"Well, that was...certainly something." Kazuma huffed, trying to catch his breath to the best of his ability as he nearly sank to his knees next to the battered remains of the minotaur trio his party had finally managed to slay for their latest quest. Glancing around the shrouded forest floor, he noticed that most of his party mates weren't doing much better than himself.

"Yeah, no foolin'." Megumin exhaled as she sought rest underneath a tree which had one of the minotaur's battle axes embedded in it. "Those bastards were so tough, I almost had to bust out the old Explosion spell on them! It's a miracle we even took 'em down without it!"

"Well, we did it. That's a point for us all the same, isn't it?" Darkness mused, the usually steadfast crusader just as winded as her friends, raking a hand through her hair briefly. "I do hope we aren't getting rusty. It has been quite a while since we partook in a quest as serious as this."

"Are you kidding? We're not getting rusty, Darkness. If anything, we're getting better at this!" Aqua cheered despite having exhausted most of her magic into spell buffs and healing. "This is the first time we've completed a hard quest where I didn't break down and cry during it! That's what saved the day!"

"Yes, your heroism is truly inspiring. You must be so proud." Wolbach deadpanned, easily the least winded of their team, though she wasn't entirely unaffected, if the fact that she was also leaning on a nearby tree was any indication. "All the same, we've fulfilled our side of the arrangement. We should turn in at the guild hall now, yes?"

With no objections from her fellow teammates, Wolbach and the others loaded up the dead minotaurs onto a horse-drawn carriage they rented and began the trek back home. Nobody said anything during the walk, mainly because everyone was too tired to converse at the moment, but that didn't bother Kazuma. He took solace in the now calming atmosphere the forest had to offer thanks to his and his friends' efforts. For once, the young lad was truly able to take a sense of pride in his accomplishment, something he seldom felt in a very long time.

It's been a wild month since I got captured, that's for sure. He thought to himself with slight amusement. Since he started attending therapy, things had been...good. Not perfect, by any means, and he still had his fair share of demons and trauma to face, but so far the process was working, and it felt good to feel good. The girls have been awfully patient with me, too. Maybe I should do something for them as thanks for putting up with me…

Kazuma decided to make his move once the city of Axel became visible on the horizon. He faked a cough to garner the girls' attention and made his next move. "Uh, I just wanted to say, you guys have been nothing but supportive of me this past month and I honestly can't thank you enough for it. But that's not gonna stop me from trying: what do you say to another date night? It'll be my treat."

"That sounds positively lovely, Kazuma! I'm sure we can all agree that it would be nice to have some one-on-one with you, especially with how busy things have been as of late." Darkness agreed exuberantly, the offer apparently giving her more than enough energy following her previous exhaustion. "Perhaps we should make a schedule so we can each have a proper date with you, skipping the hassle of having to focus on four people at once."

Kazuma was more than willing to arrange separate personal dates for them. The first (and subsequently last) time they all went out together on one big dinner date, it was quite the chore on his end. Not that he didn't have a good time but still, it was stressful trying to give each of his three girlfriends enough attention. Plus, some of the glares he received from the other diners didn't sit well with him.

"That definitely seems like a solid idea. We can sort it out when we get back to the hall, and get some well deserved lunch after our hard work." Kazuma replied, before hesitating as a new idea grew in his mind. "Hey...do you think maybe I should offer the same to the others? Wiz, Yunyun, Chris, Sena? I mean, it'll bump up the cost by a lot, but since we're still doing alright financially...should I ask?"

"I say go for it Kazzy! Spread the love!" Aqua whooped before casually slinging an arm over her boyfriend's shoulder and imparting her "wisdom" onto him. "Now just remember, they may be your friends with benefits, but you still treat them as if they were me: a goddess. Girls love it when a guy is at their beck and call. So if you play your cards right, they'll return the favor if you know what I mean~"

"I get it, Aqua. No need to spell that one out, even I'm not that dense." Kazuma snorted, though a light blush did taint his cheeks at the implications she offered. Still, her supposed wisdom wasn't entirely unhelpful. "I'll be sure to treat them right, pinky promise. Only the best for the people I care about, right?"

"You know you don't have to completely blow your budget on us, right?" Megumin interjected. "Just getting to spend quality time with you is enough as far as I'm concerned. I grew up poor, so I should know that better than anyone else!"

"I know, but I still don't see any reason why I shouldn't spoil you guys." Kazuma retorted, crossing his arms and flushing a bit more. "I know how much you guys have had to put up with, both on my end and just in general. You deserve to have a bit more than company, you know?"

