When (Nice?) NEET's Finish Last, or Get the Last Laugh
Chapter : Curse O' Pervert
(Part 1: Aqua)
"Hey, what's a sacred Goddess like me have to do in order to get some damn tea around here?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, lady Aqua-sama. Please forgive me for my poor hospitality."
"Fine... but see that it doesn't happen again."
Having gotten up early this morning, and having nothing better to do, Aqua had made her way over to Wiz's shop to have a little fun. Despite how she usually treated Wiz, Aqua didn't hate her. In fact, Aqua would be willing to consider her one of her closest friends and would even ask her to join the Axis sect.
Or at least she would if not for Wiz being a Lich that is.
As Wiz brought her best cup and tea over to Aqua, the goddess of water began to look around, having taken notice of the absence of a certain person.
"Say, I haven't seen that annoying devil around today. Has he finally realized my greater power here, forcing him to run away in order to hide from me?"
"Vanir-san had business to attend to but he should be back in a few hours. It's so nice to see that the two of you are showing such concern for one another. I'm sure Vanir-san will be..."
Aqua nearly chokes on the tea she was drinking before sending a scary glare Wiz's way.
"I was NOT showing any amount of concern here. I was only wondering where that stinky devil was hiding himself. You should know better than to think I would ever be concerned over someone like him."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Forgive my presumptuous nature, lady Aqua-sama."
"... Alright, I'll forgive you. But only just this once, understand."
Aqua then goes back to drinking her tea as Wiz bows repeatedly while thanking her. Once she had finished, Wiz says-
"Forgive me, lady Aqua-sama. I need to step into the back for an inventory count. If you need anything, please let me know."
Aqua nods as Wiz heads back behind the counter then into the back room. The moment she had been left alone, a cheerful smile forms on Aqua as she stands and walks over to the shelf with all the magic potions laid out.
"Well, seeing as I here..."
she said quietly to herself before she began to take hold of one bottle after another: her touch purifying the contents and turning them into powerful and potent holy water. Sure, she had been told to not do this multiple times and that Kazuma was the one who had to compensate Wiz and Vanir when all was said and done but...
It was all good. In Aqua's mind, she was doing everyone a favor by doing this. For Wiz and Vanir, her holy water would be a far better sell than any old stupid potion that had some serious negatives to worry about. And for Kazuma? Think of the reparations he'll have to make later as a fitting punishment for dragging his feet with getting her back to Heaven.
Aqua begins to giggle with delight as she goes from one bottle to another and another and...
She then stops as she sees one she hadn't seen on display before. One that had a most curious name to it. After a moment of study, she turns in the direction of the back room and shouts out-
"Say Wiz, what's the deal with this new potion you have out here? I can't recall seeing it before."
"What's the name, Aqua-sama?"
"Let's see, it says... Curse O' Pervert!"
"Ah, that's our newest product from my long-time supplier. If memory serves, that potion is meant to be used on those who are very blatant with their perverted natures and are known to go around sexually harassing others without a lick of shame to them."
"Seriously? Tell me more... quickly."
"Hm, well... Ah yes, I remember now. Once a perverted individual drinks that, they will be unable to say or do anything perverted for a full forty-eight hours. I don't think they can even have perverted thoughts though I could be wrong. Instead, should that person find themselves suffering a perverted moment with another, they'll become all embarrassed and do whatever they can to escape the situation. I think the purpose of the potion is to help train people into not being perverts... I think."
"Amazing, this potion..."
'If it can really do all that, then perhaps it could finally save everyone from that damn NEET's sick and twisted mind and give them all some much-needed sense of peace.'
Aqua reaches out and grabs the bottle, making sure to not go accidentally purify it by mistake.
"I'll take it... all the bottle you have actually. Just add the cost to Kazuma's tab... seeing as it'll all be used by him."
'Or rather on him.'
Aqua begins to giggle with glee as she grabs a back and throws all the potions into it before making a quick exit to carry out her sneaky plans. Meanwhile...
"Alright, I'll do that. Oh, lady Aqua-sama... before I forget, I should warn you about the dangerous side effects that potion... has?"
Wiz peeks out from around the corner, finding the shop empty.
"Um... lady Aqua-sama...?"
(Part 2: Kazuma)
"OK, now how should I get that hikki-NEET to drink this stuff."
After returning to the mansion, Aqua had quickly sneaked upstairs and found Kazuma still sleeping his lazy ass away. Megumin and Darkness had left earlier as today was Darkness's turn to accompany Megumin for her daily Explosion routine.
As Aqua stood over Kazuma, she considered her options on how to go about doing this. One option was to just get on top of him and force him to drink one of the potions. With her superior stats, she was confident she could easily accomplish this if she chose to go with this choice.
There was only one problem though. These potions she had stolen... purchased under Kazuma's name would only suppress his perverted nature, not make him laxer and easily managed. If she tried to do that, she was sure Kazuma would still go about punishing her in some form or fashion.
'It's not that I'm afraid of what he would do to me as I'm sure I could escape any punishment he could come up with... I'd just rather not go through the hassle. I mean, it's not because I'm afraid of being unable to stop his punishment. No, definitely not that. Besides, I think you can't let the victim of this potion know what's happening, otherwise this will all be meaningless.'
But that still left the question on how to go about getting him to drink it without realizing it.
'Perhaps I could trick him by making him think this is some sort of stat boosting potion? Oh, I know what I can do.'
Smiling from ear to ear, Aqua quickly leaves the room though her exit rouses Kazuma from his slumber, looking just in time to see Aqua leave his room.
"Aqua...? What is she up too."
Aqua quickly makes her way downstairs and heads into the kitchen. She then moves over to the fridge and opens it before reaching in and taking hold of a green colored bottle with the words "Property of Kazuma" printed on it.
Inside the bottle was kept a sample of shuwashuwa from the party's personal stores, dispensed from a massive barrel the connected to the kitchen from the back yard. Normally, Aqua wouldn't even touch the bottle, out of fear of getting any of Kazuma's NEET germs on herself, but for the sake of her mission here...
Aqua begins to snicker as she takes the bottle of shuwashuwa over to the sink, pops the lid off, then begins the poor the shuwashuwa inside down the drain.
"You may not like that I'm doing this, Pervzuma, but trust this goddess's better judgment and know that this is all for the greater good."
