If Kazuma's threat had mildly unnerved the attempted assassins, the Devil King's seemed to inspire full fledged panic. A few of the usurpers further in the back even managed a few steps of distance away from the main group as the King strode forward suddenly, catching the main noble on the nape of his shirt and lifting him off the ground, a dark mist forming around his clenched fists as he did so, his sickening grin never faltering.
It was in this moment of time, being handled like a child' plaything by an incredibly angry Devil King, that the leader of the mob realized how fucked he truly was. He had been so blinded by his prejudice and self-righteous virtues that he failed to take into account the logistics of this assassination attempt. Emotions had gotten the better of him, and now he was going to pay the price for that, along with the men he'd rallied in preparation.
"Men like you disgust me. Not because of your actions, but because of the arrogance they display." The Devil King mused, voice terrifyingly calm with his words seemingly aimed at every single one of the horrified assassins. "I don't enjoy making use of my magic. I certainly don't like what it does to me...but to punish arrogance? I can stomach it long enough."
With the dark mist growing ever thicker and a sinister red aura emanating off of the Devil King, the proud noble who had previously led the charge effectively soiled himself on the spot.
Snarling in disgust at this, Kage delivered a powerful magic punch not unlike Aqua's God Blow right into the man's face, sending him flying all the way back out into the hallway he came out of. The rest of the assassins watched their leader fly back until they heard the distinct sound of him making contact with the wall at the far end before looking back at the king.
"Well, let's get this over with, shall we?" The King growled simply, flicking his left hand and summoning a wall of red flames in the doorway, preventing any further retreat as he slowly and confidently strode forward, mist now enveloping his general vicinity as the final touch to his demonic appearance became recognizable, with his black eyes earning piercing red irises that glared at the cowering usurpers with unreplicatable rage.
The rest of the scene could only be described by Kazuma as…a total fucking beatdown. Without the charismatic leadership of the noble who started this hate mob to begin with, the group was laughably unprepared. The Devil King made short work of the adventurers, guards, and noblemen who dare to commit treason in the name of plain bigotry. For the brave few who did make an attempt to fight back, Kage was unnaturally quick to deflect and cast down. Even so, despite everything, he never beat them hard enough for death to take them, only enough so that they would be comatose at worst. Kazuma figured it wasn't really in his place to deliver execution on another kingdom's subjects but didn't have an issue with rightfully defending himself from said subjects.
When the last man finally fell, an uneasy silence followed, excusing the ragged breathing of the King himself. Slowly, however, the mist and fire that had intensified during the fight started to retract, returning to him gradually as his breathing settled. When the last wisp of dark magic disappeared from sight, the Devil King seemed to stand up a bit straighter, addressing those behind him in a tone that sounded remarkably close to embarrassed.
"Ahem, well, uh…sorry you had to see that, everyone. Heh," Kage chuckled breathlessly, scratching the back of his head as he recomposed himself. "Perhaps I could've been a little more tasteful when defending myself back there. I hope this hasn't caused too much trouble to anyone? I promise to pay for the damages - !"
THUWP
Kazuma flinched harshly at the all too familiar sound of a wooden arrow breaching flesh, dropping the still armed crossbow he'd been holding in surprise. He, along with his teammates and the rest of Iris' associates, turned in horror to face the unexpected attacker. Ambrose, who's weary eyes lingered on the Devil King as he stumbled slightly, reeling from the arrow embedded in his back, dropped his crossbow and turned his attention instead to Iris.
"It's finally over, your majesty," Ambrose said, the tone in his voice tired and weak as the old man's age seemed to finally catch up with him. "With the Devil King dying and his last two generals in the heart of our city, we can easily round them up and give them the death sentence. It's over…we won."
Iris had no words at that moment, only stunned silence. However, she didn't have much of a chance to say anything by the time she composed herself, with the old man being practically tossed onto the table by the vengeful daughter of the Devil King, who brandished her sword just above the noble's head with tears in her eyes, a snarl of anger and grief escaping her with her next words.
"If we weren't determined to make peace with this god-awful kingdom, I'D GUT YOU WHERE YOU LAY! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO MY ONLY FAMILY YOU DAMNABLE MONSTER!?"
"I did what needed to be done, you insolent brat!" Ambrose retorted, some of the lingering flames of resentment briefly returning as he replied to the woman with little regard for his own safety. "You and your father both have done the same thing to hundreds of families, potentially even thousands! Why should you be absolved after all the death you've caused?! All the families you've cut down?!"
"Only because your cowardly nation took the first punch!" The Daughter hotly retorted back, blade instinctively incher closer to the old man's head. "We didn't even want to go to war with a potential ally, but that botched assassination attempt was the last straw! We did nothing to you, yet your people continued to harass us with anti-demon protests and hate crimes! YOU PUSHED ME TO COMMIT ACTS THAT STILL HAUNT ME TO THIS VERY DAY!"
