Kazuma was casually listening to a man sat before him talk. He had asked about recent news and information on the surrounding areas and was warned to not go to the abandoned castle up north. After thanking the man the teen went back toward his own party and sat: Akira had been healed after what happened with Ash the other day and was as good as new; the Dark Slayer in question was currently reading some book he had while sipping on a drink. It was the other three party members that gave Kazuma a strange look when he returned. "What? Why are you all looking at me like that?" He asks the three girls.
They each took some vegetables and ate a bit before Aqua spoke first. "Oh nothing. Certainly I wasn't worried that you'd up and join a different party or something." She said with uneasy eyes toward the teen in green.
Kazuma looked a bit confused and annoyed at the same time by this. "I was gathering information, it's the basics of adventuring." He said trying to grab some vegetables from the bowl at the center only for his target to move to the side and escape.
Aqua got the table shocking the poor vegetables into the air where she grabbed one to stuff her mouth with followed by Megumin grabbing one as well, then Ash casually nabbing one from the air. "You looked pretty happy. Even seemed to have fun chatting with the members of other parties...a bit too close don't you think?" The Explosion Mage asks. Ash took a moment to listen in before she spoke knowing full well that she probably wouldn't be able to handle being abandoned again by a party. Ash however immediately zoned back into his book when Darkness started to speak of masochistic things again.
"Hmm...they may be right Kazuma. What is your relationship with the other parties around here?" Akira said jokingly, taking a small jab at the guy.
Kazuma has had enough and tried to explain he was gathering basic intelligence on the area around the town but got even more mad as the vegetables avoided him yet again. He almost threw the bowl of them at the wall but was stopped by a teary-eyed goddess. He then settled down and got to the important stuff. "I was thinking about what skills I should learn when I level up again. To be honest this party is really unbalanced." He said.
Akira butted in real quick at this. "Uhh excuse me? We've got Ash and I, we're good." He said gesturing to the Slayer who let off a grunt of acknowledgement. Kazuma however shook his head.
"That's the thing, while you're both OP everyone else is crap. So that's why I was thinking I can make up for the strengths we are lacking outside of you two. I have the most flexible job. After all it shouldn't be too hard." He said turning to Darkness. "By the way, what skills have you learned?" He asked.
"Their centered around 'Physical Defense', 'Magical Resistance', and 'Abnormal Status Resistance'. I also have a skill called 'Bait' to taunt enemies." Darkness says simply.
Ash finally looked up from his book after her list. "If you're a crusader wouldn't that mean you should dish out just as much damage as you take? Wouldn't you benefit from say a two-handed sword skill?" He asks. Being a swordsman himself he couldn't help but cringe at her line up and the implications behind it: all to be a wall for her allies which seemed to be noble enough to any onlookers- but that just means she had been that masochistic from the very beginning to have such a lineup of skills.
"I do not wish to since it'd increase my accuracy. It may sound boastful of me but my strength and stamina are both great: if I hit an enemy once it would kill them easily without me needing to take damage. But at that point I would need to hold back and doing so intentionally is not good, so it should be like this...captured as my strength is waning after taking hits from the enemy while I can't hit it even with all my might." She says. Ash was left staring before Megumin shoved another vegetable in his face.
"Don't listen to her, you may get corrupted by such talk." The young girl said to him as he took the food.
Kazuma moves onto said young girl next with his questions. "No matter what you're not gonna learn any other spells are you?" He asked her, but the answer was already there. She shook her head and Kazuma moved on, Aqua trying to jump in but he moved on quickly. "What about you Akira?" He asked.
Akira thought for a moment. "Well I've got some decent mana, stamina, and strength with most of my skills leaning toward fighting: 'Hard Hitter', 'Heavy Melee Damage', that sorta stuff. I could teach you some stuff, sure but if you plan to use a sword only the melee skills would help out." He said, making Kazuma nod.
Finally he turned to Ash. "Still not willing to teach me anything?" Kazuma asked. Ash sighed and closed his book, setting it down to look to the teen.
"I already explained to you even if I wanted to, which no I still do not and will not, you can't even use my skills. Unless of course you have an extra version of my sword laying around no one will be able to learn and use my skills properly." Ash said. As usual he also reminded himself in his head that it was because Kazuma wasn't a bit Devil so he couldn't use most of them anyway. Kazuma also knew this but had an idea.
