Kazuma paused as he stepped out of the local shop he'd just finished purchasing groceries in, struck with the strangest sense of calm in that moment, standing in the center of Axel. He wasn't quite sure what had prompted it, especially given the normal hustle and bustle of the town around him, but it was just...prominent all of the sudden. But then again, who was he to question a random burst of overt positivity?
I bet the old me would've called this 'the calm before the storm', Kazuma thought amusedly to himself as he hefted the bag of groceries. But now? I'm just happy to be happy! No more repressed feelings, no more war, only the satisfaction of living a good life with people I love. Still wish I had video games, though. Then everything would be perfect.
He chuckled lightly to himself at that thought, still considering whether or not to bring it up with Vanir the next time they had one of their business meetings. All the same, he started to make his way back down the main path back home, his thoughts shifting to how nice the last three months had been to him, especially after leaving the capitol.
Of course, the first month had been…a little rough around the edges. After all, providing shelter to two of your past tormentors out of the goodness of your heart didn't come without its fair share of awkward tension. Truth be told, the setup was very similar to what it had been when Wolbach first went to live with him and his girlfriends. Akuria and Serena didn't make too many appearances, save for breakfast and dinner, but when they did, they at least kept it civil (with Akuria doing a far more commendable job at it compared to Serena).
Still, by the end of the first month, the pair had scraped up enough eris from odd jobs to purchase their own residence in Axel. It wasn't glamorous, but it was enough to get them out of the mansion. However, instead of cutting ties, the former generals continued to reach out every now and again. Slowly, over weeks of bickering naturally, a bizarre sort of comradery formed between the two groups. The girls still didn't completely trust Akuria and Serena, but there wasn't a hostile air anymore. Things were getting better, day by day.
Come the second month, April, the gang had celebrated Darkness' birthday, and Kazuma was able to see for himself firsthand what a party was really like when Aqua was the one hosting it. Like Wolbach and Eris had said, the girl loved to go all out with the festivities, and Darkness' birthday was no exception. The crusader, naturally, was embarrassed throughout the whole event, insisting it was, quote, "all simply too much for someone like me!" Of course, Kazuma and the rest knew the woman was getting a kick out of it and that she was very much grateful for all the love and praise.
Plus, seeing her reaction to the trick candles on her birthday cake was worth the price of admission in itself.
All in all, things had been really damn good as of late, and it certainly didn't seem like the streak was ending anytime soon. Even therapy was going well, considering Ms. Gray had assured Kazuma that he'd been making wonderful strides regarding personal breakthroughs. Sure, hard days swung around every now and again, and he sure as hell hadn't dealt with his feelings regarding his parents as of yet, but...baby steps.
Now Kazuma was spending his days living the good life he always wanted to live: in a nice house with friends and family. They still went out on adventures every now and again, even though they didn't really need to. For as much as the former shut-in loved staying indoors, even he had to get out of the house sometimes (spending weeks alone in a dark cell had taught him that the hard way). Not all their adventures were a success, they still had their infamous blunders every once and a while. But Kazuma did notice he and his party had a lot more synergy than ever before. It gave him hope that maybe he was doing something right with these girls after all.
With that sentiment at the forefront of his mind, Kazuma was ever so slightly surprised when he realized he was already just outside the mansion, having been so caught up in his musings he'd walked the distance in no time at all. Keeping the positive energy he'd been feeling alive, he sauntered up to the front door and swung it open with little pause...only to be met with a dark hallway and an utter lack of noise from within the mansion, both of which raised immediate red flags.
Anywhere that's quiet with the girls around is almost never a good sign, Kazuma reinforced in his mind before he decided to play it smart and call out before venturing into the dark and seemingly empty building. "YO! ANYBODY HOME? I BROUGHT SNACKS AND WINE!"
Not a sound left the hall following his declaration, prompting a fresh sense of unease to rise and fester in Kazuma's chest as he dropped the groceries by the front door, one hand idly sinking to the holster sword he kept on his belt. Something was wrong, that much was clear, and as he stalked forward slowly he felt his heart thunder a bit louder in his chest.
Now, logically speaking, Kazuma recognized that he was most likely worrying over nothing at all. Then again, the last time he felt this similar sense of dread and ignored it was the same day he saw his old childhood crush ride away on that delinquent's bike, so he felt like he couldn't afford to risk lowering his guard. It was still something he was trying to work on with his therapist, but obviously some habits are harder to break than others. Such is life.
Eventually, he reached the end of the hall, and paused just before the kitchen after he swore he heard the slightest rustle from that room. He took a long, deep breath and steeled himself, hand now properly wrapped around his sword in preparation as he waited a beat before rounding the corner, prepared to face whatever was on the other-
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAZUMA!"