"...your father was a threat to our nation. To all of us. You of all people must understand that, yes?" Ambrose remarked after a beat, that same anger having once more simmered into a stoic certainty, or at the very least a convincing mask of it. "I did what had to be done to save who I could, and now he'll never hurt anyone again. I have only an ounce of regret for my actions, only because my initial attempts at destroying you scum didn't succeed sooner."
Suddenly, The Daughter's fiery eyes widened in shock as Ambrose's last sentence hung over her like a swinging guillotine of realization. "You…?"
"Yes. I authorized the attempt on your father's life, both today and all those years back. As I said, I had to do something." Ambrose confirmed without an ounce of remorse. "Eris knows the princess was too busy grieving her parents' untimely demise to pay much attention to the dispatching of a few adventurer's. When the news came back of their failure, it was easy to spin things so that when the King declared war, it looked to have been uninstigated."
The Daughter's mind was spinning, she felt like she could scream and throw up at the same time. However, she managed to channel her focus back into rage and, unable to kill the old man, settled for throwing him against the wall behind her, knocking him out cold. After that, she immediately rushed over to her father, who had just succeeded in pulling the arrow that hit him from the back out of his chest as he continuously coughed up blood.
"Well...that certainly puts a damper on things, doesn't it?" He muttered with a weak chuckle, his complexion pale as he wobbled slightly despite his daughter's support. "Akuria...I don't think any amount of healing can fix this...I can already feel the dark powers within me festering for release."
"No…no, Daddy, please don't do this," Akuria pleaded quietly, casting the best healing spell she knew of regardless of her father's adamant statement. "We can heal, I-I can heal you! Just, please, don't give out on me yet…I refuse to lose you like how I lost mom."
A sad smile of a man who'd seen far too much death in his time lingered on the Devil King's face as tears appeared in his own eyes, the thought of his daughter being left alone in this world after already losing so much making his heart throb. All the same, he couldn't bring himself to lie to her, not in his final minutes. Instead, he elected to do what he could in order to prevent her from following his path, and turned his attention to the young man standing not ten feet away.
"Satou…" Kage breathed with great effort. "I know what I'm about to ask of you is unfair, but…would you be the one to finally lay me to rest?"
The feeling of dread that rose in Kazuma's chest at the question was palpable. He could barely bring himself to be angry at the request, instead defaulting to a hopeless, "Why? Why me, why here? Why do you even have to die?! I have a goddess in my party who uses healing magic! She could save you if no one else could!"
"I'm sorry, Kazuma, but I'm afraid it doesn't work like that," Aqua admitted regretfully, feeling her heart break seeing her boyfriend's hopeless and horrified reaction after she said that. "The Devil King's magic is a rare breed that's unaffected by the gods and vice versa. It's part of the reason why we resorted to sending people from other worlds to try and stop him. There's nothing I can do here…I'm sorry, baby."
"...please don't make me do this. Please." Kazuma pleaded quietly, his gaze flicking between the defeated king and his heartbroken daughter. He could feel his hands tremble, even as one of them slowly sank to his holstered blade in somber preparation. "I don't like you, either of you, but I can't...I can't be the one to kill you!"
"Unfortunately, you must be." The King countered simply, no real heat in his tone, only desperation. "You are a brave young man, Satou, and I have no right to ask this of you...but I can't afford to risk sending my daughter down the same path I ended up walking. Please, spare me this burden. I beg of you."
Even though Kazuma was slowly making his way closer to the dying king kneeling on the ground, he felt like he had no real control of his body. In fact, he felt like he had no real control over his own life. Fate seemed to keep rearing its ugly head at him and he wanted nothing more than to stick his head in the sand and pretend it wasn't there.
But as Kazuma slowly unsheathed Chunchunmaru…he felt the traumatic flashbacks coming on. He practiced the mental techniques had taught him to the best of his abilities, but they were only doing so much for him in this situation. The other generals were one thing, but this? This just felt wrong to him on too many levels
Silent tears rolled down Kazuma's cheeks as he brought his trembling sword up. All he could manage to get out was a weak, "I-I-I don't want this, man…I don't…"
The Devil King's own eyes shimmered slightly with remorseful tears, knowing full well that the poor boy before him didn't deserve to suffer for his sake, nor the sake of his daughter. But could he condemn his own child over a stranger? Could he forsake her in such a way, after everything she'd already endured?
Before he could speak up again, however, an unexpected development seemed to make that choice slip right past his fingers. Akuria, his darling daughter, stepped forward and grabbed Kazuma's wrist, preventing him from moving the sword. The movement wasn't harsh, nor rough, with a despairing calm having fallen over her as she addressed Kazuma, who met her gaze with equal uncertainty and pain.
"Lend me your blade, Kazuma," Akuria stated, her voice monotone to prevent even more of her grief from spilling out. "I will shoulder the burden myself. Now hurry, my father is suffering, and I'd rather not have him be in pain any longer than necessary."
Kazuma's expression seemed to fall even further for a moment, as he glanced down at the shaking blade in his hand, and back up at the Daughter's resolute but possibly distraught expression. After a few seconds, he released the blade, inching backwards not out of fear but out of shame. A muted apology left his lips as he retreated back into the open arms of his family, who were more than willing to comfort him in his moment of need.
