The day after the cabbage harvest, Ethox and Kazuma sat together in the guild, the Nobody writing in his journal while the adventurer was making some changes on his adventurer card.
"There, and… boom!" Kazuma finished as he made the additions final.
"Oh, you got a new skill, Kazuma?" Ethox asked, looking up from his writing.
"Hehe, yeah." Kazuma grinned as he put his hand out. "Check this out. Create: Water!"
His hand was surrounded by blue light as water began to form from his palm. Kazuma then fired the liquid at an empty glass across from him, filling it up. He looked upon the result and chuckled, satisfied.
"Wow, you have aquakinesis now!" Ethox said. "That's so cool!"
"It may just be a basic trick, but now that I've got it, I feel more like an adventurer." Kazuma added.
"Ethox!" the Nobody heard Darkness call as she approached.
"Oh, hey Darkness!" Ethox said. "I see you got your armor repaired."
"Yes. The money I received from the cabbage harvest allowed me to pay for it." Darkness said.
"I'm really glad I was able to catch so many yesterday. 10,000 eris for every head of cabbage captured. It nailed me 250,000, and that's just my haul. Combined, we'll be able to feed ourselves for at least a week if we don't find any more missions."
"You know, you're pretty content with having a crusader who can't hit anything." Kazuma said.
"Hey, everybody has a place in a party." Ethox said, turning his attention to Megumin, who was wriggling in place on her staff. "Even the extra-weird members."
"Sheesh, we need to pull her away from that staff before she out-pervs Darkness." Kazuma said under his breath.
"Y'know, getting back to the cabbages, how much did you and Aqua make?" Ethox asked.
"Well, I made… around a million. Guess I caught a lot of cabbages with high XP." Kazuma said. "Having high luck makes a difference. As for Aqua…"
"WHAT?! Whadda ya mean that's all?!" Aqua's voice rang out through the guild as she had Luna by the shirt.
"I'm afraid most of the cabbages you brought was actually lettuce." Luna explained.
"Well, how did lettuce get in my cabbages?!"
"...well, that answers that." Kazuma deadpanned as Aqua made her way over to the group. "And here she comes now. Great."
"Kazuma, Ethox~" Aqua chimed. "How much did you earn on the cabbage-"
"We're not lending you any money." Ethox quickly replied.
"Huh?!" Aqua said. "Y-You didn't even know what I was gonna say!"
"Oh, we know." Kazuma said. "You get that look on your face every time you wanna ask for something."
"I can probably guess you need money for reasons only you would have." Ethox said. "Don't tell me… debt issues?"
Aqua simply stood in place making a whimpering sound before she flopped on the table and started shaking them. "Please! I thought I'd be rich after the quest, so I racked up a debt of 100,000 Eris to these two guys, and I didn't get paid enough, so I can't pay my tab! Please, please lend me some money! I only need enough to pay my tab!" she cried.
"No way, you greedy bitch!" Kazuma yelled. "I'm gonna use the money to buy a place to sleep so we don't have to sleep in the stables anymore!"
Aqua continued to cry until she stopped, her face turning into a mischievous smile. "You know, you should have a place to sleep. After all, I wouldn't want to interrupt your moaning while you sleep-"
Kazuma then grabbed Aqua, clamping a hand over her mouth. "Okay, I'll lend you the money, just shut up!"
"...Eh?" Ethox said in confusion.
Ethox's Journal, Entry # 4:
We've been in Belzerg for awhile now, and we've all gotten really used to it. Rista and Seiya others finally gave in to let Darkness on the team, but that Crusader is still quirky as ever. Despite that, it is kinda nice having her around. Her perverted fantasies actually bring a little humor to this whole journey and, at least for a little bit, I can forget the conflict with my brother I'm gonna have.
After Kazuma loaned Aqua some of his Eris, he spent some more of it on a proper adventurer's outfit. He really looks like a proper fantasy hero now! We all got together to discuss quests afterwards. Too bad all the small jobs are gone; something about one of the Devil King's generals moving in nearby? Something to look into later, I guess.
So, to pass the time, I decided to help Megumin practice her Explosion spell. And it sorta developed into a daily routine. Day after day, no matter the weather, rain or shine, she'd want to go to this abandoned castle away from the town and use Explosion on it. Not that I mind all that much; Megumin is kinda like the sister I never knew I wanted. I even started to rate her explosions (today's was the best, by the way; it was almost like a nuke!). Yep, blow the castle up, rate the blast, carry her back to Axel. That's the routine I'm getting used to.
If you're wondering about everyone else, Ultra has been training his team, trying to help them make their own decisions in combat. They're really starting to be an actual team; Ultra's even been saying that he wants to learn how to fight with his partners outside of Ultra Burst. Meanwhile, Aqua was broke, so she got a job selling cabbages, Darkness went back home to do some training (here's hoping she's got sword practice in), and Seiya's been trying to find some skills in this world that work for him. No luck on that end, but hey! Here's hoping!
