As the light of the Fantasia shimmers brightly, a new story begins its telling...
{|} Story 4: Witch and Magi {|}
======================{Part 1: Little Witch in the Big City}======================
"So, this is Hyperion City?"
said the young girl who had the air of a mage about her.
She was dressed in a black skintight body suite that started at her neck, going all the way down to her ankles, leaving her shoulders, arms, hands, and upper back exposed.
Over that, she also had on a red dress covered in gold diamond shaped lines all over with the diamonds running along the end of her skirt being solid, red near knee high boots, red fingerless gloves, a black and red choker, and a too large for her head witch's hat with a goofy face design on it.
And resting on her left shoulder was a small black cat like creature, her familiar in fact, that she had been given by her mentor before she had departed on this journey.
Speaking of her familiar, the girl reaches up and gently rubs its ears with her hand, making it give off a content purr.
She giggles, allowing herself a moment to indulge in this act before turning her attention to the large, gated arch, then lets out a sigh.
"You know, Chomusuke, now that we're here, I can't help but find myself wondering if I want to actually risk going in there? I don't know why but I can't shake this feeling things are not going to go well for us if we do go!"
Chomusuke responds with a yawn, making Megumin giggle again, just a little bit.
She then slaps her cheeks several times in order to psych herself up, reminding herself that she had a mission here, one she needed to see to its completion no matter what.
"OK Megumin, now's not the time to be getting cold feet. Master Wolbach has intrusted this task to you and besides, you aren't some weak little girl anymore. You are the future master of Explosion here so it's time to toughen up and start acting like the adult you are now!"
With her confidence restored, for the moment, Megumin grips her staff tightly before marching into Hyperion City to begin her search for the mysterious man with the goatee and mohawk.
Very quickly after entering the city, Megumin spotted a person walking along, making her run up to them while calling out to 'excuse me for a moment here!'
The man stops, looks back at her as she reaches him, and says-
"What do you want, little kid? Can't you see I'm busy here?"
His words make Megumin 'urk' back, due to being called a little kid by this guy.
She then puffs her cheeks out before saying with an annoyed tone-
"Little kid? I am not a little kid, sir. I'll have you know I am thirteen years old now, will be fourteen within a few months..."
"Is that right?"
he immediately said to her, giving her a 'I really don't care here' look.
Megumin wanted to argue this point out even more, but she instead opts to just sigh, let it go, and get back to the task at hand here.
"Look, never mind that right now. I'm new here and I need some help finding someone, a man..."
"Sorry little girl, but you aren't my type I'm afraid. Maybe if you were a year or two older, and had some nice sized tits on you, then maybe I would..."
"NO! That's not what I... you know what, never mind. I'll go ask someone else to help me."
yelled Megumin as she turned away and stormed off in a huff.
"Happy hunting, little brat."
She heard the guy yell out.
After a fair bit more walking, Megumin soon found herself emerging into a large open area with plenty of people and stalls lined up in a row, likely some kind of outdoor market area.
She then began to approach various individuals in the area and while not all she approached gave her the time of day, the few that did didn't leave her feeling any better about coming to Hyperion City.
Especially with how it went for her. Here is a sample of how it all went down-
"Excuse me, do you know if there's a large, well-built man with a goatee and a mohawk around here?"
"Get lost, pip squeak."
"Is there a large man, muscular, with a mohawk and..."
"Not that I am aware of."
"Please, I need someone to help me here. I need to find a powerful looking man..."
"Yeah, he's right here... in my pants. Wanna go someplace more private and secluded so we can do a proper introduction, baby?"
Basically, this was how it went for poor Megumin over the span of a few hours as she searched in vain.
Around lunch time, Megumin had found herself a nice-looking bench to collapse onto while hanging her head back to gaze up into the sky, letting out a defeated sigh.
She then tilts her head back towards looking at Chomusuke who was currently sleeping on her lap.
"Do you not know how to do anything else besides eat and sleep? I could really use some help here, you know."
When Chomusuke didn't respond to her, she finds herself looking back up into the sky again, pondering if she should just give up her search here and make for another place to check out.
"Hey, is everything OK?"
The sudden voice, a female voice at that, makes Megumin go from looking at the sky to looking in the direction the voice had come from.
Sure enough, it was a woman who had spoken to her, garbed in the attire that made her look like a merc or someone who would work such a job.
"No, not really. I came to this city in order to find a person my mentor told me to find. Said this guy would be able to help me find some famous fortuneteller that would be able to guide me on my journey. Unfortunately, the only thing I've discovered so far is that this place is filled with jerks, assholes, morons, and perverts."
"Welcome to the real world, I'm afraid. Why don't you tell me who it is you're looking for and we'll see if I can help you any."
Finally, an actual decent human being here.
Megumin gave the description of the guy she was looking for, making the woman take a moment to think about what she had just been told. Finally, the woman says-
"I'm afraid I can't think of anyone who has such a description about them. At least, not anyone I believe your master would be crazy enough to send you to meet."
"Oh, I see..."
said the dejected Megumin, once again thinking that perhaps she should just cut her losses and move on to the next nearest town or city.
She then feels the woman place a hand on her shoulder, getting Megumin to look up at her again.
"There may be a place where you can find that information though, if you are willing to take a risk that is."
While Megumin didn't like hearing the word 'risk' be used, she still wanted to hear the details at least.
"Tell me."
The woman nods before beginning her explanation.
"Here in Hyperion City is a place called the Under Tow, located in a rather seedy part of the city known as the Skids. If you are looking for someone or something, odds are you'll find the Under Tow to be the best place to get real progress with your search."
Megumin jumps to her feet, causing Chomusuke to awaken in a panic as she plops onto the ground.
"Can you tell me how to get there? I'm... well, it's probably obvious but I am new to this place."
"Of course. To find the Skids and from there, the Under Tow, all you need do is..."
The woman then gives Megumin the route to take, asking her once she was finished to repeat what she had said in order to be sure everything was heard correctly.
Megumin then boasted, with great pride I might add, about her perfect memory recall.
Megumin then bows low before the woman, saying-
"Thank you for your help, I mean it. In a town full of... beast and fools, its nice to see that there's a few good people walking about it as well."
"No need for thanks, just doing what I can for a fellow girl in this sick and twisted world."
Megumin nods before scooping Chomusuke up, going to leave when the woman calls out to her.
"Don't go letting your guard down while down there, you hear me. The clientele of the Under Tow are known to be a seedy and ruthless bunch. Many of them won't hesitate for even a second to turn a sweet young girl like yourself into a meal, if you know what I mean. In fact, keep this in mind the very moment in step into the Skids proper."
"Avoid making eye contact with anyone and don't trust anyone down there, either. In fact, just play it safe and don't trust anyone here in Hyperion, period! Be especially wary of the barkeep that operates the Under Tow. You'll recognize the man easily enough with his signature handlebar like mustache. There are rumors he's involved in some rather shady business. I doubt he would be a physical threat to you, but you can be sure he'll be a threat to your purse if you aren't careful around him."
Megumin nods, confirming that she will keep all that in mind, then she thanks the woman again before running on her way.
After a moment, the woman turns and heads off herself, a devious smile forming as she goes.
==================={Part 2: Be Careful with Who You Trust}===================
Megumin had a strong feeling the Skids weren't the kind of place she would normally want to visit at any point in her life...
And upon entering the Skids, she quickly confirmed that she was right about that assessment.
Unlike the other areas of Hyperion, she had seen thus far, the Skids were dark, dank, dreary, and definitely no place for a girl to be passing through, especially alone.