Meanwhile, Akuria stood over her own father, sword aligned neatly over his neck. Before she was ready to make a single, clean swing, Kage spoke for the last time.
"Oh honey…somehow I knew this would happen. Call it 'father's intuition' I suppose, heh, heh…Look, just promise to be better than your old man, okay? I know you're capable of great things, so don't waste that potential like I did. I love you, Akuria…"
"I...I promise, father. I promise to be better." Akuria swore quietly, slowly winding back for the swing, barey restaining her tears as she offered her final parting words to the last family member she had left. "I love you too."
And then she swung.
Everyone in the room was quick to avert their eyes, save for Wiz and Vanir in the royal audience, Serena, and surprisingly Iris. Her assistant, Claire, did try to shield the princess' eyes from such a scene, but the little girl was quick to send a stern warning glare her way. It wasn't pretty to look at, but she was bound to see and hear horrible things eventually. Such things unfortunately came with ruling over a kingdom. She had to stay strong, not just for herself, but for her people too.
Iris did briefly look away to glance spitefully at the unconscious man who caused all this trouble in the first place. He would have to be dealt with immediately once this whole ordeal was over with.
However, that matter would have to wait, for as soon as Kage's body hit the ground, a pitch black essence, crackling and churning with untold power, seemed to emerge from his corpse. It rose to about Akuria's height, and while it took no real shape in that moment, it almost seemed to be sizing her up, like a predator deciding whether or not to engage with its prey.
Eventually, it seemed to make it's choice, and surged forward, briefly engulfing the woman where she stood. However, after a few seconds, the dark form seemed to strain, then condense, slowly twisting and shrinking until it instead enveloped the blade she held, the metal bleeding into a dark black with red energy sparking off of it until finally, the form disappeared entirely, and the sword was dropped to the ground with a loud clatter.
Once the sound of the distorted metal hitting the floor subsided, the entire room was in a state of bewildered silence. No one knew what to even say, except for one distraught and extremely confused Japanese kid.
"W-what just happened?" Kazuma asked tentatively, not really expecting a solid answer from anybody. "What was that thing that went into my sword?"
"Remarkable. Positively remarkable." Vanir mused, making the young man jump as he noticed that the demon had somehow slunk up beside him without being noticed. "She's managed to do something that a hundred years worth of Devil King's couldn't. She directed the curse into the blade instead of accepting it into her body. How absolutely unexpected…"
As the masked devil explained this to Kazuma and his party, Akuria ripped off a small, lower part of the black and lavender dress she was wearing and wrapped the cloth around her hand before carefully picking the sword up by its hilt. Her amber eyes stared intently at the now corrupted metal that pulsed ever so slightly with sinister magic. After a moment that seemed like eternity to her, the now orphaned daughter gazed at Kazuma with an unreadable expression.
"I apologize for cursing your weapon, Kazuma," Akuria stated in that same monotone voice she used on him not too long ago. "It was the only way to put a stop to this vicious cycle of hate and war. I hope this sword didn't hold any sentimental value to you…"
"It's...It's fine. I don't think you really need to be apologizing to me right now." Kazuma replied after a moment, a small but genuine frown resting on his face as he offered the woman who'd caused him a fair amount of hassle what kind words he could muster. "I'm really sorry. I can't imagine what you're going through right now."
"Don't be," Akuria replied bluntly. "Like you said before, you didn't want any part of this, so don't force yourself to be sympathetic for my sake. Just allow me to fulfill my father's last request and you won't have to hear from me again, as promised."
With that, the daughter of the Devil King rose, and strided over to where Iris stood, before bowing and offering her the concealed sword, explaining as she did so. "Please accept this blade, cursed with my father's power, as a token of peace and the end of the Devil King's empire. Once and for all, our war has come to a close, your highness."
Iris blocked the hands of her guards before they could try to pick up the blade for her. Taking her time and being extra cautious as she did so, the princess of Belzerg grabbed Chunchunmaru by the cloth wrapped around it and smiled sadly at The Daughter bowing before her. "The history books will not forget your selfless act here today, Akuria. Words cannot express the gratitude nor sadness I have for you."
Akuria spared no further words, only managing a respectful nod before Iris began to address the rest of her remaining, rattled representatives. After that, she exited the room, followed not long after by Serena, leaving behind the politics that her father despised. This was the way that his empire ended, not with a bang, but with peace.
And peace always had it's costs.
The first thing that Kazuma, Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness all did upon returning to their guest room was collectively flop onto the bed conveniently made to accommodate four people. After all the politics, attempted assassination, heartbreak, and death that occurred within the span of a couple hours, the polyamorous couples were all drained beyond belief. So naturally, they took the blissful respite they were gifted with to cuddle and whisper sweet nothings to each other as they all took a power nap. Kazuma wasn't exactly fond of the idea of falling asleep after going through yet ANOTHER traumatic experience, but in the arms of his supportive girlfriends, he was able to find a dreamless, peaceful sleep.