"Ok what if it was just basic swordsmanship? You helped me with my stance the other day, how about the basics of sword fighting?" He asks hopefully. Ash thinks for a moment before relenting.
"Fine, but that is it. Nothing else: and I won't teach you my swordsmanship either."
"Oh come on! Why not!?"
"Well one my sword is a katana, yours isn't." Ash said simply making Kazuma feel dumb at not realizing the difference in styles it would take for the two.
"Oh...right. But aside from Akira and Ash this party really needs to get its act together. Maybe I should find another party." Kazuma mumbled the last but to himself making the three girls look at him in shock. After this the party was silent before Ash had stood up.
"I will be heading out to the market. Anyone want anything while I'm there?" He asks simply. After getting a small list of some food items he proceeded to leave but was stopped when he was on the stairs outside by his oldest party member.
"Wait! Let me come too!" Megumin said, running toward him to catch up from the table.
"Very well. Did you want to see what you wanted in person?" Ash asks her as they start to walk again. People passing by doing daily chores or work.
"No, I just wanted to come with." She says as they round a corner.
"Alright then. You can help carry back some stuff I guess then since you're here." Ash says. They go quiet as they continue walking for a bit before Megumin finally speaks up again.
"Hey Ash...you think Kazuma really will leave our party for another one?" She asks, sounding slightly sad and worried.
Ash thought for a moment. "I'd say he wouldn't leave permanently. While he may be an idiot and a jerk at times he still wouldn't abandon those he considered friends I think. And as far as we go I'm sure by now he sees all of us as such, even if he wouldn't admit it out loud." He says to her. The young girl sighed in relief at his words.
"That's good. I just don't wanna lose another party. If anyone goes it could make the entire party structure crumble and dissolve; then I'd be alone again. Say...you wouldn't leave me alone would you?" She suddenly asks the Slayer.
Ash for once is slightly taken back by the statement. He had found the girl when she was being abandoned by her previous party and from conversation he knew she had been left behind by other parties before. However he didn't know exactly how many that number was; was it so large it made her like this when faced with the possibility of being left again?
The half devil simply gave a soft smile as he patted the girls head. "No I wouldn't. I don't plan on leaving you or this party anytime soon so no need to worry Megumin. After all, you're the first person I was able to travel with and get to know well; throwing away such a bond is a fool's gambit." He said getting a smile in return from the Crimson Demon girl. She was also slightly blushing, something Ash made sure to take note of. 'Be mindful Ash, any relationship is risky here.' He reminded himself- however another part of his mind was screaming that it didn't care and that he should just attempt to make it work. "Let us hurry to the market before they sell out of what we're searching for." He says.
"Right." Megumin responds as they pick up the pace. They make it in time to grab some of the last fresh fruits and vegetables for the next day, and even some trinkets. "Ash Ash! Look at this!" Megumin says rushing over to the Slayer with a new magical staff not too dissimilar to her current one: the biggest difference in Ash's eyes was it was more curved at the top, and had a red orb instead of a blue orb. "It'll increase my spells power and output, and the magic power it's letting off...I need it!" She insisted as she hugged the staff. Ash looked up to, of course, see the owner of the shop she found it in looking on with a gaze for a sale.
Checking his pouch he found he had more than enough for something as simple as a new magical staff for her; 'plus if it did indeed have good magical properties as Megumin said then it'd benefit the party.' Ash thought to himself before walking to the man and handing him the money. "Alright then, we have everything." He says walking past Megumin who was so distracted she didn't even see him pay for the metal.
"Hold on, I have to buy this!" She calls out to him urgently.
"No need, I already did. Consider it a gift if you want." Ash said as he kept walking.
Eventually Megumin shook herself from her shock and caught up to the halfling throwing herself at him for a hug. "Thank you thank you thank you!" She says. Ash was not expecting this and almost fell over, however knowing what sort of situation that'd lead him to with the girl still on him he caught himself before the flag was raised.
His success was short lived; as he regained his balance carefully, a child ran past them bumping his legs. The two fell forwards and hit the ground- the things Ash bought landing a bit to the side somehow unbothered by the fall they took as well. Ash simply had a plain face as he knew what this looked like: the classic scene where the two people fall and are in an embarrassing or suggestive position. He hovered over the girl who opened her eyes and gained a blush. There Ash was over her, their eyes meeting.
"Uhm...this is very forward of you." Megumin awkwardly says.