Steam poured out from cracked pipes that looked like they hadn't been properly maintained in years, adding a bit of spooky ambiance to the air down here.
There was also plenty of water puddles along the ground, or at least she hoped that they were actual water making up the puddles and not something else more disgusting.
Either way, she decided it would be safer for her if she just walked around each puddle she came across.
There were also plenty of rats, large ones at that, and mangy looking cats scattered about that gave her nerves a good workout-
Though these things were nothing when compared to the strange looks she knew she was getting from the few people she had crossed paths with ever since coming down here, sitting in their little corners and peeking out from within their alley way hiding spots.
She decides to quicken her pace in order to reach her destination, hopefully get the information she needed, and get out of this place as quickly as possible.
Soon, the neon glow of the Under Tow sign came into view and, after a moment to steel herself in preparation for whatever awaited her inside, she opened the door and entered quickly.
Almost at once, she felt all the eyes present within the large room had fallen onto her, making Megumin feel even more uneasy here.
So much for trying to maintain a strong and confident presence while around these people.
She then proceeded forward warily, making sure to keep her eyes locked onto the man behind the counter on the far end of the room.
She could also make out the sounds of whispers and mumbling going on amongst the crowd and she knew it wasn't anything good here.
Taking a seat on one of the stools set out before the counter, Megumin waits nervously, watching as the man opposite her busied himself with cleaning the glass he held in his hand.
"Give me a moment here, kid."
he said, not taking his eyes off his work.
Megumin tried her best to keep her eyes locked and focused on the man before her, but an impulse made her turn and look around the room, observing all the different faces herein that were, in turn, keeping their eyes on her.
She did take note of one person in particular, Along the wall were several half domes, probably the privacy tables or so she assumed.
And sitting at one of these privacy tables was a figure wearing a heavy looking faded cloak. The only part of this person's body she could see was his mouth, nose, and chin.
Shaking her, head, Megumin turns back to look at the barkeep just as he places the glass down, then observes the room.
"OK fellas, enough with the staring contest now. Go back to your business and leave this one here to hers, alright."
One by one, the gathered crowd did as the barkeep asked and went back to their own business. The barkeep then turns his attention to Megumin and ask-
"Sorry about that, and about the wait too. How can I help... huh? Well, isn't this a rare sight. I don't often get an angel face coming in here."
"Angel face?"
asked Megumin, cocking her head to one side, clearly confused.
"My term to describe an innocent, virginal girl. You know, the kind who shouldn't be coming 'round these parts. Well, seeing as you're here now, might as well go ahead and tell me what you need. Just so we're clear, I won't serve any alcohol to minors, under any circumstance."
Megumin wanted to argue against that, wanted to tell the barkeep that she wasn't a minor, but she decides to let that go as she really wanted to hurry up and get out of this place as quickly as possible.
"I'm looking for information. I was told by a woman here in town that this was the best place to go if I wanted to find someone."
"I'm not so sure about all that. I also think this woman that sent you my way must be quite knocked in the head to have you come all the way here by yourself on top of that. But, seeing as you are here now, I'll see what I can do. Who is it you're looking for?"
Megumin then described to the barkeep the appearance of the man she had been sent to find here.
Once she had finished giving the description, the barkeep lets out a sigh before placing a hand under his chin in a thinking pose sort of fashion, tapping the countertop with a finger from the other hand.
Finally, he says-
"You know, it would be nice if you had a name to go along with that description, kid. Would allow me to be better certain about the guy I'm thinking of is the one you're seeking here."
"So, does that mean you know him?"
"I know of a guy who fits that description, not necessarily the one you're after here. Like I said, a name would have been nice but what can you do."
Megumin waits, wanting the barkeep to hurry up and tell her so she could leave this place already.
After a moment, the barkeep finally says-
"Giving you the directions here would be a... bad idea, for reasons I won't go into. Luckily for you, the man I'm thinking of has a friend that comes 'round here frequently, to get information out of me. Just wait here a moment while I go check something and I'll be back to collect you."
Megumin nods as the barkeep turns and heads towards a door that led into a backroom, or so she assumed. He stops just as he reaches the door and looks back at her, saying-
"And kid, just stay where you are, alright. For your sake."
He then turns his attention out towards the seated patrons and nods his head towards one of them.
He then steps into the room beyond, leaving Megumin to think about her current situation.
Truth be told, she was becoming more and more nervous by the moment and that last act she saw the barkeep do didn't foster much confidence in her.
She reaches a hand up, scratching Chomusuke's ears in order to calm herself down, to no avail.
'Maybe... I should make a run for it while I can?'
she thought as she prepared to stand and leave, when...
She felt a hand come to rest on her unoccupied shoulder, making her turn her head quickly to see a skinny man with rat like features looking at her with a creepy smile.
"Could you... please take your hands off me, sir."
she asked, trying to be as polite and inoffensive here as possible, mainly to avoid one of those cliché moments she had read about in some of Wolbach's old books.
The rat faced man's smile grew wider though he does as she requested, only to go take a seat on the stool right next to her.
Even worse, another guy, this one tall and bulky, takes a seat on the stool of her opposite side. Unlike the rat faced man, he doesn't say anything to her, instead choosing to maintain his stone-faced glare at her which was even more unsettling.
"Hey, sweet cheeks, I hear you's looking for da boss."
The rat faced man's voice was laced with sleaze, making Megumin go rigid as her mind raced with all the options she could try in order to avoid where this could be going.
'Please, please, please, mister barkeep. If you're actually a good guy here, then hurry up and come back out now.'
"You was just asked a question. Rather rude to not give an answer."
came the bulky man, his tone cold and hard as his face looked all stone like.
"I... um... I guess? Are you saying you know the man with the muscular build, goatee, and mohawk?"
"Of course we know him. We're part of his crew, after all."
said the rat faced man with a snake like grin on his face. A second later, his buddy adds-
"We can take you to him, if you want?"
Megumin answers immediately, not wasting even a second to think about it.
"Um... no thanks, I don't think that will be necessary here."
Rat face smirks, saying-
"I see. Well, that's too bad as we're planning on leaving Hyperion within the hour. Have some business out in other cities, we do. Won't be back around here for a few more months."
"I don't believe you."
The rat faced man looks at her for a few more seconds before letting out a sigh, then standing up with his buddy following his actions. He then shrugs while saying-
"Told to not trust anyone down here, I take it? Good advice that. Tis a shame though, I'm sure the boss could have helped you out with whatever problem you're dealing with. Come on, Bulkus, we have to hurry back and finish getting stuff ready for the trip."
"Right."
They then begin to walk away from Megumin, making her mind now wonder if she was making a big mistake by letting them go; that thought quickly overriding any degree of common sense as she finally throws caution to the wind calling out to those two-
"Wait..., do you really know him?"
The two stop and look back at her, the rat faced man smiling as he says-
"I said I did, didn't I?"
"And you will take me to him?"
asked Megumin, getting a nod from the bulky guy.
"Sure thing, baby girl. Just follow us and you won't regret it."
She then clenches her fist, hoping that this was the right choice as she stands and walks over to join them.
Together with those two guys, Megumin exits Under Tow, the other patrons shaking their heads sadly at the poor fate they knew waited that girl.
Sure, they could have stepped in and helped her, but these people were the kind of people not known for sticking their necks out to help others, no matter what.
Moments later, the barkeep comes back into the main room, saying as he does so-
OK, angel face, just come on back here and... where did she go?"