"Oh, Kazuma, that's so sweet of you…but we talked about this, you're never a burden to us" Darkness softly expressed, taking his hands into hers. "This is all one great learning experience for you, me, and everyone else. Now that we're together, we only want to make sure what we're doing is the right thing. The last thing we'd want is to rush you into a situation you're not comfortable with."

"Well...thank you. For worrying about me, and for being by my side in the first place." Kazuma eventually responded after a brief pause, offering the crusader a small smile. "You girls are the best thing to ever happen to me, and I know you'd never steer me wrong. I'll try to be more considerate of my own feelings going forward, promise."

Before he knew it, Kazuma was the prisoner of yet another one of the girls' impromptu group hugs. He chuckled to himself and relished the loving warmth provided to him by his girlfriends. It was little moments like this that Kazuma appreciated the most, and he was going to make sure he never took them for granted. That was actually something Ms. Gray taught him in one of their sessions together: appreciating the little things. That lesson in particular seemed to be working quite well for him lately, and it was more than apparent here.

However, he didn't fail to notice Wolbach holding her ground nearby, a conflicted expression lingering on her face as she seemed to consider the group with weary eyes. It did strike him that in that moment, it must have been a bit awkward to have yet another heart-to-heart/formation of plans without her being included. Still, was there anything he could even try to say that would help in this situation?

"Save your words, Kazuma, I'm not bothered with being a 'third wheel' as they say," Wolbach reassured, though her expression remained mixed. "If I'm going to be a part of this little family of yours, I should expect sudden displays of affection like this cropping up even while I'm present."

"Y'know, no one is stopping you from joining in, right?" Aqua asked with an amused smile, sparing her fellow goddess a teasing look. "We both know a hug wouldn't kill you, 'Bach. No reason to be shy!"

"Yeah, c'mon sensei! Assimilate and become one with the hug!" Megumin added in a jokey manner while still being serious. "Nobody's ever too old for 'em, not even goddesses. I mean, you have seen how clingy Aqua gets sometimes."

Dutifully ignoring the water goddess' indignant protests, Wolbach rolled her eyes and relented, hesitantly approaching the group and joining the embrace. While she'd never admit it to the lot, as she doubted any of them would ever let her live it down, it did feel good to be a part of a proper family, as strange of a family as it was.

"If it makes you feel any better, Wol, they're making me soft as well," Kazuma said to the dark goddess with an all-knowing smirk adorning his face. "Believe me, I was just as much of a hard-ass as you were before they wrapped me around they're fingers. You learn to get used to it after a while."

"Well, there are certainly worse habits to get accustomed to, aren't there?" Wolbach remarked with a short chuckle, before clearing her throat and disengaging from the hug. "Well, now that the moment's passed, we really should get moving. Only so many hours left in the day, after all, and you have quite a bit of work ahead of you, don't you, Kazuma?"

Breaking off from the hug himself, Kazuma stretched until all the bones he wanted popped satisfyingly before saying, "Yeah, the sooner we get home, the sooner I can get started on making dinner reservations. Let's roll out."

And so they did, the party making good time back to Axel, more than likely spurred with the new plans being formed for the coming evening.


The next day, after several hours of planning and preparation, Kazuma found himself standing in the entrance of the mansion, mentally psyching himself up for what was going to be quite the day. Having asked his friends with benefits if they'd also like to partake in their own dates, he'd been greeted with enthusiastic confirmations, which resulted in him having seven whole dates, all spaced out through one day so that every girl could get the attention they deserved. Starting with a certain water goddess who was now running fashionably late. Naturally.

It wouldn't be Aqua if she didn't spend an hour getting herself ready, Kazuma snarked internally as he paced back and forth. Then again, she is getting dolled up just for me, so I guess I shouldn't be complaining. Still, it'd be nice if she could move it along now.

Sure enough, moments later he heard the distinct sound of approaching footsteps. Turning his head to face them, the snarky quip he had prepared died on his lips when he got a proper look at Aqua and realized that every second of prep time had been completely worth it. She looked...stunning.

The water goddess had dressed appropriately with a white dress gown which complimented her blue hair and eyes greatly. Instead of her usual boots and socks, she had on a pair of light blue heels that peeked out from the bottom. What definitely caught Kazuma's attention, though, was the slit in the gown which revealed one of Aqua's silky smooth legs that just went on for miles. However, the young man did possess enough willpower to tear his eyes away and look into his girlfriend's beautiful face. Even though she wasn't one to put on makeup, Kazuma was thoroughly convinced she didn't need it anyway.