By the next morning, he'd managed to calm down sufficiently, and as such started to discuss exactly what came next with the girls when they awoke. Of course, they immediately discussed the prospect of returning to Axel, which Kazuma concurred without pause. He made it clear shortly after, however, that he had an errand or two he wanted to run before they shoved off and started the trek back home. After some discussion, the girls agreed, and Kazuma set off to his first stop that morning.
Truth be told, he owed Eris no small amount of thanks once he returned home. It wasn't easy, sneaking into Iris' castle, but recalling a few of her teachings mixed with a dazzle of lurk and luck was enough to make the excursion less than threatening. Of course, he always could have just contacted her the normal way, but this felt far more fun. Not to mention it instilled a sort of payback for the time she had him kidnapped.
Once Kazuma had managed to slip into Iris' room thanks to Claire and Rain having made their exit right as he stealthily approached the door, he found the young princess still in her pajamas as she combed her hair in front of her vanity. Kazuma smirked to himself as he quietly approached the girl from behind and subsequently deactivated his lurk skill.
"Boo," he said nonchalantly.
To his surprise, the princess didn't scream. She did jump halfway out of her chair, though, nearly falling to the floor with an entertaining...grumble, maybe? It was a bit difficult to tell exactly what she'd try to say before she turned to face him with a mildly annoyed expression, arms crossed and cheeks flushed a bright crimson.
"I don't think I need to explain to you why this is wrong on so many levels, do I?" Iris questioned with a raised brow. "You're lucky I've taken quite a liking to you, Mister, otherwise you would have landed yourself in big trouble right now."
"Yeah, I'm well aware. I didn't exactly sneak in here because I thought it was a public library, your highness." Kazuma snarked with a light chuckle, before raising his hands in a surrender motion. "However, if it helps my case, I think it should be known that I came here to apologize."
That got the princess to uncross her arms and sit back down in her chair, ears open and attention at full. "Apologize? Whatever for? You didn't do anything wrong, Kazuma."
"Eh, I kinda did? A little bit, I guess?" Kazuma replied with slight uncertainty, scratching the back of his neck as he sorted his thoughts and attempted to clarify. "Yesterday, when I grabbed that crossbow and had my whole mini-breakdown...I kinda said some stuff, about you and the Devil King. Obviously, I'm not sure I'd apologize to the big guy even if he was still with us, but...I've grown enough of a conscience that I feel like I owe you an apology."
Iris blanked for a minute, truly caught off guard this time around. She didn't really know what to say to that. Regardless, after composing her own thoughts, the little princess looked the young man square in the eye with almost as much wisdom as an adult, determined to set the record straight for him.
"Kazuma, you don't have to apologize for anything. You're allowed to have your reservations about me, especially after my past indiscretions." She assured him, offering him a warm smile and understanding eyes. "I'm truly flattered that you even felt the need to apologize, but it's unnecessary. We may not have the smoothest relationship, but I'd like to think that despite our disagreements, we can remain allies."
Kazuma faltered before nodding in agreement. "I'd like that. Still, I admit, I probably could've conducted myself in a more mature manner yesterday, especially when you called on me to speak about my experience with the Devil King. I was…kind of a hard-ass, and I'm sorry. I'm trying to work on that but sometimes it slips out when I get frustrated. Old habits and all that. I'm seeing a therapist now, so don't worry too much."
"I'm happy to hear that, and once more, I must insist that an apology isn't necessary. We have an understanding, you and I." Iris replied, before snapping her fingers as her smile brightened further. "Oh, actually! I suppose it's a good thing you're here after all! I was worried I'd have to track you down again to deliver this to you."
The young princess got up from her chair and rushed over to her bed, leaving Kazuma wondering what she apparently had in store for him. Sliding a case from out under her bed, Iris flipped the lid open and gently picked whatever was inside up. Only upon turning around could Kazuma see what it was she held for him: a shiny, brand new sword.
The blade itself was practically polished a pearly white, with the hilt being an admittedly gorgeous shade of royal blue. While Kazuma could expect nothing less from the color scheme, he did find himself at a momentary loss for words as he gingerly took the blade, fixing the young princess with a dubious look.
"This is for me?" he asked dumbly, quickly shaking his head for asking stupid questions. "I mean…why though?"
"Well, I felt a bit bad that your first sword was turned into an eternally cursed relic, so I figured you deserved something special. A proper replacement, only worthy of a true adventurer." Iris replied eagerly, clearly just as excited as he felt. "After all, while your deeds will always be impressive, it's hard to fight without a proper weapon, isn't it?"
Biting back the deflective remark he was going to make regarding his supposed "impressive deeds", Kazuma decided to just be thankful that the kingdom's princess gave him anything at all. "Heh, well gee, thanks! Don't feel like I really did much of anything to earn this but…n-never mind, forget what I said, it's great. Thank you for the gift, Iris."
"You're very welcome, Kazuma. I'm sure you'll put it to good use." She retorted, smile never faltering as she tilted her head curiously to him. "I must ask, now that our business is settled, if you'd consider sticking around for breakfast? While I wasn't expecting any guests, I would enjoy some company given how strict my regiment has become as of late."