"She's gone and gotten herself into quite a bit of trouble, from the looks of it."
The barkeep, as well as the other patrons turn to see that the figure sitting at the privacy table had stood up and was walking towards the door himself, mumbling beneath his breath-
"And people often ask me why I hate dealing with little kids so much!"
(a few minutes later)
Megumin found herself becoming more and more nervous here as the two men she had taken off with were leading her further and deeper into the Skids, the lighting becoming dimmer and darker as they went.
She had already concluded that she had made a big mistake here by coming with these two, just as she knew any attempt on her part to go make a run for it now would likely be a futile one as well.
To that end, she had begun to quietly chant, preparing herself to unleash her sole magic spell here should the need arise.
Sure, there would probably be a lot a people down here who would be caught up in the blast if she fired it off but right now, she really wasn't too worried about that little detail.
It wasn't long before she and the two men made a turn into an alley way, finding that there was no opposite exit she could run towards and worse, the two men had taken a few steps back to block her sole exit route.
Yep, she had definitely made a big mistake back there.
"End of the line, baby girl."
said the rat faced man as he steps forward and wraps an arm around her shoulder while his buddy repositions himself to better block her should she try to run.
Chomusuke quickly lifts her head up, hissing at the rat faced man while Megumin was quick to push his arm off her and makes some space between them.
"So, you did lie to me back there!"
"No shit, kid. What kind of place do you think this is, huh?"
said the rat faced man, his smiling face not matching well with the tone he was now speaking with.
"D-Don't think I'm just gonna let you do whatever you want with me. I c-can defend myself; you know."
They both laugh at her followed by rat face saying-
"Exactly how, I wonder? You gonna scream, baby? Go ahead. Fat lot of good that's going to do ya down in a place like this."
The bulky guy then says-
"Go ahead, show us how you can defend yourself. Will be fun to watch."
Rat face laughs at that as Megumin places her hands together, summoning her mage staff out before her, followed by her taking aim at them, her sudden actions cause them to adopt a worried expression now.
'I was really hoping I wouldn't need to do this, but you two have left me no choice.'
The crystal on her staff begins to glow as she puts all her focus into unleashing her mana at them.
"Explo..."
Megumin doesn't get to finish as a sudden pinch like sensation against the back of her neck, causes her to feel as if all her strength had just been ripped away.
She then reaches back, pulling the small dart like item that had stung her free and looking at it as she says-
"What the..."
She then collapses onto the ground, her staff clattering on the dirty stone beside her.
She turned her gaze towards the two men who were breathing in a deep sigh of relief.
"You two stupid idiots, did I not say to be careful with this one when I told you to go collect her?"
Came a voice, a woman's voice. A very familiar sounding woman's voice.
A figure then comes from out of nowhere, walking past Megumin, over to the two guys.
"Wait, aren't you...?"
It was the woman who had helped her out before, telling her about the Under Tow and such.
Why was she...?
'Damn it, Megumin. Why didn't you see this coming sooner? Of course, there had to have been an ulterior motive behind her helping you out.'
After the woman finishes chastising her flunkies, she turns her attention back to Megumin and says-
"Just look at you, stupid girl. What did I say to you before? Don't trust anybody here in Hyperion. That warning included me myself; you know. How can anyone be so naïve? (sigh) Can't be helped, I guess. The young are always way to trusting in life."
Megumin glares at the woman as she tries to get her body to start working with her here.
There was no need to ask what had been done to her as it was already clearly obvious.
Instead, she asks-
"What are you going to do with me?"
The woman smiles as she begins to walk, slowly towards Megumin, which makes Chomusuke jump out in front, getting in between them and hissing in a threatening way.
"Oh, isn't that adorable. That little kitty of yours is trying to protect you..."
The woman then kicks Chomusuke, sending her flying against a side wall.
Megumin screams as she sees her familiar slump down onto the ground before looking back at the woman, giving her a deathly glare.
"I'm going to make you regret doing that, lady."
The woman laughs before kneeling down and knocking away Megumin's mage hat before grabbing her by her hair and lifting her head up just a little.
"No... no, I don't believe you will, here. Anyways, to answer your question from before. I think we'll be taking you down to the black markets. You see, a girl such as yourself well fetch us quite the high price. You'd be surprised how many folks out there would pay for a child slave in this world."
'I'd rather not know, if at all possible.'
"Say boss, before we take her down to the black market, maybe me and Bulkus should take a few moments to give her a proper look over here. You know, examine the goods to make sure we'll get a good return off her."
The woman thinks about it for a second, then smiles as she gives them a nod which makes them also smile.
Megumin knew what what likely about to happen here, happen to her which makes her attempt to get her body working again become all the more desperate.
"Sure, go ahead. Have your fun, boys. But make sure you don't go below the belt here. After all, virgins are worth far more."
The woman goes to stand off to the side as her two flunkies begin to walk forward, the rat faced man already preparing to drop his pants.
Tears begin to form in Megumin's eyes, her body shaking from fear as the get closer and closer.
'Please... no, not like this. Someone, anyone. Please, save me...'
The rat faced man finally arrives, his gaze upon her as he says-
"Now then, what do you say we have some... (gurk)"
His words are cut off as something smacks against his head with enough force that it sends him stumbling over to one side.
The woman and the bulky guy quickly go on alert, their attentions locked onto the figure that was now looking into the alley way at them.
Megumin turns her head to look at this figure as well, it dawning on her that she had seen him before.
'That's... the guy I saw, sitting at the privacy table.'
"I think you three have had enough fun here with her. Now, it's my turn to have a little fun!"
===================={Part 3: The Priority One: Phantom Magi}====================
The woman begins to laugh at hearing the declaration of the cloaked man.
"My-my, impressive bravado on your part, my good sir. But I'm afraid we aren't done here with this one yet. If you're wanting to have a turn with her, then I suggest you head over to the black-market showroom and wait for her to be brought out. You know, pay for her if you want to play with her."
The cloaked figure didn't move or respond, verbally at least. They did see him crack a smile though.
The woman narrows her eyes at him.
"Do you really think you can take all of us here?"
"What, one against three? I think I can handle myself. Truth told, I've dealt with plenty more than that in the past, and those guys looked far more intimidating that you lot currently do."
The woman then laughs while her two henchmen grin towards the cloaked figure.
"Oh, you think this is three on one here. Yeah, about that...?"
Before the cloaked figure could respond, a shot rings out and the cloaked figures body seems to jerk before he began to fall forward.
Behind him, barely visible from another alley across the street, had been slender looking girl wielding a rifle, which she had just used to shoot the cloaked figure in his back.
"I'll finish him off."
yelled Bulkus, already rushing forward with a surprising degree of speed for a guy of his build, sending a powerful punch right into the cloaked figures stomach as he was still in the middle of free fall.
Megumin closes her eyes, turning her head away to avoid seeing what was to become of her would-be savior here.
For what felt like an eternity, the air held an eerie silence to it, and then...
The cloak falls harmless onto Bulkus's hand and arm, leaving everyone confused.
"What the...?"
He said before an uppercut comes flying into his chin, knocking him back as the now uncloaked figure stands tall with no sign of injury.
"Eh? Just how did he avoid getting injured just a moment ago? Wasn't Shade using her armor piercing bullets on this guy?"
asked the rat faced man.
The rescuer smiles, saying-
"Wouldn't you like to know!"
His word choice made it clear he wasn't going to reveal the secret behind his little magic trick.
The woman growls before yelling at the girl named Shade to hurry up and shoot him.