The hand that held onto the hilt of ChunChunmaru 2 in a death grip went slack once the lights came on and all of Kazuma's friends jumped out of every nook and cranny. The telltale signs of Aqua's party organizing were evident throughout the kitchen, with a beautifully artistic banner that read, "HAPPY B-DAY, KAZZY!" being the metaphorical cherry on top.
Kazuma stood in silence for a brief moment, still coming down from his pointless bout of paranoia, until he all but exclaimed in sudden realization, "…Oh my god, that's today!? Shit, I completely forgot about that."
"Seriously? Come on, man, you went through great lengths to remember our birthdays, but you forgot your own?" Megumin chided lightly, playfully punching her boyfriend's shoulder before giving him a quick hug. "Well, all the better for the surprise, I guess! We really spooked you with the disappearing act, huh?"
Kazuma smirked playfully and joked, "Yeah, between that and forgetting my own date of birth, I thought I was going senile. Must come with old age, huh?"
"Yeah, 'old age', sure. You practically have one foot in the grave already." Eris snarked, holding her appearance as Chris while still casting him a bright, warm smile. "Aqua nearly spoiled it all when you called out and mentioned wine. Dark and Wolbach had to hold her back."
"It's not my fault I take my wine very seriously!" Aqua hastily defended before batting her eyes at her boyfriend. "Speaking of which, you do have it, right?"
"Sorry, I made that part up. The snacks are real, though. I'm not a monster."
While Aqua did momentarily deflate at the reveal the bubbly was a lie, she brightened back up just as quick and launched forward, wrapping the young man in a tight and loving embrace and planting a big kiss on his cheek. "Ah, whatever. I can always get more later. Happy birthday, Kazzy!"
Kazuma chuckled lightly and patted his goddess girlfriend's head, earning him a rather cute coo from her as a result. As his eyes wandered the room, he spotted the suspected assortment of folks he'd imagine would be at his party. However, there were some notable exceptions to that suspected norm, such as…
"Wait a minute…Iris!? Is that you I see in the back?"
"Heh, yup! You didn't think I'd miss this party, did you?" She confirmed with a light chuckle, stepping forward and waving politely to the man of the hour. To Kazuma's surprise, her envoys didn't seem to be in attendance for once. "It took a lot of debating and paperwork, but I managed to work out a deal so that I could attend the festivities!"
Kazuma blinked. "Oh. Well, do you think a kingdom can go without a princess ruling it for a couple hours? I'm no king or president, but I'm pretty sure a country needs somebody to run it at all times."
"Oh, I put a suitable replacement in charge. I'm sure Gary will keep the kingdom from collapsing for a few hours...probably." Iris answered with a chuckle that didn't inspire the utmost confidence. "Regardless, Claire and Rain do have things handled. That I am sure of."
"Uh-huh," Kazuma said in response before going back to inspect his party guests. "Well, it's good to see you Chris, Yunyun, Wiz…Vanir? Huh, didn't expect you to show up."
"Yes, yes, I know. It's quite a shock to me as well." The masked demon huffed, crossing his arms and leaning against the nearby table nonchalantly. "I initially came to see if this little shindig of yours would end up being a disaster, but under threat of being smited by three separate goddesses, I've elected to be on my best behavior...for now, any whom."
Kazuma narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the shrewd businessman of a demon. He hadn't been harassing him nearly as much since he started going steady with the girls and seeking therapy, but Vanir was never one to go completely cold turkey when it came to his antics. Still, Kazuma figured he had behaved relatively well enough lately to earn the right to stay.
"So long as you don't use my personal angst as a dipping bowl for chips, you can at least help yourself to some cake."
"How kind of you." Vanir snarked, though his irritation did seem to be tempered with a small amount of restraint. Kazuma continued to scan the room in search of more guests, and sure enough his eyes landed on a particular blond receptionist that he certainly hadn't been expecting.
"Dang, Luna, they actually let you take a day off at the guild for once?" Kazuma joked lightly. "Guess miracles really do happen."
"Apparently so, yes." Luna confirmed with a short giggling, seemingly pleased to have gotten a brief leave of absence, as Kazuma could imagine why. "Much like her highness, I had to do quite a bit of bartering to get here, but I'd certainly like to think it was worth it. Happy Birthday, Kazuma!"
"Thanks, you too - !" Kazuma said before freezing once he realized his mistake (which certainly made Vanir smirk ever so slightly). "…Shut up, you know what I meant."
