"Today's the day, everyone!" Megumin declared excitedly as she practically skipped into the kitchen, presenting her teammates and house guests with a newly delivered letter. "The guild hall is officially reopening at noon today!"
"No more lounging around in our pajamas, eating snacks and making wisecracks?" Kazuma asked in mock sadness before sighing dramatically. "Well, all good things must come to an end I suppose. Though I am gonna miss this."
"Me too. Lounging around, not a care in the world...it was fun while it lasted." Aqua agreed, before giggling to herself. "Still, it's been too long since we've gotten out and about on a real quest. It's been a long time coming, huh?"
"Indeed it has," Darkness agreed. "Far too long since we got the exercise, and even longer since we encountered a strong monster who could - !" The crusader caught herself before she could lose herself. She blinked for a few seconds before resuming, "S-sorry, force of habit. Either way, it'll be nice to see where the wind takes us this time."
"Couldn't agree more." Kazuma replied, before nudging the crusader's shoulder and offering her an impressed smile. "And nice job catching yourself. I'm proud of how much you've improved, Dark."
The noble girl merely blushed and kept her eyes down at her cereal as she ate. For as much as she enjoyed getting off to embarrassment and the sort, there was also something to be said from receiving genuine compliments from her loved ones. It really was one of her many, many weaknesses.
"Well, I'm sure you're all quite excited to get back into the field. I can understand the sentiment." Wolbach mused, her gaze flicking to Kazuma and sharpening slightly. "I do hope you remember to keep yourself out of harm's way, however. There's something to be said about being rusty after such a lapse in your adventuring."
"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but Wolbach's right you know," Sena added. "It's not particularly uncommon for adventurers who've been out of the game to sustain major injuries when going back out there. And considering your...history, I only ask you to proceed with extreme caution this time."
"I understand the concern, but I think you two are overreacting a little." Kazuma defended, fixing the dark goddess and former prosecutor alike with a confident look. "We've been out of the game for a month, we'll bounce back easy as pie. Besides, it's not like we plan on picking up any job that's particularly dangerous, right girls?"
Megumin was quick to respond, "Right! Now, normally, I'd be all for challenging myself with a high-ranking quest that'll push my limits as an amazing archwizard. Buuuut, I think I'd rather not see my man get hurt instead."
"Well, I appreciate the concern. I would also prefer not to get hurt as well." Kazuma replied with a small smile, before turning his attention to the other girls in his party. "So, we're all in agreement on starting slow, then?"
Darkness and Aqua both nodded, with the latter saying, "Yeah. Besides, getting to go on our first quest as an official couple is priceless in it of itself. No amount of eris can compare!"
"Woah, take it easy, O'goddess of mine!" Kazuma responded whilst throwing his hands up. "There's only so much lovey-dovey mush I can take in one sitting. Whatever happened to that, 'I'm too good for this world' attitude of yours?"
"Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm still a firm believer that I am a blessing that should be treated with the utmost respect." Aqua retorted, pointedly ignoring the amused snort that escaped Wolbach. "However, since we've become a proper couple, I've...realized there are more important things than recognition and praise. Like you!"
"Wow...I'll be damned," Kazuma stated, genuinely awed by the water goddess' self-awareness. "You're actually putting others above yourself. What's next, you're gonna school me on quantum physics? Because I'll eat my underwear when that happens."
"First off, ew, don't" Megumin interjected, bumping her boyfriend's shoulder with a disapproving shake of her head. "Second, are we gonna get going or what? By the time we get into town, we'll have around a half hour before the reopening is scheduled!"
"Relax, we'll be there on time," Kazuma assured as he went to put his empty cereal bowl in the sink. "Say, Wol, you wanna come tag along or sit this one out? Your choice."
"...I can't say that my presence will do you any favors." The dark goddess answered carefully, pointedly avoiding looking at Kazuma as she took a sip of her tea. "I can't imagine a number of your fellow adventurers would be particularly pleased to see a demon general, former or otherwise, roaming around with Axel's finest. Not that I can blame them, of course."
"Oh. Well, I mean, you won't exactly get in anyone's good graces if you don't try to put yourself out there," Kazuma countered, his face scrunching up in worry when Wolbach still refused to look at him. He sighed, "Alright, I won't twist your arm about it any further. But you should at least try to give adventuring with us a shot at some point. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?"
"I can assure you Satou, adventuring isn't what I'm worried about. Just the ramifications of my addition to your party." Wolbach replied, finally glancing in Kazuma's direction following a sparse sigh. "Good graces doesn't even seem like a possibility at the moment. I earned my title with blood, and very, very few people are going to be as forgiving as you have been for my past indiscretions."
Kazuma...couldn't think of any way to respond to that. So, he defaulted to his usual backup plan whenever someone said something uncomfortable: keeping his mouth shut. He wordlessly (and stiffly) cleared the table now that everyone had finished eating and went to make sure he packed everything he needed for the trip. Meanwhile, Kazuma wasn't the only one in the group who was put off by Wolbach, for the fallen deity had successfully made everyone in the kitchen uncomfortable with the cold, hard truth.
"Wolbach, I don't mean to assume, but I must ask why you've suddenly become so certain that there is no chance you'll be accepted by the rest of our peers." Darkness eventually spoke up, approaching the dark goddess slowly and with measured words. "You said it yourself in the past, while you had some ulterior motives at first, you always had a plan in mind, or at least an idea of how things would turn out. What changed?"