The rescuer immediately goes low while spinning around, tossing some sort of item at her in the process.
His actions were so unexpected, Shade didn't have time to react as the item hits her, then immediately extends out, wrapping around her until her whole body, save for her head, had been bound up in ropes, making her collapse onto the ground, struggling in vain to free herself.
The guy then turns back to face the remaining three as he rights himself again and, in the process, said three are finally able to get a real good look at him.
It was rat faced who first realized just who it was that now stood before them.
"Boss, I know who that is. The third most wanted man in the country, with a bounty of 4.7 billion eris on his head if brought in alive. The priority one bounty everyone seeks to capture, no matter what..."
"Phantom Magi!"
Megumin, who had started watching everything again, looked on with amazement at this person.
'Phantom 'maw-gee?' A priority one... oh wow, so cool.'
Was it his confident pose that had her feeling in-awe here? Was it his black pocket filled pants, black shirt, and black jacket with a neon green colored hoody, and neon green running along the ends and edges of his jacket? Was it his silver-colored hair? No, instead what had her attention was...
The black and white colored mask he was wearing over his eyes, with little half-moons and star shaped symbols under those half-moons. It was definitely her kind of style.
The leader repeated the name several times before smiling.
"Ah, I remember now. You must be quite the evil man to have earned a bounty of such magnitude. 4.7 billion? (whistle) Yes indeed, sounds like you've been quite the naughty little boy, haven't we?"
Phantom Magi takes on a thinking pose, mumbling loudly as he does.
"Have I been an evil guy these last few years? Sure, there have been a few sexual harassment charges filed against me, but those were all miss... wait? (he takes on an excited air) Am I really worth 4.7 billion now? Damn, I'm starting to feel a little tempted to go ahead and turn myself in so I can pocket that reward. Wait till old Ruff here's about this one!"
The woman laughs again, then says-
"The how about we help you out with that, friend?"
As if on cue, Bulkus and the rat faced guy charge forward, Bulkus using his fist as a weapon while the rat faced pulls out a knife.
They try to land their hits on Phantom Magi, though make an effort to avoid dealing any fatal injury onto him, but their target easily dances around their attacks for a few moments before suddenly lunging forward, knocking the knife from rat faced man's hand, then kicks him hard in his stomach which sends him flying back.
"I'll make you pay for that."
yelled Bulkus as he tries a fake out punch towards Phantom Magi's face, when he was really using his other hand to go for a low blow.
Despite that though, Magi turns to the side to avoid the first while also leaping into the air to jump over the second, then grabs onto Bulkus' face with his right hand, which was covered by some strange looking metal contraption that made his hand look all mechanical and shiny.
"Siphon!"
said Phantom Magi as particles of energy becomes visible, being drawn into the metal hand covering while Bulkus cries out, attempting the get Magi's hand off him.
The attempt fails as his energy was quickly sapped from him, his body collapsing onto the ground unconscious after just a few moments.
"Bulkus, buddy..."
yelled rat face as Phantom Magi looks at him and smiles.
"Don't worry, he should be fine after a few hours of rest."
"You're a dead man!"
roared rat face as he charges at Magi, the woman yelling out at him to stop being an idiot here.
Phantom Magi sighs as he dodges several attempted stabs from rat face, before belting him and sending him flying back again, though rat face was quick to recover and make another attempt.
"Sorry, but I'm starting to get bored now. Time to end this little game here."
said Phantom Magi as he pulls a revolver from its holster hanging from his side. He then turns the chamber before aiming it at rat face, who goes to dodge but Magi had already guessed correctly which way he would dodge to and adjusted his aim accordingly.
"Liquidation."
A powerful stream of water shoots out, dousing and soaking rat face quite easily, leaving him, the woman, and Megumin all confused.
"Wait, that's it?"
said rat face while the woman warns him to stay on his toes here.
Phantom Magi then turns the chamber again, making the barrel open up, a small ball of ice forming within it.
"Frost Ball."
The ball of ice then fires out, a little slower than the Water Shot, but still fast. Not fast enough though as rat face easily swats it with his arm, the thing easily shattering from the impact, leaving nothing but an icy mist in its place.
Rat face then looks at Phantom Magi and says-
"What, is that really all that thing can do here? Unleash simple and silly gags against your targets? If so, then there's no way you can..."
He immediately goes silent as all the water that had been covering him turns to ice, making him collapse onto the ground immediately.
'So... so cool.'
thinks Megumin, still lost in her own world as her eyes continue to focus on Phantom Magi.
The woman finds herself taking a step back as Magi turns the chamber again, this time making smoke begin to leak out from the barrel.
Her focus on his revolver weapon finally makes her realize what it was he was holding.
"I see, so that thing in your hands is the infamous 'Caster MR-7' model. I've heard of them, but I was told they were so rare in their production that many believe that they never existed at all. I wonder how someone like you managed to get a hold of one?"
Phantom Magi smiles at her and says-
"Would you believe me if I said it was an old... friend, I use that term loosely here, that gave it to me before we had something of a falling out."
Phantom Magi then begins to walk towards the woman who immediately bends down, grabs Megumin and hoist her up, bringing her own weapon, a dagger, up against Megumin's neck.
"Get any closer and I'll slit her throat. Trust me, friend. I will do it if I have to."
This time it was Phantom Magi who was laughing, a surprisingly cold laugh while aiming the Caster towards the ground.
"Man, you must be really stupid, woman. In case you forgot, I have a 4.7 billion bounty on my head. What does that tell you about me, I wonder? Do you think, for even a second, I actually care about saving that girls life here?"
Those words make the woman hesitate, beads of sweat now forming and falling from her brow.
Phantom Magi then pulls the trigger on his Caster while still aiming it at the ground.
Immediately, the whole alley way becomes covered in a dense smoke, making the woman drop Megumin and try to make a break for the entrance...
Only to find herself getting tripped up and the now glowing red barrel of the Caster pressed right against her cheek.
She then hears Phantom Magi say as the smoke begins to clear.
"Don't do anything stupid now. At this range, my Brimstone Bullet will cause serious damage to your whole face IF I decide to pull the trigger."
The woman nods, tears in her eyes as she does so, her body now shaking with fear.
Phantom Magi then kneels down, the barrel never leaving its position on her.
"OK lady, here's the deal. I'm going to be the nicer guy here and let you, and those three flunkies of yours off this time, and ONLY this time. You hear me?" (she quickly nods) Good on you there. Now, I expect you four, and anyone else that's part of your little circle to leave your current line of work behind. Do something more respectable from now on, understand?"
Again, she silently nods quickly as Phantom Magi stands and puts his weapon away.
As she goes to stand herself, Phantom Magi says to her-
"Just to warn you, if I ever hear anything about you and yours still being involved in this sort of game again, I will hunt you down, I will find you. And believe me, you don't want to ever meet with me again. Because next time, I promise none of you will be walking away from that encounter."
The woman found herself shrinking back at his ice-cold words, the intimidation he was giving off making her want to scream out in terror.
"I promise, I promise, I'll... I mean we will turn over a new leaf here. You'll never hear anything of us doing bad stuff again, I swear. So, can I go now?"
"You may, but one quick question first. That girl you guys had dark designs on. I'm already aware that you hit her with some sort of paralysis toxin. Would you mind undoing it before taking off?"
"There's no need. The effect will only last for an hour or so... and..."
Phantom Magi sighs before waving his hand at her, shooing her away which she doesn't hesitate for even a second to do.
