mean, I certainly don't see why you can't be? Uh, what I'm trying to say is, yes, I...I do consider you a part of my family, Wiz. Heh, maybe you can be the caring aunt or something, eh?"
Wiz did her best to hide the immediate reaction of discomfort that particular position suggested, before forcing a broad smile and nodding approvingly.
"Yes, well, I think I can work with that. Thank you, Kazuma." She replied with a polite nod, trying her hardest to keep from screaming over the fact that she had somehow gotten herself aunt-zoned. "Well, I've kept you waiting long enough. Good luck with your training, Kazuma!"
"You too," he said right back before immediately facepalming over his choice of words. "...Sorry," was all he could say in return.
"Oh, no worries!" Wiz replied thoughtlessly, preoccupied as she returned to her spot behind the counter and grabbed her emergency frustration pillow for as soon as the young man was out of earshot. "Good luck, and have fun!"
Deciding to save himself from saying anything else cringeworthy, Kazuma simply waved and exited the shop. The kind lich smiled to herself, even as she face-planted in her pillow and screamed till her heart was content.
About a half hour later, Kazuma and his fellow magi arrived on the same pass they always used to reach Beldia's castle. The poor thing was barely even a frame at this point, having been decimated so many times, and yet neither Kazuma nor Megumin could bear to stop using it for practice.
"Dear gods, you really have been bombarding Beldia's castle, haven't you?" Wolbach questioned the couple in disbelief. She had heard the stories of their exploits on her fellow generals but she hadn't been aware of the true extent of their meddling.
"Oh, yeah. Shocked it's even survived this long." Kazuma confirmed with a chuckle, before nudging Megumin with a prideful smirk. "This one did most of the work, of course. You should have seen some of her best Explosions. Truly a thing of beauty."
Megumin beamed at Kazuma before pointing at Wolbach while declaring, "And I have my wise old sensei to thank for it! Without her contributions, I'd never find my true passion in life!"
"Well, I'm glad you feel so fulfilled with my teachings, I suppose." Wolbach remarked, a teasing smirking playing at her own lips as she crossed her arms. "I could go without being called old, of course, but the sentiment is still nice enough."
Yunyun, trying her hand at participating in the conversation, remarked, "I-I may not have Explosion in my skill set, b-but I hope I can still impress you all with my other spells! I-I've worked real hard to upgrade each and every one!"
"Well, I look forward to seeing what you can do, Yunyun." Wolbach assured the young girl politely, her smile becoming mischievous. "With how often Megumin mentions your duels, I'm sure you have more than a few tricks up your sleeve."
Eyes widening comedically, Yunyun slowly turned to her "rival" with a gaping mouth. "...You actually talk about me to other people?" she whispered in disbelief.
"W-well, yeah! Obviously!" Megumin sputtered bashfully, hastily averting her gaze as her cheeks flushed a shade of red. "J-just to compare our magic capabilities and such...and because we're friends, I suppose."
Tears began to swell up in the introverted Crimson Demon's red eyes. Quickly wiping them away with her sleeve, she turned her head away shyly and mumbled a weak, "Thank you…"
"D-don't be weird about it!" Megumin protested with a dramatic flail and accompanying stomp. Following her mini-tantrum, she turned to Kazuma with a huff. "Will you just get started already?! We're losing daylight here!"
"Calm down, drama queen, I'm doing it," said Kazuma as he moved into position. He blanked for a solid minute before turning over to Megumin and stating, "I kinda forgot the basics. It's been a while."
"Gods, you really are something else, Kazuma." The diminutive mage remarked with an eyeroll, before stepping up next to her boyfriend and motioning him to follow her instructions. "Ok, I'll walk you through it again. First, get in a proper stance so that you both look cool and don't immediately go flying after releasing your Explosion."
Once again, Kazuma was going to have to embrace a small part of his inner chuuni he kept locked away for so long. Yes, as if he wasn't enough of a social pariah, he too had once fallen to the dark side of the dreaded "middle school sickness". But hanging out with Megumin and visiting her village made him realize that perhaps it wasn't so bad to indulge in it every now and again. But only in moderation! He swore he would never go back to...that side of him.
"Ok, cool stance. I got this." He muttered to himself, before assuming a position similar to that of a certain armored super hero from his world, one arm outstretched in preparation to cast. "How's this?"
"Perfect! You're already halfway done!" Megumin cheered. "Now all that's left to do is to charge up the spell with a chant. The longer the chant, the more stable the spell. But remember, your chant has to be not only cool, but original as well. I will not tolerate plagiarism from my boyfriend!"
"Ugh, sometimes I hate being held to a higher standard." Kazuma snarked humorously, before taking a deep breath and syncing himself up. "Ok. Ok, I got this...here we go."