"You know what…sure, why not," Kazuma caved in, realizing how little he's eaten after yesterday's events. "As long as you let me get away with snagging a couple of muffins for my girlfriends. If they figure out I went out for a bite without them, they'd never let me hear the end of it."
"That certainly sounds like a fair trade. Give me a moment to get changed, I'll escort you to the kitchen personally!" Iris responded, practically exuberant at this point. Clearly, the poor girl really did need some company outside of her usual entourage. Kazuma made his way out of the room to let her change in peace, pleasantly surprised with how well his morning was going. Then again, this was going to be the easier of the two visits…
After Iris got properly dressed, she escorted Kazuma to the royal kitchen where he was given an exclusive pardon by the princess to be allowed to eat with her. Once that was settled, the cooks prepared them a nice hot meal and the two made idle conversation as they ate. It was a little surreal for Kazuma, simply talking about nothing at all to the princess as though they were normal friends. It truly made for a unique and interesting experience as far as he was concerned.
Maybe…maybe I was a bit harsh on the kid initially, Kazuma pondered as he bit into his blueberry muffin while listening to Iris excitedly ramble about a prank she once pulled. She's not so bad once you get to know her as Iris and not Princess Belzerg Fancy Sword or whatever. Wonder if she wouldn't mind having me over in the future just to chat like this. Doubt it, but still…
After an hour or so of essentially goofing off with Iris, Kazuma elected to get on with his mission and, after thanking her for breakfast and the sword, headed back to where the girls were holed up to drop off the goodies he'd gathered for them. While Darkness was a bit reserved about digging into the food from the castle, Aqua and Megumin had no such quarrels and went to town, allowing them a fun distraction while Kazuma departed once more in order to track down his second stop for that morning.
"I can't believe I'm seriously about to do this…" Kazuma sighed as he stood awkwardly outside the room where Akuria and Serena were in, hand frozen above the door as he contemplated knocking. "And after I basically told them to piss off forever, too. But…fuck it, I gotta say something or I know this will eat away at me for who knows how long. I mean, how hard can it be to say 'sorry for your loss', right?"
It took another minute or so for Kazuma to finally work up that nerve, even doubling back for a brief moment before ultimately overcoming his anxieties and lightly wrapping on the door with his knuckles. There was a beat of silence, one that made his anxieties resurface for a moment before the sound of footsteps rang out from the other side, followed by the door swinging open and an exhausted looking Serena rubbing her eyes.
"Uh…good morning?" Kazuma immediately defaulted only to wince at his poor choice of words. What could possibly make this a good morning for either general after what happened yesterday? "Is, um…is Akuria home by chance?"
"...yes, she's here. Though I'd hardly call it a home." Serena replied sternly, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she fixed the young man in front of her with a long, unamused look. "You know, most people would get the hint after the whole, 'we'll never have to see each other again' speech, but it seems that you've managed to subvert expectations yet again, haven't you?"
"Look, I'm well aware of what I said before, I haven't forgotten about that," Kazuma defended adamantly with his hands up in front of him to signify peace. "But I'm calling a temporary hold on that just to get a few things off my chest. After that, I'll be out of you guys' hair, no exceptions. So with that said…may I please speak to Akuria?"
Serena's glare only lasted a few more seconds before she sagged slightly, the negativity on her face melting away into tired reluctance, and nodded, gesturing for him to enter. "She's in the second room, straight ahead. I'd knock again, since she isn't expecting visitors."
Kazuma nodded in compliance, instinctively removing his shoes before stepping inside. Serena raised a curious brow at this, but simply shrugged it off as part of some foreign custom she wasn't familiar with. As the young man stepped inside the dark and surprisingly messy apartment, he followed the sorceress' instructions and approached the door to Akuria's bedroom. Serena made sure to stay close to his side in case he dared to try anything funny. Even if she was technically out of the job, serving under The Daughter was all she really knew how to do at this point, so she distracted herself with continuing that routine.
Eventually, Kazuma worked up enough courage to knock on the bedroom door and say, "Akuria? It's me, Kazuma. I know I made you promise to stay away from me but I wanted to speak with you on something for a bit. Is - uh - is that okay with you?"
A few seconds passed with no response, prompting Kazuma to turn to Serena and raise an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes in response, but whatever retort she had prepared died on her lips as Akuria's door cracked open, and the former general looked out at the pair. She looked...well, like she'd just lost a loved one. Her eyes were red from crying, and her clothes were unkempt, as was the rest of her appearance. Still, her eyes betrayed nothing as she met Kazuma's gaze, holding that stare for a few moments before speaking, her voice slightly raw.
"Kazuma, I don't really have the energy to argue with you, so...just say whatever it is you've come here to say, and then take your leave." She instructed numbly, rubbing her own eyes as if to dry them. "After that, hopefully you'll be more inclined to follow our lead and conform to my father's deal."