Ash sighs as he tries to stand but Megumin does so as well, just faster. They bump heads and he falls backwards this time with her being pulled along. Now she was straddling him and he was on his back looking up at her. "The universe hates me, truly." Ash said to himself as they get back up properly without looking at one another. "You ok?" He asks her.
"Y-yes. My head stopped hurting so I'm alright." Megumin says nervously while pulling a bit on her hat. "Let's get back to the guild and see if they found a job we can do." She says as she picks up her walking speed. Ash grabs the groceries he bought and follows after her. When they arrive Megumin finds a spot to actually upgrade her staff a bit more as the cabbage money was finally in and being distributed.
"Oh Ash!" Luna says waving the adventurer over. He sets his bags down at the parties usual table and walks over to the guild clerk who hands him an envelope. "Here's your reward for the cabbages you turned in. Be careful, it was a rather large amount so we had to write a check for you." She says in a whisper.
Ash nods before remembering that he doesn't know the town all that well still; aside from the market he only has visited the guild, other than that he knows where Akira was staying because they had become neighbors. "Where would I cash this in at?" He asks Luna. After she gives him basic directions and a map of Axel he goes over to the table and sits with Kazuma. Darkness walks over to show off her new armor to the people sitting there.
"Look! I earned a lot from the cabbage reward so I had my armor repaired and upgraded. How is it?" She asks.
Ash looked it over and noticed the differences. It was thicker and screamed 'rich person'. "It looks solid. Good defense is a key for a crusader after all." Ash says deciding not to dig up why it looks like a rich person's armor.
Kazuma however was Kazuma. "The armor looks like something an upstart noble's don would wear." He says simply.
Darkness looks to become dejected from this as she stands there. "As merciless as usual Kazuma...even I would want a compliment every now and then. Thank you at least Ash." She says getting a nod from the teen.
"There's someone even more problematic then you right now. Could you please take care of the person who's becoming more perverted than you?" Kazuma asks, pointing to Megumin who was rubbing up against her now upgraded staff.
"Ahhh...I can't take it! The magic power, the color, the glister; it's perfect! Ahhh...ahhh..." Megumin said with a satisfied face that disturbed some around her.
"Seriously, why'd you buy her that?" Kazuma asks Ash who figures the girl had told him when she got back to the table. "Her explosions were already OP, and now with that pimped out staff it may be a bit too much."
Ash shrugged at the other teens' statement. "Any boost for the party is good. You said it yourself didn't you? Aside from myself and Akira only you would be decent in a long fight. We need to fix that so it makes sense to get her something to boost her power." Ash says.
Kazuma smirks and pokes him. "Sure, you didn't just get it for her to get some points toward your flag." He says before feeling a gust to the back of his head. "Ow! I was joking!"
Just then their attention was taken to Aqua screaming at Luna, annoyed about something. "What did you say!? What is this!?" She protests while stomping her foot. She grabbed Luna's collar and lifted her a bit. "Why is there only 50,000 Eris here!? Do you know how many cabbages I caught? More than 20!" She yelled.
Luna seemed to have an apologetic face but was having a hard time to speak. "Mmm...how do I say this...what you turned in was mostly lettuce." She says to Aqua, making her stop for a second.
"WHAT!? Why was lettuce mixed in with the cabbages!?" She yells out shaking Luna.
"I don't know!" Luna said as she was going back and forth, becoming dizzy. Eventually the goddess dropped the poor girl and walked back to her party where she seemed down...before her eyes went up to Kazuma and Ash.
"Oh Ka~zuma! A~sh! How much did you get from this quest?" She asks innocently while resting her chin in her hands, trying to look as innocent as possible.
Kazuma spoke first. "A little more than a million." He said.
All three girls looked to him with complete shock. """A million!""" They all said at the same time. Aqua turned to Ash. "Well how much did you get?" She asks.
The halfling took out the envelope that held his check and opened it; he read it before folding it up and putting it inside his jacket pocket. The four leaned in with anticipation as he stayed still. "Five." He says simply. The group lean in further but get no response.
"Five what? Tell us!" Megumin says shaking his shoulder.
He gets her to stop. "Five...million." He says, making them all freeze in shock.
"Ash! Even though your part you-know-what I've always thought you to be amazing!" Aqua suddenly says lunging toward him. Ash becomes shocked at her words, not the blatant attempt to get money but the fact she just told a part of his secret.
He stops her by putting up a hand and catching her face, pushing it back so she was in her chair again. "I haven't cashed in my check. Kazuma however has his on hand. Why don't you ask him?" Ash says avoiding that issue.