"Happens to the best of us, I assure you." Luna teased easily, the light smile on her face making Kazuma feel a touch less embraced over his blunder. "Just try to keep from doing it twice, perhaps? Then I'm sure the others will have to chime in."
"Very funny, Lu. Don't give them any more ideas!" Kazuma playfully snarked in response, before noticing a certain goddess of wrath approaching him, offering her a reassuring smile. "Hey, Wol! I take it Aqua managed to talk you into helping her set up this party?"
"You could say that, yes," Wolbach responded with a reserved smile as she leaned down to plant a soft kiss on Kazuma's forehead. Shortly after returning home from the Capitol (and after convincing her not to immediately obliterate their temporary house guests), the two became official. While the dark goddess felt a little awkward at first being part of what could easily be described as a harem, she eventually settled in and found her place amongst his other girlfriends. "Then again, what kind of partner would I be if I didn't pitch in for her lover's birthday, hmm?"
"Can't argue with that. Still, I appreciate the sentiment all the same." Kazuma assured her, before scratching the back of his neck as his eyes flicked to the remaining duo in the far back of the room, visibly more anxious than any of the other girls. "Huh. Gotta admit, I'm surprised to see they actually came. I mean, Akuria I could maybe see, but Serena...eh, maybe her birthday gift to me is just not murdering me again?"
"Your wit is as sharp as ever, Satou," Serena remarked dryly as she crossed her arms within her robe's sleeves. "Regardless, I felt as though I should respect our newfound amicable relations by at least attending. Now you have no reason to claim I'm not making an effort to be civil. You're welcome."
"That, and I've insisted that she needs to try and make more friends." Akuria tagged on, pleasantly ignoring her companion's irritated sputter of surprise as she continued to address Kazuma. "Really, I'm equally as surprised as you are with our attendance. Wasn't sure I was going to be able to work up the nerve for it, but after discussing it with your girlfriends, we came to a consensus."
"Well, I appreciate it. Thanks," Kazuma said with a smile and a nod before eyeing a certain water goddess still clinging to his arm like a lost puppy. "Aqua didn't give you too much trouble, did she? She tends to do that with everyone, intentionally or otherwise. Even I'm not safe from it, and I'm her boyfriend."
"Not in the slightest, actually. She was very accommodating, and only threatened to smite Serena once. She also apologized shortly after." Akuria replied with a slight smirk, clearly far more amused by the incident than the priestess behind her, who seemed intent on giving the water goddess a wide berth. "All in all, I must admit that this party she devised certainly seems quite elaborate. I haven't been to many myself, but it seems as though she spared no expense."
Right on cue, Aqua puffed her chest out proudly and smirked. "I'm not a master of party trick spells for nothing! If there's one thing us gods are known for, it's for knowing how to party like…well, gods!"
"What about being insatiable?" Kazuma decided to bluntly butt in with. "From what I read on Greek mythology back in middle school, that Zeus guy was really goddamn horny for women."
"Ugh, don't remind me. Total slander campaign about us gods, we know how to keep it in our pants!" Aqua hastily retorted, clearly fired up by an apparent subject Kazuma couldn't have even guessed to avoid. "So many cultures on Earth portray gods as willing to screw just about anything they could get their hands on! I mean, you probably learned about that Loki guy at some point, right? That stuff's all kinds of bizarre!"
Kazuma narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Aqua and commented, "Well yeah, but, to be fair, you can get pretty frisky yourself, Aqua. Hell, there are times where I think you'll give even Darkness a run for her money!"
"Hey, I have self-control, alright? I'm only frisky when I want to, thank you very much!" The water goddess retorted, before an all too familiar sly smile crept up her face and she leaned in and whispered conspiratorially to her boyfriend. "Speaking of which, try not to get too worn out during the party. The girls and I each have a personal surprise waiting for you later on~"
Kazuma's eyes widened for only a millisecond before he could manage to temporarily suppress his own horny agendas. It could never be overstated how much he adored these women.
"Leave it to you two to find a way to turn this back around to sex," Megumin snorted before nodding over to Darkness. "Keep that up and you might beat out Dark for Belzerg's Horniest Couple award."
"Can we not discuss such matters while we have company over!? It's terribly inappropriate!" the crusader whined, flushed a fair shade of red and fidgeted in embarrassment. "In front of Princess Iris, no less! How many times must I express that this is not the kind of humiliation I like?"