"Will do," Kazuma nodded curtly before taking in some air and speaking slowly but carefully. "I'm not the best when it comes to words, so I'll cut to the chase: I came here to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the loss of your father and I'm sorry for unintentionally ruining your life. And before you say anything, yes, I am aware how insane this sounds coming from the guy who has every right to be unsympathetic to your plight. I don't know why, but I really am sorry for your loss. It probably doesn't mean much to you hearing it come from me, but if it's any consolation, my parents never loved me growing up. So, hey, if nothing else, at least you can take solace in that fact."
Akuria stared at Kazuma long and hard after that, long enough that Kazuma lost track of time. There were flickers of emotion in her eyes, never quite fully surfacing on her face. Surprise, regret, loss, and ultimately understanding. Still, it took her a few moments to properly put her feelings to words, but once she did so, something about the tense air around then seemed to...dissipate.
"We lost my mother when I was 6. She was killed by the previous Devil King in order to force my father into the role of a villain and tyrant, one he wanted no part of." She stated, nodding slowly as she continued, as though she was reaching her own conclusion in her mind before continuing. "Despite that loss and how it weighed me down when I was younger, I've managed to find some clarity from it. My mother and father both loved me with all of their hearts, and I was well and truly lucky to have parents who were willing to give anything for me, even their own lives. I'm truly sorry that you can't say the same, Kazuma."
Kazuma simply shrugged, a gesture Akuria couldn't help but find…disturbing. It was far too passive given the topic of discussion. "It is what it is. I'm not happy that I was abused by the people who were supposed to protect and love me, but I gotta learn to accept it and move on with my life. I've been living a fantasy that they secretly cared deep down, but the more I spend time with people that truly love me, the more I realize that wasn't the case. So, like I said, it is what it is."
"...I'm starting to think this is an elaborate setup for you to make me feel less self-conscious about my own upbringing." Akuria mused, slightly amused but more so surprised with Kazuma's account. Still, unsettling as it was, she recognized his olive branch, and nodded to him all the same. "Regardless, thank you for your well wishes. Despite our...my past mistakes, I appreciate that you were even willing to approach me after everything we've been through."
"No problem. Last night was all kinds of fucked for the two of us, so I figured I had to say something since we're both kinda in the same traumatized boat here," Kazuma replied, almost missing the flicker of what looked to be an amused smirk from Akuria. He always did have an offbeat sense of humor that shined through in the most unexpected of times, intentionally or otherwise. "Hey, I know I have no business asking this, but what's gonna happen to you guys now? Do you go back home and rule your own kingdom or is it not that simple?"
"Ah, it appears you haven't heard. As of yesterday, there is no kingdom. The Devil King's empire dissolved with the death of its ruler." Akuria explained, the brief flicker of humor long gone from her face as she elaborated. "Any soldiers that didn't previously turn themselves over to the Coalition scattered, and what land was under my father's control is being distributed amongst Iris' coalition. Put simply...Serena and I have no home. There's nowhere for us to return to."
"Oh…" was all Kazuma could muster, feeling guilty for even being curious. The three of them stood in an uncomfortable silence for a while, not exactly sure what to say, if anything at all. That's when an absurd proposition popped into Kazuma's head that he did his damnedest to snuff out but to no avail. He mentally cursed himself for seeing himself become one of those predictable, pure-of-heart shonen MCs he hated so much; he thought himself as above those unrealistic characters. However…he couldn't help himself as the words kinda slipped out of his mouth.
"Do you, like, wanna…s-stay at my place for a bit until you get back on your feet or…something?"
Both women turned to him in surprise, and immediately Kazuma could tell the pressure was on. While neither of them looked inherently upset by the suggestion, they seemed more shocked than anything. Eventually, Akuria managed to find her words first, and spoke in a tone that Kazuma could only equate to befuddled.
"That...really doesn't sound like a good idea." She remarked, eyebrows raised high as she seemingly sized her former enemy up, as if she was trying to figure out if he was joking or not. "I mean, given our history, I was under the impression you wanted nothing to do with either of us."
"Yeah, believe me, I'm trying to figure out what the hell I even want for myself right now," Kazuma admitted as he scratched his suddenly itchy head, feeling slightly embarrassed for openly suggesting that. "I mean…well, the way I see it is, if I can miraculously convince one demon general to live a peaceful quiet life with me, who's to say I can't do it again? NOT that I'm implying I actually want you two to permanently live with me – I'm not that insane. But I thought maybe I could spare you two a couple of bedrooms and then you could scrape enough money to live somewhere rural and out of the way, from any form of human contact…I'm not making this sound glamorous at all, am I?"
"We're currently standing in a three star apartment, at best. Luxury isn't exactly at the forefront of our minds, Satou." Serena bit out, clearly much more suspicious of his intentions than Akuria was. "Look, even if you're being serious, why in the hell would you ever extend this offer to either of us? We've both screwed you over in the past, so why trust us now?"
Kazuma offered her a defeated shrug and sighed, "Truthfully? Because I'd feel guilty if I didn't, and then that guilt will stay inside and fester in my never-ending cesspool of anxiety, which only exists to make me feel sad when I realistically shouldn't. Sorry if that got too personal, I just felt like I had to be upfront with my thoughts like my therapist suggested. They say honesty is the best policy, so…yeah."