"Sorry it took me so long, Kazzy!" She apologized fervently as she came to a stop in front of him, offering him an embarrassed smile. "I got so caught up in looking nice for our date that I kinda lost track of time! We didn't lose too much time, did we?"

Kazuma, still in awe at his goddess girlfriend's near supernatural beauty, shook his head clear before asking her something. "Since when did you own a dress like that? I don't recall you wearing anything else outside of your usual clothes. The only exception that comes to mind was that maid outfit when we went to visit Lala's dad."

"Well, I figured that I should wear something nice, considering this is our first official one-on-one date! I couldn't just wear my normal attire, I had to look extra alluring!" Aqua replied, before a seductive smile crept up her lips as she fixed her boyfriend with a pleased look. "I'm guessing I succeeded, given how red your cheeks are."

Restraining himself from openly ogling at her, Kazuma crossed his arms and fired back. "That's because I was ready to blow my top at you for taking your sweet time. The results speak for themselves, granted, but an hour is just too damn long!"

"Yeah, sorry again. I really didn't mean to take that long…" Aqua admitted, some of her bluster briefly dwindling as she scratched her cheek with an awkward laugh before shaking her head and taking her boyfriend's hand, eyes lighting up once more. "C'mon, we gotta make up for lost time!"

"Yeah, so, remind me again why you didn't want to go to a fancy restaurant for our date? Especially considering you're oddly dressed for it anyway?" Kazuma asked while at the mercy of being dragged along for the ride (not that he was necessarily opposed to it seeing as how Aqua was the one leading the charge).

"Oh c'mon, Kazzy! A stuffy restaurant where we can't relax and be ourselves, or do anything fun? Overrated, without a doubt!" Aqua replied snarkily, the bright smile never leaving her face as she continued to drag Kazuma behind her. "Besides, what I have in mind is gonna be much more romantic AND fun, pinky promise!"

"An Aqua pinky promise? Must be good then," Kazuma quipped, earning him a mock glare from his girlfriend. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I know you made one of those after we did it, so I'm well-aware that they mean something."

"Good. Don't disrespect my promises, Kazzy. Cute or not, I have my limits." Aqua jokingly chided, before coming to a stop with an enthusiastic squeal. "Alright, we're here!"

Scanning the area, Kazuma found himself and his girlfriend arriving at a relatively secluded pond tucked away in the small forested area on the edges of Axel. He glanced at Aqua and said, "Okay? It's a nice spot, don't get me wrong, but what did you have in mind? A picnic or something?"

"Not exactly. See, I wanted to show off some of my more elegant magic tricks, but I figured they wouldn't quite have the right effect outside of the right setting." Aqua explained, her demeanor shifting slightly to the point that Kazuma realized that she was nervous, at least slightly so. "It took me a while to find a proper place to show off, but...here we are!"

It didn't take long for Kazuma to fill in the blanks and he snapped his fingers as he figured it out. "Ah, I get it now. Water goddess, body of water, opera-style dress, I see what's going on here. Wanted to put on a private show for your boyfriend, is that it?"

"Wow, finally put the pieces together? You should become a detective, really, you've got a knack for this." Aqua snorted, seemingly regaining her confidence as she did so, shaking her head. "Alright, go take a seat over there, the show of a lifetime is about to begin!"

Rolling his eyes, Kazuma sauntered over to a large nearby rock and parked himself on top of it. He looked over to Aqua, who had her eyes and closed and seemed to be taking a couple of deep breaths before she started moving towards the pond...

...and subsequently kept moving on it.

He blanked completely when he saw that, openly gawking as his goddess girlfriend calmly strode to the center of the pond, the water's surface rippling with every step. When she reached the center, she turned to face him, and exhaled once more.

"This is just one of the many neat things you can do when you preside over water!" Aqua explained cheerfully, delighted to see her lover completely floored with her display. "But this is just the beginning. Observe, my darling, observe your goddess in action, won't you~?"

The stunning deity closed her eyes once more and slowly raised her hands to her opposite shoulders. Kazuma was astounded to see water tendrils from the pond extend and move along with her arms, following along like well-trained snakes. When Aqua pushed her hands away, the tendrils lashed away as well, forming a rippling water ring around their puppet master in a truly elegant manner. And that wasn't even the opening act!

Over the next half hour or so, Aqua proceeded to perform some of the most remarkable feats with her godly powers, tricks that even Kazuma had to admit were absolutely fascinating. Sky high fountains, water in the shape of animals. It was a spectacular show, and one that the goddess in question clearly put her heart and soul into.

"And now for my final act!" Aqua announced with all the bravado of a circus ringleader. "A little presentation I like to call, 'Don't be Koi'!"

