In the disorienting haze between dreams and consciousness, Subaru's anguished cry shattered the silence of the dark.

"I'm so sorry! I—I didn't mean to!" His scream sliced through the serene darkness, the echoes of regret and terror intertwining in his voice as he awoke from a tumultuous sleep.

"Another bad dream, huh? Tsk, tsk, tsk," a soothing feminine voice remarked, accompanied by a gentle touch that stroked the raven-haired boy's hair, an attempt to provide solace.

"Emil—" Subaru's voice carried a hint of shock as he gradually opened his eyes.

"Good evening there, sleepyhead!" the voice continued with an unexpected cheerfulness. However, as Subaru's vision adjusted, he realized the voice belonged to someone other than he had initially thought. It was distinctly different.

"Worry not! This beautiful and stunning goddess will take care of you," she added with an unusual sweetness.

It took a moment for Subaru's eyes to fully focus, and when they did.

"Huh?" he found himself lying with his head on the lap of a blue-haired girl in a matching blue skirt.

"Whoa! What the fuck!" Startled, he promptly sat up, scanning his surroundings with confusion and shock. "Who are you?!... and where am I?" his voice trembled, laced with fear and distrust.

Expecting a chaotic battlefield, Subaru discovered he was in a rustic barn filled with haystacks. Moonlight seeped through the wooden cracks, casting an ethereal glow in the dim space.

It was already nighttime.

"Are you alright?" the blue-haired girl asked, her voice soothing, as she placed a reassuring hand on Subaru's shoulder.

"Aaah!" Subaru yelped, instinctively recoiling from her touch.

"Yo! Could you maybe settle down and lower your voice? We're trying to sleep here!" a man's voice spoke.

"Oh, you're already awake, mister," another voice added.

Turning his head to the right, Subaru observed the source. A chestnut-haired boy in a green tracksuit, his face marked with a frown, and the blonde-haired knight, Climb.

"Climb!?" Subaru exclaimed in surprise as he noticed the blonde knight fully healed from his previous injuries. "What the hell happened!? Where are we!?"

"You collapsed on the ground, threw up, and passed out after escaping the marauding beastkin. Thankfully, Sir Kazuma here and his party helped us; otherwise, we could have died from blood loss," he explained, scratching the back of his head. "And as for our whereabouts... Sir Kazuma here said we are in a town named Axel," the knight added, pointing to the chestnut-haired boy.

Subaru squinted his eyes as he processed the information.

I'm really back in this mundane and boring world, huh? Well, at least it's a lot better than those cursed worlds.

Rolling his eyes, he began to stand up.

"H-hey! W-where are you going?" the blue-haired girl asked.

"Outta here! I still have to find an-"

"But you're still wounded, dummy! I might have healed most of your flesh and muscular wounds, but trauma damage still exists! And FYI, your mana isn't fully recovered either!" the blue-haired girl interrupted.

"Tsk! I'll have you know I'm-" Subaru was abruptly cut off as he collapsed to the ground, his eyes slowly closing.

"See? Told you that sleep spell was useful," the boy named Kazuma said, his voice cocky.

"...uhhhh, you will..." the raven-haired boy attempted to talk, but sleep overtook him.

"Huh?" Subaru uttered as he opened his eyes. "What the—"

He was back, trapped in that Victorian nightmare. The fairground sprawled before him, booths and stands shrouded in an eerie fog. In front of him stood Lieutenant Vooren Grantz, his rifle pointed menacingly.

"YOU! You made me do this! This is your fault!" The lieutenant screamed, his eyes ablaze with fury and anger.

"What do you..." the raven-haired Japanese boy uttered, then felt his hands wet. Looking down, he saw them drenched in blood. "What the—"

Lowering his gaze, he saw the lifeless forms of two girls. One with long blonde hair and golden eyes, clad in a blue hoodie jacket.

The other was a girl with long black hair and red eyes, dressed in some peculiar uniform. Both are stunningly beautiful, but their bodies are riddled with bullet wounds, blood staining their once vibrant existence.

Cold, dead eyes stared accusingly at him, penetrating his very soul.

"They were not my targets! But you used them as HUMAN SHIELDS!" the lieutenant accused, his voice seething with anger.

"I swear! I didn't mean it! It happened so fast!" Subaru begged, dropping to his knees, his eyes fixed on the lifeless forms.

"SILENCE!" screamed the imperial lieutenant. "You mean everything you did! You are evil! And because of that... YOU SHALL PAY." His voice took on an otherworldly, deadly tone.

"Huh?" Subaru spun around, chilled by the ominous resonance in the lieutenant's words. The atmosphere grew terrifying as if death itself were speaking. Looking up, he saw Grantz now covered in burns, eye sockets replaced by a black void, his torso eviscerated, flesh and bone exposed.