As she leaves the alley and takes off at high speed, Phantom Magi hears her female accomplice shout out to not leave her behind. He then looks down at the unconscious form of the one guy and the frozen form of the other before sighing again, then turns to face Megumin.
"So... so cool..."
Phantom Magi observes her for a moment, then walks past her and kneels down before the still unmoving Chomusuke, reaching out his his strange looking right hand and running his fingers over her fur before pressing his palm onto her.
"Reverse Siphon."
He then sends all the vitality he had taken from the big guy and sends it into Chomusuke, make her perk right up as her eyes open and she quickly gets back onto her feet.
She then looks up at Phantom Magi, studies him for a second before mewing happily, jumping onto his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek. He pats and rubs her head, saying-
"Nice to know that you're a good girl. Now, let's go see to your friend..."
Phantom Magi makes his way over to Megumin, kneeling down and helping her into a sitting position.
"You know kid, that was a very stupid thing you did back there. Wanna tell me just what exactly you were... think...ing? Hey, is something wrong?"
Phantom Magi was becoming concerned here as her eyes just kept getting bigger and bigger, to the point he was afraid that if they got any bigger, her eyes would pop out from their sockets.
"So... so..."
"Hm?"
"Your mask... it's so cool!"
===================={Part 4: Introductions Can Be Difficult...}====================
Phantom Magi placed Megumin down on a bench located right next to a surprisingly breathtaking view of Hyperion City.
From here, one wouldn't know that this city had a rather nasty, rot filled area like the Skids, nor would they be able to tell that many of the residents would have little problem with leaving you hanging if there was some way they could somehow benefit from the act.
After hearing this girl's declaration about his mask, Magi had picked her up, carrying her out of there, seeing as she still couldn't move at that time and even he didn't want to keep hanging around for the time it would take for her to regain full motor control over her body.
He had expected her to complain, especially as he was carrying her bridal style. Instead, she was very agreeable surprisingly, probably because of his mask seeing as the entire trip, her wide eyes filled with wonder never left their focus on his mask, nor did she stop saying how cool she thought his mask was.
Anyways, once he had sat her down, the little cat like creature hopped down onto her lap, her hands automatically going to pet it though he eyes never lost their focus on him.
He then steps back a little bit, moving over to the railing which he leans back against.
"Now then, seeing as we are in a more agreeable part of the city, would you mind telling me what brought you down to such a pit like the Skids?"
"So cool... so cool... so cool..."
she said in a trance like tone, making him role his eyes behind the mask.
"Yes-yes, I believe we have already well established that my mask is rather cool looking. Let's leave that aside for now and get serious here, OK? Can you go ahead and answer my question, kid? And while we're at it, want to tell me what possessed you to go along with those two?"
"So cool... so cool... so cool..."
Magi sighs, starting to get annoyed here.
'I wonder if what happened... what nearly happened to her, has possibly broken her brain?'
Magi then pulls himself away from resting against the railing, walking back over to the girl.
Once he was right in front of her, he waves a hand before her, getting no motion from her head or even her eyes.
He then moves himself from side to side, seeing her now follow him... rather, follow the mask, making sure it didn't leave her line of sight.
He sighs again as he tilts his head skyward.
"So, I'm guessing she must be one of those types of people. Great, my day is now officially ruined."
Magi then looks around, seeing if anyone else was around that would see him. Seeing no one apart from this girl and her pet, he decides to go ahead and return to being his other self.
Magi takes his armored hand and taps a cufflink like object on his left sleeve twice, the item flashing for a moment before the color of his clothing changing.
Before, it had been all black with neon green. Now, he was sporting green pants and a green jacket with black along the shoulders and a white undershirt.
(AN: In other words, it's essentially his tracksuit but with a different colored undershirt)
He then reaches up and pulls his mask off, revealing green eyes beneath and making his hair shift from silver to brown.
The girl, not surprisingly, follows the movement of his mask as he goes to slide it into the inside of his jacket, and then...
"Ah... no, please don't put it away. Don't go trying to hide such a cool..."
'OK, enough of this crap already!'
No sooner had Magi made sure the mask was secure inside his jacket, he immediately brings both knuckles out and presses them HARD against the side of Megumin's head before unleashing the fiercest noogie upon this girl as he possible could.
Immediately, Megumin cries out in pain, begging Magi to stop hurting her.
He ignores her cries, keeping at it for about fifteen or so seconds before finally releasing her.
He then returns to his previous position, then looks back at her, seeing she was now sniffling with tears in her eyes.
"So, can we NOW get on with our business here?"
"... mean... you're such a meanie... and why did you have to take off the mask?"
"Because you weren't going to be paying attention to me otherwise. Now, can you do me a solid and stop the water works. I don't know about you, but I know I don't have all day here, loli."
Almost like the flip of a switch, Megumin goes from practically crying to being angry, quickly standing which sends Chomusuke flying off her before she runs over to Magi in a challenging manner.
"What did you just say? Did you call me a loli? You did, didn't you. I don't care if you do have such a cool mask, anyone who insults me will be on the receiving end of my fury, got that?"
Magi simply rolls his eyes at her, making her beat her fist against his chest, an act that hurt a lot more than he had expected, seeing as this small child didn't have any muscle on her from what he could tell.
'Yep, definitely just ruined my day by saving her ass...'
After a bit, where Magi was able to calm her down a fair bit, he finally managed to get her to tell him what brought her all the way down to the Skids, as well as what drove her to go do something stupid by going with those guys as well.
Once she had finished, he sighs once more before rubbing his forehead to help calm the sudden headache that had developed here.
"OK, first off it must be said that you are incredibly stupid, kid. Doubly so if you've chosen to walk the path of a mage which demands one have high intellect in order to properly manipulate mana and cast the most complex spells."
Megumin narrows her eyes at him, angrily saying-
"Don't go calling me stupid, or kid for that matter. I'll have you know I'll be fourteen here in a few months. I admit that I made a bad judgment call back there, a really bad one at that. But that doesn't mean I'm stupid. If you want to see just how 'stupid' I am, how about I show you my pride and joy, my most powerful spell right here and now!"
Magi chuckles, making her become angrier.
"While your offer is... tempting, KID! I'm afraid we'll have to save playing games together for another time."
Megumin's furious gaze at him remains for a few moments more before she puffs her cheeks and turns away in a huff, mumbling words under her breath he couldn't quite hear here.
After allowing her a few more moments more to complain to herself, he clears his throat to get her attention back onto him.
"Now, about this guy you're looking for. I do know a guy who does meet that description you've been giving to people."
"You do, really?"
she said, her tone shifting from being one of anger and annoyance to being one of hope.
Magi nods before holding his hand out at her.
"However, I want to point out that I'm not sure if the guy I'm thinking of is the guy you're looking for. Despite that uncertainty, I'm willing to take you to meet him. If you're lucky, it will be the guy you want. If not, then maybe he might know how to find your guy or who knows, maybe he might also be able to help in the same way as the man you're looking for."
Hearing that, Megumin nods quickly, asking to be taken to meet him.
Magi then walks back over to her, asking her as he does-
"Question, do you think you'll be fine with going on a long trip? To reach his place will take us near to three weeks on foot."
"Three weeks? Um... well, if there's no other choice here then... I guess I'm..."
Magi then laughs, leaving her confused and a little annoyed.
He then holds up his hand, making her hold back from saying anything just yet.
"Please note I said it could take us three weeks if ON FOOT. If I take you, we won't be traveling on foot. Rather, we'll be using a more convenient mode of transportation, one that will see us reaching his place in about three to four days, assuming we don't get delayed by anything... or anyone."