With a sharp whistle and a clap of her hands, Aqua used her mysterious powers to gather all the koi that inhabited the pound to her. Kazuma was suddenly hit with a trip down memory lane as he distinctly recalled the water goddess using this exact trick back when they visited the Dustiness House for the first time. Even if that was a while ago, he still couldn't help but find the trick to be amusingly impressive.

However, if he could believe it, the trick was only to get more impressive from here as Aqua smirked knowingly at him before snapping her fingers and somehow directing the fish to form a makeshift raft. The "raft" then swam to the edge near where Kazuma was sitting, and he looked to his girlfriend in confusion, waiting for an explanation.

"This dance requires two partners, silly!" Aqua chided lightheartedly before shaking her head at her boyfriend. She then batted her eyes at Kazuma and extended her hand out to him. "Well, c'mon now. Don't be koi."

Kazuma sputtered a bit at the painfully obvious pun, but did as she instructed with a nervous chuckle, gingerly stepping onto the raft and allowing himself to be taken across the waters to his waiting girlfriend, who easily took him by the hand as she guided him closer.

"Y'know, I still remember that silly look on your face when I first did this," Aqua giggled sensually. "You thought I didn't notice, but I did. By the way, how'd you enjoy seeing me kneel in a maid's outfit, hmm?"

"I'm not legally required to answer that. I refuse to incriminate myself." Kazuma answered playfully, flushed red once more as he recalled the outfit in question. She definitely made it look good, without a doubt. "I...don't suppose you still have it, right? Probably ditched it the second we left Lalatina's family estate."

Aqua slowly and deliberately shook her head as she answered, "Darkness knew I liked it, so she let me keep it before we left. And now that I know you like it as well...I might just save it for another one of our 'special' nights together."

"You really are insatiable, you know that? You're just as much of a perv as me and Dark." Kazuma accused with a light chuckle, growing more and more comfortable in his current position. "Not that I'm complaining, of course. I'm just surprised that a woman of such holy power could be so sensual."

"Kazuma, please, I kept a dildo in my room back in Heaven," Aqua replied bluntly with a surprisingly straight face. "Just because we gods technically aren't allowed to have sex doesn't mean we aren't allowed to relieve ourselves from pent up frustration. We're not disembodied human souls, we have urges too y'know."

"Huh. I...actually never thought of that before. Weird that I never even considered that possibility, actually." Kazuma admitted, mentally shelving away the information and its implications. "Well, fair is fair, I suppose. I guess there's no real reason why you guys wouldn't have a sex drive."

"Mhmm. Now, enough talk!" Aqua demanded with a playful smile. "Dance with me. Just hold on and I'll guide you through it."

"Alright, alright. I'm putting my faith in you, o' goddess of mine. Show me how we do this." Kazuma replied, before Aqua did exactly as she promised and started guiding him along in a slow, relaxed dance, or as much of a dance as he could manage upon his living raft. Still, she did lead the way and set the pace, which he greatly appreciated.

I think in most circumstances, it's the man who leads the lady, Kazuma wondered to himself, only to give a mental shrug and rest his head on Aqua's shoulders. Eh, who gives a shit? This is gender equality at its finest, and I ain't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. Just enjoy the ride while it lasts, Satou.

So he did just that. He enjoyed the dance to the fullest extent, allowing Aqua to lead him along every step of the way, each flourish and theatrical spin. She was clearly having the time of her life, and as such, he couldn't help but have fun as well. Eventually, the dance winded down, ending with them arriving back on the riverbank, with Aqua being confident enough to end the dance by dipping Kazuma, prompting the both of them to devolve into a fit of giggling.

"Aqua, I love you, but seriously, this is a bit too emasculating for me," Kazuma said, his chuckles still refusing to subside. "I feel like I need to eat steak and down some beer after this just to earn back those masculine points."

"Well, I'm sure you can talk Megumin or Darkness into a snack break if you really need to earn back your title of 'man' so badly." Aqua retorted cheerfully, still just as amused as her boyfriend, though gradually managing to compose herself. "Speaking of which, we should probably find Megumin, since she's next on the schedule."

Kazuma nodded, not forgetting about his six other planned dates. Feeling just the tiniest bit cocky, the young man did manage to steal a quick yet loving kiss from the unprepared goddess before smirking stupidly at her. "How many points was that worth?"

"Mmm, hard to say. Passed just a little too quickly." The goddess remarked, before snaking her arms around the young man's neck and flashing him a dangerously seductive smile. "Why don't you give it another try?"