"Kazuma!" Aqua quickly says changing gears in a heart-beat. "I know you're a great person!" She says straining herself to even make those words come out of her mouth.
"Oi! If you can't give any real compliments then don't force it out! I already have a plan for my money so no! And what the hell Ash? Don't Theo me under the bus like that!" Kazuma says turning to Ash only to see him reading with a slight smirk. "You ass." Kazuma says through grit teeth as the Dark Slayer ignores him.
"I thought I'd earn more from the cabbages so I spent all my money the past few days! I owe almost 100,000 to this bar because I thought I'd make a killing but I got mostly lettuce!" Aqua says in desperation.
Kazuma pushes her away from coming closer to him. "I don't care about your debt! We already agreed 'everyone would keep their earnings' from the cabbage quest! I wanna get me a base because the stables are uncomfortable!" Kazuma says to her, making Ash look up.
"You've been staying...in a stable?" He asks, trying to hold back a laugh. "That I'll admit is really sad for you both." He says.
"Oh you shut it!" Kazuma said to Ash as he pushed Aqua off of him and into the table.
"Please Kazuma just enough to pay off my debt! Just 50,000!" She says before realizing: they're in a public place. Where shame and ridicule has been proven as a strong weapon against the shut-in known as Kazuma. Aqua struck an indecent pose toward the boy as she smirked. "Well you're a boy after all. It makes sense you'd want a private room instead of sleeping near me in the stable, in the open. I understand this want of yours as I've woken up to you doing strange things like-" Kazuma covered her mouth quickly as she was about to continue.
"Fine take it!" He says making her smirk.
After this everyone sat and calmed down for a second as Megumin was still obsessing over her new staff next to Ash. "I can't anymore! Ash we need to go on a quest!" She says. Ash looks around as the party perks up at the mage's words.
Kazuma nodded at her. "You're right, we need to do a quest to test out our new gear and skills. When we hunted the zombie maker I couldn't test out my skills."
The party stood up and went over to the board looking at the jobs listed. Ash noticed right away something was off for this being a beginner town. "They're such little to choose from; and the ones here are all high difficulty." Ash says looking through them. "Speaking or where's Akira?" He asks as Kazuma furrows his brow at the quests.
"He went off on a quick quest to test out some magic skills he got." Kazuma said simply. "But you're right. What gives with these difficult quests?" He asks.
Darkness quickly presented a quest that involved a giant bear but was insta-rejected by Kazuma. Luna came over with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, all the easy quests are gone because the lower tier monsters are scared of the Devil King General that arrived here recently. Knights from the capital will be here next month to deal with him but until then we can only offer high level jobs." She said hanging up another poster for anyone brave (or stupid) enough to take: an unknown number of goblins in a cave needing a good slaying.
Aqua went from happy about a quest to sad about no good money due to no easy quests real quick. "Why...when I need money the most, something strong scares away the easy-to-kill small fries..." she says, making Kazuma and even Ash feel sorry for her.
"Well that means there'll be no easy quests to do for a month." Megumin said as realization hit her. "No! I just test out my explosions with this staff! I can't wait a month! I can't!" She said.
Kazuma shrugged as he was headed back to the table. "Too bad. Until the general is dealt with we have a final boss level monster keeping away the lower level ones. We have no choice." He said sitting down.
"Err..." Megumin growled in anger before having an idea! "I know! Ash come with me; I have a way to test my explosions!" She says grabbing hold of Ash and dragging him out the guild. They walked out of the town until they hit the outskirts in the woods. Megumin kept judging the distance from Axel as they kept moving.
"How far do you have to go?" Ash asks looking back to the town.
"Far enough so the guards don't lecture me again for setting my spell off too close to town again." She said simply.
"Why because it's too loud for them?" Ash asks getting a nod from the girl. "Figures; at least it looks cool when it goes off." He says getting a smirk and a nod from her, she gives him a thumbs up at his words.
"You understand a bit about the appeal of explosions. If I could I'd teach you some spells but sadly I can't." She says dramatically. They look around as they move more out of the city before stopping. Atop a hill in front of them stood an old abandoned castle. "Look at that. It's a bit creepy..." Megumin says looking at it.
"It seems to be long abandoned given the state of disrepair it's in. Wonder who lived there before?" Ash asks out loud, curious to its history and why a castle such as that would be so close to Axel, the starter city for adventurers.