Wolbach hesitantly looked up at her crusader ally before releasing a bitter sigh. "Darkness, you and everyone else here seem unable to comprehend my words. I have committed many, many atrocities and have done things I am not proud of even to this day. War crimes are the most tame on my list of misdeeds while I was still in service with the Devil King. Truthfully, I'm surprised any of you are willing to overlook my past actions. So, I ask you, what possible chance do I have to redeem myself to the outside world? Can you name even one thing?"
No one really had an answer for that, leaving the group to endure the intense silence that followed. Wolbach wasn't incorrect with her reasoning, everything she said rang true. And yet, Kazuma tried his best to find something, anything he could say in response. Any form of reassurance, because as strange as it sounded, he'd grown to care for the former general. She was family now, and if his talk with the girls the previous night meant anything, he needed to give her something.
"Wolbach, I...don't really have an answer for that," Kazuma admitted while rubbing his arm. "Because you're right, you have done a lot of horrible things. Plus, I'm not you; I can't even begin to imagine how you must feel right now. But...if my time as a hikikomori has taught me anything, it's that giving up entirely and shutting yourself off is not the way to go about it. I'm speaking from personal experience when I say this. I thought avoiding all my problems was the only alternative, but all it does is allow those problems fester. We all have our demons, I'm still battling with mine even to this day, but the first step in conquering those demons is to face them."
Wolbach stared at Kazuma for a long time, her expression unreadable. Eventually, however, she pursed her lips and sighed, leaning on the new kitchen table and tapping her fingers idly. Eventually, she spoke again, gaze flicking to Sena.
"I'd like it on the record that I think this is a bad idea." She stated, a wry smile rising on her lips. "You are my witness, Prosecutor. Do not let me down."
Sena gave a wry smile back. "I may not be the royal prosecutor anymore, but I'll make sure the message gets passed along."
"Well, small victories, I suppose." Wolbach huffed, before turning her gaze back to Kazuma and crossing her arms and nodding to him. "Alright, Satou. You've convinced me. Demons are meant to be faced, and I suppose it's better to face mine sooner rather than later."
"Cool," Kazuma sputtered out, feeling a tremendous burden being lifted off his shoulders. He was worried he might've been stepping out of bounds when discussing this heavy matter with Wolbach. "I'm gonna go splash some water on my face and meet up with you all out the front door. Good?"
"Sounds good. See you shortly, then." Wolbach replied with a small smile, watching as the young man departed and eventually sighing again, shaking her head with a soft chuckle. "You know, for a former shut-in, your boyfriend is surprisingly good with words, as well as convincing people who are stubborn to consider their choices more carefully."
"Kazuma just has a bad case of low self-esteem," Aqua explained. "He tends to put himself down when it comes to social situations, even though he's capable of holding a conversation and having a great sense of humor. I think all he needs is a confidence boost from us in order to see that for himself."
"Indeed. Well, I'm happy to provide whatever support I can." Wolbach replied, even sparing Aqua a polite nod. "Kazuma has been more than kind enough to take a chance on me. I refuse to let him down, lest my godly powers be stripped of me."
"Well, you were already cast out of the Council, so if you wanna get technical…" Aqua paused when she saw the unamused look on the fallen goddess before her. She merely shrugged it off, "What? I'm just saying."
"Yes, you tend to do that a lot. It's quite irritating." Wolbach deadpanned, earning her a shocked squawk of irritation from her fellow goddess and a slight chuckle from the other two women of the party. Wolbach continued. "However, as much as it pains me to admit it-and really, this is quite painful, I assure you-I admire the fact that you can speak your mind freely, Aqua. It's...impressive, even if simultaneously taxing."
"Yup, that's our Aqua, and we wouldn't have her any other way!" Megumin said as she patted her fellow girlfriend on the shoulder.
"I concur, Megumin." Darkness replied with a smile, before jolting slightly. "Oh, we should probably start heading for the front door! Kazuma is likely well on his way as by now."
The quartet nodded, standing up and leaving while wishing Sena good luck on her job hunt. They stepped out the front door and, a few minutes later, so did their leader. His front bangs and shirt were still a little damp from the cold water he had splashed on his face, but other than that he was ready to roll along with everybody else.
As the party of five arrived in the surrounding courtyard of the guild hall, they found themselves surrounded by fellow adventurers, and a few friendly faces. Yunyun and Wiz were easy to pick out in the crowd, waving to the newcomers from across the courtyard. Kazuma spotted Chris perched on a nearby rooftop, the thief sparing Kazuma a two fingered salute and bright grin.
The young adventurer returned the salute as he let out a low whistle. "Man, what a turn out. Guess we weren't the only ones who were getting restless without quests to go on."
"I can imagine as much. Especially after the attack itself." Darkness agreed, scanning the crowd for any more familiar faces. "Between winter wrapping up early and The Daughter's assault, I can imagine a great number of our fellow adventurers are getting quite antsy."
"Hey look!" Megumin said while pointing up the steps. "I think Luna's about to start the grand reopening!"
The rest of the team turned their attention to the front steps, and sure enough, Luna was there, flanked by one of her fellow staff, as well as another man who wore what looked suspiciously similar to the male equivalent of Sena's prosecutor suit. Luna cleared her throat, before beginning to address the assembled warriors before her.