Once all the shuwashuwa was emptied from the bottle, Aqua pulls one of the Cure O' Pervert potions out and begins to carefully poor in into the bottle. Because the color of the bottle was a transparent green and that the potion didn't have a distinctive smell to it, Kazuma shouldn't have any reason to think it was anything else other than shuwashuwa inside.
There was enough room for another bottle of Curse O' Pervert inside the bottle so Aqua went ahead and poured another inside. She then re-corks the bottle and places it inside the fridge, giggling with glee as she steps back.
"Heheh, the perfect crime. With this, that damn NEET will finally..."
"Finally what, Aqua?"
Aqua freezes before nervously looking back to see Kazuma standing there at the entrance to the kitchen. With his arms crossed, he sent her a strong, terrifying glare.
"Ah... um, Kazuma-san. So, you finally decided to wake up."
"Yes, I did... and just in time to find you making a quick exit from my room. And now I hear you say something very interesting when I come down here to check on you. So, want to tell me what it is you meant by saying what we both know I heard you say. Or do we have to do this the hard way."
"Ah... well, you see... Oh crap, I just remembered. I promised Luna I would help her out with an important matter over at the guild. Gotta go..."
With that, Aqua makes a break for it by running as fast as she could out the back door. Kazuma gives chase but only as far as the front gate, where he stops and shouts out-
"Don't think this is over, Aqua, you hear me. Don't forget I know where you live. Sooner or later, you'll have to come back and when you do, there will be HELL TO PAY!"
Once Aqua was out of sight, Kazuma let's out a sigh before heading back inside. He had already looked his room over and had found nothing missing or out of place before he had headed downstairs. He then heads inside the bathroom in order to examine his body to make sure Aqua hadn't pulled a Megumin and wrote something down on his belly with a marker.
Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he then makes his way to the kitchen as that was where he caught Aqua having her little moment. Since she had been talking to herself by the fridge, had she done something there.
Kazuma carefully opens the fridge, not finding any traps having been set up. The inside looked normal but his gut was telling him something was off. The food looked normal, and he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. And then his eyes fell onto his bottle of shuwashuwa.
"Hm, did that idiot possibly...?"
Kazuma takes his bottle of shuwashuwa in hand and examines it. He pops the cap off and sniffs it before looking inside. As far as he could tell, there didn't appear to be anything wrong with it.
'I guess it's possible all she was really doing was trying to play a prank on me. Could all that have been nothing more than some fake out; a cruel kind of mind game on Aqua's part? If so, I got to say I would have to give her some credit as her acting was actually good if it fooled me.'
Kazuma was about to put the lid back on the bottle, but he was feeling thirsty so, after a moment more to consider this, he ultimately shrugs before drinking down the whole thing. He then smacks his lips before using his sleeve to wipe his mouth then says-
"Hm, extra bubbly today."
He then goes and refills it from the shuwashuwa barrel before returning the bottle to the fridge. After that, Kazuma gets dressed and heads out to see if he could find something fun to do in town.
(Part 3: Yunyun)
Yunyun was making her way over to Kazuma's mansion, hoping that Megumin will be willing to join her in a new challenge she had recently become aware of. It was a mysterious new card game that had become all the rage as of late. The name of the game was Solitaire.
Yunyun was unaware that the game had come from the mind of Kazuma and that Megumin had already been well trained in the art of playing by Kazuma himself.
As she walked, her eyes came upon the long, thin wooden beam staked into the ground that spanned the river that passed through Axel. Kids in town would often play here, taking turns with walking across while maintaining their balance so they wouldn't fall by accident. Sometimes, the other kids would toss pebbles at the one walking across as a way to test their ability to focus.
While there was a bridge she could use to safely cross over just up ahead, if she used the wooden beam then she could cut down her arrival time at the mansion. Also, she had always wanted to try walking across it and since there was no one around to make her feel subconscious and nervous...
Yunyun cracks a smile as she runs over to the wooden beam then takes one final quick look around before placing a foot upon the beam.
"OK me, you got this."
As Yunyun slowly and carefully begins to walk across, she holds her hands up and out like she had seen all those kids do in the past. As she makes her way across, she wonders if Megumin had ever tried doing this herself.
'You know, this isn't so hard. I wonder if I challenged Megumin at doing this, would she accept? Which one of us would be the most successful at this. I wonder if Kazuma-san could...'
As she thinks that, Kazuma comes walking around from a corner, his eyes quickly catching sight of Yunyun as she reaches the halfway point on the beam. Without giving her situation a moment of thought, Kazuma shouts out-
"Hey Yunyun, what are you doing?"
Hearing Kazuma's voice makes Yunyun jump and go rigid as she nervously looks towards the direction his voice had come from before sputtering out-
"Ah, Kazuma-san, what are...AAAHHHH!"
In that moment, one of Yunyun's feet slips out from under her, causing her to fall from the beam and towards the stream below.
"Yunyun, hold on..."
shouted Kazuma as he rushes forward, throwing himself at the falling Yunyun. A moment later, water splashes as Kazuma catches Yunyun and sends them into a roll that ends with them sitting over on the opposite shore.
While both had still been soaked by the water because of the roll, they at least weren't in the water which was something. Currently, Yunyun was sitting on Kazuma's lap with his arms around her in a firm yet gentle hold.
"Man, that water is really cold. Are you alright, Yunyun?"
"Yes, I think so. Thank you for... Ka-Ka-Kazuma-san..."
"Hm, what's up. I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"Ka-Kazuma-san, your hands..."
"My hands... oh crap!"
It seemed that during his attempt at saving Yunyun, his hands had ended up grabbing onto her chest. Just as he realizes this, his hands involuntarily flex a few times, causing Yunyun to let out a combination of a surprised "ah' sound and what may have been a moan.
Immediately, Kazuma releases his hold on her followed by them both getting back to their feet and standing a respectful distance from one another. Both were red faced with Kazuma looking anyway that wasn't at her while Yunyun fidgeted like crazy while her head looks to the ground.
"I-I-I... Yunyun, I am SO sorry about that. I swear I didn't go doing what I just did intentionally. I was... I was just trying to save..."
"I know, I know. Don't worry about it, Kazuma-san. Please just forget about it... really."
"Are you sure? I mean, if there's anything I can do to make it up to you, then I'll..."
"No... no, that won't be necessary, Kazuma-san. Please, don't let what happened bother you. (quietly to herself) I really didn't mind it that much. (speaking to Kazuma again) Um... sorry Kazuma-san, but I need to..."