After a few more minutes of fooling around, Aqua and Kazuma returned to the mansion's entrance, after which Megumin came out and practically dragged her boyfriend down the main path into town, wasting no time despite Kazuma's questioning.

"Geez, slow down, will ya!?" Kazuma yelped while Megumin put some strain on his arm by pulling it. "I know you weren't keen on going to dinner either, but the least you could do is explain where we're going and what we're doing!"

"Well, while I planned on surprising you, I guess I can let you in on the secret a bit early." Megumin relented, though never missing a step as she tilted her head to look back at him as she ran. "We are going to the Dullahan's pass, the first place you ever took me for Explosion training, and we're going to cast the spell together."

A brief moment of silence passed, which Megumin took pride in as she assumed her boyfriend was more than pleased with the arrangement she had planned for them. As such, she was taken aback when he eventually responded with a flat, "That's it?"

That admittedly broke her concentration, causing the mage to stumble slightly as she nearly fell forward onto the hard stone road. She managed to catch herself before whipping around and fixing Kazuma with a shocked and stern look. "What do you mean, 'That's it'? I thought you'd be more excited, or that you'd at least think it was cool!"

"Hey, now you're putting words in my mouth!" Kazuma defended as he raised his hands up slightly to show he meant no offence. "I just thought we were going to do something unique or at least a little different. I love bombarding that rickety old castle with you, Megumin, but we kinda already do that every day. I figured someone of your personality would want to go wild on a private date with her boyfriend."

"Y-yeah, well...I considered that, you know!" Megumin defended, crossing her arms and turning away, expression screwed up into a pout. "I just thought that...since it was the habit that really got us to know each other better, it'd make for the ideal date. I mean, before you started coming with me on my Explosion runs, we weren't exactly close friends. Considering what we are now...I thought that maybe we could kinda cap things off by casting at the same time. It's kind of an intimate thing for the Crimson Demon's to cast with your partner, after all."

"Oh…" was all Kazuma could say in response to an explanation like that. Huffing in exasperation at himself, he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he said, "Sorry, I should've put more thought into what I said before saying it. I'm…still working on trying to kick that old habit with my therapist."

"It's alright, I get it. You're not wrong, though, I guess it is a bit boring." Megumin replied, feeling equally awkward as she fumbled to regain her usual brand of confidence. "I mean, is there anything you'd like to do? We can always compromise. As long as we're together, it doesn't really matter what we end up doing."

As the couple began to now walk aimlessly through town, Kazuma rubbed his chin as he tried to think of something else they could do together. More than anything, he wanted it to be something he knew Megumin would enjoy as Explosions were more often than not the only real thing she was truly passionate about.

In that moment, the young man was struck with the simplest (and quite possibly the worst) alternative he could think of at the time. He did what he could to conceal the secondhand embarrassment he was already getting as he said, "Well…since we're just walking and talking right now…I, uh, guess I could let you in on a personal little secret I've kept hidden for all these years."

Megumin tilted her head curiously at him, as if she could tell whatever he was thinking of was something embarrassing. "I mean, sure, if you want to. What is it?"

I can't believe I'm about to out myself like this, Kazuma groaned internally, chuckling to himself somewhat as that was his body's way of physically processing the flood of cringy memories he otherwise did so well to forget. He braced himself before divulging, "When I was kid…I was, for all intents and purposes, my own Crimson Demon. Put simply, I was a chuuni, just like you."

Megumin blinked, her mouth slowly falling open in surprise...before curving up into an amused smile. "Seriously? I mean, I'm not judging of course, but...seriously?! You used to be like me?"

"Obviously not in the way you're thinking!" Kazuma retorted, partially stalling the inevitable spilling of the beans as he started over. "Look, let me explain. Before we started dating, remember that sleepover we all had? Y'know, the one where I told you guys about my world and it was like living there?"

"Yeah, of course. You mentioned that you were a bit socially awkward when it came to school, but you never mentioned being a chuuni specifically." Megumin retorted, eyes gleaming with both amusement and curiosity. "What exactly did you get up to, then? It must have been some fun stuff if you're this embarrassed about it!"

Sighing in defeat at the hole he's purposefully dug himself into, Kazuma explained, "Right, well, if you'll recall, there's no magic where I come from. No magic means no mages or dragons or any of the cool stuff you're used to seeing around here. So, for a gross weeb like myself, I always thought of my own world as mundane and boring. In response, I…may have made a persona for myself…along with a backstory…w-which I even wrote about once."