"Before we begin, I would first like to extend my gratitude out to you all. Not only were you all crucial in repelling the invasion on Axel, but you were also a big help in restoring this city to its former glory despite being given an official pardon for your bravery. Without you, this town nor its guild would be half as grand as it is. Thank you, each and every one of you!"
Cheers quickly erupted from the crowd. Some shouted to the high heavens while others reserved to clapping, and Kazuma's party was no different. The only exception was Wolbach, who seemed to shrink somewhat and hang her head low in disgrace. This didn't go unnoticed by Kazuma and the gang.
"Even though we've had our losses, may Eris bless them, we preserved!" Luna continued, pumping even herself up with her speech. "We showed The Daughter herself that the spirit of Axel refuses to die! No matter what happens, we will always overcome, we will always pick ourselves back up from the rubble, and we will never yield to servants of evil!"
Off the end of Luna's speech, the crowd's cheers intensified, with just about all of the assembled adventurers hollering and shouting in agreement. Kazuma continued to clap, but his gaze flicked once more to Wolbach, who still seemed relatively resigned at the moment. He bumped her shoulder lightly, getting her attention and offering her a quiet, "You ok?"
"I'm...I'll be fine." Wolbach replied slowly, turning her attention back to the stage and releasing a shuddering breath. "It's just...different, being on this end of the celebration. Usually, I'm part of the problem, not the solution."
Kazuma frowned, but managed to morph it into an understanding but determined smile. "Well, there's no time like the present to change. Just...hang in there, 'Bach. We'll do what we can to help. Even if it means taking away Aqua's allowance."
His little joke at the end got through to the depressed general. She chuckled slightly and said, "Duly noted. Thank you, Satou, for being yourself. When you're a general for the Devil King, you can't afford to have that kind of luxury lest you leave yourself vulnerable to the other demons. It's...refreshing seeing someone like you being honest around others."
"Well, I certainly try my best." Kazuma replied with a small laugh, tilting his head to Wolbach and offering a final statement before returning his attention to Luna's speech. "Never be afraid to be honest with me, 'Bach. I'll hear you out, even if I don't love what you have to say."
With a faint nod, Wolbach returned her attention to Luna just in time to see what she presumed to be the new royal prosecutor hand her the ceremonial ribbon-cutting scissors.
"With that said, it is with great honor and pride that I now declare the Axel Town Adventurer's Guild…" Luna cleanly snipped the scissors at the ribbon, causing the split ends to pull back like curtains revealing a grand play. "OPEN FOR BUSINESS!"
Another round of whoops and cheers erupted as the crowd went wild a final time, with Luna and her fellow staff members entering the hall while the suited man moved off to the side. The assembled adventurers began moving in a (relatively) orderly fashion into the newly opened hall.
"What are we waiting for, guys?!" Aqua crowed, practically bouncing on her feet as she followed the crowd, grabbing Kazuma's arm and pulling him forward. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"
"Ow, easy girl! You're gonna pull my arm off!" Kazuma exclaimed, only half-joking. In spite of his currently aching shoulder socket, he too was just as excited as Aqua was to get back on the saddle and do what they do best.
Okay, best might be pushing it, he admitted in his mind, all too aware of the typical hijinks they get themselves into. But it's certainly never a boring quest with them around.
As he was pulled along, however, Kazuma felt the strangest sensation, momentarily distracting him from the pleasant moment. He felt like someone was watching him. Naturally, he couldn't tell in all the chaos, and just as quick as the feeling occurred, it vanished as if it was never there.
Huh. Guess I really do need to start getting more sleep. He thought to himself, breaking off into another laugh as Aqua continued to squeal excitedly the closer they got to the hall's entrance. Little did he know that a pair of teal eyes still watched him from the far side of the courtyard, the man behind them smiling sinisterly as he watched Axel's hero and his posse enter the hall.
"Kazuma Satou...a young man of many surprises," the mysterious individual said to no one but himself. "Perhaps under the right...circumstances will he truly prove himself to be a most valuable asset…"
Meanwhile, the inside of the guild hall was bustling with activity, with the usual brand of celebrating already kicking back up as several parties took their usual seats and ordered lunch. Kazuma chuckled to himself as he watched the girls rattle off their order to one of the waitresses, having agreed with them that after their first proper meal back in the hall, they could set out for their adventure.
Eventually, he spotted who he was looking for, calling out to Luna from nearby. "Yo, Luna!"
The blonde receptionist turned her head, a bright smile encompassing her features as she went over to greet him. "Kazuma! It's wonderful to see you again! While I have you on the horn, I must say, I cannot thank you enough for letting the staff and I take shelter in your home during the attack."
"Good to see you again too, Luna. And no worries about the shelter thing, it was just the right thing to do." Kazuma replied politely, before his own smile brightened a few notches. "While I got you 'on the horn', I gotta say it; that was a damn good speech. I'm no expert, of course, but I thought it was thoroughly inspiring, and judging from the cheers of the others, they agree."
"Why, thank you!" gushed Luna, somewhat unprepared for the compliment. "I've been told I have a great speaking voice, so I'm glad to have a second opinion on that."
"Well, again, the speech was great, so I can't compliment you enough there." Kazuma replied with a short chuckle, before looking around the hall and smiling again, taking a deep breath. "Sure is good to be back in business, isn't it? I've missed this place, big time."