'That sounds way better.'
thought Megumin before agreeing to his offer.
"OK, I accept. Please, Phantom Magi, take me the meet with the guy you know here."
Magi nods, then says-
"Before, there are three things we must do. One, we should take a few minutes to go have some lunch. Probably a good idea to take a bathroom break as well as once we head out, I don't want us to stop until it's time to set up camp for the night to rest."
"Second, I also want to stop off at a store to pick up some supplies for the trip. Now that I have you and your little friend coming with me, I don't have enough on me now to see us getting there on full stomachs and such."
"And finally, don't go calling me Phantom Magi when I'm not wearing the mask, OK. The world doesn't know the name or face behind the mask of Magi and I would like to keep it that way, if at all possible."
Megumin nods, very much understanding that much. After all, having a 4.7 billion bounty on your head. Anyone would want to have an alias they could use to walk around out in the open without having to worry about running for their lives. Well, at least not as much as they would have to otherwise.
"Then when you aren't wearing the mask, what should I call you? I'm Megumin, by the way. And this little guy here is my familiar, Chomusuke."
Magi looks at them for a moment, his eyes blinking quickly before he asks-
"Those were fake names you just gave me, right? Come on, can't you tell me your real names here?"
This makes Megumin go into a huff, complaining about how everyone always makes fun of her name, as well as her naming conventions for things.
"OK-OK, just chill out for a second, will ya. I'm sorry if I hurt your feeling here, alright."
"I don't believe you. Anyways, I told you our names, now it's time you told us yours."
"Me, I'm Kazuma. Satou Kazuma. Now then, let's go get some lunch, kiddo!"
========================{Part 5: What She Can Do Too!}========================
Kazuma could only watch on, with a mixture of amazement and disbelief on his face, as Megumin ate her lunch, her fifth helping mind you, with shocking speed.
"Incredible, to see someone with such a small body like yours be able to consume so much food in such a short time... If this is a regular thing for you, I have to wonder how you've been able to maintain such a slim frame all this time? I mean, just where does all that food go too, I wonder? It certainly isn't going to your chest from the looks of it."
Megumin tilts her head up at him, giving him a deathly glare. She then tries to say something in response but with her mouth so stuffed with food, the only thing that came out was chewed food and a garbled noise.
Kazuma grins at her then says-
"Could you repeat that, little loli? And this time, do so after swallowing what's in your mouth."
After taking care of that, Megumin finally says in a manner one could understand-
"I said don't be talking about my chest, pervert. What right do you have to judge me anyways. Mister 4.7 billion bounty? And don't call me loli again either, otherwise I might find myself saying things aloud you'd rather me not be saying loudly."
"You do that and you'll find yourself having to continue your little search solo, kid. And on the topic of your chest? I couldn't help but notice that you had red eyes!"
"Crimson eyes, thank you very much. Please get it right next time, understand? And what does me having crimson-colored eyes have to do with my chest here, MAGI?"
Kazuma shrugs at her comment, taking a moment to look around to see if her words had attracted any attention onto them. Luckily, any of the other people present around the cafe hadn't seem to have taken notice, or at least so he hoped anyways.
"Crimson, red, they're both the same color when you think about it. No matter, my reason that other bit was because I heard girls with red eyes..."
Megumin gives him another intense glare.
"... I mean, crimson eyes, are also famous for having rather curvy bods and huge tits. Seeing as you have neither of these things..."
Megumin immediately turns away from him, using her hands to cover her chest before she yells out-
"What I have and don't have is none of your concern, Kazuma. Maybe my choice in clothing is meant to hide my sexy side from the eyes of hopeless, shameful perverts like you. Have you ever thought of that?"
Kazuma just grins at her, making her huff as she goes back to sitting normally though she does keep her eyes averted from his. She then mumbles out-
"Just give me another year or two and I'm sure I'll have the sexiest body you've ever seen, not that I will ever let you see it!"
Kazuma can't help but chuckle at her antics. He then decides to change the subject.
"Say, how about we move on to a different topic here?"
Megumin gives him a doubtful look.
"How about we tell each other about ourselves here? I mean, if we're going to be traveling together for the next couple of days, it would make sense we take the time to get to know each other, right? For example, I'm guessing you're a mage so you want to tell me about what spells you can use?"
As soon as she heard that, Megumin's whole disposition suddenly changed as she begins to talk, rather excitedly one could say, about magic. Specifically, about Explosion magic.
For the next fifteen minutes, Kazuma found himself listening in amazed awe at the words he heard her speak, and all relating to Explosion magic. By the time she was done talking, Kazuma was feeling really confident that she must really love Explosion magic.
After all, it was the only thing she was willing to talk about with him.
"Well, I believed I talked enough about myself for now."
"You didn't talk about yourself, technically. You talked about Explosion magic the whole damn time."
"Well, I'm sorry if I just love Explosion magic that much here. Can a girl not have a preference in her life?"
"(sigh) Fair point. Anyways, you already know one of my big secrets which, I shall remind you here, needs to be kept a secret, big time. And I would really appreciate it if you kept it a secret from now on."
"Sure... sure..."
said Megumin, having gone back to eating her meal.
Kazuma sighs again before pulling Caster from its holster and places it down on the table.
"I'm not comfortable with talking about my past here, so I shall instead talk about this guy here. The weapon I used back there against those guys was this girl here. It's a Caster MR-7 model; the MR stands for mana revolver. It can absorb mana from the atmosphere via the special magicite hammer behind the roller."
Once Kazuma had finished talking about the Caster, he places his left hand over his right arm, debating on if he should also talk about the Kaiser Arm as well.
He goes to ask Megumin if she wanted to know about it too, but finds she was more focused on her lunch than on him.
He sighs, before noticing that her cat was at least paying attention to him, making him reach out and rub her ears gently, getting a happy mew in response. He gives the little kitty a smile and says-
"At least you seem like you care, or at least make it look like you care here, little one."
Once Megumin had finished eating, signified by her burping loud and long enough to make everyone in the room turn to stare at her in disbelief, and possibly disgust as well, the three leave the cafe and make their way over to a convenient store to get supplies.
It wasn't long after that before they came walking out, arms holding bags full of supplies. They then begin to walk towards the north gate of Hyperion.
And as they go, Kazuma didn't fail to notice the fact that they were being followed.
Once they had reached, and passed through, the north gate, Megumin finally looks at Kazuma and ask-
"So, what's this faster way for us to reach the guy I'm looking for you talked about earlier?"
"Correction, the guy who MIGHT be the guy you're looking for, don't forget that little detail. Anyways, before we make use of that quicker means of getting there, we have a little side issue to deal with..."
Megumin cocks her head a little, asking-
"And that would be?"
In response, Kazuma stops, places the bags he was holding down before taking a few steps back and turning back to face the city.
"OK, I think this sad attempt at trying to be stealthy here has gone on long enough. How about we just skip to the big confrontation and get it all over and done with."
A moment later, the air shimmers and four figures emerge from beneath cloaks that had made them invisible. As they store the cloaks inside the pouches at their side, Kazuma takes a real good look at them, realizing he had seen them before. Quite recently in fact.
These were the four idiots he had to deal with when he saved Megumin. As he goes to say something to them, he hears Megumin let out a gasp which makes his respond to her first.
"I guess seeing them appear out of thin air like that must have surprised you. I guess I can understand but I don't think..."