"I'll practice on it! It's already abandoned so no one would complain and we're far enough from the city!" She says to him with a wide smile and starry eyes.
Ash nodded in agreement with her. "Go ahead, it should be of no consequence to anyone." He says as she prepares her spell.
"Crimson-black blaze, king of myriad worlds, though I promulgate the laws of nature, I am the alias of destruction incarnate in accordance with the principles of creation. Let the hammer of eternity descend unto me!" She says as the magic circles appear before her staff's tip and under her feet, then in a mighty voice she yells: "EXPLOSION!" And fired off her spell. The castle is hit and the ground shakes slightly as she falls over with a near-euphoric look. "Burn to ashes within the crimson..." she says. Ash bends down and picks her up carefully.
"So this is why you dragged me along." He says to her on his back. She chuckles a bit at this. "Well that's fine. I enjoy your company enough to willingly do this whenever so just say the word and I'll come along." He says as they head back to the town.
From that day on they went out for Megumin's daily explosion practice: be it rain or snow, day or night. While Ash and Megumin did this Darkness returned to her home for what she called weight training, Kazuma was testing out the new skills he had and was trying to find more people to teach him more skills, and finally Aqua was trying her hardest to earn some money. One of the days when Akira was in the guild off a job the water goddess came up to him and rubbed his shoulder.
"Akira, come help me sell stuff at the market!" She said with a smile. Akira looked to her and sighed. This was obviously an attempt to make more money then she would by selling the cabbage and lettuce she had.
"You can do it alone." He said simply going back to eating.
Aqua pouted a bit trying to get his attention. "Oh come on~. I'm not that good at this so can you help me a little? Besides it'll be fun!" She asks him with a head tilt.
Akira looks back to her and sighs standing up. "Fine, but just until you've sold a few things then I'm leaving." He says. Aqua cheers to herself as they both head out to her 'stand' of cabbage and lettuce.
"Cabbage here! Buy your fresh and delicious cabbage here!" She calls out trying to get the attention of people. Akira notices the way she was doing it: not confident in herself, just trying to advertise. He gets up from the stand and walks up next to her.
"Hey everyone! This is some seriously good cabbage presented to you by a beautiful lady! I'd buy every bit of it if I could with how delicious it is!" He calls out attracting more eyes then Aqua did. The goddess in question slightly blushed at the compliment before smiling as people came over and bought some, then got more because they found Akira's statement to be true. Eventually the sun started to set and everyone was packing up shops and headed home, Aqua and Akira still there counting and sorting the Eris they earned.
"We did it! I told you it'd be fun!" Aqua says to him.
Akira holds up his hands in surrender. "Alright alright, I'll admit it you were right. This was fun. And who knew spending a day with you could have been so enjoyable?" He asks out loud, taking a bite from some food.
Aqua pouts a bit and pushes him. "Hey! I can be an enjoyable person to be around! How about you try finding out for yourself?" She asks him with a slight undertone of hope. Aqua has been thinking about something a lot recently: how she felt about everyone in the party. She needed Kazuma so she could get home but other than that he was a shut-in NEET with no worthwhile life experience. Darkness was perverted but had her moments, Megumin had a great passion for Explosion and Aqua supported her fully on the romantic pursuit for that magic. Lastly Ash; she had mixed feelings about him, for one he was half devil- the sworn enemies of the Gods such as herself- but he was only half, and the other half was human. He had been a reliable friend and good source of power for the party even if at times it seems he is chasing more power then he should try and wield: dense she may be but she noticed during the cabbage hunt how he used a live he shouldn't have.
But how she felt about Akira was different. She found him annoying and insufferable at first but as time went on and she found how trustworthy and reliable he could be she found herself feeling a bit more warmed up to him. She wanted to find out more about the human she reincarnated (even though she lost a bet because of him).
Akira thought about what she said. "If this is just a ploy to get someone to go along with some scam, say so now so I can reject the offer." Akira said.
"No! This isn't some scam or anything! How low do you think of me!?" She says shocked he would even suggest such a thing.
Akira shrugged at her as he stood and pockets an apple. "I don't know where the bottom is on that scale so it just keeps going lower sometimes. But I guess it raised a bit today. Fine, I'll help you out a bit and hang out with you now and then." He says making the goddess smile as they headed back to the guild. From there they kept hanging out every now and then as Megumin and Ash went out to blow something up for the day.