Luna couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Kazuma's comment. "Is that so? I mean no offense when I say this, but I had assumed you grew tired of the constant questing the guild demanded from its adventurers."
"I guess I did, but recent events have kinda made me...reevaluate, I guess." Kazuma explained, scanning the hall once more with visible happiness. "The place, with the good and the bad, is somewhere I really care about. Spent nights partying with Aqua here, met Megumin and Darkness here. If I had a home away from home, this would be the place, and it's damn good to have it back, I guess."
"Well, it's good to have you back along with it," Luna admitted. "I don't know why, but somehow I feel this place just wouldn't be the same without you or your party here."
"Thanks, Luna! That's actually really nice to hear!" Kazuma replied earnestly, before extending his hand to her. "In all fairness, then, I don't think this place would be half as homely without you around to run it. It's honestly impossible for me to think of anyone else worthy or capable of running the show here."
"I-I...thank you, K-Kazuma." Luna eventually managed to stutter, her face flushed a shade of crimson as she took Kazuma's hand and gave it a firm shake, bright smile never faltering. "That's awfully kind of you to say!"
The two shook hands for a few more seconds before Luna removed her hand first. Kazuma put his hands in his pockets as he chuckled, "Thanks for being the one to pull away. I never really know how long to shake somebody's hand, so you saved this moment from becoming awkward."
"No worries, Kazuma. Glad I could be of service." Luna giggled, before her eyes flicked past him and she cleared her throat. "Well, I've kept you long enough. Seems like you friends are trying to get your attention."
Sure enough, when Kazuma looked behind his back, he spotted Aqua excitedly waving at him as waitresses delivered food to his party. He rolled his eyes and waved back before turning to Luna.
"Yeah, they sure are. I'm gonna go make sure they don't pillage my food. See you around?"
"Of course! See you later, Kazuma!" Luna replied sweetly, waving as the young man walked off to rejoin his friends at their table. As soon as he sat down, the idle chatter of his friends fell back into synch, and once more Kazuma found himself struck by just how much he'd missed the hall.
"Let me get this straight, the old creep actually built a dominatrix for himself?" Wolbach asked in disbelief, having been told the story of when Kazuma and Co. visited the old home of the man who created the Mobile Fortress Destroyer. "Please tell me you're joking like usual."
"Nope! Unfortunately, this was the real deal!" Aqua confirmed, before chuckling as she bumped Megumin's shoulder. "At least it was till Megumin blew the lab sky high in panic. Not that I blame her, of course!"
"It was the first and only time I regretted ever pushing a button…" Megumin said with glazed eyes. Thankfully, she was able to perk back up as she added, "But that gundam thing we fought was pretty cool! Aqua was even nice enough to make one for me out of milk cartons! It just makes me wish we didn't accidentally leave it out in the rain to get ruined…"
"I gotta admit, that gundam was really cool." Kazuma chimed in, shooting his crusader girl a cheeky smile from across the table. "Dark sure got some fun outta fighting it, didn't you?"
Just like that, Darkness went stiff and her hands swiftly curled up into tight fists. A mean blush formed on her cheeks and ears as she sputtered with a repressed grin, "K-K-K-KAZUMA! I am trying my b-best to keep myself in line here. W-why must you make this difficult f-for me?"
"Because I love you~" he responded back, his cheeky smile growing ever so slightly. That didn't improve Darkness' condition much, as her blush intensified and she sputtered for a few seconds before muttering a helpless, "Y-you too..."
"Well, you four certainly seem in your element." Wolbach stated, taking a long swig of her ale before continuing. "Seems like this place really brings out the family in all of you. More so than usual, obviously."
"That's because this is the place where we first met Kazuma, at least for me and Darkness," Megumin chirped happily. "We've made a lot of great memories in here, and now that we're officially a thing, we can create even more great memories!"
"Indeed? Well, I suppose that's an inspiring enough perspective, little one." Wolbach replied with a small smile, before turning to Aqua and quirking an eyebrow. "And you? I assume you and Kazuma have your own ties to this place?"
The water goddess cocked her head in confusion before she realized what Wolbach meant. "Oh! Well...Ah screw it, I already let Megumin and Darkness in on it, so I might as well come clean with you. Long story short, Kazuma died in his homeworld and I gave him the option to be reincarnated here so I could meet my quota. We had a spat, he got angry, chose me to be his cheat, and here we are now."
There was a beat of silence, with Wolbach glancing at Kazuma, then back to Aqua, repeating these motions several times as she seemed to process the words. And when she did, she practically cackled in realization.
"You got duped?! By a human?!" She managed between gasps of air, before resuming her laughter as Aqua squaked and sputtered in irritation while Kazuma joined in with a quiet chuckle. "I mean, really, Aqua! Kazuma's crafty, I'll give him that, but the fact that he was able to drag you into this world is hysterical!"
"HEY! Quit making fun of me you...you...you poophead!" Aqua cried. Unfortunately for her, that just made Kazuma audibly snort. Even Megumin and Darkness couldn't help but chuckle under their breaths.
"Oh, I haven't laughed like that in years!" Wolbach eventually managed, with a few more short spurts of laughter escaping her before finally composing herself and addressing Aqua once more. "Thank you, Aqua. Really. I needed that today."