Unable to say anything more, Yunyun quickly bows before turning away and making a run for it. She stops at the end of the street, looks back and bows again, then goes running out of view.
Kazuma just watches as she goes and once she was gone, he looks down at his hands and flexes them again. The memory of the feel of her soft, ample breast still fresh in his mind, as was the feeling of overwhelming embarrassment that came with it.
It was then Kazuma had a realization.
"Wait a second, why did I react the way that I did? Wouldn't I have normally allowed myself a moment to enjoy all that before pulling my hands away. Why did I panic like that? Maybe it was because it was Yunyun and she's the only girl apart from Iris I don't feel comfortable with perving on."
(Part 4: Lynn)
"At last, I finally did it. After all my hard work: all the blood, sweat, and tears, I can finally learn the specialty skill: Warp!"
cheered Lynn as she held her adventurer's card up and out before her. Off to the side, her three teammates looked at her with mixed expressions. Taylor was sending her a happy smile, Keith was looking confused, while Dust just flat out didn't appear interested in the slightest.
"Hey Lynn, dumb question here but what's with all this excitement. What exactly is Warp?"
asked Keith, earning a surprised look from Lynn. After a moment, she realizes that none of them would likely understand her joy here.
"Warp is a very special, and very rare skill that few are ever lucky enough to get to learn. It belongs to the Teleportation family of spells but is meant for more short-range usage than Teleport."
"I see, so it's a rarely learned skill, huh? No wonder you're so excited."
said Taylor while Dust uses his left pinky finger to dig some earwax out from his ear, looks at it, then flicks it off to the side before saying-
"What a dumb thing to get excited over. I mean, you said it yourself. It's nothing more than a poor man's teleport. Even if it is a difficult to get spell, I don't see a reason why you'd get so excited over it."
"That's because you don't understand the importance of this skill. You see, while it is only meant to be used for short range teleports, Warp is a very tactical spell. For example, say we're on a mission and I'm providing support from the sidelines, but my position is bad and the best spot is opposite me, I can use Warp to get me to that new spot immediately as opposed to having to waste time with running. It also makes getting around town way faster and it cost a lot less MP than Teleport does which is a bonus."
explained Lynn, going from wagging her finger to striking a pose that made one think she was a teacher lecturing her students. Taylor and Keith both become amazed at hearing this as they could see how it would aid them with future quest. Dust, on the other hand, just yawns before saying-
"Still don't think it's worth all the hype if you ask me. Anyways, let's go get some lunch."
"Hold on, let me test it out first. How about I Warp the four of us directly to the guild?"
Immediately, Taylor and Keith became doubtful and hesitant as Taylor says-
"Is it safe for use, Lynn? I mean, seeing as this is going to be your first time using it, shouldn't you do a little practice before trying it with all of us together."
"Taylor's right, Lynn. Also, can you even teleport more than a single person with it?"
"Hm, I think so... at least the description says it's possible. Still, maybe Taylor's right. I'll do a couple of test Warp's just to be safe. So, do I have any volunteers here?"
Without missing a beat, the three guys quickly back away; each of them not looking keen on being the first to try being warped around by Lynn, no matter how much they trusted her. Seeing them become all worried and freaked out doesn't sit well with Lynn, making her yell out-
"What, you three suddenly turning into cowards? Come on and show some balls already. Don't you all trust me?"
"Of course we trust you. It's just that..."
"You see Lynn, the thing of it is..."
"Whenever you do a practice run for one of your newly acquired spells with one of us, things tend to go bad for ALL of us."
said Dust, making Lynn respond by saying-
"That was a long time ago, when I was still some newbie mage. Have you three really not gotten over that little incident yet. Look, it'll be fine. I promise nothing bad will happen this time so stop being cowards and agree to help me here."
None of the three guys looked convinced. If anything, they looked even more nervous and doubtful. It was then Keith saw a familiar face come into view, making him smile as they had a guinea pig... an out from having to be test subjects.
"Kazuma... Hey, Kazuma. Over here man."
They all look to see Kazuma come to a stop, making Taylor and Dust breathe out a sigh of relief for the appearance of their favorite scapegoat. Once Kazuma had joined them, he asks-
"Hey guys, been a while. So, what's up."
"Kazuma friend, you're just in time. Lynn here has just learned a new spell and she needs someone to help here with testing it out."
said Taylor which makes Kazuma look at them with confusion. Lynn knew what it was they were doing here and what that meant concerning her.
'These guys... they really don't have any faith in me at all. Fine, Kazuma will do it for me, and I'll make sure to give him a proper reward once this is done.'
"I don't mind helping but what is it I'll be doing here exactly?"
"Don't worry about it, man. Just know that it is a matter of grave importance."
said Dust, already pushing Kazuma towards Lynn. Once Kazuma and Lynn were close enough together, the three guys quickly back away a fair bit in order to make sure they didn't get caught up in the spell by accident. Their actions make Kazuma sweat drop before looking at Lynn and asking-
"Should I be worried here, Lynn?"
"No, no need for worry. Those three are just being way to over dramatic if you ask me. Now, here's what I need your help with, Kazuma."
Lynn then tells him of her new spell and explains how it works.
"So, you're going to use Warp on me then you'll use it on yourself to come join me at the spot you're sending me too, correct?"
"Yeah. I'll focus on sending you to a nearby alley and I'll come join you right after. Is that alright?"
"Sure, I guess I can do that. I mean, what's the worst that can happy, right?"
'Oops, hope I didn't raise any flags by saying that.'
"Don't worry, Kazuma. It'll be fine, I swear it. Also, I'll be sure to give you a special reward as my thank you for helping me with this so makes sure to look forward to that."
Seeing as he had been given some proper motivation by Lynn, Kazuma accepts the special job. A few moments later, Lynn starts chanting before casting Warp. A moment later, Kazuma finds himself standing inside the empty alley just as planned. He then pulls out the special magic ring Lynn had handed to him before starting and says-
"Lynn, it's Kazuma. I think it worked. I'm safely inside an alley though I can't be sure if this was the one you intended for me to be sent to."
"Doesn't matter as I succeeded in getting you there in one piece. Wait there for me to arrive, alright."
The ring Lynn had loaned Kazuma was a special magical item that allowed for short range communications between those who had said rings on their person and if the rings had been connected beforehand.