One day when Aqua had nothing to do and Megumin had already used her explosion early in the day, Ash and Akira were sitting together talking. "You know...we could probably totally and easily do one of those quests." Akira says randomly.
Ash looks up to him in confusion. "With our party? They'd probably die in an instant." He says to the Fighter who smirks in reply.
"No not with the party, just us two. We'd slaughter whatever it was and get a huge pay-off from it." Akira says to him.
Ash thought about it for a moment then looked to the party; Darkness was still gone, Aqua and Kazuma were just eating, and Megumin was still out from using her magic. He looked over to the job board and thought. "Sure, why not." He said. The two stand and head for the job board after explaining how they'll be back in a bit to the party. "So what do you want to do?" Ash asks simply looking over the few posters up. However their plan was cut short as the speakers blared.
"Emergency broadcast! Emergency broadcast! Attention all adventurers, please prepare your combat equipment and report to the main gate of the city ready for combat!" The broadcast said, causing everyone to look up in concern at the speakers.
"What is this?" Ash asks.
Akira nudges him as they start moving tot he door. "Let's go find out!" He says as the adventures all head to the main gate. "Race ya there!" Akira says as he starts running faster. Ash simply scoffed as he began to teleport again, but saw Akira still wasn't too far behind.
Arriving at the gate the two looked up as the others arrived: there stood a headless Knight upon an equally headless horse, his cape blowing in the wind as his head was held by his hand, eyes looking around at the people arriving. 'A Dullahan.' Ash and Akira thought at the same time as they stared at him.
The Dullahan looked on at the first two arrivals narrowing his eyes at the katana wielded. "I see. Why is something like you here?" It asks feeling his Demonic Power. "It doesn't matter; that's not why I am here!" The headless-horseman said as he looked over every adventurer present. "I am a General in the Devil King's army and I had recently moved into a castle nearby." He said. Ash suddenly knew where this was going after he said 'castle'. "Day after day after day after day! Who's the idiotic bastard who keeps casting explosion on my castle!" He yells out as his horse reals back with him holding the reins tight.
Everyone looked around after he said this; "Explosion?" "There's only one person I know of who can use that." "Yeah it's gotta be..." all eyes landed on Megumin who, in her nervousness , somehow got everyone to direct that attention to who her eyes landed on, a newbie female wizard by her who put up her hands in fear. "N-no! I'm too new! I don't even know explosion magic!" She said quickly in her defense. Megumin sighed as the obvious decision was now before her...but Ash beat her to it.
"It was I who cast the explosions at your castle." He blurted out shocking everyone.
"It was all you then!? If you wish to fight why did you not simply enter the castle and challenge me directly!? I left this little town alone knowing nothing but starter adventurers were here yet you plagued me with such torment!" The Dullahan said in anger while pointing at Ash. "I can feel what you truly are and since no one here is treating you differently I can tell they don't; but are you insane in the head!? Even if that is your secret acting like this toward someone such as myself is stupid!" He yells, ending his rant.
Ash smirked at the acquisition as he also flinched at the mention of his Devil side even if it was vague enough to not inform anyone else. "Please, you said it just now. People like us must always test ourselves against one another; as that and a swordsman it is our goal to be the strongest, the best." Ash proclaims while putting a hand on Yamato's grip. "So when I learned that you, a Dullahan swordsman has arrived nearby, I simply couldn't resist the need to test myself." He said.
The Dullahan looked at him with slight interest now as he too felt the need to test himself boil slightly. But he resisted, and simply grunted. "Forget it. I don't need to mess with peasants and newbies- that's not why I came here. I'm investigating something of importance and so I'll be staying in the castle for the time being. Don't come by and harass me again you hear me? Or this show of mercy will be retracted and I shall end you." He says getting ready to leave.
Ash adopts a competitive and dangerous smirk. "I can feel you resisting that urge too. You were a Knight before right? You must still have the same feelings of wanting...no, needing to battle someone who could possibly be your equal." He says.
The Dullahan stops its horse mid-trot and slightly glances back. "You are right. I am resisting that urge, and I was a former knight before falling to this state. But don't get it wrong..." he says turning back to Ash. "I am resting because I do not wish to clip a sprouting legend before it's even bloomed. I see potential in you but you are not near my level yet. So quit bothering me with your obvious suicidal tendency of wanting to fight something stronger than you." The Dullahan says sternly. Before he could turn and begin to leave, Ash chuckles a bit making Akira and the others look at him in confusion and concern. Suddenly he launched a summoned sword at the General only to see the Dullahan quickly unsheathe its sword from its back and easily sliced through the construct. "Fine then. I guess you leave me no choice: I shall curse you and be done with this nuisance so I can continue my duty." He said as power grew around him and he pointed at Ash.
