It's Your Local Bad Boy

"Who's there?!"

It was midnight at the Beginner's Town, Axel. The sounds of nocturnal creatures would occasionally resound from the corners of the buildings. Usually, Axel's juncture in the meantime would be filled with peaceful silence, with its inhabitants being exhausted from their physically-tasking jobs they spent their whole noon with.

From afar, a magician's visage with their stereotypical hat could be seen in the darkness of the alley. Pointing their staff randomly while vigilantly looking around. Striding through multiple alleys to hunt down a horned silhouette she considered a Demon she just saw.

"Come out!"

When a torch on a villager settlement's wall shone on the magician's visage, her appearance was partially exposed, albeit momentarily. Surprisingly, it was none other than a little girl.

Under a huge hat, a cute, clean countenance was partially exposed. With a small, pointed nose, a pair of big, gleaming crimson eyes and supple little, pink lips that were slightly parted, snorting in annoyance at her lack of finding.

"Damn it! I swear I found something!"

The magician smashes her staff to the ground, huffing angrily. Her annoyed crimson eyes scanned her surrounding for the last time, fearing that she missed any details, before turning around and leaving the area.

"I'll catch you next time, I swear!"

Finally, she came out of the alley, feeling there were no more things worth investigating. Her big crimson eyes then looked forth, particularly her destination, which was a mansion her new party managed to obtain thanks to a certain Goddess being proficient in repelling evil spirits and ghosts.

As she walked, her mind automatically thought about her new party. It was centralised around a weird, green-haired, green-eyed boy. He was a good boy, always wanting his party members to feel convenient. Prioritizing their safety and understand them wholly. An exemplary party member.

She was pretty happy, finally getting a party after a long time of solitary journey, which she was ashamed to admit was the result of her stubbornness. With a party member so kind nonetheless, something she rarely witnessed.

It was good, objectively. However, interacting with him feels pretty flat. She was treated with utter respect and kindness, but that's it. There are no actual interactions, just monotone flattering he said to make her feel good about herself.

Something she noticed by her attentiveness.

At times, he made numerous excuses to avoid saying yes to whatever the hell that Goddess wanted out of him before agreeing. He let her get whatever she wanted, which was very infuriating to watch. Because the thing is, what she wanted was so useless and idiotic the mage found it unbelievable. Yet he kept accepting it!

Even her Crusader party member agreed with her claims. Saying that the green-haired boy was too gentle (timid) and kind. Partially because, she noticed, that the crusader took pleasure in pain and rejection.

He was a kind boy, but it was too much. Still, while she was peeved, she just accepted it. She ought to be grateful, actually being accepted by a kind person.

It's fine even when he prohibited her from casting her most beloved spell merely by the reason of 'safety' and 'order' albeit a little bit presumptuous.

It's not like she would cast it in the middle of the town. She's a prodigy amongst her peers. She obviously knew where to cast such an explosive spell.

Yet, even telling him this actual fact numerously does not affect his decision to prohibit her from casting it.

But he's just being kind. Yeah, just being a kind guy like the way he is... Look at him, being attentive to the fact that she would be drained after casting it and remain immobile for a couple of minutes, making her defenceless against any unexpected variables.

Truly, a heroic boy worthy of becoming a 'Hero'. As an aspiring, young Arch-mage, she certainly would like to be at the same party with such a figure.

...Right?

With numerous self-justification to make herself stay for the sake of survival within the the-soon dysfunctional party, she silently walked through the pathways. Feeling flat and uninterested in the future.

Back at the alley, as the magician's visage gradually fades from the distance, a silhouette silently appeared. The previous torch warmly shone on the silhouette, only showing a devilishly handsome face conspicuous by the owner's relaxed gleaming dark-green eyes, overshadowed by his unkept, chestnut bangs, which, partially hiding a big, black horn protruding from his right-side forehead.

His small smirk makes his devilish countenance even more devilish, warmly being shone by the torch.

"What a cute, intriguing little Crimson Demon. Wolbach wouldn't mind seeing her half disciple becoming an actual demon, right? I'm sure she wouldn't mind it."

Indeed.

She would mind it.

But, who cares about that?

A soft chuckle slowly reverberate through the dark alley as the silhouette disappeared.

-‹›-

"Hiroto, Hiroto, you wouldn't mind buying me that famous brand of alcohol, right?"

"Certainly, Aqua-sama."

As soon as the mage stepped into the mansion, a typical, everyday scene was presented right before her eyes. With a bored look, she unequipped her yellow boots and took immediate strides towards the stairs, uninterested in whatever the hell they were doing.