Back with Lynn, she ready's herself for the next test; using Warp without a chant. A risky maneuver to be sure, but she was confident she would succeed seeing as she was already an accomplished spell caster. Not as good as a Crimson Demon but still pretty capable.
Once she was with Kazuma, she would try one last attempt at using Warp with the two of them together back to where her party was.
"OK, Kazuma. Here I come... WARP!"
Kazuma looked around, waiting for Lynn to appear but after several moments, it became obvious that something was wrong. He holds the ring up close and says to it-
"Lynn, are you there? Hello, Kazuma to Lynn..."
No reply, at least from the ring. Kazuma began to worry until he hears a cry coming from above him. Looking up, he immediately sees Lynn falling from the sky directly at him as she screams out-
"AAAHHH, Kazuma... save me."
Kazuma quickly goes into a panic as he darts here and there, attempting to line himself up correctly to catch the falling Lynn as she comes closer, closer, closer... WHAM!
For a moment, everything went white for Lynn before the reality of all things came rushing back to her. While she wasn't feeling all that great, she knew she'd be feeling way worse if not for Kazuma.
"Thanks for the save, Kazuma. Important lesson learned; don't go using a chant-less Warp until I've gotten in some practice with... EH?"
It was in this moment Lynn became aware of several things. First was that she and Kazuma were both on the ground with her being directly on top of Kazuma. Second was their current positions with one another for you see...
Lynn was lying face down against Kazuma's crotch and in turn, Kazuma had Lynn's nether regions all pressing down against his face. What was worse, Lynn realized she was breathing in Kazuma's scent and she was sure he was also taking her scent in as well. If anyone were to show up and see them now, they would think these two kids were in the middle of 69ing one another.
Lynn screams out followed by rapid movement and the sound of slapping. A few moments after that-
"I'm sorry Kazuma, that was my fault. I shouldn't have..."
"Don't worry about it, Lynn. I should have done a better job with catching you than I did there."
After Lynn had recovered from her shock, horror, and embarrassment, she had realized something curious. Kazuma looked just as embarrassed by the whole thing as she had been, maybe even more. That was unexpected as she had come to believe that Kazuma was almost as hopeless a pervert as Dust was and would have used their position as an excuse to "enjoy the moment" as best one could.
Instead, Kazuma had looked completely remorseful, and scared, when she had seen his face.
'Guess I had him pegged wrong. I really should do something nice for him later as an apology.'
"So, should we go find your party?"
"Kazuma, I know things went in an... unexpected direction with my last Warp. Still, I want to go ahead and give a group Warp a try. Would you be willing to help me with that one?"
"I... sure, I guess I can do that. But are you sure it'll be alright, Lynn. What if we suffer another embarrassing moment like..."
"We won't, I'm sure of it. What happened before had to have been because I didn't use a chant. I'll do that with this one so please trust in me, alright."
While Kazuma was still unsure, he was willing to trust Lynn's judgment. They go to stand close together and Lynn activates her Warp spell again.
Fifteen minutes later, Lynn's party are looking all over for her and Kazuma.
"You think they're alright?"
"I hope so. Lynn was using an untested spell for the first time so..."
"I'm sure they're fine. Lynn does have Kazuma with her and that guy can be pretty reliable when the need arises. Still, I wonder where they could..."
Before Dust could finish, Lynn finally comes into view with a face as red and it looked embarrassed and angry. Upon seeing them, she approached them while clearly stomping from those mixed emotions. The three guys go running towards her, all asking together what had happened with her and Kazuma.
Her reply-
"Don't ask, please never-ever ask me about the results of the test. EVER! After much consideration, I've decided to not use Warp again. Not until I know I can use it safely. Now let's go take on a kill quest. I need something to help me vent here."
The three guys look at each other, confused, before they follow after Lynn. While they were indeed curious as to what could have happened with those two, they knew they'd probably never get an answer.
'No one can ever know what happened. It's bad enough me and Kazuma ended up in the sixty-nine position in the alley. But then finding ourselves warping into a private bath at the bath house... butt naked and pressed against one another while our clothes rained down from above...'
'I will take that detail to the grave with me and for his sake, Kazuma better do the same as well!'
(Part 5: Chris)
"Hey you, thief... stop right now."
shouted the city guards as the chased after Chris, not that anyone could see that it was Chris as she had her face concealed by a cloth. She looks back towards her pursuers and says while using a deeper sounding voice-
"If I did that, then you hard working guys will surely catch me and that would kind of defeat the purpose of running to begin with, don't you think."
She then laughs happily as they yell at her again.
Chris, feeling bored and wanting something to do, had taken it upon herself to steal a large number of eris from a local merchant who was secretly selling his wares at an inflated price and used his ill-gotten funds to purchase all manner of illegal and forbidden items off the black market.
'Better this eris be put into the hands of those that actually need it than greedy guys like that merchant.'
She did have to chastise herself though as she had gotten a little carried away with her stealing as, in addition to the eris, she had also helped herself to several curious magical items that had caught her eye. If not for letting herself get distracted, she could have made her escape without anyone knowing she had even been there. At least, not till after she was long gone.
Chris then smiles as she sees it coming up, her favorite alley way which she quickly ducks into. A few moments later, the guards enter the alleyway as well only to find her nowhere to be seen. Seeing as there was no opposite side exit, it was like she had vanished into thin air.
As the guards begin to examine the walls, looking for any sign of a secret door, Chris looks down at them from above while pulling the cloth down off her face. They would never think to look up, none of them ever do.
The reason she liked that alley way was because the two buildings opposite one another were close enough that she could do a little parkour action to quickly reach the tops of the buildings and make her way along the roof tops.
She then tossed the coin pouch in her hands up and down a few times before saying-
"Another successful theft completed. Now what should I do with my day? I know, I'll head to the guild for a few drinks."
Chris then begins to move across the roof tops, easily jumping from one building to the next until she comes to a stop, seeing a curious sight down below her. Kazuma was making his way through the back alleys which caught her interest. Why would he be doing something like that.
"Oh, I get it. You did something very bad, haven't you, assistant-kun. Why else would you be acting so sneaky like this? Looks like I'm going to have to step in and punish you once I find out what it was you did. And I know just the punishment too."
She hoped he had his money pouch with him as he would be treating her to her drinks and she was feeling very thirsty right now.
"Hey Kazuma, up here. It's me... Chris."
Kazuma visibly flinches upon hearing her call out to him which caught Chris off guard, as did his nervous look when he turned his head up to look at her.