"Incredible, they have invisibility cloaks. Kazuma, Kazuma, can you go take one of those away from them for me to have? I've always wanted one. Also, they are quite rare and valuable so you can take the other three and sell them for a ton of coin."
"Hm, is that right? Guess we'll be getting some invisibility cloaks then. (Kazuma returns his attention to the foursome) Funny, I recall telling you what would happen if we ran into one another again. Clearly, you don't listen very well, lady."
The woman smirks before answering.
"Perhaps not, but I'm not as stupid as you might be thinking, Phantom Magi... by the way, why did you ditch the mask? You do realize that means I know what you look like now."
"And I guess that means I'll have to kill you four then. Sorry about that but, like I said before, I DID warn you, lady."
"Yes you did, which is why I made certain to call in a few favors from around town."
The woman then snaps her fingers, making her bulky body henchman make a deep whistling sound that echoes across the area. A moment later, a crap ton of people, all dressed like bandits, emerge from beyond the gate, increasing the number of opponents that will need to be dealt with.
"As you can see, Magi. I've brought in a few friends of mine to help deal with you and reclaim the girl there. Now that there are forty of us, do you really think even someone of your skill will have a chance to win?"
Kazuma lets out a sigh and rubs his temples before reaching for the Caster and pulling it out and at the ready.
"This day has really been an annoying one for me. Fine, if we're going to do this, let's get it over with already. I'm already running behind schedule here."
"Before that, Magi. I hope you don't mind if me and my friends here do one final thing to help improve our odds here... just a little bit."
"Actually, I do mind so if you wouldn't..."
The woman and the others all reach into their pockets, pulling out black pills the had a blood red crescent drawn upon them. This makes Kazuma look at them with shock and horror as a confused Megumin asks-
"What are those things, Kazuma?"
"Those are... wait, don't tell me you all are planning on..."
"Ah, so you know about these little beauties, do you Magi. Yes, these are the famous Blood Moon pills, a powerful drug that can give any who take it the strength, speed, and ability of a Lycan. While this is only temporary, of course, it will last long enough to allow us to really let you have it. Everyone..."
"No wait, don't eat those, you idiots!"
shouted Kazuma, the forty-four enemies ignoring Kazuma as they place the pills into their mouths. Many of them smile after swallowing as the woman, feeling confident as well as cocky, says-
"You know, if you both want too, I will give you permission to TRY to run away. That won't save you as once the pills power takes effect, we will give chase and we will..."
"You all are nothing but the biggest of idiots."
said Kazuma, his tone being enough to send looks of confusion around the gathered group. The girl in the woman's group, the one named Shade, decides to ask-
"What do you mean by calling us idiots, Magi?"
"Because you all are. Tell me, where exactly did you get those Blood Moon Pills from? What shop here in Hyperion would risk stocking such illegal items."
"We didn't get them from any shop. We got them off the black market, the only place to get things like these. Don't understand why their considered illegal though, given what they can do."
said the rat faced man. Megumin, who was keeping quiet and allowing Kazuma to handle this, was also curious and looks to Kazuma, awaiting his reply.
"Guess I'll have to educate you all then. The reason those pills are considered illegal is because of the VERY dangerous side effects that comes from using them. For example..."
Before Kazuma could say more, most of the gathered group of bandits, thugs, and vagrants suddenly found themselves grabbing their stomachs and hunching forward as an intense look of pain came across their faces. The few who weren't suffering from any sudden pain, like the woman, looked at the ones suffering while asking them what was going on. She then looks at Kazuma and asks him to explain.
"The biggest side effect is that it will turn a whopping eighty-seven percent of any who eat those pills into actual Lycan's. This, of course, means they will also lose their individuality as a result, and they won't ever return to normal. Also, one last thing. They will become very blood thirsty too."
The woman, now fully understanding what had happened and what likely would happen, turns to look back at those who had been turned into Lycan's, including rat face and Shade, complete their transformation then all rise up and let out terrifying howls.
She, along with the bulky man and the few others who were still themselves, could only stand there, unable to move due to the terror they felt as the newly born Lycan's, their fangs dripping drool, attack them, viciously ripping them into bloody shreds.
Megumin quickly averts her gaze, unable to watch what was happening as she didn't want to lose her lunch here. Kazuma didn't avert his though, but only because he knew how dangerous it was to turn his attention away when facing down so many Lycan enemies.
Once the Lycan's had finished tearing the remainder of the group into pieces, they turn their attention to Kazuma, Megumin, and Chomusuke and begin to walk towards them.
"Well, this is going to be a first for me. Megumin, you better go ahead and make a run for it as I'm not sure I can actually handle all these... Megumin?"
Megumin walks past Kazuma, her staff appearing in her hand before she comes to a stop.
"Like hell I'm going to run, especially now when I have so many worthy targets to show off my power."
"Huh? What are you talking about? Don't you have any idea just how dangerous these things are and how difficult taking them on is going to be for a little girl like you."
Megumin looks back at him, her glare strong and fierce as she shouts out-
"Stop calling me a kid, Kazuma. I've told you that already. Anyways, you've already had a chance to show me what you can do so now it's my turn to show you what it is I can do. So... you should stand back and get ready to watch my idea of a good time."
Megumin returns her attention to the Lycan's which had now started to pick up the pace, to close the gap between them. Megumin then begins to chant, causing the air around them to become hot and heavy. As the lead Lycan enters into a charge and leaps towards Megumin, her eyes begin to glow brightly as she shouts out at the top of her lungs-
"EXPLOSION!"
======================{Part 6: Dawn of a Great Adventure}======================
Megumin awoke to the crackling sound of a campfire. Opening her eyes, she finds she was inside a dark place, with only the light from the campfire illuminating the surroundings. At first, her thoughts weren't positive ones and it wasn't till she sat up and looked around that she found some relief.
"So, you finally woke up, huh Megumin. Enjoy that nice long nap of yours?"
asked Kazuma, busying himself opposite her, the campfire between them as he appeared to be doing something she couldn't quite see. Furthermore, she could see Chomusuke sitting his his shoulders, watching him work on his secret activity. She then scans the room they were in again, finally realizing it was a cave, then asks him the first obvious question.
"Where are we? What happened after I cast my Explosion?"
"We're a little way out from Hyperion, taking shelter inside the cave I used to hide my ride in. We'll be staying here till morning as it's a little too late in the day now, by that I mean it's already nighttime outside, for us to be setting out to our, well... I should say MY destination which could also be yours too."
"I see. Where's the exit at? I... urm, this is really embarrassing to say to a guy I only just met early today but... I need to go to the bathroom."
Kazuma then points to his right, making Megumin look to see a wall of rock. She then looks back at him, awaiting an explanation and hoping it doesn't involve the word cave-in.
"I'm using a barrier generator that can also create an illusion to keep anyone from poking around where I don't want them too. It helps to let me keep my baby over there safe when I'm away from it."
"Your baby?"
Kazuma then points in her direction and for a moment, Megumin thinks he was talking about HER, which makes her blush. She quickly realizes though what he was actually talking about was behind her. Turning, her eyes go wide as she sees the coolest looking Garuda Flier, a type of motorcycle, she had ever seen and was quickly on her feet, having moved over to it and was looking it over with wide eyes.
"Amazing, beautiful even. So sleek and elegant. (looks back at Kazuma) How fast can she go? How well does she handle? Is it true they even have limited flight capabilities? Can I... can I drive it?"
"(chuckles) Everything except for the last part you'll find out tomorrow. As for the last part... NEVER! Now, didn't you need to use the bathroom? If you have to go, just go behind that rock over there. I promise I won't come looking as you do it."