As for me, Match, and Rista, we've been doing so much research. Remember that Devil King general? Well, the three of us have been trying to learn what we can about them, so if he ever comes calling, we'll be ready. Turns out, the guy's a dullahan! He carries his head around with him! Crazy, huh? And as it turns out, he lives in a castle on the outskirts of Axel. No wonder all the weaker monster quests have been… declining….
"...wait a minute." Ethox realized, his writing coming to a halt, the others gathered with him.
"Is something the matter?" Darkness asked.
"I just realized we might be in some big trouble." Ethox said.
"How big are we talking here?" Rista asked nervously.
"Emergency! Emergency!" Luna called by the request board. "We need all available adventurers to arm themselves immediately! Make your way to the front gate and prepare yourselves for battle!"
"That big!" Ethox said as he jumped out of his chair and raced out, the others following him.
They headed outside the main gate to Axel where the other adventurers were. In the distance, standing on a large rock a bit away from the down, was a black horse with no head. Riding on it was a heavily armored knight who was carrying its own head in its right arm, its sword behind it. Dark clouds were gathered, as the knight sat on its horse and stood there, menacingly.
"Uh...Ethox? Isn't that the Dullahan we were researching just now?" Rista asked, shivering.
"Yep." Ethox said. "That is definitely Verdia."
"I am one of the Devil Kings Generals," it spoke. "And I have been stationed at a nearby castle as of late."
"Ethox, why exactly did you say we were in big trouble?" Mirror Match asked.
"Because that castle is the same one Megumin's been blowing up for the past week." Ethox said nervously.
"WHAT?!" Rista, Mirror and Ultraman asked.
Verida shaked in anger. "Every day. Every single day. Every bloody damn day! One of you maniacs comes to my home, AND HURLS EXPLOSION SPELLS AT IT! And I demand to know WHO! IT! IS!" he roared as lightning flashed.
"Oh yeah, he's pissed." Ethox said. "Oops."
"Oops?!" Ultraman said in disbelief.
"You were taking megumin to one of the Devil King's general's home for the past week to blow it up, and you just say oops?!" RIsta protested.
"Hey, at the time, none of us knew he was crashing there! I didn't even make the connection until two minutes ago!" Ethox pointed out. "Well, there's only one thing to do."
"Get Seiya and hope he's prepared?" Ultraman asked.
"No, that's the final, final resort." Ethox said. "We need to figure out a way to bargain with him and - wait, where's Megumin?"
The Arch Mage was walking towards the dullahan before she came to a stop in front of his horse.
"You?" Verida seethed at the girl. "You are the imbecile who's been blasting my home for the past week? If you wish to fight, have the decency to announce yourself before you attack! That's how it works! Honestly, this kind of action is unwarranted. Here I am, sparing your town, not attacking it, and what do you do? YOU BLOW UP MY CASTLE EVERY GODDAMN DAY! You must be out of your flipping mind you little witch!"
"This is bad, Megumin will no doubt try to boast her way out of this, but it'll only make things worse." Ethox said. "We have to go back her up!" he then ran out to her as quickly as he could.
"I am Megumin! I am an Arch Wizard, one who commands Explosion magic!" Megumin declared.
"...what is a Megumin?" Verida asked.
"Uh, wait a minute, wait a minute!" Ethox said, running up. "Uh, hi. It's Verida, right?"
"And who are you?" Verdia asked.
"My name is Ethox. And this girl Megumin is a member of my party." Ethox said.
"Then you're as equally responsible for her actions. I am staying at that castle indefinitely, so if you would kindly keep her blasting to a minimum, that would be appreciated." Verdia said.
"We're sorry about that, we honestly thought it was abandoned." Ethox said. "I'll make sure Meg doesn't blow up your castle from now on-"
"No!" Megumin proclaimed. "A Crimson Demon must cast Explosion every day… or will die."
"What?!" Verdia and Ethox asked.
"I've never heard that before! You just made that up!" Verdia protested.
"Sorry… she can get a little dramatic." Ethox said.
"It appears we are at an impasse then. That girl will most definitely continue to bombard my castle, unless something is done." Verdia asked.
"Look, we didn't mean to get you angry. At the time I was accompanying her, we didn't know you were living in that castle." Ethox said. "That said, now that we know you're living so close to Axel as one of the Devil King's generals, we can't let you interfere with what these adventurers do for a living. You're the reason all the low level quests are gone."
"And why should I care for what mere humans do?" Verdia asked.
"You don't have to. You're a demon. But seeing as how you're a dullahan, I can guess you were once human like us. So I request this. We issue a ceasefire for a certain time limit… say, one week? You leave and go back to your castle, and I'll find a different spot for Megumin to cast Explosion. At the end of the week, you come back to Axel, I'll face you with my full party, and we'll settle this dispute in a battle. Like men."