'He must have done something especially bad to be having that kind of reaction to my voice. Can't wait to hear what he did this time.'
"Oh... um, boss. So... how's the... weather up there?"
"Very funny, assistant-kun. I know you've done something bad, don't try to deny it. How about I come down there and you can confess all your sinful deeds to me."
"Actually, I'd rather you not do that if you don't mind. Also, maybe it would be a good idea if you just stay up there and away from me."
'Oh yeah, no doubt about it now. Something definitely happened. Well, time for me to find out what.'
"No can do, Kazuma. You're acting very weird, even for you and I'm damn well going to come down there and find out what you have done. Right now, in fact!"
"No wait, seriously, you don't..."
Chris ignores Kazuma as she goes to jump, only for the roof tile she was standing on to suddenly give way. The next thing Chris knew, she was falling from above and there was no chance at correcting her position before reaching the ground. Chris closes her eyes and braces for the painful impact...
"BOSS!"
The next thing Chris knew, she was safely on the ground, laying on top on Kazuma with her back pressed against his chest. She breathes out a sigh of relief before saying-
"Thanks Kazuma, that was a close call. To close if you ask me. ...Kazuma, what's wrong?"
Chris turns her head to better look at Kazuma, seeing his face was ghost white with eyes wide with terror and a nervous sweat forming on him. Chris then realizes something else, something that sets all her warning alarms off.
She turns her head towards her chest and finds that somehow, someway after he had caught her and their rough and tumble landing, Kazuma's hands had fallen onto her chest. Not just on her chest but had actually slid up under the leather chest covering and were now in direct contact with her breast.
This causes her to start shaking violently with rage which brings Kazuma out of his own shock before quickly and nervously say-
"Um... boss, please don't get mad at me. I'm sure..."
"Assistant-Kun... YOU DAMN PERVERT!"
(Part 6: Megumin)
"How does Aqua do it. How can she find lounging on this couch to be so relaxing like she does. Sure, maybe Aqua can find this acceptable for a short-term rest but I just can't get comfortable right now."
Currently, Megumin was laying down on the couch where Darkness had left her after they had returned from her daily Explosion routine. Currently, she had no idea where Darkness was though she was certain she was still inside the mansion and who knows where Kazuma and Aqua were at right now.
"I wonder if I can make it to my bedroom without falling flat on my face?"
she wondered before deciding to try getting up and walking around. Her movement was slow and her legs were wobbly, but she was able to stand and maintain her balance... sort of. She then begins making her way to the stairs, using whatever her hands could reach as bracing to help her maintain her balance.
As she goes, she begins thinking about a topic that had been on her mind for quite a while now.
'I think starting tomorrow, I'm going to go back to having Kazuma be my one and only partner when it comes to my daily routine. I mean seriously, working with Aqua and Darkness is just impossible for something as important as my Explosion training.'
It's not that she hated having them around when she did her thing, but they didn't contribute all that much to her growth either, unlike Kazuma did.
'With Aqua, all she ever does is complain to me about my daily routine; saying how pointless it is, how much of a waste of time it is. And then when it comes time to carry me home, she's always whining about that as well. It's funny when you think about it as I can easily recall back to our first quest together and Aqua was praising me for my passion, for my romantic dream. And now... I think I'm beginning to understand why Kazuma gets so exasperated with her all the time.'
'And then there's Darkness. While she doesn't constantly lambast me for my love of Explosions like Aqua's been doing these days, she's clearly not into it either. For one thing, her scores and analysis of each one is incredibly bad and leaves a lot to be desired. I know she only does it because I expect it to be done. And then when she carry's me back, I'm just so uncomfortable from start to finish. Even without her armor, her back is just too unforgiving; nothing like Kazuma's comfortable back which, if I could, I would want to live on for the rest of my life.'
"Actually yeah, starting tomorrow, it's going to be just me and Kazuma again. He's the only one who truly understands me and my dreams. The only one who can help me reach my ultimate potential.'
By now, Megumin had reached the stairs and feeling a little more energized now, she begins to make her way up to the second floor and to her room.
Meanwhile, outside the mansion, Kazuma finally takes a moment to catch his breath after having somehow managing to escape the raging Chris. There was no question she would make her way here to the mansion eventually in her hunt for him, but he hoped that by then, she will have cooled down... if only a little bit.
"OK, let's hurry up and get inside before Chris shows up to kill me. I wonder if I have enough time to take a bath before I lock myself safely away inside my room?"
With that thought driving him, Kazuma heads into the mansion and quickly spots Megumin nearing the top of the steps. Kazuma stops as he calls up to her, saying-
"So, did you fire off a good Explosion, Megumin."
Megumin stops and looks back down at him with a smile on her face as she excitedly says-
"You bet I did. You should have been there to see it, Kazuma. I'm sure you would have given me one-hundred points at the very least for... Kazuma, what happened? Who attacked you?"
Looking down at him, Megumin could see Kazuma had been made to suffer terribly since she had last seen him last night. His hair was a mess and his clothes were dirty and he was covered in cuts and bruises and what looked to be a slap and punch to his face.
Immediately, she was fuming inside. Who would dare harm Kazuma. Sure, she and Aqua and Darkness weren't exactly kind to him but that was their prerogative to be mean. Anyone outside their little family, that was a different matter entirely and there was no way she's going to let this stand without reprisal.
Kazuma quickly averts his gaze away from her as he says-
"I'd rather not talk about it, Megumin. Let's just say I've been having a bad day. A bad-BAD day. And an off day... well, an off day for me that is."
"Don't try to downplay what was done to you, Kazuma. I want you to tell me everything now-AAAHHH..."
As Megumin was speaking, she had started to walk down the stairs to better examine his injuries. But as she takes her first step, her leg gives it and she ends up taking quite a tumble. Without thinking about it, Kazuma rushes up the stairs and catches Megumin but her downward momentum ends up sending both her and Kazuma falling back down to the bottom of the stairs to where they were laying on the ground with Kazuma on the bottom and Megumin on top of him.
No words were said between them, none at all and not because they were lost in some cliché magically romantic moment. No, it was because at present, the fall and landing had resulted in the two of them being caught within a strong lip lock with one another and if that wasn't bad enough, Kazuma's hands had somehow ended up pressed against Megumin's butt, under her mage dress no less.