Scratch uninterested, she loathed their antics. Witnessing the dumb acts of others is what she hated the most, as the distinguished number one student in the academy of her village. It was extravagant with their current budget to have famous brands of alcohol as everyday drinks, yet that guy kept providing her with them.

Her advice just entered his right ear and immediately fled through his left ear. Everyone would be infuriated for their advice to be treated in such a way, not to mention a mage like her, whose intelligence was her most prideful aspect.

"Ah, Megumin, you're home? You're o-"

"Hm."

The boy turned his head around and was hoping to greet his party member, but the said person was nowhere to be seen, with the sound of her grunt and her strides on the stairs being the only indications she was there. Peeved, he was about to attend her but a hand stopped him from doing so.

"Don't worry Hiroto. That Crimson Demon was just being jealous, deprived of your attention. She's young, and I'm sure tomorrow she would turn back to her cheerful demeanour with a pat on her head."

The Goddess reminded him with a wise demeanour, patting his back in a comforting manner. The tone she used was shockingly genuine and sincere, despite the absurdity and stupidity her advice contained.

Hearing her melodious tone and the 'logic' of her advice, the green-haired boy's green eyes lighted up and his head vigorously nodded.

As a person who was chosen and was reincarnated into this world, he prided himself as a person who was recognized as the main character of this world. Hence, such logic was pretty reasonable by the subconscious work of his heart and brain.

The nonsensical conceptual facet that has integrated with him since he was chosen by this Goddess and was based on fiction works he had read and watched before he was reincarnated. A very believable source, is what his brain always wanted to believe. Thus, this belief turned such an uncertain source into a primary source of belief that he believed in when it partially happened to him.

Concepts of fictional works, thus, work just the same as reality for him.

"You're on point, Aqua-sama. She's indeed just cranky by the lack of attention."

"Indeed! So you do not need to worry. Just attend this Goddess and everything will be fine."

The Goddess was pleased when the boy nodded and agreed with her advice. Even though it was based on those intriguing fiction shows she watched in her free time, the absurd amount of the shows she watched subconsciously affect her train of thought. It was the same case as her chosen person.

After chattering filled with flattery and superfluous words for each other, the pair finally went up the stairs and went to their respective rooms. The other was complacent with his 'main character status' while the other was satisfied with the way her chosen person was obedient.

In one of the rooms on the second floor of the mansion, the Crimson Demon, in her little pink pyjamas was silently lying on her bed. The silver moonlight from the window silently shone on her cute countenance and her unblemished body, creating a quite tranquil spectacle. Besides her pillow lay a dozing curled-up black cat with an oversized head, who strangely had a pair of batwings and a red cross-shaped mark on its forehead.

"Chomusuke, what do you think I should do? Do you think I should leave the party and continue the tormenting solitary journey or should I stay and wait if that Hiroto would change?"

Her little hands involuntarily brought up the oversized-headed cat, placing it above her head. The dozing cat was awake by the sudden motion, and its eyelids opened, exposing a pair of yellow eyes that peered through its lazy, half-opened lids.

"Meow."

The cat's small lips slowly curled up, showing her owner a small, drowsy smile, as if attempting to cheer up the tired Crimson Demon. Megumin was amused by her familiar's antics and her subconscious smile silently moves one of her ravine bangs that stuck to her face.

"Thank you Chomusuke."

The cat just purred and jumped from her hands, placing her fury body beside the Crimson Demon and nudging her oversized head on her owner's tummy. The Arch-mage giggled, feeling ticklish by her gestures.

"Good night."

She pats her familiar before turning her body to provide extra warmth for the lazy familiar, closing her eyes to end this day. Her tiredness and the fuzziness of her familiar just accelerated the process.

After Megumin turned unconscious, Chomusuke opened her eyes and spied on the window, showing a small smile and purred shortly before closing her eyes.

Thus, the night was serene once again.

-‹›-

"How about this quest? Just a bunch of vicious wolves spotted in the South of Axel. The reward is over a million."

"No. Too dangerous."

"It's just a dozen of them! With my Explosion and Darkness's Decoy, we could complete it easily."

"What if your explosion attracts stronger monsters around the quest's juncture? What if we were surrounded by them?"

"Adventuring is full of risk in the first place! How could you be an Adventurer without taking any risks?!"

It's a usual spectacle of Hiroto's party, with his 'cautiousness' and his Arch-mage party member complaints. The guild members nearby looked over momentarily before shrugging their shoulders and continuing with what they'd been doing.