Kazuma, along with everybody else, grew somewhat concerned when Aqua looked serious. However, their concerns were immediately shattered when she spoke, with the utmost sincerity, "Keep that up and I won't invite you to my amazing birthday party. Not that I was planning on inviting you anyway."
Wolbach actually snorted at that, raising her hands in mock surrender as she tried to maintain some degree of composure. "Oh, heavens above! Mercy, Lady Aqua, mercy! I submit to your will!"
"Good! That's more like it!" Aqua proudly stated, completely missing the sarcasm from the fallen deity. "My birthday parties were always a highlight back in the heavenly realm, so it's a real tragedy for anyone who's not invited."
"Hmm, yes. I suppose I wouldn't know. I wasn't invited to many of them pre-banishment either." Wolbach replied with an eyeroll, before turning to Kazuma with an expression of curiosity. "While we're on the subject, when is your birthday, Satou? If you've been here for a year, it's either already passed or getting quite close."
The Japanese teenager smiled fondly as he answered, "It's June 7th. A great time to have a birthday if you ask me. It's usually right around beach season, and that's where I used to celebrate most of my birthdays. Although I didn't really do anything special for last year, it just kinda came and went. The joys of growing old, huh?"
"Wha-Kazzy! Why didn't you say something back then?!" Aqua demanded, looking remarkably upset with this news. "I could have thrown you one helluva party, you know!"
Kazuma's reminiscing smile soon morphed into an ashamed frown as he avoided eye contact and muttered, "I mean, if I'm being honest...I didn't think you guys would care. So I just didn't say anything…"
The three girlfriends all looked at each other, similar thoughts passing through their minds before Megumin spoke, grabbing Kazuma's hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.
"Well, we'll just have to celebrate it properly this year then, won't we?" She stated firmly with a small smile, before her excitement ratcheted up and she bounced in her seat slightly. "You haven't even seen a Crimson Demon's birthday, have you? The pyrotechnics are amazing!"
"I can believe that," Kazuma murmured jokingly, secretly grateful to have girlfriends with an inner beauty like no other. And it only took confessing their true feelings for that beauty to come out in full force. "Speaking of which, when are your birthdays? I may be clueless on the whole dating thing, but I figure remembering dates like that are important for any relationship."
"Well, mine is on July 24th." Megumin replied, counting off the other dates on her hand. "Darkness is April 6th, and Aqua is...August 1st?"
"Alright, good to know. I'll commit all of those to memory, then." Kazuma promised, before turning to Wolbach with an expectant smile. "Well? Care to share, 'Bach?"
Wolbach blinked at Kazuma before carelessly shrugging her shoulders. "If I had a birthday, I'd have already forgotten the date a long time ago. I was never really the partying type so you'll have to excuse my bluntness."
"Oh. um...ok then." Kazuma replied slowly, before cupping his chin and humming to himself before speaking again. "Would you like a new birthday, then?"
The Demon Army deserter gave a curious look at the boy before saying, "You are aware that's not how birthdays work, right? Besides, we gods don't have conventional dates like you humans. Take Aqua for example, she merely estimated where her birthday would align on the mortal calendar. August 1st wouldn't truly have been the day she was conceived."
"Ok, then estimate, or we'll do it for you." Kazuma replied, crossing his arms and offering the dark goddess a cheeky look. "You're not getting out of this, 'Wol. Either pick a date or we will."
Wolbach glanced around her adopted family, each and every member nodding in affirmation. She sighed and relented, "Well...I've always admired Fall as a season, so...November 15th. There, are you satisfied now?"
"Oh yeah, big time." Kazuma confirmed, smiling evilly at the former general. "You're gonna have the best birthday party of all time since you've missed out on the rest. Mark my words, 'Bach."
Wolbach rolled her eyes before wiping her mouth with a napkin and standing right up. "Yes, well, if you're quite done with games, I'd like to get some work done today. Are you ready?"
"Yeah, yeah. We're ready. No need to be so uptight." Aqua retorted, standing and falling into line alongside Kazuma with her fellow girlfriends and nodding to him. "Lead the way, Kazzy! Time to pick out our first job!"
Chuckling, Kazuma led his party to the quest board. There was a waiting line in place due to the busy nature of the guild's grand reopening, so the gang had to wait impatiently until they could finally see what options hadn't been picked yet. Luck was on Kazuma's side (like it should be given his stats) as there was a wide range of quests to choose from, most likely a backlog from the inactivity when the town was undergoing reconstruction.
"Alright, lets see what we've got here…" Kazuma mused as they arrived, scanning the board with a soft hum. "Goblin Hoard? Nah, might take too long. Investigate reports of the undead along the Dullahan's pass? Definitely not. C'mon, there's gotta be something here…"
"If I may make a suggestion, Kazuma, how about this one?" Darkness asked while pointing at a specific flyer. In a flash of old habits, Kazuma instantly refuted, automatically assuming it to be something suicidal in nature.
However, his gaze instead fell upon a quest that was...actually perfect for them. The hall was in need of more meat to build up their food supply for the future, and a band of wild boars had been spotted feeding not too far away. All they had to do was kill twelve, and they'd get 250,000 eris for their efforts.
"Oh...That's it, just boar hunting?" Kazuma cautiously asked his blonde knight. "No crazy strings attached? These boars don't belong to raiders who'll kidnap us or anything, right?"