This little moment only lasts a few seconds before Megumin quickly pulls off Kazuma and moves back a few steps while Kazuma stands as well while quickly getting out-
"Megumin, please... please don't get mad. I swear I didn't mean to... and I didn't mean to touch you there. I was just trying to..."
"Kazuma..."
said Megumin, her voice low, filled with anger while her clenched fist shook violently.
"Why do you go turn a noble act into a chance to sexually harass me, you really are the worst!"
Before Kazuma could respond, Megumin sends a swift and powerful kick flying right into his groin. As Kazuma crumbles onto the ground, holding his destroyed family jewels with both hands, Megumin storms back up the stairs, having recovered from her lack of stamina, before going inside her room and slamming the door right behind her.
Kazuma, despite the pain, manages to get out with a squeaky, high-pitched voice-
"Why... why has today been the way that it has been for me?"
(Part 7: Darkness)
'Where am I? Why is everything so hazy?'
wondered Darkness as she opened her eyes, finding the room she was in to be misty and almost dream like to her. Moving her head around, she came to the conclusion that she was inside the mansion large bath room. Something was off though. For one thing, all her senses were feeling strange, muffled. For another...
"I thought I had retired to my room to catch a nap?"
Darkness then tries to focus, tries to recall what had happened to her after she had gotten back to the mansion with Megumin.
'Let's see, I can recall placing Megumin down on the sofa in the living room. I then went into the kitchen and grabbed a bite to eat and drink. I then went up to my room and then... then... damn it, I can't remember what happened next.'
Darkness takes a moment to consider her options. Staying in the bath, while it sounded nice, was probably a bad idea, if only because she didn't want to deal with her skin wrinkling. Maybe if she gets out of the water and returns to her room, she'll be able to recall all the stuff she currently couldn't remember.
As she goes to stand, a realization comes over her.
'Wait, this feeling I'm having... Reminds me of what Kazuma has told me about what it feels like to be under the influence of a succubus. Is it possible one of the girls from the shop has come by to draw out some vital energy from me, as per our secret arrangement.'
Following that first incident, involving her and Kazuma shortly after they had moved into the mansion, Darkness had become aware of the existence of the Succubus Cafe. Before, she had heard only rumors about its existence. After learning it's location from Dust, via a little black main, she had met with the succubi and had worked out a little deal with them to provide her regular visits so they could nourish themselves while giving her a chance to enjoy ALL her perverted fantasy's
The only problem with this thought was that they normally only come around during the night and usually only on certain days each week. If this was one of those dreams, then maybe there had been an emergency visit for one of them.
'Only one way to find out. Let's just get dressed and head back to my room and we'll see where this all goes.'
With that, Darkness approaches the door into the changing room.
In said room, Kazuma had finished stripping off his clothes before walking over to the door into the bath. He stops then lets out a sigh while reaching for the door handle.
'What a day I've had. I accidentally groped Yunyun and Chris, I experienced a sixty-nine position with Lynn as well as that whole private bath thing, and I scored an accidental kiss with Megumin alongside getting to feel up her butt. And the weirdest part of it all was that I didn't take a moment to enjoy any of it. I was freaking out right from the get go. That's not like me at all. I'm a pervert at heart. I shouldn't have been freaking out right from the get-go, I should have been milking those moments for all it's worth... no pun intended.'
"Seriously, my gut is telling me Aqua's somehow behind all this craziness. She has to be. What with the way she was acting this morning."
Kazuma decided to confront her later, once she gets home. He then opens the door and steps into the bath...
And immediately crashes into Darkness. Kazuma quickly goes into panic mode which causes him to slip though Darkness is quick to catch him and save him from a fall though the end result is seeing Kazuma's face being firmly planted into her ample breast.
Kazuma's whole body begins to shake violently as his head looks up at Darkness who at first looked embarrassed before a sly grin forms on her face.
"So, this must be a succubus created dream after all. Why else would this be happening, right Kazuma?"
'Crap, it's Darkness. But there shouldn't be anyone in... wait, I did make sure the sign wasn't up and the lantern wasn't lit, right? Oh crap-crap-crap-crap-CRAP!'
"So Kazuma, what's it going to be THIS time? Am I on top or will it be you and what position and role play? Come on, don't keep a girl like me waiting..."
Kazuma's overwhelmed brain didn't know what she was talking about nor did he want to know. Instead, he did the only thing his mind could think to do in that moment.
"NNNNOOOO, SPARE ME PLEASE!"
Kazuma then breaks free from Darkness and makes a run for it.
Up in her room, Megumin was laying face down on her bed, her mind a jumble of thoughts.
'Damn it, why did I react the way I did. It's obvious from the look on his face that Kazuma didn't intend to do any of what he did to me. And that kick... he must have been in terrible pain because of that. I need to go apologize to him.'
Megumin was confused about one thing though.
'I wonder, why didn't he try to take advantage of me in that situation. Maybe whatever happened to him while he was out had a much deeper impact than what one can imagine. That's it, I'm going to...'
Before she could finish that thought, Megumin heard Kazuma's scream of terror from downstairs, making her jump to her feet quickly. Now finding herself filling with dread, Megumin bolts towards the door to get down to him and find out what had just happened with him.
Meanwhile, outside the mansion, Chris opens the front gate before stepping in. Behind her were Yunyun and Lynn. Chris then stops, looking back at those two and asks-
"Are you two ready... ready to bring divine punishment down onto Kazuma?"
"Um... I guess so though I'm not really sure we should be blaming Kazuma for this. I mean, the way he responded to those incidents we all were involved with..."
"I agree. I can't help but feel that something weird is going on, both with what happened and how Kazuma responded to it all."
said Lynn and Yunyun. In truth, Chris was also starting to feel conflicted about what was going to happen once they step inside. Sure, she was still angry, furious even, over what had happened but the more she thinks about, the more things didn't seem to add up.
There was also the fact she could now recall some strange energy coming off Kazuma. Almost like he had been...
A sudden scream comes from inside the mansion; a scream from Kazuma to be more exact. The three of them quickly look at each other before rushing forward and forcing the front door open. Just as they step inside, a naked Kazuma comes running into view before quickly passing them and running quickly up the stairs.
A moment later, Darkness comes into view with a towel wrapped around her body and a flushed and embarrassed look on her face.
"Darkness, what happened. Don't tell me Kazuma..."
"No... no Chris, Kazuma didn't..."