Unfortunately, since public speaking was never Kazuma's forte, he ended up flubbing some of his lines before casting his Explosion. It was...modest. An honest attempt for someone who's only used it twice now. He then face-planted into the dirt and followed it up with a monotone, "Ow."
"Well, in all honesty, I've seen worse." Wolbach mused, crouching down and rolling Kazuma to at least allow him to watch the rest of them cast. "For having only cast Explosion twice, that was, relatively speaking, quite impressive!"
"Oh, quit patronizing me!" Kazuma snorted, failing to suppress the grin forming on his lips. "I've lived with the girls long enough to know when they're trying to butter me up to make me feel good about myself. I can spot it from a mile away you know."
"Well, you caught me red handed. Still, you can't say I wasn't trying!" Wolbach countered, taking a seat beside the now exhausted man and turning to the other girls. "Well, what did you two think, then, since I've been found out?"
Predictably, Yunyun assured Kazuma that it was great, however, he didn't mind her answer. He knew she was just trying to be supportive and kind; that was pretty much all he could ever ask for her.
Megumin, meanwhile, was a little more critical in comparison. "There's definitely room for improvement. The resounding boom was lacking a distinct snap and the mushroom cloud was off-center. However, the following shockwave was solid enough. I'd give it...60 points out of 100."
Pretending to be bummed out, Kazuma sighed dramatically, "Looks like that's a failing grade. Guess I'll need tutoring after all..."
"Pssh, shut up you dork," Megumin shot back before leveling with the young man. "But seriously, don't be discouraged, you'll get the hang of it. I was once like you when I first started testing Explosion magic. It ain't easy, but you'll get the hang of it. You're in good hands."
"Now that I believe. With you three on my side, how could I ever fail?" Kazuma remarked playfully, before shaking his head lightly and nodding as best he could to Yunyun. "You're up, Yun-squared. What do you have planned for us today?"
Yunyun cocked her head to the side curiously at the interesting nickname Kazuma picked for her before jolting straight up in surprise. "OH! Uh...well...I-I-I do have this p-powerful lightning attack I picked up about a month ago. I-I could show it to you, if that's alright…?"
"Sounds good to me, I'm happy with just about anything!" Kazuma assured her, before glancing at both of the remaining women. "You guys cool with that too?"
Both Wolbach and Megumin gave Yunyun their affirmations. With unanimous approval from her...friends, the young girl moved into position and immersed herself into her work. Yunyun opted to quietly mutter her chant as dark storm clouds began concentrating above the wreckage that was once Beldia's castle. Flashing open her shining crimson eyes, the normally timid Crimson Demon shouted her move with unexpected bravado.
"Lightning Strike!"
As the namesake entailed, a powerful bolt of lightning dropped down from the storm clouds and struck the castle with an astounding whip and crack. The storm clouds soon disappeared, and only some scattered fires remained from the strike.
"Wow. That...was freaking AWESOME!" Kazuma crowed from his position on the ground, making Yunyun jump slightly in surprise. "I mean, it's no Explosion, of course, but it's still pretty damn cool! Definitely an 80, at the very least!"
"My sentiments exactly. Nicely done, Yunyun," calmly applauded Wolbach. Yunyun continued to fold in on herself, not used to such praise being openly handed to her.
"I...it...it's really nothing that special…" she mumbled in a vain attempt to put herself down.
"Well, while I agree with Kazuma about it not being even close to Explosion...you did do pretty good." Megumin admitted, catching her fellow Crimson Demon's gaze before flashing a bright smile and a thumbs up. "Nice work, Yunyun. Really."
With her face becoming a crimson shade of red to match her eyes, Yunyun opted to stiffly walk over to Kazuma and sit down beside him. Her eyes were wide like saucers and she couldn't get so much as a squeak out. So she merely sat in silence and waited for Wolbach to take her turn.
"Alright, guess it's time for me to show off then." The goddess remarked, stretching in preparation as she spoke to her fellows. "So, any requests? Explosion, Inferno, Freeze gust..?"
"Explosion! EXPLOSION!" Megumin chanted childishly.
"Ah c'mon, Megumin! I wanna see what other tricks she has up her sleeve!" Kazuma groaned.
"Well, I have good news for both of you then." Wolbach interjected, a prideful smile blooming on her face. "Since my mana threshold is so high, I can cast Explosion and another one of my spells while remaining more than capable of returning us all home with Teleport."
Kazuma whooped, "Nice! In that case, can I request a Freeze gust followed by an Explosion? I wanna see two polar opposite moves in conjunction with one another."