Way in the back, Serena leaned over to Vanir and whispered in an unimpressed tone, "I think I made a terrible mistake in attending this party…"
"Trust me, the night is still young. You'll have plenty more to be disappointed in later." The demon assured her easily, before holding up a small plate with a slice of cake to the priestess, who hesitantly accepted. "Still, at least I'm getting a good meal out of this affair, so things could always be worse~"
Serena groaned while Vanir laughed, thoroughly enjoying the negative energy radiating off her. Akuria chuckled to herself as she looked on at Kazuma, amazed at how he had seamlessly gotten into a heated argument with his girlfriends on the intricacies of masochism (with a flustered Sena somehow joining the debate). This is what had fascinated the former general about him; he brought a unique level of humanity that could only be found from someone who came from an alt world. After all, a hero who could find a way to turn the subject of his own birthday to a topic as absurd as fetishes was worth keeping in touch with in her opinion.
"Listen, that's just not how masochism works! I know it's not, and I'm not even one myself, so there!" He insisted, simultaneously exasperated and amused with just how quickly his party was spiraling out of control. And he wouldn't want it any other way. "Chris, back me up here! You're the one who talked Dark through this the first time!"
"Hey man, don't look at me," Chris said with a restrained grin, hands up in mock surrender. "I already had to go through this same song and dance with her the first time, so now it's your turn~"
"We could also just save this discussion for another time! One with preferably less people! That option is always there!" Darkness sputtered vehemently, flushing brighter and brighter every second as she squirmed awkwardly as the center of attention. "This is your party after all! What would you prefer to be doing?"
"Alright, alright, we'll put a pin in this and save it for later," Kazuma relented, already getting exhausted before even getting started with the main event. "Anyway, you're right, this is my party. Happy birthday to me, right guys?"
"Indeed! I hope you enjoy the festivities we prepared!' Wiz stated, the lich beaming brightly at her friend with benefits as she addressed him. "While Lady Aqua took charge with a majority of the planning, we all contributed bits and pieces where we could. I sincerely hope you enjoy yourself!"
"Well, I'm certainly looking forward to what you guys have planned." Kazuma admitted, before turning to Aqua expectantly and flashing her an excited smile. "So, what'd you have in mind to start with, o' goddess of mine?"
Aqua spun around and immediately started grinning ear to ear, an expression which would always melt Kazuma's heart. "I'm glad you asked, stud…"
As promised, Aqua's provided entertainment was all kinds of fun. They started off with a simple, if not slightly juvenile, game of "Pin the Dagger on the Toad", obviously being one of Aqua's own creations. It was a light game to start with, but it did seem to set the mood appropriately for the party with everyone in attendance having a pretty good time stabbing a 2-D frog where it hurts.
However, there was some slight trepidation on Kazuma's part when it was revealed to him that the girls had apparently set up a game board tournament. Complete with prizes no less. Given his girlfriends' track record for clean sportsmanship, he obviously had a few concerns with this. While they did assure him that they would be on their best behavior, he still wasn't totally convinced.
Sure enough, the game was...endlessly chaotic, and more than a few words were exchanged by the more passionate players. Luckily, no one ever came to blows, and the display was more funny than anything else. In the end, Megumin clinched first place, followed by Kazuma in second, and Iris of all people in third. Though quite a few of the players suspected the Crimson Demon of cheating when things became too hectic to notice.
Still, nothing got damaged, so all in all, Kazuma considered the gaming tournament a rousing success.
And then, Aqua proposed a magic tournament, with a few base rules of course. First and foremost, no lethal or destructive spells, like Explosion. Second, once a person was "defeated" or knocked out of the makeshift battle zone she'd constructed, they were out. No do overs. Finally, she offered up the most important rule of all, the one that Kazuma had expected above all others...have fun!
Darkness, given her lack of any magic spells beyond passive health regeneration, was the first to be disqualified (much to nobody's shock and to her delight). Though, coincidentally, she was also the longest opponent to take out due to her ridiculous defensive skills. It wasn't until Yunyun's 30th Cursed Lightning attack did she finally get nudged out of the ring to be considered "defeated". Thankfully, Kazuma had taught the crusader well and instead of fainting from sheer ecstasy, she politely bowed her head after the round was over. Progress!
After that, it was a pretty even playing field, excluding a few key players who dominated without fail. Chris beat Aqua, who was then defeated by Megumin, who lost to Wolbach after the goddess of sloth stomped both Kazuma and Serena. Ultimately, the tournament was down to Vanir and Wolbach facing each other down in an admittedly badass display of just how intense magic could be (in a controlled environment at least).