Another scream wrings out, this scream having come from Megumin. The next thing they knew, there was a crashing sound coming from upstairs. Without a word, the four girls go running upstairs only to find a naked Kazuma laying on top of Megumin is a rather intimate position.
"Nooooo, not again..."
groaned Kazuma as whatever chances he had to save himself was gone as five girls quickly go in for the kill.
(Part 8: Wiz and Vanir)
In the back room of Wiz's magic shop, there was an additional side room. It was small, simple, and mostly empty save for a symbol that had been carved into the floor. While normally nothing more than some strange decoration if one were to see it, it still held an important purpose which was fulfilled whenever it began to glow, like it was now doing.
A black and purple fire erupts from the symbol and from that fire emerges Vanir who quickly dusts himself off as this special means of traveling around, while efficient, did have a few minor negatives. Once he was looking clean and immaculate, he puts on his trademark smile before stepping out, mentally prepared for whatever troubles the annoying shop keep has caused him during his absence.
Instead, he finds Wiz just standing behind the counter, clearly lost in thought. Vanir goes to make his return known and ask her what she was thinking about only to stop upon noticing the piece of paper laying on the counter before her.
Sneaking a peek at the contents, he can't help but smile inwardly before stepping back and clearing his throat. This causes Wiz to jump in surprise before spinning 'round to face Vanir.
"Ah... Vanir-san, welcome back. I trust your little trip has been fruitful?"
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, indeed it has, my troublesome partner in business. But let us speak of such matters another time. Moi couldn't help but notice you looking all lost in thought just a moment ago. Care to share with Moi what it was that holds your attention so fiercely."
"Was I... oh right, I was having a mental debate on if I should close the shop for a little while in order to make a quick trip over to the mansion of Satou Kazuma-san."
"And what reason would you have to go do that? Does it have something to do with the Curse O' Pervert potion, seeing as you have the written details about it laying on the counter before you."
"Yes, it would be about that. You see, Vanir-san, it all began when..."
Wiz then explains everything that happened while Vanir was away. Once she was done, Vanir begins laughing with glee while Wiz asks him-
"So, do you think I should head over and let Aqua-sama know the rest of how the potions she purchased works?"
"Hm, let Moi check for all is known to this demon of foresight."
The left side of Vanir's mask then begins to glow as he brings his hands up to create a shape like he was holding a camera. After a moment, he begins to laugh happily while Wiz awaits his answer.
"Well, Vanir-san?"
"Yes, troublesome shop keep. I do believe you should go ahead and go. Right now, in fact. And be swift about it too."
"Right; be right back then, Vanir-san."
Wiz then bows before quickly walking to and out the front door, leaving Vanir alone inside the shop. He then begins to chuckle to himself before walking over to the open sign and flips it around to say that the shop was closed at the moment.
"No harm in closing the shop for a little bit. Now, to go watch all the fun from a safe distance. To go and partake in the premium, five-star restaurant like experience of raw negative emotions the coming explanation is going to create, how could Moi not go and watch it all from a safe distance."
With that, Vanir exits the shop himself as he follows after Wiz to the Satou residence.
(Part 9: Ending)
Aqua nervously made her way inside the mansion grounds, a piece of paper in her hands. Not just any piece of paper, but a bill Luna back over at the guild had handed her which she was going to have to give to Kazuma. The nature of the bill; does one really need to ask or wonder.
'OK, how should I go about doing this now. If I give Kazuma this bill straight away, he's surely going to get mad at me and yell at me and make me suffer all manner of scary punishments. Not that I'm afraid I couldn't stop him... no, not afraid at all. I'd just rather not have to deal with his anger to begin with. Yeah, that's it. I need to do something first that can help soften the blow. I know, I'll have Megumin and Darkness help me come up with something. They always side with me regardless of the problem.'
That was one of the reasons why Aqua continued to throw caution to the wind like she did and get herself into trouble. It was because those two would always have her back when it came to dealing with Kazuma, even if they may have believed that Kazuma's annoyance and anger was justified.
Feeling confident, Aqua smiles happily and enters the mansion, only to find the strangest site awaiting her.
Inside, she found Darkness and Megumin, but they weren't alone. With them were Chris, Yunyun, and Lynn; all of them standing around a tied up Kazuma, looking all bruised and beaten... and naked from the looks of it. Seems whatever had happened to put Kazuma in the state he was in has so angered the others that that hadn't cared to see him dressed in any ways.
"Hey, what's going on? What has this shitty NEET done now?"
Hearing Aqua's voice makes the others look back at her with Megumin quickly approaching her and asking-
"Aqua, are you OK? Tell us, did Kazuma do anything perverted and obscene to you too?"
"Pardon?"
Darkness then approaches and says-
"It's alright, Aqua. You're among friends here. Please, tell us what this man did to you so we can add to his list of punishments from us all."
While Aqua was all down with punishing Kazuma for his many questionable actions and deeds, she was still confused by what they were going on about.
"Wait, hold on everyone. Can someone explain to me what this is all about. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a group activity that sees us all finally put this hikki-NEET in his place, but can I find out what he did to make you all finally understand why such actions are needed with him."
Aqua then looks at Kazuma; finding herself wondering if his injuries had left him unconscious or if he had accepted his impending fate which would explain why he wasn't saying anything to her or the others.
"Um... Aqua-san? Didn't Kazuma-san..."
"What Yunyun is asking is didn't Kazuma do something perverted to you earlier and the reason why you haven't been around is because you've been hiding away from him and his lecherous nature."
"I'm still confused. What are you all talking about?"
"Guess Aqua must have been spared all that embarrassment we've had to suffer. Aqua, the thing is..."
Chris then explains everything that happened to everyone over the course of the day and as she does, Aqua's expression becomes more and more sour and filled with disgust. By the time the explanation was done, Aqua was cracking her knuckles while staring deadly daggers down at Kazuma.
"This damn, sick in the head NEET, I've always known this day would come. Come on everyone, let's give him a beating so great that he'll never even dare to have a perverted thought ever ag... hold on a moment."
Everyone looks at Aqua curiously as she takes on a thinking pose. They wait for Aqua to say something more and what Aqua ends us saying is-
"Something isn't right. I mean, those potions I stole... I mean, purchased from Wiz's shop were designed to stop him from committing acts of perversion and prevent him from being able to sexually harass others. Damn that Lich, selling me defective products. Once we're done with Kazuma here, we should head over to the shop and have a little chat with Wiz."
