Chapter 1
An alarm clock blares. 05:30 flashes on the LED screen. I sleepily turn it off and go back to sleep.
Another clock blares a few minutes later. I turn off the second clock positioned close to the first clock. Just when I feel the wondrous sensation of sleep about to overtake me a third blares on my desk, far out of my reach. I scramble to cover my ears for a moment before I give up and get up to turn it off.
Yawning I begin to put on my school uniform. Top, check. Glasses, check. Socks, check. I should be good now. Facing my waist high mirror on my dresser, I begin to wrap my long hair into one large braid. I proceed to the kitchen to make a quick breakfast, consisting just of toast and coffee. After consuming my breakfast in a few bites and swallowing my coffee, too late realizing I forgot to put sugar in it, I step outside into the world.
It's just about dawn, the light from the rising sun blinds my eyes momentarily. I also notice a bit of a draft down below. Looking down to see the cause my face turns bright red and I rush back inside. What I exposed the whole world too was a clear shot at my bright white undergarments.
"I hope nobody saw…"
As you may be able to tell, I am clearly not a morning person, but even this morning's incident tops my usual inability to get myself ready for the day. I hurriedly rush back to my room and put on my plaid skirt for my school uniform and rush out the door grabbing my bag on my way out..
"I'm off!" I say to no one in particular. I live alone with my mom who stays away for weeks at a time for work so I'm often left to my own devices. She used to worry I wouldn't be able to get myself up everyday but through sheer willpower and the help of 3 loud alarm clocks I haven't had any major issues.
The walk to school has always been one of the pleasant experiences of my day. Ever since I transferred here last year I've enjoyed it. I pass by many trees and cross over a quaint wooden bridge before arriving. On good days the walk invigorates me enough to knock me out of my drowsiness; today is not one of those days.
"Good morning, Akane" A girl running by greets me, she looks to be late for morning practice from the looks of it.
"Good morn-" My yawn interrupts my greeting. She turns around and giggles for a second before continuing on. I don't know her very well but this type of exchange between us is common in the mornings so at the very least she's what you would call an acquaintance. I don't have any friends here, a combination of transferring here in the middle of the school year last year and having difficulty talking to new people, so I treasure any interactions I have with people.
My school day passes much like normal. There's a steady repetition of falling asleep in my homeroom class before slowly waking up throughout the day. I grab some bread from the cafeteria shop before proceeding to the vending machine to get a can of coffee. There's a tree with a bench a bit aways from the main building in the yard I like to eat lunch at since it's quiet and secluded. I finish up the remainder of my classes and head home.
Upon arriving at home I notice there's an envelope addressed to me, Akane Saito. It's an extravagant little envelope the contents of which would change my life forever…
I'm too embarrassed to admit it, but I have a dream. It's less of a dream but more of a childhood fantasy. I've always wished I could become someone else; someone who is confident and well-liked by everyone. As a kid I loved watching the Mahou Shoujo anime. Girls with the utmost confidence in themselves use their powers to protect the smiles of everyone, something like that. That's probably what started it.
As I grew older, I started to feel a strange anxiety well up inside me. It felt like pent-up energy that I couldn't release so as a kid I think it used to drive my mom crazy. Raising me by myself couldn't be easy but she rarely showed much frustration. One day she sat down and talked to me about it.
"Listen Akane. It's important for you to know a bit about your family history."
"Is it about gramps?" A much younger me asked curiously.
"No it's about your dad…"
She never talked about him much. She always said he ran off to do whatever he wanted and she'd prefer never to see him again for the rest of her life. However at this time she pulled out a medium sized box featuring countless small jewels, but something was off about them. They looked like they should be shining but for some reason they looked completely lifeless.
"See, your dad is what you'd call a mage, I guess. He explained to me that you might become like this one day. Come to think of it he was just preparing to leave us behind… that good-for-nothing. He explained to me that you needed something to vent your magic into until you learned to control it and left these behind, here try it."
My mom handed me one of the lifeless jewels, it was a dull red. I wasn't sure want to do with it and mom had a "Here try it!" look on her face as she handed it to me. As I grabbed it, I just concentrated on the gem and squeezed it tightly. Shortly afterwards it began to glow bright crimson.
I think it was at this point I decided to become a mage, like the girls from those magical girl anime I loved. The thought that my dream might've been within my reach excited me.
However, without formal training or anybody in the way to guide me I never learned to actually do anything, I simply put my energy into that crimson gem at the end of the day to alleviate my magic. I sometimes used the other gems, but this particular gem was my favorite so I used it most of all. I like to tell myself that this is the reason why I have difficulty getting up in the morning even though I'm probably lying to myself.
These days I wear that crimson jewel on my neck, at some point I attached it to the end of a small replica wand and wear it on a chain like a cute necklace. I should've outgrown it now that I'm in high school but I guess it's not that easy to let go of your dreams.
The seven of us separated in front of the church, I didn't really know how to interact with them, we were all in competition with each other after all. And, for the first time in my life I think, I had a way to accomplish my dream, to become one of those heroes of my youth. In a way I thought this would make me a stronger person.
I already knew what my catalyst was going to be. It has been my image of a hero since I was a kid and it never left my grasp. I ran down the street looking for an open and secluded area. I found a little park that was empty at this time of night. Going towards the sandbox I began to draw one of the magical circles I saw on the anime I watched as a kid. It was rough, but it was an outer ring filled with characters I didn't understand (of course I didn't memorize the characters I just drew things that looked like runes to me) with an inner circle mirroring it with a square to separate it. I took off my necklace and stuck it in the ground with the crimson jewel facing upwards. It seemed to shine brighter than normally. Before I could do anything else, a light consumed the area and I had to cover my eyes.