Once the literal dust settled, it turned out to be…a draw. Vanir demanded a rematch, or at least for an unbiased judge who wasn't his opponent's boyfriend. Somehow, through some bizarre series of events, the judge ended up being Chomusuke, who gave the win to her other half conveyed through a series of meows and animated gestures. Vanir insisted that the cat had a very clear bias for technically being half of the same being, but Wolbach argued that no other creature would be better suited to judge than an animal with heightened senses that can also share thoughts and feelings with its other half.
"Eh, I have faith in Chomps' judgment. She's never steered us wrong before." Kazuma cut in with a smile, petting the small feline and earning a delighted series of mews for his efforts. "Sorry, Van. Our honorable judge has spoken!"
"Of all the…" Vanir grumbled before walking away with his hands thrown up into the air. "What has the world come to when people are putting blind faith into a cat? I will never understand you humans…"
As the demon continued to quietly fume, the rest of the party goers agreed to break for cake and presents, much to Kazuma's subdued delight. While he tried to keep it hidden, he was actually quite excited to see what the others had gotten him as presents, considering his parents had always kept such things brief at home. He knew for sure that with this group, there'd at least be some fun energy to the experience.
"Here, open mine first, Kazuma!" Megumin insisted, handing the birthday boy a suspiciously staff-shaped present. "I think you're gonna love it!"
"Oh boy, I hope it's a snake," Kazuma replied sarcastically as he took the present from Megumin and started tearing away the wrapping paper. "I've always wanted one of those; particularly the venomous ones."
Apparently too excited to snark in reply, Megumin merely bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement as her present was finally revealed, particularly beaming at the look of surprise and admiration that crossed her boyfriend's face. He held in his hands a beautiful staff, its wood a darkish brown-gray, with an alluring green crystal at the tip held in place by a rivet of polished metal. Put simply, it looked absolutely spectacular.
"Huh! Nice!" Kazuma commented in approval as he examined his new tool. "My very own Megumin-branded staff, complete with an orb of my favorite color! Is this thing custom made? It looks professional…"
"Heh, yep! I may or may not have made a commission a few months back with BokBok about getting you a proper staff for your birthday!" Megumin replied emphatically, clearly quite pleased with herself given just how excited Kazuma looked. "I take it that you like the craftsmanship?"
"Like it? I love it!" Kazuma reinforced. "Now I'll feel like less of an idiot casting Explosions alongside you…Wait a minute, was this an elaborate setup just to get me to blow more shit up with you?"
"Eh...no? Totally not." The young archwizard replied with an embarrassed expression, shifting from foot to foot awkwardly. "I mean, it's not the same practicing without you, plus we could probably learn more spells together...after mastering Explosion, of course."
Smirking, Kazuma leaned up from his seat to plant a kiss on the girl's flushed cheek. "In that case, count me in, 'sensei'."
Delighted by her boyfriend's reassurance, Megumin took her seat nearby as Aqua approached with her own gift, which ended up being a box of sweets imported from the capitol, made of the finest chocolate by all accounts. After that, the gifts continued to roll in, ranging from a beautiful new sheath from Darkness with her family's emblem imprinted on it to an adorable teddy bear gifted to him by Yunyun, one she'd apparently been quite attached to during her childhood.
Wiz got him a tea set, Sena gifted him a book on the basics of stand-up comedy (the joke of which was not lost on Kazuma), Luna gave him a veteran's discount coupon for free meals at the guild, Iris bestowed upon him a personal pendant of hers which really shocked everyone, Serena handed him a card that said, "Sorry for killing you that one time", and Akuria got him a simple green shirt.
Ultimately, it all came down to Chris, who had patiently waited while the rest of the girls presented their gifts, a small but confident smile resting easily on her lips throughout the entire exchange. Finally, after it all settled, she stepped up and flashed Kazuma a huge grin before throwing a thumb over her shoulder, gesturing to a relatively large box sitting on the main table next to the cake.
"Dang Chris, you like to go big or go home when it comes to gift exchanges, huh?" Kazuma commented as he walked over to the large present and studied it for a suitable spot to start peeling back the wrapping paper. Once he did so, he blanked for a second, before slowly and gingerly holding up what he gradually realized to be some kind of solar panel, or at least a damn good imitation. "Oh...wow. You shouldn't have...mostly 'cause I have no idea what to do with this."
"Why don't you keep unwrapping your gift and find out~?" Chris replied cheekily as Kazuma did as instructed. At this point, he along with the rest of the party goers were very curious about what it could be, more so the party goers as they had no clue what sort of contraption the thief had apparently gifted him with (except for Aqua). Eventually, they would all receive an answer as the rest of the wrapping paper was torn away and Kazuma was left in awe at what he saw.