The other girls look at each other, then back at Aqua as Chris, a slight edge to her voice, says-
"Would you tell us more about these potions of yours Aqua. The ones meant to be used on Kazuma."
"Well, Wiz told me that drinking one would suppress a pervert's inner pervert and make it impossible for Kazuma to sexually harass us girls. The effects are temporary which is why I got multiple. I managed to trick him into drinking some, I think, by pouring out all his shuwashuwa and replacing the contents of the bottle with the potion..."
"I knew it... I knew... Aqua was up... to something..."
weakly said Kazuma, getting everyone to look at him as the realized he was indeed still awake here.
"Well, let's forget about that. How about we... why is everyone looking at me like I'm Kazuma now?"
Aqua wasn't wrong as everyone was now giving her the same look, or a similar look at least, as they had been giving Kazuma just a moment ago. Aqua then takes a step back while bringing her hands up defensively.
"Guys, seriously... you're starting to scare me. Please don't tell me that you're starting to think that I..."
Just then, a knock is heard, making everyone look to the front door. Darkness calls out to the person outside and tells them they can come on it. A moment later, a winded Wiz enters the mansion and after a moment, she says-
"Lady Aqua-sama, I'm so glad you're here. There's something really important I need to tell you about Curse O' Pervert."
"Yes Wiz, please tell us ALL about this Curse O' Pervert!"
said Chris, making Wiz jump from the intensity in her gaze. After a gulp, Wiz says-
"Uh... well, like I said before, Curse O' Pervert can suppress the perverted nature of anyone who drinks the potion, causing them to react with embarrassment should they find themselves being caught up in a perverted moment while under the potions effects."
"Yeah, I remember. But from what I just heard; the potion doesn't work. Just ask everyone here and they'll tell you about how ineffective that damn potion actually is."
said Aqua. Wiz then says-
"That's because I never finished telling you about the potion. As everyone knows, all my potions come from the same potion maker who hails from the Crimson Demon village..."
Hearing this immediately causes Megumin to develop a ghastly twitch in one of her eyes while Yunyun gasp before looking at Megumin in realization and understanding behind what was being said.
"... As I'm sure you all know, the potions this person makes are powerful, but they always have these little quirks about them. In the case of Curse O' Pervert, the drawback is that while a person is under the effects of the potion, all members of the opposite sex will suffer accidental moments of perversity with him or her. The closer they are, the more likely something is to happen and the deeper their relationship, the more intimate the perverted act will be."
"THAT DAMN OLD MAN OF MINE. WHEN I NEXT SEE HIM, I'LL..."
screams Megumin at the top of her lungs. Darkness, meanwhile, asks-
"So, in other words, all the embarrassing things we have suffered today at Kazuma's hands weren't actually intentional on his part, but a byproduct of the potion he had been tricked into drinking by Aqua?"
"Yes, that's right. According to the notes sent with the potions, that additional aspect is meant to help them grow out of their perverted ways by making them think they no longer desire indulging in their perverted desires... or is it meant to scar them mentally so they're too afraid to let their inner pervert out again? I guess I should have brought those notes with me, huh?"
"Seriously, that's how those potions work. Why didn't you tell me that sooner, you damn Lich?"
Aqua begins shaking her fist angrily at Wiz who quickly brings her hands up as she quickly and nervously says-
"I'm sorry, Aqua-sama. I did try to tell you, but you left my shop with all those potions before I could finish explaining how the potion works."
"So now it's my fault. You've gone too far this time. Prepare to suffer some serious divine punishment, right every... one?"
Aqua looks back to see everyone was now sending HER murderous gazes. Gazes even more intense than the ones they had been sending Kazuma before. Seeing this makes her panic as she begins to back towards the front door while nervously saying-
"Why... why is everyone looking at me like I'm trash. It's not like I did anything wrong, surely you all know that... right?"
(D) "Aqua, you do realize you screwed up big time, right?"
(M) "Look at Kazuma, Aqua. See what we did to him because we thought he was going overboard with his sexual harassment on us. And now we find out that he was just as much a victim as we were."
(A) "Wait, hold on a moment. Isn't this a little unfair, blaming all that happened on me here. Surely you all..."
(C) "Aqua, there's no getting out of this one. Just be a good little girl and accept your fate here."
A moment later, Aqua comes running out of the mansion, running as fast as she could while crying up a storm. Behind her, all the other girls followed with looks that said they were out for blood. Well, Megumin, Darkness, Chris, and Lynn had that look while Yunyun had her usual panicky expression while Wiz had a look of doubt on her face.
"Why is everyone chasing me with having such scary looks on your faces. I told you already, this isn't my fault. I'm a goddess so I can never be at fault. If anything is anyone's fault here, it has to be that damn NEET who's at fault. This isn't fair, I'm telling you..."
"Aqua, you're only making things worse for yourself by running. Get back here so we can get this over with."
They all shouted as they continued their chase. Above, Vanir just chuckles as he watches everything go down. Indeed, his decision was the right one. This was indeed a prime meal for him to feast upon.
Back inside the mansion, Chomusuke comes into the room and finds a still tied down Kazuma, making her cock her head in confusion while looking at him. Kazuma looks at her and asks pleadingly-
"Couldn't they have untied me before they left? I think I deserve a chance to punish Aqua too. Say, Chomusuke... could you help free me from these bindings. I'm starting to feel a little sickly here."
{The end}
AN: I know this wasn't the chapter I said would be coming next at the end of the last chapter but things happening in my personal life have forced me to change plans with things when it comes to my writting. In the case of this series, I'm afraid I'm going to be putting it onto a temporary hiatus till matters in my personal life have calmed enough to allow me the time to write for multiple fics again. If you are wanting to know more about what's been going on with me, please check out my AN over in the Bless this world with a Stranger fic.
The reason THIS chapter was released instead of me releasing the one that I said I was going to do next is simply because this chapter had already been written. In fact, I had written it back in February of this year, when the idea had come to me and I felt compelled to write it down while the thought was still there. I had originally planned on this being saved for chapter 20 of this series but seeing as I'm taking the hiatus on this series till either my time allows me to focus on multiple stories or I finish Stranger, whichever happens first, I wanted to get at least one more out there and since this chapter was ready to go, I figured what the hell.
Anyways, the next chapter, whenever I find the time to write it, will be the alternate ending to the fight with Serena from vol 15 of the light novel.