The dullahan was silent for a moment, considering the offer. "...Very well. I shall accept those terms."
"Thank you, sir, you've spared all of us trouble-"
"However," Verdia spoke up, "I cannot allow such an irritable child to go unpunished. So I'll add a condition of my own." he said as his hand was covered by a purple blackness.
"Oh no...Ethox, watch out! He's going to issue a Death Sentence!" Ristarte called.
"If I still live by the time the sun sets on the day one week from today…" Verdia said, pointing his finger at Megumin. "...this child will die!"
The spell was launched at Megumin... but before it could even hit her, darkness came out of nowhere and took on the spell instead.
"Darkness!" Ethox said in shock. The rest of the group ran up to them.
"Harmony's curse! Darkness, are you hurt?!" Mirror asked the crusader.
"It seems… the pain isn't that much…" Darkness said.
"An unexpected turn of events… but this may be more preferable, seeing how the bonds between you are close." Verdia said. "Hear me, Crimson Demon child. If I still live by nightfall on the final day, your Crusader friend will die. Until then, she will suffer as she waits for inevitable doom. For seven days, she will quake and fear and despair as her life ticks down, and it will be all your fault!"
Ethox started at Verdia. "You get one week to think about what you just did. When you come back here, you're gonna wish the castle you were living in fell on your head and crushed it." he said, his tone cold as ice.
"Hmph. This little game of yours is the only chance your crusader has. You best prepare for the encounter, Ethox, because I assure you… I will." Verdia said as he turned his horse away before Darkness used her sword to lift herself off the ground.
"You fiend…" the crusader said. "You have shackled me with this curse, and the only way to remove it is to submit to your whims… you wish to defile me, don't you?!"
"...What?" Verdia asked blankly, the imposing aura he projected gone in a moment of confusion.
"I will not allow a mere curse to break my spirit. I could not give in, but…" Darkness suddenly turned to Ethox, Blushing. "Wh-what shall I do, Ethox?!"
"(Oh no… she's gone full blown S in S&M!)" Rista thought.
"Uh… wait and hope?" Ethox mumbled.
"But I can feel his filthy eyes on me. Hungry, wanting! They're the eyes of a degenerate, one who would made a sex slave of me!" Darkness said, rambling on about her fantasies of what Verdia might do to her, clearly making the dullahan general uncomfortable.
"Okay, that's enough there!" Ethox said, cutting her off. "Man, she totally killed the whole tense moment…" he said under his breath. "Anyway, Verdia. We both get one week to prepare for battle. You'll be ready, we'll be ready. And there'll be no more explosions in your home for the whole time."
"Er… right." Verdia said, trying to regain his composure. "Right… I shall return in a week, say your goodbye to your crusader, farewell." he said as he departed.
As the clouds cleared, everyone gathered.
"Darkness, while your act was foolish, I see now that Ethox was right. You do have the heart of a knight." Mirror Match applauded. "Despite your…. Erm, tendencies, you truly put your life on the line today. For what it's worth, I'm proud of you."
"Unibro's right. You don't totally suck after all." Seiya said. "Still, I definitely saw he'd put that curse on anybody right away."
"Well, I didn't see you doing anything about it!" Ristarte responded.
"It doesn't matter. What I bargained with verdia appeals to our strengths. We get a week to prepare for when he comes back, and we don't bother him in the meantime. Sucks that he cursed Darkness, but…"
"I'm prepared to fight with all I've got for Darkness." Megumin piped in. "In fact, we should head to his castle right now."
"We'll, we aren't letting you go alone." Kazuma said. "I'm with you. Even if I wasn't there, I guess I still owe Ethox, so I'll help you out."
"Thanks, Kazuma." Ethox smiled.
"I'll go too!" Ultraman said. "You and Darkness are one of us, Megumin. We look out for each other."
"Same here." Mirror said. "We stand together."
"No, please, don't risk your lives for me. It's too dangerous!" Darkness said.
"Hey, you're a member of this team, darkness. And besides, I took on a dragon with Seiya to lift the curse of a friend, fighting a dullahan is no different. We're gonna go to his house, beat him, break the curse and-!"
"Saaaaacred… Dispel!"
Those two words was all it took Aqua to lift the death curse from Darkness.
"... What just happened?" Ultra asked.
"Goddess Ex Machina, that's what." Ethox asked.
"Lifting a dullahan's curse is child's play to me." Aqua smiled. "I can be very preisstage when I wanna be."
Ethox sighed as the whole town celebrated with Aqua. "Well, at least we don't have to worry about the curse on Darkness. But the deal is still on. In seven days, Verdia's comin' back. Curse or not, we're throwin down with him."
"Then we'll give him everything he deserves." Mirror said.
"Yeah." Ethox said as he looked to where Verdia left. "Better watch out, dullahan… we're gonna be ready for you!"