"Hiroto, while Megumin is somewhat reckless, she's not wrong. We Adventurers need to take risks to elevate ourselves, and your cautiousness is not really helping in the slightest," Darkness, the Crusader of the party kindly reminded the party leader.

A tall woman with a firm and elegant ambience surrounding her, with her unblemished white armour ornamented with the colour of gold that was in one line with her blonde, silky hair. Her big blue eyes, even complemented by her complete heroic attire, were still looking as beautiful as ever. All were perfected by the shining sword in her sheath, strapped into a gap between her armour.

A Crusader worthy of the title of Heroine.

"Risks are inevitable, but it's not like we can't avoid it."

Hearing the excuse he overused this past week, Darkness just sighed helplessly.

It's fine to be cautious, but it's been like this for the last week. Even her patience is running out with her leader's attitude. In the first place, an Adventurer is a risky job, a job full of exterminating monsters and bloody corpses.

There's a difference between cautiousness and cowardliness. A fine line between two completely different terms. And it seems like her party member misunderstood what he's been doing. She has an urge to tell him, but her compassion prevents her from doing so.

Besides, Hiroto is a kind soul, which was compatible with a Crusader like her. Still, an Adventurer can't just be a kind person, they also have to be tough and strong, powerful and cruel towards their enemies. And Darkness understood it perfectly.

So while she likes his kind aspect, she dislikes his lack of the mentioned aspects.

That's until something happened this morning. Which exponentially raised her annoyance towards her party member. Hence her usual attitude towards him turned into sternness.

"Let's just... take the Giant Frog quest. What do you think?"

"Again?" Megumin exasperatedly asked, and even Darkness was twitching, albeit unnoticeably.

"What do you think, Aqua-sama?"

Noticing the lack of support from his party members, Hiroto could only turn to the only person who supported him unconditionally. But the Goddess has dozed off on the nearby table, with a mug of alcohol in her grasp.

The usually bored crimson eyes had turned into resentment, and the softness of Darkness's blue eyes is no longer could be seen, being replaced by sternness. Hiroto inwardly complained, 'How could it not work!?'

This morning, Hiroto was confident with what the Goddess advised him and was attempting to pat the Archmage's head. But instead of forgiveness and bliss, he was slapped on the face, being 'accused' by Megumin as a molester. Of the sudden scream, Darkness immediately come over and was alarmed when the resentful Crimson Demon told her the event.

Shocked by his unfilled expectations, he went to the Goddess to clear up the situation. Unfortunately, he was greeted with the sight of a drunken Goddess, who, with her short memory, has forgotten her advice. Thus, erasing his proof of innocence.

Since then, Megumin was unusually resentful, while Darkness became stern towards him, different from her usual kind attitude.

"Argh, it's useless. Darkness, why don't we do the quest on our own?" Looking at Hiroto's helpless look as he stirred the dozing Goddess, Megumin angrily smashed her staff to the ground and began to look over other quests.

"Ah, but without Hiroto's punches and Aqua's enchantments and healing abilities, the difficulty might increase, Megumin."

"It's fine! My Explosion could erase most monsters instantaneously, anyway. With your protection and unusually tough body, I'm confident we could do it."

As their party leader was busy with dealing the dozing Goddess, Darkness furrowed her eyebrows in contemplation, her exceptional face showed doubt yet determination. And with Megumin's constant urgings, the Crusader finally made up her mind.

"Fine, we-"

But then, the Guild Hall's gate was suddenly opened, and everyone inside, including the party unintentionally looked over.

The contrasting sunlight outside and the slightly environment of the Guild Hall momentarily blocked off the appearance of the two silhouettes. But everyone was already accustomed to the way they enter the Guild Hall, and almost everyone stood up, cheering loudly.

Well, except for the party. Megumin, who just came into town and Darkness who was unfamiliar with the custom of the town confusedly looked over. Not to mention Hiroto, who dumbfoundedly looked upwards and Aqua, who dozed off.

"It's them!"

"The local bad boy and his partner?!"

"Indeed!"

"Hahahaha! It's our heroes!"

"It's time to party yeahhh!"

As the appearance of the silhouettes was gradually exposed after the nearest Guild Members closed the gate, the taller visage hold his hand up and greeted lazily, while a silver visage took an immediate jump towards the barstool.

"Hey, it's your local bad boy, Satou Kazuma-"

"Ma'am, one Crimson Neroid please!"