"...thank Eris above you aren't a public speaker, you're terrible at this." Akuria remarked with a wry chuckle, shaking her head slightly as she took a deep breath and attempted to compose herself. "Kazuma. I...I am going to discuss this with Serena. I'm not going to make any promises, but regardless, I just want to say...thank you. Thank you for even offering such kindness our way."
Kazuma managed a small but genuine smile as he nodded in return. "Think nothing of it. I'm serious, by the way, really think nothing of it. If I have to hear anymore talk about me being somebody I'm not, I feel like I'm gonna punch something in the throat just to prove them wrong. I never thought being praised as a hero could get so obnoxious, especially when I feel it's misplaced."
"It'd actually kill you to just accept a compliment, wouldn't it? That's been your secret weakness this whole time." Akuria mused with a small but genuine smile, feeling the lightest she had been in hours after having to toil through grief for so long. "I'll be sure to keep the praise to a minimum when I give you our answer. Where could I find you within the next few hours?"
"When you leave your room, take three long lefts down the hallway and look for a fancy white door on your right," Kazuma explained as he slowly prepared to walk back outside once he felt their conversation coming to an end. "The girls will likely be hostile to you but don't let that deter you. There's a good chance I'll have to bribe them with my body to even make them consider letting you crash at our place for a while. But you know how it is with girlfriends."
"I'm...not actually familiar, no, but I suppose thanks are in order for your sacrifice." Akuria snarked, shaking her head once more while Serena just facepalmed, weighing her own options silently as the interaction started to wrap up, with the former general walking Kazuma over to the front door. "All the same, I'll have your answer before the end of the day. You have my word."
"Alright, cool. Guess I'll see you later then," Kazuma waved as he stepped back out into the halls. "If not, then take care. And good luck to you."
Akuria nodded, and closed the door as Kazuma departed. After she did so, she lightly rested her head against said door, releasing another long, tired sigh before turning to Serena with a mixed expression, one that spoke equally of skepticism and of hope. While the unlikely pair sure as hell weren't friends, they were all that the other had left, as such they both recognized they were in this together, and just what that entailed for them.
The rest of the afternoon was spent packing belongings in advance for the next scheduled carriage ride back to Axel. But since it would be at least another two hours before it arrived, Kazuma proposed that they go out for a private walk down in the expansive royal courtyard and take in the scenery; a pseudo-date one could say. Naturally, the girls were more than up for a little romantic detour. Kazuma even went over to Wiz's room and asked if she wanted to go with them, so as to not leave her out. She too was thrilled about the endeavor and tagged along for the ride.
Seeing his girlfriends plus his intimately close friend all laughing and smiling…it was going to be a real bitch and a half for Kazuma to drop the bomb on them. Hopefully he could soften them up a little before he explained his private meeting with Akuria.
"So, aside from the obvious stuff, how'd you girls enjoy our first trip to the capitol?" He asked as they strolled, not entirely against a bit of conversation before they reached the important part. "Honestly, I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but this place is certainly beautiful."
"Oh, it's absolutely marvelous!" Wiz chirped, her one visible eye sparkling with awe and splendor. "I never got the chance to travel this far out when I was an adventurer, and I can't believe this is what I missed out on! Oh, I bet the sights and smells would be ten times as amazing if I still had living, human senses."
"I must concur with Wiz, the capitol is just as wonderful as I last remembered it!" Darkness chimed in, just as enthusiastic as the lich beside her. "I really do hope that we can take another trip here at a later date, I would love to take a tour at the palace as well!"
"Well, we certainly have the money, so I think that can be arranged," Kazuma commented, smirking to himself as the girls collectively cheered and whooped behind him. They were unintentionally going to make this next part so much more difficult for him. "Anyway, speaking of arrangements, we may be getting a new one later on today, so try to be mindful of that, okay?"
"...Kazuma…" Megumin chided warningly, shooting her boyfriend a pointed look, one that made it very clear that it wasn't the time to play games. "What did you do this time? You didn't piss off Iris or anything, right?"
Kazuma held off from making a witty comeback, picking up on serious vibes the Crimson Demon was putting off alongside his other girlfriends. He sighed, "No, but you'll probably wish I did. Let me just rip the band-aid off now and come clean. Remember when I told you I was running to do some errands this morning? Well…one of those errands involved stopping by Akuria's room to pay my respects. And now there's a possibility she and Serena will be staying at our mansion until they make enough money to support themselves since they're effectively homeless…"
"...Honestly, I was expecting worse." Megumin admitted, only to be immediately overruled by Aqua, who stormed forward and grabbed her boyfriend by both arms, shaking him viciously.
"KAZUMAAAAAA! What on earth were you thinking?!" She practically shrieked, justifiably so. He really should have thought through doing this in a public space. "They tried to kill you during the war! Serena actually killed you! What made you think inviting them to stay in our home was a good idea?!"