The power shot out headed for the halfling but he was quickly grabbed from its line of attack and replaced by Darkness. "No!" Ash called out as she glowed slightly after getting hit by the magic.
"Darkness! Are you ok!?" Kazuma asks as the party rushes over.
"Y-yes. Surprisingly I did not feel anything from that." She says slightly disappointed.
The Dullahan announced with delight at this. "That was a curse, you shall die in a week's time now. It wasn't met for the girl but it seems my plan was stopped anyhow. Listen up swordsman! If you do not do something that Crusader will die in a week! In that time she will go through worse and worse pain and torture, and it's all your fault. This could have been avoided if you would have accepted my mercy." He says simply. However his amusement is broken by Darkness being...Darkness.
"A death curse huh? So I'm other words...I have to stay your prisoner to have you relapse me of it right?! Right!? That's what you want!" She said breathing heavily with a slight blush.
"...Huh?" The Dullahan simply says, not knowing how to properly react to the way the masochistic girl was acting.
She curled up with pleasure and gave a slight squeal of delight. "I won't yield to a simple death curse...I won't! But what should I do Kazuma!? The Dullahan's lustful eyes! He definitely wants to take me back to his castle and do perverted things to me just to lift this curse. Hardcore perverted things!" She says making everyone reel back in shock.
The Dullahan began to freak out. "What the hell are you saying!? You crazy woman!" He yells out as Darkness starts going toward him slowly.
"Even if you can do what you want with my body, you would never have my heart! I am going to become a female knight imprisoned in a castle and let the henchman of the demon king do unreasonable things with me! Ah, what should I do, what should I do Kazuma! This situation is more thrilling than I expected! I don't want to go, but I have no choice! I will resist until the very last moment, so don't stop me! Well then, I will be back in a jiffy!" She says a bit too happily as she prances toward the monster.
Kazuma grabbed her and held her back though. "No! Don't you see you're even freaking out the Dullahan!?" He yells out at the girl.
Dullahan just clears his throat and straightens his back. "A-anyway! If this has taught you anything young swordsman, stop casting explosions at my castle. If you want me to unleash the girl from my curse, then come to my castle properly. There you will face me...after getting through my minions! I hope you can survive to get to me rookie adventurers! Ahahahahaha!" He laughed as he rode off back towards his castle.
Everyone stared in shock at the retreating Dullahan as Ash gritted his teeth. 'Dammit...why didn't I do anything to prevent her from taking the hit!?' He yelled at himself in his mind. Sighing he knew what needed to be done and stood; he started to walk in the direction the Dullahan had gone with Yamato in hand and ready for action.
"H-hey! Where are you going!?" Kazuma asks as he sees his party member leaving.
"To kill the Dullahan- free Darkness of this curse before its too late. She's like this because of me so I have to fix it." He says simply. He stops as he feels a small hand grab his wrist making him turn.
Megumin looked at him with slight fear. "No, you can't go there! It wasn't even you who was casting explosion at his castle so this is more my fault than yours! You said that to protect me didn't you?" She asks. He doesn't reply, giving her her answer. "Then...I'm coming to!" She says.
He turns with a stern face. "No you're not. I can do damage to him and maybe force him to surrender but you can't cast a spell anymore today. You'd be in more danger there then here." Ash said to her.
"I don't care. Didn't you say you wouldn't leave me behind? We go together and do this!" Megumin said with a much more determined look than he's seen her have before.
Kazuma and Akira both stepped forward as well. "She's right. We got your back, we're a party after all." Akira said.
Kazuma nodded. "Besides, someone needs to make sure you guys can come back if something goes wrong. I'll carry you back if I have to." He said.
The four of them stood there before Ash finally relented by laughing. "Very well; let us go and defeat-!"
"Sacred Break Spell!" Aqua suddenly calls out. A white light hits Darkness and the ominous mana that surrounded her earlier flew off.
""""Huh?"""" The four motivated adventurers said in sync as Aqua smiled.
"With me around, breaking the curse of the Dullahan is easy! What do you think? I look like a priest sometimes right?" She asks.
Everyone agreed: they wanted their motivation back.