Megumin nearly face planted for the second time in that hour, biting her lip to restrain the elated giggle that threatened to spill out. Chuuni behavior was normal for Crimson Demons, if not encouraged, but knowing Kazuma's homeland and its cultural differences...this was going to be a treat to hear.

"I can't believe I still remember this crap," Kazuma moaned as he looked up to recollect the painful memories. "My alias used to be 'The Wayward Warrior'. Basically, I convinced myself that, instead of being a normal Earth kid, I was actually an incomprehensible eldritch foot soldier who was sent to fight in some great cosmic war beyond understanding. I nearly died during battle but somehow managed to 'fall' onto Earth, too weak to retain my true form. So I took on the form of that world's dominant species and for a brief time suffered from amnesia before remembering my past. After that, I would go on to humiliate myself in front of everyone I came across."

Megumin surprisingly nodded along, having composed herself for the most part throughout Kazuma's description. Again, it was kinda par for the course for Crimson Demon's to develop personas and stories, and while Kazuma's certainly had some flair to it, she wasn't outright shocked by much of it.

"I think the main gimmick for my character was he was secretly insecure and moody about being nothing more than a faceless grunt in the grand scheme of things," Kazuma continued, finding it strangely comforting how Megumin was politely letting him carry on. "But on Earth, even in a weakened state, he may as well have been a god when compared to the lifeforms that surrounded him, maybe even more so. As such, I would go up to kids on the playground and get all cocky with them and say things like, 'Foolish microbes! You aren't even fit enough to be pebbles to get stuck to the bottom of my shoe! Tremble before me!' If I could go back in time, I'd beat myself up for saying that."

"Yeah, I've been there too." Megumin snorted, shaking her head a little. "I mean, less so growing up, since that kinda thing was encouraged where I come from. But going out into the real world...sheesh, it was a rude awakening. If you think I was bad before, you should have seen Megumin fresh out of school. That was a sight not too different from your 'space soldier' guy."

"You? Somehow more embarrassing than you already are?" Kazuma questioned, his worldview shattered into a million pieces. "No offense, but I don't think you could be more of a chuunibyou even if you tried."

"Oh, trust me. I tried. I really, really tried." Megumin groaned, rubbing her eyes with no small amount of regret. "Again, stepping out into a world that wasn't hyper dramatic and demanding intense presentation was a bit of a turning point for me. Still, I've held onto my flair, even if it is a bit odd. It's part of what makes me who I am, and I don't plan on throwing that away just because some people have an issue with it."

Kazuma nearly stopped dead in his tracks to look over at his Crimson Demon girlfriend in a new light. Never once could he have guessed that was how she viewed her position in the world. Truth be told, he sincerely gained some newfound respect for the young mage, truly impressed with her mature outtake on things. Leave it to Megumin to always keep her boyfriend on his toes.

"Yeah, well, at least you actually have magic powers to back up your crazy talk," Kazuma snarked as he kept that newfound respect for her to himself. For the time being, anyway. He'd let her know after their date. "You can imagine how well that kind of thing would pan out for a dumbass little kid who didn't know better. God, what was I thinking back then!?"

"You just wanted to seem cool. That's not a crime, dude." Megumin replied, lightly bumping her boyfriend's arm and flashing him a supportive smile. "All kids do embarrassing stuff, even those outside of Crimson Demon society. It's just part of growing up, y'know? How long did that phase last for you?"

"…like three years?"

"See? You were just trying something out, and when you started to mature, you grew out of it! No big deal, right?" Megumin stated confidently, an unprecedented wisdom to her words. "There's no reason you should be ashamed of that part of your life. After all, you learned from it, didn't you?"

"More than ever, yeah." Kazuma replied, casually pulling Megumin close to his side as they walked without even thinking. Of course, there were absolutely no objections on her end. "Anyway, I thought you'd get a kick out of hearing my dark and terrible secret. By the way, tell anyone about this, I'll steal your panties and make a flag out of them. Got it?"

"Oh, c'mon! No trust for your very own girlfriend? I'm hurt!" Megumin replied with a dramatic flourish, before smiling and shaking her head. "No worries, your secret is safe with me. Anything for the man I love, right~?"

Kazuma smiled back and instinctively leaned over for a kiss. But just as he was about to pull away, Megumin held his head in place by hooking her hands around his neck. Her crimson eyes glowed in the shadows casted by her oversized hat and that smirk she gave told Kazuma she was nowhere near satisfied with his pitiful offering.


"Ah, there you are Kazuma!" Darkness greeted pleasantly as her boyfriend moved to join her, having finally escaped from the Crimson Demon's wrath. "I was starting to get worried! Did you and Megumin have a good time?"