"Very well, I think I can make that happen." Wolbach confirmed, before throwing off her cloak and rolling her shoulders, eyes glowing lightly as she reached upon her power. "Now then, time to put on a show."
With grace and little effort on her part, the dark goddess casted Freeze gust on her dead associate's former abode, encasing the skeletal frame of it in a block of ice. It didn't remain frozen for long, for Wolbach quickly followed it up with an Explosion, both defrosting it and subsequently demolishing it even further. At this point, it was a miracle that there was anything left of it at all!
"That...might have been the coolest thing I've ever seen." Kazuma admitted quietly, eyes wide and full of childlike wonder, making the goddess chuckle a bit. Sometimes, she forgot how young he was.
"Why thank you~" she teased with a mock bow. "Truthfully, it felt nice to release some pent up magic. I don't use my powers too often so it was rather satisfying to let some of it out."
"That was absolutely spectacular!" Yunyun gushed, looking positively ecstatic as she turned to the goddess with practical stars in her eyes. "I can only imagine how long it took you to become so skilled with your spells! I hope that one day I could become half as impressive as you!"
Wolbach hummed amusedly, "With enough time, patience, and practice, you will have magic practically dance at your fingertips." She then turned to Megumin, "And what about you, little one? How would you rate my performance?"
"Is it even fair to rate it? It was flawless." Megumin replied simply, just as impressed and star struck as her friends as she caressed her staff longingly. "Just a perfect reminder of why Explosion magic will forever be my passion."
"Well, I'm happy you approve of my work," Wolbach said with a smile, before she grimaced slightly at her "pupil's" hand movements. "But please do refrain from caressing your staff like that. It's sending out the wrong signals."
"Oh, trust me. I've mentioned it before." Kazuma moaned from his spot nearby, shaking his head lightly. "Of course, I just got yelled at and called a perv for having such a 'filthy mind'. Well, looks like the shoe is on the other foot now, huh, Megumin?"
In a bold move which came completely out of left field for Kazuma, Megumin simply turned to her boyfriend and grinned before giving him a suspicious wink.
Kazuma thought he was going to have yet another heart attack.
"Enough flirting, you two." Wolbach interjected, sparing Megumin a playful scowl. "I thought we'd already settled on keeping that to a minimum until the two of you are on your own."
Megumin puffed up her chest and kept her head held high. "Crimson Demons don't play by the rules. You of all people should know that, sensei. Now, everybody stand back. I need my space…"
Wolbach and Yunyun both did as the young girl instructed, and gave her ample room as she stepped up to perform her spell, her eyes glowing a fiery crimson as she held her staff high and started to chant.
"Hell fires, lend me thy flames! For my powers cannot be contained! The earth trembles in fear at my wrath and the gods in heaven hide in fear for what they have created. For I am the Harbinger of Destruction, the Catalyst of Decay, the Undertaker of Worlds! I...am...Megumin! Feel the wrath of the brightest Crimson Demon known to man! EXPLOSION!"
Off that final, triumphant shout, Megumin's spell erupted over the remains of the castle, making what final foundations remaining crumble and wither under her spell's brutal assault. After the blast dissipated, Megumin even managed to turn slightly towards her friends, smiling brightly...before immediately plunging face-first into the ground, of course.
"Ignoring the face-plant, that was an easy 200 points out of 100!" Kazuma cheered. "I'd clap but I can't really move my muscles right now. Sorry."
"I must concur with Kazuma's assessment. You did wonderful, little one." Wolbach hummed pleasantly, moving to pick Megumin up and helping her rise to her feet with Yunyun's help. "I'm quite impressed. You really have come a long way, haven't you?"
Somehow, Megumin managed to outshine her previous smile with an even bigger and brighter one. "Thank you, my master! I am forever in your debt! Your praises are too much for this one's beating heart!"
"Down, girl. I can't help but feel 'Bach would be less impressed if you started drooling all over her." Kazuma snarked as the goddess helped him to his feet as well, before lifting him off the ground and earning a shocked sputter. "Holy crap, do I even weigh anything to you, lady?!"
"I wasn't a Devil King General for nothing," Wolbach responded while rolling her eyes. "You have to be fit as well as magically potent to get promoted to such a high rank in his army."
"Yeah, I've noticed! This is a new level of embarrassment for me." Kazuma remarked, practically tucked under the goddess' arm like a goddamn newspaper. "Still, I guess there are worse people who could be manhandling me."
"Indeed," the ex-general agreed. "Now, how about we return home so the two of you can regain your strength? Teleport."
And just like that, the goddess teleported herself and her two companions back home...and accidentally left Yunyun behind. The girl blinked once or twice in surprise before slumping dejectedly and mumbling a quiet, "Aw…"