When the light cleared and I regained my vision, a young petite girl stood before me. She looked to be a few years younger than me but the way she carried herself with such confidence made me envy her. She looked strong. Holding her staff in her right hand and her left hand lifted up a large mage hat showing part of her face to include an eyepatch on her left eye.
"You have done well to summon me, Master!" she exclaimed boldly, "I am the greatest Archwizard of the Crimson Demons, I am Caster!"
"You're the Archwizard Caster?"
"Hngh- No that's what I was told to call myself but I can't do it, to forsake my glorious name would be a sin against my family and a slight of undeniable proportions against the Crimson Demon Clan, I am the Archwizard, Megumin! Wielder of the most powerful magic known to mankind, Explosion!"
I began to clap excitedly, I stopped myself after realizing what I was doing. I felt like I was back in the living room watching anime as a kid. She doesn't look like the typical magical girl, more of a western inspired mage design, but the way she spoke and carried herself left me in awe.
I was a bit embarrassed and began to apologize but she stopped me, seemingly enjoying the attention.
"You seem to have a good sense, Master, you have earned the right to be referred to by name"
"You're not supposed to call me Master?"
"Fool! Those of the Crimson Demon Clan would never stoop so low as to call someone Master!"
"B-but, didn't you just call me Master?"
Megumin stared at me blankly. She seemed at a loss for words for the first time.
"Th-that was just because I knew not what else to call you! I referred to you by the name of Master not actually acknowledging you as my Master!"
"Sorry!" I apologized not really understanding the situation but I was afraid I insulted her accidentally. "My name is Akane, pleased to meet you."
I stuck my right hand out for a handshake. She looked at it momentarily before smacking it with her staff. The back of my hand burned slightly and next thing I know an emblem appeared where she had struck me. Dyed in crimson, it looked like a staff with a jewel at the tip over a full moon.
"Alright contract's formed, Akane! Now in recognition of your magical ability to be able to summon the great Megumin, I'll demonstrate for you the strongest spell known to man!"
A magical circle formed beneath her as she began to mouth words. I immediately grabbed her and covered her mouth to stop her.
"Um, please don't cast here, it'll disturb the neighbors!"
She looked a little disappointed. She began to look out frantically, probably looking somewhere to cast her spell. She perked up immediately and pointed off to the distance.
"Do not worry, Akane! I will yet be able to demonstrate to you the power of Explosion. I sense a battle taking place over there, there is one servant in that direction"
"Oh you can tell?"
"It is such a trivial matter for an Archwizard as great as I, now Akane, let's go!"
She grabbed my hand with her left hand, and with her right hand she appeared to begin to throw her staff, except instead of letting go she went along with it. Before I knew it we were high up in the air.
Don't look down, don't look down… I continued to tell myself that. But at some point my curiosity got the better of me and I looked down, the houses and buildings in the area appeared to be small ants. I let out a scream.
"Hahaha! This is the best! I wish I could do this at home!"
It seemed like Megumin could only fly here, I thought about asking about it but between the fear of falling and thinking it might upset her I kept my mouth shut.
"U-um, are you sure this is what you want to do?"
"Of course! This the first time this world will have seen Explosion magic cast by the greatest Archwizard of the Crimson Demon Clan!"
"But isn't it better to surprise them?"
"Hngh-! No absolutely not, the power of my explosion magic is amplified by the more people who hear my incantation for it!"
According to Megumin, shortly after we arrived, a second Servant appeared and a battle had broken out between the two. Megumin insisted on getting into the middle of it and casting explosion but I advised against it. She explained to me that she wanted as many people as possible to hear her so I suggested we use the broadcast room to push out her voice over the PA system in the school we had visited.
Darkness blacker than black, darker than dark,
I beseech thee, combine with my deep crimson,
The time of awakening cometh.
Justice, fallen upon the infallible boundary,
Appear now as an intangible distortion!
I desire for my torrent of power a destructive force:
A destructive force without equal!
Return all creation to cinders and come forth from the abyss.
While she was chanting, a large magic circle appeared in the field far off below her. She threw open the window yelling "Burst, forth, Explosion!" pointing her staff in the direction. What followed was what I could only think of as sheer destructive power. Anything caught inside that explosion was sure to have burned down into cinders.
I was still gazing out the window, completely dumbstruck by the amount of magic power and destructive force of her spell. Was I really able to summon such a powerful Servant? It seemed almost too good to be true
Megumin let out a sigh of satisfaction before plomping on the ground, "That really is the best…"
"Um, Megumin, are you okay?"
"I might need a little help to move…" She seemed to be completely out of energy. I reached my hand out to help her get up. She reached for it and I attempted to pick her up but we ended up both falling over.
"I'm so sorry!" I apologized profusely while getting up and dusting myself off. She was still lifeless laying on the ground beneath me.
"Wait… this feels different than usual…" Megumin said as she began struggling to get up. She managed to pick herself up and for some reason looked really triumphant, as if she just climbed the top of Mt. Fuji.
"Hahaha! Akane it seems our connection allows me to conserve just enough energy to be able to move. It still seems like my limit is one explosion though…" she seemed sad.
"Well don't feel bad, you could always use your other spells in a fight…"
She stared at me blankly.
"Akane, there for a Crimson Demon, explosion magic is the greatest magic one would ever have the pleasure of using, for myself all other forms of magic are beneath me."
"So you don't have any other spells?"
"What else would I need besides explosion?"
She looked at me real matter of factly. She certainly was powerful but this seemed like too severe of a disadvantage…