"I don't know, okay!?" Kazuma desperately admitted, doing as much damage control as he possibly could. "I felt guilty after what happened to her dad, so I planned to stop by to say sorry and then walk out. But then she started talking about her parents and how much they loved her, which made me talk about my parents and how they did the exact opposite, and then…the rest just sort of…happened!"
As he spoke, Aqua gradually stopped shaking him, and while she did still look a tad miffed, her expression did shift to one that was far more understanding. She huffed quietly, but ultimately released him and crossed her arms as she replied. "You have too big a heart sometimes, you know that? I remember there was a time where you wouldn't have given a rat's ass about either of them."
"Believe me Aqua, I wish this was one of those times myself," Kazuma freely admitted. "One of the very few perks about being a dickhead is that you practice ignoring your true feelings and stuff it all down until you're nothing but a cold, hard bastard. But I guess this is what happens when you learn to get in touch with your emotions again. A blessing and a curse."
"Well, I prefer you now compared to back then. We all do." Aqua assured him with a soft smile, encouraged by the other three girls, who had likewise composed themselves for the most part following Kazuma's confession. "I wouldn't want you to feel any other way, as long as you're certain."
"Well, at least I'm doing something right, eh?" Kazuma chuckled before awkwardly rubbing his arm. "But still, sorry for having to break this to all, there really was no easy way to do this. That being said, I'm surprised Megumin was the most calm about all this. No offense, but I expected you to blow up from that reveal, pun partially intended."
"Eh, at this point? It's pretty par for the course for you." Megumin retorted with a smile, shrugging her shoulders loosely and seemingly almost completely unbothered. "I mean, we've also housed Sena and Wolbach, so at this point what really is the difference between two more demon generals?"
"Don't know if I should take offense to that myself but I'll leave," Kazuma said with a shake of his head before addressing them all at large. "So just to be clear, is everyone going to be okay with this arrangement? Or at least tolerant of it? Keep in mind, it'll only be temporary, unlike the situation with Sena who we more or less keep as a house pet at this point."
"For the most part, yes. I think we all have an understanding about what you've proposed." Darkness agreed, nodding in turn with Wiz and offering Kazuma a small smile. "Honestly, though I have my reservations, I do think that it's quite sweet of you to offer them some solace in such a turbulent time. With the empire gone, things would likely have only gotten tougher for them on their own."
"Cool, thanks for mature about this" Kazuma sighed heavily in relief. "Heh, and here I thought I'd have to offer up my body for you to do as you please just so you'd reconsider!"
"...I mean...I don't think that's necessary." Wiz admitted, scratching her cheek as she tilted her head in contemplation, followed by a small, sly smile. "Then again, I don't think any of us would refuse such a treat either~"
Darkness, Aqua, and Megumin all nodded their heads in agreement, looking thirstier than a camel in the desert. Kazuma involuntarily shuddered seeing four beautiful girls lust after him as though he were a prize. He'd have to personally thank Chris later for once again blessing him with such amazing luck.
"…If you want, we can talk about it later. Preferably in the privacy of our home."
"Alright, alright. We'll reel it in for the time being." Aqua relented, though the playful gleam in her eyes did make him doubt her assurance ever so slightly. "For now though...might as well take in the sights while we have the time, right?"
And so the group did exactly that, basking in the palpable glory that was Belzerg's capital. Time seemed to fly by as it would only be 10 minutes until the carriage arrived to pick them up, according to Darkness' pocket watch. Once Kazuma and Co. made it to their stop with their luggage in hand, a certain girl and her associate were waiting for them with luggage of their own…
"Ah, there you are. I figured this would be the easiest place to link up with you, honestly." Akuria admitted, glancing at the girls that had formed a protective semi circle around him and quirking an eyebrow. "I'm...guessing by the fact that they haven't skewered myself or Serena yet that you explained the situation to them and achieved a consensus?"
"More or less," Kazuma answered with a mild shrug. "Can't exactly blame them, I'd be skeptical too."
"Oh, I don't blame them in the slightest. I'd expect nothing less from them, given our last meeting in Axel." Akuria assured him, before taking a deep breath and nudging Serena slightly. "Well, onto business then. Serena and I have come to a decision, and we've agreed that if you're still willing, we'd like to take you up on your offer."
"Alright then, welcome aboard," Kazuma said casually. "The mansion's a pretty big place, so having your own dedicated space away from the girls shouldn't be an issue. Play your cards right and it'll be like you were never even there with us!"
"Sounds like a dream come true." Serena deadpanned, earning herself a particularly harsh glare from all four of the assembled women before hastily amending. "I-I mean...oh, I'm sure we'll all get along well! Plenty of time to get to know each other right, heh…"
"Why are you just as bad as he is at talking to people?" Akuria asked innocently, pointedly ignoring the brief glare of ire from her fellow former general as she instead turned her attention to Kazuma, extending her hand to him in good faith. "Well...I believe this is a start of a new era regardless. Shall we, Kazuma?"
It was only a little awkward having to wedge his hand in between a sea of protective bodies, but regardless, Kazuma reached out and shook Akuria's hand right as the carriage bound for Axel arrived at their stop.
"We shall."