Naturally, Megumin take to kindly to that idea as the rock in question wasn't far enough away from where Kazuma was sitting to not give her complete privacy. Sure, he may stay true to his word and not peek on her as she goes, but he would still likely hear her which was just as bad in her mind.
After a few minutes of Megumin complaining, Kazuma finally turns the barrier off long enough for Megumin to leave the cave, do her thing, then come back so he could turn the barrier back on. After that, Megumin found out what Kazuma was doing was fixing them some dinner to eat, which made her realize she was indeed very hungry.
After eating, the two of them were just sitting beside the fire, letting the silence between them fill the room till Kazuma finally decided to ask-
"So, what happened to you back there?"
"What do you mean?"
"You passing out after using that spell of yours. That was one hell of a blast, I'll have you know. Destroyed all those Lycan's in a single hit. So much so that I didn't even have to kill any survivors as there weren't none left. Also, we probably shouldn't be coming around Hyperion for a good long while as your spell also destroyed the gate and some of the surrounding wall too."
"That's fine with me, seeing as I won't be coming back here again ever. As for my spell? What you saw, Kazuma, was my most powerful and beloved spell: Explosion. With its power at my beck and call, there is no enemy or force I can't overcome and defeat."
"I see. And you passing out like you did right after?"
"Ah yes, that... You see, unleashing an Explosion spell takes up a large amount of mana from within myself. About as much as I have within me right now. Using my weakest Explosion, I would find myself having trouble walking around without assistance. My strongest, which is what I used back there, I will pass out right after and need several hours to regain my energy before I can even wake up."
Kazuma nods, showing he understood. He then takes a moment before saying-
"That's a pretty risky spell to use, especially if you happen to be alone. What if you miss an opponent after casting it? You would be a big trouble then if that were to happen."
"So my master has told me... many, many times in fact. That's why she said I should only use it as a last resort and only when I have someone with me to help me out right after. Despite that, I can't help but want to use it every chance I get as, like I said before, I adore Explosion magic only."
"I can understand that. I have things I really love too and only wish to use above all else. Still, should we run into any trouble as we're on the road, I'll be counting on you to use some OTHER magic instead of Explosion, if only because I may need you to back me up for more than just one simple action."
"Y-Yeah, sure. You c-can count on me, sir."
said Megumin, a hint of nervousness in her voice. She knew she needed to tell him that she could ONLY use Explosion magic but maybe telling him now would be a bad idea, as he might decide to not take her with him. She'll wait till after they arrive at their destination before bringing it up and she hopes they won't run into any trouble on the road along the way.
Kazuma looks at her, noticing Megumin was acting strange. He considers asking her what's up but decides it can wait for tomorrow as he was really tired after the day's events. He lets out a yawn, then says-
"Well, I don't know about you, seeing as you just woke up from a long nap and all, but I'm pretty tired here so I think I'll be going to bed now. We have a LONG ride awaiting us so I suggest you try to get a little more sleep too."
"That's not a problem for me as I could sleep for an entire day if I wanted too."
boast Megumin, though she quickly realizes how saying that could leave a bad impression in his eyes. Kazuma does look at her for a moment, then shrugs before lying back on the ground. Chomusuke hops off his shoulder before curling into a little ball and quickly falling asleep.
Megumin lays back at well, closing her eyes while wondering if she actually will be able to fall asleep this night. Just as she feels sleep starting to come over her, Kazuma says something that wakes her right back up without fail.
"By the way, that Explosion you unleashed... looked pretty damn cool. A real ten out of ten kind of spell!"
Megumin shoots back into a sitting position, her eyes wide and locked onto Kazuma as she asks-
"You mean that? You really thought my Explosion was cool and a ten out of ten?"
"Yeah, I meant what I said. Who knows, maybe if time permits, you can show me it again as we head to our destination. Hell, maybe you can show it off a few more times. Anyways, goodnight, Megumin."
With that, Kazuma rolled onto his side and soon, the light sounds of snoozing could he heard coming from him. Megumin, however, continued to look at him, a big smile on her face as she looks at him.
'I can't believe it. I actually found someone who thinks Explosion magic is really cool. This is awesome, this is perfect even. You know, maybe traveling with Kazuma, even if it's only for a little while, may be fun after all.'
Megumin then lays back down herself though it takes her a long while before she can get back to sleep as thoughts of how happy she felt now, as well as her desire to show Kazuma even more of the wonders of Explosion magic filled her mind, and soon enough her dreams too, with many, many possibilities.
Hours later, just after the sun had started to rise, the illusion barrier was deactivated and Kazuma pushes his Garuda Flier outside the cave and does a final set of checks on it while Megumin, with Chomusuke at her side, comes running out, passing Kazuma, so she could get a better look at the morning sun. She then takes in a deep breath before saying-
"I really love this time of morning. The air is so crisp and filled with possibilities and the light... always breathtaking to behold."
"Like an Explosion, I take it? I guess I have to agree with you there. Now, ready to hit the road? We'll travel for about two hours, then have a breakfast break, then another few before lunch, and so on."
"Alright, that's fine with me."
says Megumin, looking back at him and nodding. She then looks back at the sun one final time which leads her to realize something important, something that had crossed her mind before falling asleep she decided she would do once the chance came around.
Megumin then allows herself a moment to smile, then saying after a moment.
"By the way, Kazuma. It just occurred to me I failed to tell you one other thing of importance last night as well."
"Oh yeah, and what would that be?"
Megumin's smile grows bigger as she recalls the words Kazuma had just said to her, his praising her Explosion magic.
She then twists herself back just enough to look at him as she says with all the sincerity-
"Back there, when you saved me from those creepers... you looked really cool too. My kind of cool!"
Hearing Megumin say that left Kazuma feeling stunned. He could feel a heat rising in his cheeks.
After a moment, he sighs happily before giving her a smile, then walking over to join her.
This girl, she may be a psycho-loli who has a bad habit of acting without thinking about things first-
But something told him that meeting this girl, deciding to help her, may have been the best choice he had ever made in his life.
=========================={Fin... to be continued...}==========================
AN: And thus, we end the Megumin focused chapter that comes from the Fantasia. Before I end this, I feel I should reveal the back story behind this particular chapter. You see...
What you just read was what Bless this World with a Stranger COULD have been. When I decided I was going to write a Konosuba fic here on this site, I had two primary options, Stranger and this story here, which had the working title Gazers.
I even wrote out prototype chapters for each, with what you just read being what would have been chapter 2 if Gazers had won the selection. Basically, I took about twenty slips of paper, with eight for each and the remaining four having some random thing written down, tossed them into a bowl, then dug around and pulled out one piece of paper, which is how Stranger ended up being chosen.
There have been times I wished this had been chosen though as I have had so many ideas both before and sense the selection was done. If anyone is interested in knowing more about the plot details for Gazers, the series that could have been, let me know in your reviews or PM me.
And who knows, maybe I might even still tell the Gazers story one day once Stranger has finished up. It won't be the next story I do, mind you, as I've already decided what my follow up to Stranger will be, but maybe Gazers can be the story that follows the successor if I'm still feeling up for writing it.
I will reveal this much about it though. The word Gazer refers to seven girls, all with Crimson Eyes, who are born once every one-hundred years. They are the only crimson eyed people to exist, and they have an important destiny that needs fulfilling. Aqua and Darkness join up not long after this and their stories are... different than what you would normally see in a Konosuba tale.
Anyways, that's all I say for now. Until next time...