"Nope. Nothing of the sort." Darkness confirmed, flushing slightly as she continued. "As we agreed, we're starting off easy, along with attempting to avoid any...unnecessary complications, as inviting as they may sound."
Kazuma briefly deadpanned before returning to his unsure state and staring up at the request. Hesitantly, he reached out to rip it off the board and found himself subconsciously clutching it to his chest as though it were a precious stuffed animal.
"...Alright, I trust you, Dark. I have my doubts, but...I'm putting my faith in you this time. Same goes for the rest of you girls."
"Well, we'll be sure not to let you down, Kazuma." Megumin assured him, smiling brightly at her boyfriend with renewed optimism. "I mean, really, how bad can this quest be?"
As Kazuma led the group through the forest with the map provided to him by the quest flyer, he mused to himself about how uncharacteristic he had become. Relishing the outdoors, looking forward to adventuring, enjoying the company of his party, he had certainly grown in the year he had been trapped in this fantasy world. He used to resent this place and all the people and monsters who lived in it. But after confessing to his girls and being more open to them, he began seeing the world in a new light. Sounds were crisp, colors were more vibrant, everything around Kazuma just seemed to be...enhanced somehow.
"Kazuma? You ok?" Megumin asked, bringing Kazuma out of his thoughts and back to the real world, with the diminutive mage casting him a worried look. "You kinda spaced out for a minute there. We were getting nervous."
Shaking his head slightly to clear his mind, Kazuma smiled softly and explained, "Oh, yeah, I'm alright Megumin. I was just enjoying the sights and sounds...and, uh, being with my family as well."
Megumin flushed a little, as did the rest of his party mates (though Wolbach would never admit it). Megumin looped her arm under Kazuma's, and spared him a bright smile that could warm the coldest of hearts.
"Well, we enjoy being with you, too." She assured him, before turning to her fellow girlfriends. "Isn't that right, girls?"
Smiling, Aqua and Darkness went to accompany their man as well, with the former taking his other arm and the latter draping her arms over his shoulders from behind.
"You know it girlfriend!" Aqua giggled. "I couldn't have asked for a better follower, even if he isn't aligned with the Axis Order."
"That's not happening anytime soon, either." Kazuma assured her with an eyeroll, clearly not pleased with the prospect. "I love you, I really do, but your followers are nutty as all hell. I prefer to show my appreciation to you in a more...personal way."
Aqua's eyes widened, but they soon fluttered at the implications. "How personal are we talking here?"
"Reel it in, Aqua. Save that for when we're off mission." Wolbach snapped suddenly, earning her a sharp glare from her fellow goddess, before she gestured to a nearby clearing. "We just found our target. If you're all quite finished making goo-goo eyes at your leader, it's time for us to get to work."
Aqua grumbled something along the lines of, "I knew she was gonna be a killjoy…" but otherwise didn't argue with her. The group proceeded to cautiously approach the edge of the clearing where a small river ran through. A herd of wild boars could be seen drinking from the water, currently unaware of the gang's presence.
"There they are. Soon to be pork chops." Kazuma snarked, before looking around his fellow party members and drawing his sword. "Alright, what's the plan, guys?"
Darkness scratched the back of her head as she offered, "Well...I could use my Decoy skill to distract them while the rest of you pick them off from behind." The crusader immediately waved her hands the second Kazuma gave her a pointed look. "It's not an excuse to pleasure myself, I swear! I know my limits when it comes to swordplay, and I want to contribute to this team somehow. Taking the enemy's blow is just the only way I know how..."
"...alright, I'm gonna entertain that for now." Kazuma huffed, nodding to Darkness before moving onto Megumin and Wolbach. "What short range spells do you two have? I know Megumin has Fireball, but even that might be a bit too much with Dark in close proximity."
"I have Blast as well, but I think that's about as dangerous to use as Fireball." Megumin replied, humming in consideration. "We could just thin the herd as much as possible before they reach Darkness, and then you could pick off the rest with your sword."
Kazuma unsheathed his custom short sword and former katana. "Sounds like a feasible plan. But before we go through with this, is there anything special about these boars I need to know beforehand? I've lived in this world long enough to know that things are almost never what they seem."
"Nothing in particular comes to mind, actually." Aqua admitted, laying a hand on Kazuma's shoulder and offering him a bright smile. "They're not particularly strong or dangerous, so you should be able to take them out easily enough without ever putting yourself in harm's way."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," said Kazuma with a smile of his own. He nodded to Darkness and said, "Alright Dark, I think you know what to do next. Ready?"
"Quite ready, yes." The crusader confirmed, her cheeks slightly flushed as she moved into the clearing, arms outstretched as she activated her Decoy skill. "It's been far too long!"
Yeah, no kidding...Kazuma thought sarcastically as he along with the others readied themselves for the inevitable stampede. It didn't take long for the boars to stop drinking the water and notice the crusader's presence. They snorted angrily and, in a fit of rage, charged at her. "Here they come!"
Megumin and Wolbach both cast minor magic spells like Fireball to pick off a few of the charging boars, taking out six of the beasts before they got close enough to Darkness that spells would be too risky to deploy.
"Alright, you're up, Kazuma!" Megumin announced, bumping her boyfriend's shoulder and even planting a quick kiss on his cheek. "Go get 'em, babe."