"No fucking way…"
Sure enough, on the table before him sat what he could have sworn was a computer console of some kind. While there was no identifiable logo, it was still identifiable enough that Kazuma recognized what it was for. On top of it was a controller, a cable for the panels, a small stack of recognizable games he'd loved back on Earth, and even a decently sized monitor that could be hooked up to it.
"Now, obviously it doesn't connect to the internet," Chris started explaining as Kazuma continued to examine his glorious new gaming setup. "But I was able to use a little of that goddess charm to make it solar powered, so you can at least still play games on it. Happy birthday, Kazuma. You earned it."
"I...I actually have no words." Kazuma admitted, an undeniable surge of unstoppable happiness rising in his chest as he beamed at the goddess of luck, before locking her in a quick but strong hug. "Thank you so much, Chris! This is incredible!"
"Hey! You'll let me play too, right?" Aqua goaded, rapidly poking Kazuma's shoulder like a little kid. "It's been forever since I've last seen my computer and I want a turn on it too, you know!"
"I'm...I'm sorry, but I'm completely lost here." Akuria interjected, her apparent confusion seemingly shared by the other women around her, all of which were looking at Chris' gift with no small amount of bewilderment. "What exactly is all of this?"
"What is it? What is it!?" Kazuma suddenly shouted, currently high off his own, unrestrained excitement. He gestured at his new setup as he explained, "THIS is what human evolution has been leading up to, the peak of human engineering! I'm sure you're all aware by now that I come from a world with no magic, right? Well, this is something from my world we use to entertain ourselves with. You wanna get immersed in an interactive story where you control the main character and have all the agency in the plot? Well…look no further! This box can do just that!"
"Oh! Is this one of the video games you mentioned during our date?" Yunyun questioned eagerly, piercing the crowd and getting a bit closer to the table, now eyeing the device with a certain amount of wonder. "But I thought you said that it wasn't possible to get them here!"
"That was before I realized I apparently had connections," Kazuma said, eyeing the goddess in thief's clothing. "But yeah, now that it's possible for me to play video games again, you can finally try them for yourself, Yun!"
With that sentiment in mind, Kazuma departed along with his party guests to the living room, and after taking a few minutes to set everything up and test a few things out, was able to show them just what Chris had managed to acquire. Understandably, they were all riveted to the game he showed them, specifically Last Fantasy, a fairly popular JRPG from back when he was on Earth. After a while, he even turned the controls over to them, allowing them to have their own go at trying out video games.
After that, Kazuma decided to pop in another one of his favorite games: Wasteland, A Radioactive American RPG (and his only real experience with a country outside of Japan). Megumin initially rejected the premise, adamant that there was no way Explosions powerful enough to destroy the world could be made without magic. But after being told by Kazuma, Aqua, and Eris that it was indeed possible, the Crimson Demon was both incredibly disturbed and jealous. In fact, quite a few of the patrons were somewhat disturbed by the lore and enemies presented in the game. That wasn't to say they didn't find it intriguing, but the graphic content was a bit too much for some. It didn't take long for Kazuma to find something else a little more PG for the squeamish few.
Ultimately, they ended up settling on a classic, not to mention something that every single member of the party could agree was good fun: Bac-Man, the adapted arcade game. It was simple as could be, to the degree that even Aqua could play through the levels with ease, dodging ghosts and chomping pellets like it was nothing.
Time went by in a flash, and before anyone had realized it, they had spent hours hovering over a screen watching and playing video games. Realizing just how addictive they could be, everyone agreed to step away from it for a moment so they could do cake. Kazuma admittedly felt a little embarrassed when they all sang "Happy Birthday" to him, only having this happen to him when he was still just a kid, but deep down he couldn't be happier. It took a considerable amount of willpower on his part not to cry tears of joy during the song, a secret he would undoubtedly take with him to the grave. But once he blew out his candles, he got to relax and enjoy the cake his goddess girlfriend had lovingly baked for him.
After a bit more time chatting and enjoying the food, Akruia and Serena were the first to depart for the evening, followed not too long after by Luna and Iris respectively. All four women offered Kazuma's party wishes of a happy birthday and to stay safe before making their departure, with the latter two even sneaking in hugs before they left, much to his amusement. Once both they and Vanir, who had gotten bored, were gone, the atmosphere relaxed further as Aqua broke out her reserve bubbly for the remaining participants.
"Alright!" Aqua cheered after having poured everyone (even Megumin finally) a glass and emptying the bottle. "Now that it's just us all alone, I had a very 'special' party game in mind that only us could play. So, who here knows the rules of Spin the Bottle~?"