"Uh...yeah, you could, um...you could say that, yeah," Kazuma answered, still in a daze from the intense make out session he was previously engaged in. After shaking his head clear of perverse thoughts, he took a good look at Darkness only for more perverse thoughts to come flooding in. The Crusader decided to go with the outfit she wore when they visited Alcanretia, complete with that glorious boob window he secretly relished.

The only difference this time around was she opted to retain the ponytail instead of letting her hair down. Didn't matter to Kazuma as he happened to like both hairstyles and held no real preference for either one. As far as he was concerned, Darkness could make any style look good.

"Sorry I kept you waiting. Megumin and I just, uh...lost track of time, let's say." He eventually managed, before glancing at the nearby cafe and smiling. "So, brunch then? You mentioned this place was one of your favorites in town, but I don't think I've even been."

Darkness managed to keep her excitement at being ogled by her lover on the downlow as she spoke. "Oh, yes, it is one of my favorites. It's a nice little family-owned shop with good drinks and a varied menu. If you've noticed me absent from the house, that's usual because I like to sneak out here for some coffee. It's a great place to sit down and relax!"

"Well, in that case, I'm certainly looking forward to seeing what this place has to offer." Kazuma assured the crusader with a warm smile, before extending his hand to her in a surprisingly chivalrous fashion. "Shall we, then?"

Darkness tensed up, caught off guard from his smooth tone and almost gentleman-like behavior. As she found herself taking his hand, she muttered meekly, "K-Kazuma...it's not like you to be this courteous, you know..."

"I figured I could be a little more gentlemanly for this date, see how things go." Kazuma replied, before a sly and all too conniving smile rose on his face. "Of course, if you'd prefer for me to act a bit more lecherous, all you'd have to do is ask, Lalatina~"

Some many conflicting feelings (the main contestants being arousal and genuine embarrassment) clashed with the noble woman's mind. While she did give her lover exclusive permission to call her by her real name whenever he liked...it was still hard for her to fully accept.

"Oi, Kazuma! Don't, don't just say it out loud like that in public!" Darkness whined miserably. "Calling me by that name is a privilege, not a right!"

"Oh, alright, I'll stop...for now, anyways." Kazuma replied, the evil gleam never leaving his gaze as he chuckled darkly while starting towards the restaurant. "Wouldn't want to spoil you so soon into our date, would I? We still have all the time in the world…"

Consciously holding back her masochistic urges while still being subjected to Kazuma's persistent teasing made Darkness fall in love with the young man all over again. Plus, it was also a treat in itself to see a little bit of his old self returning ever since he sought therapy. Even though Kazuma still had a long way to go, Darkness had complete faith that he would eventually conquer his inner demons. Slow and steady was the name of the game here.

Shortly after entering the restaurant and checking in for their reservation, the pair were seated and made their orders a few minutes later. The atmosphere of the café was relaxed, practically serene. After only a few minutes, Kazuma could tell why Darkness enjoyed this place as much as she did.

"Nice setup here," he whistled while checking out the décor. "Quiet, peaceful, not too many people; I think you might've picked out a real winner, Dark. I'm starting to like this joint already."

"I'm glad to hear that! I was a bit worried you wouldn't be as fond of it as I am." The crusader admitted bashfully, tucking a stray strand of hair over her ear as flushed slightly. "Maybe in the future, you and I can come here more often? Our own secret getaway, if you will."

"I think I'd like that, yeah," Kazuma replied, his small smile gracing Darkness with its presence. "Consider this café our private little oasis."

"Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful!" Darkness practically gushed, immensely pleased with the notion that she had her own special location that only she and Kazuma knew about. That pleased feeling waivered slightly, however, as she turned her attention back to her boyfriend and noticed that same, sinister grin had reappeared. "W-what's that look for?"

Kazuma shrugged nonchalantly as he said, "Well, seeing as how this is a small shop with a low influx of customers, I was just thinking about how easy it would be to quietly mess with you without getting busted. For instance, I could use my free hand to reach out to you under the table and not a soul would know. That's just one example I came up with, I'm sure I could up with more~"

Darkness instantly flushed a bright crimson, sputtering a series of hasty refusals just as the waitress arrived with their drinks. After muttering an embarrassed thank you and waiting for the server to leave, she attempted to articulate herself better to her boyfriend.

"K-Kazuma! Don't suggest things like that, especially in public!" She demanded, though her voice betrayed no real confidence in her demand. "Gods above, what if there were other patrons? W-what would they think if you suggested such l-lewd things?!"