The lazy visage was exposed to be a person in his teen, looking oddly striking despite emitting a lazy demeanour with his half-lidded light-green eyes complemented by a pair of sharp eyebrows, that were conspicuous even when being overshadowed by his chestnut bangs. Or perhaps because of his devilish countenance that was greatly enhanced by a small smirk.

Wearing a simple blue navy jumpsuit with a grey scarf on top, and also a belt, which secured a sheathed dagger and a small bag. He could be considered a thief with the way he dressed up.

"Booo! Very lame!"

"As expected of Kazuma-san, the lamest man alive!"

"And also the most striking!"

"F*ck! You're a man, dumbass!"

"So what?!"

"Asking for a beating, aren't cha?!"

The explosive chattering of the Adventurers nearby crammed the Guild Hall, and the culprit, Kazuma just smiled fondly. At the barstool, his partner in crime merely slurped her drink, not bothering to accompany him throughout this whole entrance thing.

How disloyal.

At the corner of his eyes, he noticed some additional members. Peculiarly the gaping Crimson Demon and a surprised Crusader.

"How devilish... can a man harbour such a devilish countenance?!"

"Shush! Megumin, at least be self-conscious."

Darkness's reminder entered her right ear and fled through her left ear just like that. Her big crimson eyes are dead set on that man at the entrance, who emits a cool ambience she recognized so much. That attitude, that look, that face and that mysteriousness-!

'Hoh, it's that easy? That woman is right, Crimson Demons are too easy for me.'

Noticing how those glimmering crimsons set themselves on him, Kazuma, as a kind person, of course wouldn't let them remain ignored. So with consideration, his light-green eyes that peered from his half-opened eyelids moved and set themselves on those glimmering crimsons.

"Oh? There are additional members?"

"Y-Yes?!"

Being the main focus of such eyes put quite a toll on her heart. Megumin, despite the unfound confidence she had throughout her life, couldn't help but let out a squeaky stammer. Perhaps it was her own imagination, but those eyes seem to glow, strikingly setting themselves on her poor self.

Her poor, young heart...

'H-Hey, this is too much. Surely, this can't be happening...?'

Perhaps this is what those people call, 'meeting one's destined one?'

"-gumin, Megumin! Oi! You can't be captivated by that handsome man with just a glance, right?! That's outrageous!"

Darkness sceptically asked the Archmage, who seems to be in a trance. But the man was too fast, and in an instant, his devilish countenance closened the gap between them. In a flash, his visage appeared before the dazzled Crimson Demon, who involuntarily looked up.

"Hey-!"

The nearby Hiroto was disturbed by the sudden move of the dangerously handsome man towards his party member, and was prepared to widen the gap between them. Bringing out his clenched hand, he was preparing for an assault but a hand stopped him.

It was a silver visage, shockingly. Who, with unprecedented speed, shoot out from the barstool to block off his assault, while casually sipping her mug of Crimson Neroid in a leisurely manner.

"No assaults allowed in the Guild Hall, kid. Especially not on that guy."

At the end of her sentence, she momentarily placed her face close to his ear, earning her a blush from the green-haired boy. But she remained nonchalant, just sending a message she wanted to convey through a whisper.

"Don't provoke the Demon, it's too dangerous. I blocked you off to save you, so you owe me a favour, alright?"

Still being dazed by the fast pacing of the silver visage, he remained unmoved even when the visage already run off to her partner's side, who used his devilish eyes and face to put the poor young girl into a trance.

"Hey Assistant-kun, don't you think it's enough? She's just a little girl. Using your looks to do this is a bit..."

When her blue eyes shined with baseless accusations, Kazuma just smiled wryly. He just put on his usual demeanour and greets an additional guild member yet she took an immediate resort to accuse him of being a lolicon?

As if knowing what he was thinking, the silver visage snorted and glared up at him.

"Don't use the same excuse. Your look is too dangerous, even for me sometimes."

"It's not like it was my fault. And Big Boss knows I'm sixteen today. With my age, does it count as being a lolicon?"

"Well, gold on an incapable man is a sin, Assistant-kun. And yes, targeting young girls below seventeen is a lolicon attitude. No matter how young you are."

"I didn't even intend to do such a thing in the slightest!"

His light-green eyes slightly turned downwards to stare at her nigh-perfect face, amused at his partner's retort. How her blue eyes glinted mischievously and how those silver locks freely swayed in the air as she freely move that body around. A free-spirited young thief, also, a partner in crime to exploit some controversial nobles' fiefs.

Indeed.

"Chris?"