"Ah, so that's what you have in mind? Another juvenile game to cap off the night?" Wolbach mused, before taking a long swing of her alcohol and flashing a small smile. "For once, I'm in. I'm fairly sure we all know the rules, yes?"
Pretty much everyone except for Kazuma nodded, and that made all the girls in the room turn to look at him in shock. Scratching his now hot cheeks, he explained, "I mean, I wasn't exactly what you'd call a social butterfly back home. I never got invited to parties, so my knowledge on party activities is…limited."
"Well, we're happy to walk you through it, Kaz." Megumin assured him, offering a simultaneously comforting and devious smile to him as she elaborated. "Basically, you spin the bottle and whoever it lands on, the spinner has to kiss. However, for our game, we've added a little twist: you're the only one who gets to spin!"
"Ha!" Kazuma couldn't help but to laugh. "Best fucking game ever! Only downside is that I won't get to see any hot, lesbian action tonight!"
Almost immediately did the young man regret saying such, for he quickly corrected his mistake. "N-Not that I would pressure you into doing that, especially if you weren't comfortable with it. Sorry for the distasteful joke, I got excited and my brain made me say stupid shit without thinking…"
"To be fair, it is the first place my mind went as well. It's not exactly an unjustified thought." Chris replied, rolling her eyes at the sparse looks the rest of the girls sent her way. "Hey, not my fault you lot aren't adventurous enough! Like Kazzy said, no pressure on my part. Just expressing that we clearly have different tolerances."
"Wow, did you always have such a dirty mind, Eris?" Aqua interrogated the disguised goddess, who merely rested her arms behind her head and gave her senior a cheeky look befitting of a thief.
"If you were allowed to keep a dildo in your room back in Heaven, then I'm allowed to experiment, Lady Aqua~"
"I'm learning far too much about the both of you right now, and I can't say how I feel about it." Sena interjected, her expression teetering between curiosity and amusement. All the same, she continued. "Regardless, I'm still very much on board for this game. Shall we begin?"
With everyone in agreement, Aqua placed her empty bottle on the floor as the gang all sat around it in a circle. Aqua winked at Kazuma before prompting him to spin. He rolled his eyes at her but gladly kicked things off with a flick of the wrist. Everyone watched in anticipation as the bottle slowly came to a stop, its nose pointing directly at…
"Oh, what the hell, Luck!?" Kazuma exclaimed when the bottle landed on him, making everyone in attendance laugh hard at this. "Please don't tell me I have to somehow find a way to make-out with myself?"
"No, I don't believe so. Still, even with our shifted rules, I'm not quite sure what the result of your spin is." Darkness admitted with a light chuckle, turning to Aqua with a quizzical look. "Care to spare any insight, given that this game was your idea?"
The water goddess taped her chin, never once considering the possibility of this happening. But one look of Kazuma's adorable, curious face gave her the perfect idea. Her boyfriend had been making wonderful strides in his therapy appointments recently, so she figured this could make for an excellent opportunity to reinforce his lessons at home.
"I got it!" Aqua declared overdramatically as she pointed a finger at Kazuma. "If the bottle happens to land on you, you are hereby forced to say one good thing about yourself before carrying on! No exceptions!"
"...your kind actions appear in cruel ways, y'know that?" Kazuma deadpanned, before rolling his eyes and considering her demands and thinking about his answer for a moment. "Fine. I guess that I'm...proud of the progress I've made with my self-esteem lately. I've been doing a lot better with self-love and all that, so...there. Satisfying enough?"
More than a few aww's were shared all around, much to Kazuma's chagrin. Though, secretly, he felt his heartbeat pick up and the tiniest of smiles creep out in that moment. Part of him was sincerely grateful to have such supportive girlfriends.
"See? That wasn't so hard," Aqua insisted with a reassuring pat on the leg. "Alright, now get back to spinning, hot stuff! Your goddess expects you to pay your kiss taxes!"
Kazuma huffed quietly, but did as she instructed and spun the bottle once more, with a bit more force this time, giving it a far more fast spin before it ultimately came to rest...on a flustered Yunyun. She looked up in surprise when it finally seemed to strike her that she was the first up.
"You better not get cold feet now, Yunyun," Megumin only half-threatened. "Because if you won't do it, then I gladly will."
"H-hey! I'm not getting cold feet! I'm just...working up to it!" Yunyun replied defensively, before shifting onto her knees and turning to face Kazuma properly, his cheeks still burning a bright red but her expression surprisingly confident. "Are you ready, Kazuma?"