If these boars don't get me, these girls will, Kazuma thought before nodding determinedly at charging to the side of the stampede. Thankfully, the wild animals were too enraged to notice his presence, so getting some kills in proved to be relatively hassle-free. By the time he was done slashing, only one boar had survived, and it was about to reach Darkness.
"Oh, no you don't!" Kazuma hissed, before raising his free hand and calling out, "Bind!", summoning a single rope that tripped up the boar, making it squeal in renewed rage as Kazuma held it back. "Dark, disable your skill! I got this one!"
With a somewhat disappointed look on her face, Darkness disengaged her Decoy skill before shyly asking, "Actually, Kazuma, I was wondering...could I perhaps try to kill this one myself? As a sort of target practice if you will, so that I may make myself more viable in the future."
"You sure, Dark?" Kazuma asked, receiving a meek nod in response and ultimately releasing the boar, recalling his spell. "Alright then, go for it! Make me proud!"
With renewed vigor and an urge to impress her boyfriend, Darkness unsheathed her long sword and prepared to swing at the incoming beast. Predictably, she missed, and the boar managed to get a headbutt in on her abdomen. The crusader grunted, biting back a moan that threatened to escape her throat. No, now was not the time nor place for that! Right now, she had a personal score to settle…
She brought her blade back up, and slashed again, this time grazing the beast's side enough to make it shriek and back off slightly. Then, with a determined roar, Darkness brought her sword down on the beast with all the strength she could muster, splitting it right down the middle. The boar let out one last weakened squeal before going limp.
"Hot damn…" Kazuma muttered under his breath, just as shocked as the rest of his party. He looked up at the stunned knight and said, "Darkness, you...you did it! You actually did it, I'm so proud of you! Way to go, girl!"
The crusader flushed an even brighter shade of crimson, barely even managing the few sputters of attempted gratitude Kazuma's way as she tried to get a grip, both surprised with her own performance and how excited her boyfriend was with her triumph.
"That's showin' him what for, girl!" cheered an ecstatic Aqua. "I knew you had it in you all along! You just needed the proper motivation was all~"
"Nice work, Darkness! You did it!" Megumin chimed in, looking just as enthusiastic as Aqua. "No one can stand in the way of a badass like you!"
"Please, no more, I beg of you!" Darkness desperately insisted, hiding her face behind her hands. "I don't know how to deal with this kind of embarrassment! I'm not used to it!"
Kazuma and the other girls all continued to fawn over their beloved crusader and her achievement, but Wolbach found herself scanning the surrounding trees with narrowed eyes. She sensed a presence, something imbued with dark magic lingered in the area, and it was angry.
"Cease the chatter!" Wolbach hissed, earning her a crowd of confused and slightly irritated looks. "The stink of Serena's dark magic lingers here...I can feel it approaching."
"What? I thought Sena said the Guard cleared those monsters out!" Kazuma stated, drawing his sword once more, looking around the surrounding clearing before his eyes fell on the far side of the riverbank, where two blood-red eyes met his own. "Oh...oh no."
Stomping out into the clearing, the hulking form of what looked like a mutated boar made itself visible. The dark magic had enlarged the creature to ten times its original size, making it about as big as a giant toad. Red sparks of corrupted magic angrily surged through the black fur of its body like electricity, amplifying the beast's bloodlust. It snorted at the unwelcome visitors, before letting out an ear-splitting squeal that sounded more like a person screaming violently than any actual animal noise.
"Damn it all, we need to move!" Wolbach snarled as the boar began to charge, sparking the rest of her party mates to action as they put some distance between themselves and the advancing beast...all except one. "Satou! Move, now! KAZUMA!"
Kazuma's senses dulled, as though he were being submerged underwater. The black fur, the blood red eyes, the inhuman sounds...it was all too similar to his mauling with the Black Fang. It had been one of his more painful near-death experiences, and it had happened while he was in one of his darker hours.
The vicious snarls...the searing heat emanating from his freshly spilled blood...the faint cries of his worried family...He felt like he was going to puke and faint all at the same time.
He only came back to reality after a particularly loud shriek from Aqua, one he barely even had time to register as he realized the beast was already upon him, only a few feet away. He sent a desperate, quick prayer to Eris and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact…
One that never came.
After a few seconds, he reopened his eyes, and realized in shock that Wolbach was holding the beast back with her bare hands, a fearsome snarl on her face that sparked fear to rival the entrenched fear in him from the boar's feral shrieks and growls.
"Get BACK, Kazuma!" Wolbach commanded through strained grunts. "I can only hold this monster off for so long!"
Kazuma finally managed to move, stumbling back and joining his friends by the treeline, before Aqua and Megumin practically yanked him to the back of their assembly, with the rest of his party raising the weapons in preparation while keeping him shielded.
With one final push, Wolbach managed to shove the corrupted boar at least twenty feet back, breathing heavily before quickly unleashing a flurry of Fireblast the creature's way. Megumin decided to lend her hand as well, casting a couple of Fireballs of her own at the boar monster. If the attacks did any damage, it was barely noticeable as the creature resumed its fury charge at the group, squealing demonically all the way.
"Aqua! Fry this abomination, now!" Wolbach hissed putting as much distance as she could between herself and the beast as the water goddess primed her spell, eyes glowing with holy energy as she made use of her staff and cast her spell with divine rage.
"GOD REQUIEM!"