"If there were other people around, I wouldn't be saying this kind of stuff," Kazuma replied before gesturing at the mostly barren shop. "But since we have the place to ourselves right now, I figured a verbal lashing here or there wouldn't hurt. Besides, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't give his kinky girlfriend what she wants?"

Darkness was reduced to a flushed mess once more, wisely keeping her mouth shut aside from a few stray whines, knowing full well that it'd only encourage him to indulge her further. Eventually, they received their food as well, and Kazuma remained relatively well behaved throughout the remainder of the meal, much to the crusader's relief (and slight disappointment).

"Hey, kind of a random, weird question to ask, but when did you come to recognize your 'urges' anyway?" inquired Kazuma as he took a bite out of some fresh fruit he picked out for his side. "It's something I've always been morbidly curious about."

"W-well, if you must know, I fully recognized them around four years ago, back before I became a crusader in Eris' name." Darkness admitted, pausing to consider the specifics of Kazuma's query as she answered. "For quite some time, I didn't really understand them, as I had no one to really share with or explain them to. Then I met Chris, and...well, let's just say she opened my eyes to why I reacted to pain and humiliation the way I do."

Nearly doing a spit-take, Kazuma forcefully swallowed his coffee as he looked at Darkness suspiciously. "Wait a minute...is she your friend with benefits too? I mean, I did find it a little off that a hardened thief would be close friends with a knight- -"

"KAZUMA!" Darkness all but shrieked, sparing her boyfriend a mortified look as she rapidly waved her hands. "T-that's not it at all! W-we just talked it out. I explained my urges to her, a-and she explained in turn...although, there was that one time she used Steal on me…"

"Wait, really? She actually pulled a Me on you?" Kazuma expressed his amusement thoroughly. "I may have to sue Chris for copyright infringement; that's my signature move and nobody else's."

"Yes, well, it was certainly an eventful afternoon, that is for certain." Darkness huffed, still quite flustered by the sudden shift in conversation. "As much as I hate to admit it, since I know you're going to have a field day with this information, Chris was an integral part in helping me understand that I was a...well, a m-m-masochist."

Surprisingly enough, Kazuma's reaction to this embarrassing revelation of hers was rather subdued. With a curious hum and a shrug of his shoulders, he said, "Sounds like you picked out a good friend then, even if she does work in mysterious ways. At least you got to know yourself a little better as a result. Besides, I don't think there's anything wrong with identifying yourself as a masochist. As long as it doesn't get in the way of work, I don't mind it all."

In that moment, it was Kazuma's turn to turn a shade of red as he focused intently on his half-eaten torte. "I-In fact, um...there's a chance you might've even helped me discover something about myself...if you catch my meaning."

Darkness raised an eyebrow, an unexpected spark of courage following the curiosity that Kazuma's statement sparked, an almost smug smile rising on her face with her next words. "Oh? I don't believe I do. Please, elaborate."

Kazuma glared defiantly at the blonde bombshell, disappointed and somewhat intimidated when it wasn't enough to wipe that all-knowing grin off her face. Sighing in defeat, he elaborated, "I may or may not have a kink for big, submissive women. There, I said it, you happy now!? You finally dragged me down to your weird level, you freak."

Darkness barely restrained a moan at that, instead settling for a elated giggle as she cupped her face in an attempt to hide her red cheeks. "I love you as well, Kazuma."

The hormonal teenager merely responded with a flat, "Yeah, yeah, whatever". That of course led to a gleeful squeal on Darkness' end, followed by a sneaky peck on the cheek. Kazuma was unable to hide his growing smile despite his best intentions. His girlfriend may be a hardcore masochist, but she was his hardcore masochist, and she just wouldn't be the same otherwise.

Guess I do have a type after all. I was just denying it all this time. Well...fuck it, at least I'm still not into feet!

Not half an hour later, the couple finished their meal and paid, exiting out of the café and into the slightly bustling streets of Axel. Glancing around, Kazuma cracked the number to the best of his ability and gathered that he probably was almost out of time with Darkness for their date.

"Well, I should have around ten minutes left before I'm due for my date with Wiz." He remarked, the evil gleam returning as he spared his crusader a sly look. "Anything else you wanted to do before I head off for the day? Anything at all?"

Noticing the beads of sweat forming on Lalatina's forehead, Kazuma crossed his arms and waited patiently for her answer. "W-well...if it's not too much to ask...do you think you could whisper something degrading into my ear before marking me with a kiss and leaving me alone to my suffering~?"

Kazuma cracked a grin, not even bothering to suppress his chuckle. Requests like that didn't even bother him anymore. What was this world coming to? "Anything for you, Lalatina. Anything for you."