Smirking, Kazuma slowly nodded and said rather huskily, "Only if you are~"
For once, Yunyun didn't falter in the slightest, and instead leaned forward and took the initiative to capture Kazuma's lips with her own. The kiss was sweet and passionate, a surprising but more than welcomed display from the usually shy Crimson Demon. Eventually, she eased off from the liplock, and fixed her friend with benefits a positively blissful smile.
"Earth to Yunyun, come in," Kazuma joked as he waved a hand over her face, causing her to snap out of her reverie. He chuckled, "You will never not get over kissing me, will you?"
"I'll never get over how wonderful it makes me feel, no." Yunyun confirmed with a soft sigh, cupping her cheeks as she leaned back, shaking her head slightly. "Every time, I get butterflies in my stomach over it. I'm not sure there's anything else in the world that's ever made me so happy."
"Well, I'm happy I could provide, then," Kazuma said in earnest as he gave the bottle another spin. The next contestant to receive a kiss was none other than Darkness who he decided to tease by moving his eyebrows up and down expectantly. "Hello there…"
"Oh, come now Kazuma! You can't tease me now of all times!" The crusader whined emphatically, before leaning forward from her spot in the circle and managing an excited smile. "W-well, no reason to build things up. Please, take me."
"Slow down there horny – I mean honey!" Kazuma teased, making Darkness blush harder than when it was Yunyun's turn. And it only flared up in intensity once the two lovebirds started kissing. Truth be told, the both of them had their self-control tested to not go any further beyond a little tongue. By the time the kiss broke off, both were greedily sucking for air.
"Yeesh! Don't pace yourselves or nothing, guys!" Chris teased with an evil chuckle, making both the crusader and adventurer flush slightly. "At the very least, save some of that for us! Still have plenty of spins to go through, Kaz. Night's still young~"
And so the game continued. As each girl got some love and then some, so too did Kazuma give himself some love the few times the bottle managed to land on him. While it was somewhat awkward for him to be forced to say good things about himself, eventually he managed to become a little more comfortable with it, much to the girls' approval. There also was meant to be a score to see who ended up with the most kisses, but by the time the game came to an end, nobody had bothered keeping track anymore.
Besides, they figured it was best not to turn their love for Kazuma into a competition. That could only lead to a messy road...
Eventually, as the game started to wind down, Aqua leaned over to Megumin and Darkness and started whispering something to them. Both of their expressions lit up, as did their cheeks, and gradually more and more of the girls were called into a quiet discussion until Kazuma cleared his throat pointedly, fixing the group with an expectant smile.
"So...what are you guys scheming about?"
"Well…" Aqua trailed off, nodding to Wiz who smirked and removed from her coat pockets exactly eight vials of a familiar potion that meant one thing and one thing only. "We each still have one more special and personal birthday present to give to you…"
On the dot, Kazuma flushed slightly, which prompted a fresh wave in embarrassment in the back of his mind. He was no virgin anymore, but every time the girls brought up getting intimate, his mind seemed to revert slightly into an inexperienced and awkward teenager again. Eventually, he managed to work himself up to words.
"I'd…I'd like that," he said in repressed excitement. "I'd like that a lot, actually. You girls are just too much for me, you know that? But fuck, I love you all the same."
"We love you too, Kazuma! We're more than happy to be there for you, in every sense." Darkness assured him, taking a moment to grab his hand and give it a firm, comforting squeeze. "You mean the world to all of us, and I confidently say that there is no one else on this earth we'd rather be with than you."
"I couldn't have said it better myself," Wolbach nodded with a faint blush. While this wasn't her first time with Kazuma, it was still something magical to her all the same. "You made my exile into this world the best thing that could ever have happened to me. If I hadn't defied the Council like I did…then I would never have gotten the chance to be with such a wonderful man like yourself. You're worth it, Kazuma, even if you don't believe that yourself sometimes."
"Jeez. You guys are the best, have I ever mentioned that?" Kazuma chuckled while the flush on his face increased drastically, before taking a few seconds to calm himself down enough to appear mildly sauve, nodding to Wiz as she still clutched the vials. "Well, I hear it's poor manners to keep a lady waiting. I guess we should get started then, right?"
All of the ladies present in the room smiled and nodded their heads in mutual agreement.
As each girl branched off to get gussied up for one helluva night, Kazuma was suddenly struck by the fact that not two years ago, he'd been positively miserable. He had few friends, a shitty attitude, and a metric fuckton of emotional baggage. These girls, eccentric and stressful as they may be, had somehow managed to change him for the better, and he loved them even without that fact in mind.
Because while he still had a long and tough road ahead of him, Kazuma knew now that he didn't have to walk it alone. And that…well, that made the troubled young man really goddamn happy on the inside.