Darkness was also in a stupor upon discovering a familiar friend being with such a guy. A kind-hearted thief who is always willing to help her on numerous occasions, whose favours she hasn't paid yet. Thus, discovering that same kind-hearted thief being so outgoing with this inhumanely devilish man is a bit...

Two heads turned to her. Chris, who put on a sheepish smile and Kazuma, who was intrigued at the one who called such a vicious girl with her name so casually.

"Ah, Darkness. How's going?"

"No, don't give me that Chris. What I want now is an explanation and a thorough elaboration. Look at what your 'assistant' has done to my party member," Darkness interjected sternly, taking a glance at the dreamy, grinning Crimson Demon whose eyes remained unfocused this whole time.

Chris just smiled widely, bringing her hand to her devilish partner's side and twisting it fiercely, therefore receiving an appropriate response from her partner.

"Gah!"

"Let me explain it later. Now, how about we just talk?"

"Fine."

Darkness nodded stiffly, while occasionally giving Kazuma suspicious glances mixed with uncertain emotions.

After a momentary retreat from the party, which left a dazed Hiroto, a dreamy Crimson Demon and a perplexed Crusader, Chris looked at an angle to look at his face and said through her teeth.

"Hey, Kazuma. You know how severe it was for a female Crimson Demon to see your devilish countenance. Not to mention young, maiden ones like that girl, even older ones would be dazed by being targeted by those annoying eyes of yours. We already talked about this, so why did you carelessly put that young Crimson Demon into a trance?"

"Er, I forgot Big Boss-"

"Don't use the same excuse, Assistant-kun."

After a quick retreat to the corner of the Hall, Chris reprimanded the devilish young man as her big blue eyes stared up at him grimly. To her surprise, he was silent, seeming to contemplate the right answer to her question.

With her experience being his partner, he usually have an answer for every question she inquired. No matter if it was the situation, the time, or even the amount of some uncountable things, he would always have an answer. Even if it was ambiguous, it was still an answer.

At such rare moments like this, he would display an unusual amount of intensity. Capable of making even her, an outgoing thief, blush, albeit slightly.

Inwardly, Chris moaned out, 'Why do you have to be so fuck*ng handsome, anyway?!'

His looks are very dangerous, and it's not even a joke. It was seriously a very dangerous aspect of him. A trait so devilish that makes women blush at the mere sight of it and it was especially severe towards looks-worshipper like Crimson Demons and the Devil race. Not to mention his ridiculously devilish eyes, which make it even easier to put Crimson Demon into a trance.

Unprepared females, even some males would be put into a trance like that Crimson Demon when they were exposed to his face and his eyes.

There's a reason he was called a Bad Boy by the locals and why he always displays a lazy demeanour.

"I admit Big Boss, I have some plans for doing what I did-"

Her eyes glinted intensely, but he immediately interjected.

"-and no, I won't be a lolicon."

His mouth twitched when the silver thief heaved a sigh of relief, "Hey, can you stop accusing me with that same accusation every single damn time something happened that was clearly ain't my fault?"

"A gold on an incapable man is a sin, Assistant-kun."

"Stop giving me that!"

Chris just gives him a cheeky grin. Her partner snorted, and after a quick slap on her head, he interjected with unusual solemnity, "I have something I've been hiding from you, Chris. And yes, I do apologize for doing so. But it's something I can't just expose easily, not even to you."

And then, it went silent.

"...For how long, I may ask?"

The flat tone she always used when they were doing their objectives. Kazuma, noticing her indifference, removed any playfulness left within his eyes and what remained is apathy, comparable to her look towards him.

"Two months."

"...Why?"

"Because you are a believer of unfound justice and fiercely discriminate against anything that is related to demons."

This time, Kazuma closed his eyes and put his head down. Because he knew what was coming, and it was something he never wanted to see.

He knew such harsh, truthful words that came from his mouth is Chris's sorest spot. Something she refused to believe and she wanted to believe in.

He also knew she was smart enough to catch the hints within his words. But despite all of that, he went through it all.

"F-For what?"

A cracked voice vertebrates his eardrums. But he remained indifferent and unmoved, as his devilish light-green eyes exposed themselves to the ground and gleamed in the darkness of the shadow of his chestnut bangs.

Yeah. That woman is right. In the end, he can't be what he used to be.

Such a pity, or it is a blessing?

...For the world has been complacent for too long with its own delusions and was on the verge of ruination by its own inhabitants.

Therefore, as its inhabitant, he naturally needs to do what is necessary.

And thus, an answer with a dull tone and a pair of lustreless, light-green eyes is what welcomed Chris amid her turmoil.

-‹›-

"For world domination."