In a stunning ray of heavenly light, a blast of energy leapt from the tip of her staff and practically vaporized the monstrosity. It squealed in pain, the dark red magic surging like crazy before fizzling out from the overpowering divine energy. By the time Aqua's spell wore off, nothing remained of the impure beast that once stood before them. The spot where it stood had been purified, with some flowers even sprouting in its place.
"Heh, I uh, I always forget God Requiem is no joke when it's used against the right enemies." Kazuma muttered with a nervous chuckle, just as four sets of eyes snapped in his direction and he gulped loudly. "Uh...what's that look for?"
"Are you KIDDING me!?" Aqua all but shouted, marching towards Kazuma and jabbing his chest with her finger. "You could've gotten yourself killed AGAIN! You just stood there and froze like a statue! What happened back there?"
Before Kazuma could even try to respond, he found himself pinned against a tree as a practically fuming Wolbach leered down at him, her yellow eyes ablaze with barely restrained rage as she proceeded to shake him senseless.
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, YOU ABSOLUTE MORON?!" She practically roared, making the young man's head spin both from the intensity of the scream and the shaking. "ARE YOU REALLY SO INCREDIBLY STUPID THAT YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF A CHARGING ANIMAL?! ARE YOU BRAINDEAD OR SOMETHING, YOU BUFFON?!"
"Let go of me, 'Bach! I can explain!" Kazuma hissed angrily, managing to momentarily convince the goddess to stop shaking him. "I froze because that thing reminded me of the Black Fang! The one that mauled me half to death and left me bed-ridden for days! You know, the same one whipped up by your Demon General buddy! Ringing any bells?"
The former Demon General's eyes softened momentarily in realization. She distinctly recalled the Black Fang being one of the many creatures Serena had captured to conduct experiments on. That devil in human's clothing always had a knack for messing with forces better left in other beings' hands.
"...alright, I suppose that is a fair explanation. I apologize for the grief and pain Serena's meddling brought upon you." Wolbach relented, grip loosening on Kazuma, but not releasing him. "All the same, you cannot put yourself in such a position again! Have you the slightest idea of how close you came to death? How much you worried your friends, or even-"
Wolbach's words seemingly died in her mouth when Aqua rushed Kazuma with a sudden hug, squeezing him tight as though he would disappear if she didn't hold on.
"I'm so sorry for yelling, Kazuma!" she bawled. "I didn't realize the Black Fang messed you up that badly! It's okay, Aqua's here to make the pain go away!"
"Gee, don't I feel lucky." Kazuma deadpanned, before returning the water goddess' embrace with a shaky sigh. "Honestly, I didn't think that furrball had such an effect on me. I haven't even thought of it in weeks, but seeing that boar, and it's eyes...it brought back some painful memories."
Kazuma was soon joined by Megumin and Darkness, each offering their own sweet, comforting words. The three girls smothered their boyfriend in an impromptu group hug, leaving a certain dark goddess wondering if she too should try to console the boy or if that would be crossing the line.
Ultimately, the choice was made for her when Kazuma met her gaze, a cheeky smile rising on his face as he addressed her. "What, no kind words of comfort? Not a demon general tradition, I'd assume."
With some hesitation, Wolbach approached Kazuma and offered a rather stiff and awkward hug. The more she thought about it, the more the demonic goddess realized she couldn't recall the last time she hugged someone, if ever. It felt...so foreign. Not necessarily bad, just...alien to her. Wolbach figured she might as well learn to get used to it soon because she had a sneaking suspicion she was going to be doing this often.
"I assume this is your first time hugging someone in a while?" Kazuma guessed eventually, bringing Wolbach back to reality as he chuckled lightly. "Not the most comforting hug in the world, but you were kind enough to try, so...thanks, Wol. Sorry for scaring you earlier."
"No, no, you had every right to scold me," she sighed. "I should've listened to what you had to say first instead of just insulting you like I did. It seems we're both at fault in this situation."
"Can't argue with that one. Still, no harm in working on it together, right?" Kazuma broached, shooting the goddess a genuine smile. "That's what family's for, right? At least, what it should be for."
Wolbach quietly nodded, a small smile worming its way onto her lips. The five stood there in their group hug for a while, simply basking in each other's warmth. Eventually, Kazuma was the one to break up the huddle first.
"Alright, we still got a bunch of dead boars to load up and bring back home. Who remembered to bring the wheelbarrow?"
There was a beat of silence as the four girls looked amongst each other, then back to him. The silence lingered for a few more seconds before Kazuma realized the implications, and promptly let loose a loud groan of irritation.
"Goddamn it. Okay, fine, I guess Darkness will just have to be our wheelbarrow...again."
"Yes! I love being the wheelbarrow!" Darkness hummed pleasantly, before realizing she said that out loud and hastily clearing her throat. "A-anyways...shall we start heading back?"
Kazuma rolled his eyes but smiled in amusement all the same. "Yeah, let's head home. I'm looking forward to some pork chops later tonight!"
Just like that, the positive tone that had previously dissipated after the boar's attack returned, with the party back to their usual pleasant chatter as they rounded up the slain pigs to bring back to town. And yet, Aqua's eyes lingered not on her boyfriend or her fellow teammates/girlfriends, but instead on Wolbach. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't such a smelly old demon after all. Only time will tell for sure in Aqua's mind.