"Natsuki Subaru! Guilty of murder! MURDEEEEEEEEEER!" screamed the parody of the lieutenant as darkness emanated from him, enveloping Subaru.

"Fuuuuck!" Subaru screamed, desperate to escape but unable to move. All he could do was watch in terror.

"Rem?" Subaru whispered as he opened his eyes once again, and there stood Rem, the blue-haired maid he had abandoned. He found himself back in his room at Karsten Manor, sitting on his bed.

"Why am I here? What's happening?"

"Subaru-kun," Rem spoke in a sorrowful tone. "Why did you leave Rem, Subaru-kun?" Her voice was filled with sorrow, tears glistening in her eyes. "What did Rem deserve for Subaru-kun to leave her?"

"I'm sorry, Rem! I'm weak! I don't deserve you! I wish I could be—"

"LIAR!" Rem's shout cut through the air as she delivered a punch to Subaru's face.

"Rem, please—"

"WITCH, CULTIST SCUM!" the blue-haired girl responded.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, they were transported to a familiar forest, well known to him.

"NO, PLEASE! I BEG YO-Ack!"

"SILENCE, WITCH CULTIST!" Rem roared as she smashed the raven-haired Japanese boy with his iconic weapon, her Morningstar.

"P-Please, Rem-Rin! Please!" Subaru begged but was silenced by the blue-haired girl with another swing of her Morningstar.

"I SAID SILENCE!" Tears streamed down Rem's face as she stared menacingly at Subaru. "Rem should have never loved you! You are worse than a cultist! You are weak, pathetic!"

"No! Wait, what are you going to do... huh?" Subaru's voice trembled as he looked down at his legs, horror gripping him as he realized one of his feet was missing.

"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! PLEASE!" he begged desperately.

"DIE!" Rem screamed, and darkness enveloped him.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Subaru's eyes snapped open once again, fear and shock etched across his face as he let out a scream.

"FUCK, that was..." His clothes clung to him with sweat, and hay surrounded him as he found himself back in the barn, lying among the haystacks. The memories of the nightmares lingered, haunting him.

"Another bad dream?" Suddenly, the blue-haired girl sat facing him, her tone filled with sympathy and care as she checked his forehead and probed for his temperature. "Are you okay?" she added.

Panting heavily, Subaru nodded as he tried to shake off the remnants of the nightmares. "Yeah, it was... it was intense. I thought I was back in those... those!"

"Uh-huh," the blue-haired girl said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You were muttering something about being sorry and Rum? Rom?"

"Rem, Aqua. He said Rem," Kazuma corrected the blue-haired gal, stretching his back as he stood at the front entrance of the barn, facing them.

"Whatever, hikki-neet!" Aqua replied, rolling her eyes.

Subaru took a moment to collect himself, shaking his head to dispel the sleepiness and rubbing the dirt from his eyes. The barn was now bathed in the glow of late morning sunlight. The air felt crisp, and the scent of hay surrounded them.

"Oh, good, you're already awake," Climb chimed in, now wearing his full armor as he entered the barn. Behind him was a brown-haired petite girl wearing classical witch attire, instantly recognized by Subaru. "We should get going. A quest awaits, and we've got things to do," Climb added in a chivalric tone as he held a paper in his hand.

"You got the easiest quest available, right?" Kazuma chimed in.
"Yes. It's the only available quest that suits our beginner party, according to the guild receptionist," Climb said, handing him the paper.
Kazuma took the paper and began to read.

Kill quest: Kill The beast named black fang, that stalks the northern hills of Axel.

"Oh, hell no!" Kazuma crumpled the paper and threw it aside. "Are you sure this is the easiest one?"

"It has to be. All others are legendary in difficulty," Climb replied.

"So much for being a beginner town," the chestnut-haired Japanese man uttered as he scratched the back of his head. "By the way, scary eyes! You got a name?" he said, pointing at Subaru.

Subaru rolled his eyes as he looked in the opposite direction. To be honest, he didn't want to share his name.

"For real? After we saved your ass, you still distrust us?" Kazuma shook his head.

"Oh right, I still haven't heard of your name yet." Climb added curiosity in his voice.

"If you don't tell us, I'll just call you Hikki-neet 2.0, ehehehehe!" Aqua laughed heartily.

"Tsk, fine!" Subaru rolled his eyes once more, annoyed at their pestering. "My name is Subaru. Natsuki Subaru happy?!"

"Natsuki Subaru?" asked the dark-haired petite mage as she scanned Subaru with her eye not covered by her eyepatch. "Are you a... mage?" she asked, somewhat intriguingly.

Subaru looked at her with a look of disbelief, then rolled his eyes. "Nope, just an adventurer."

"Adventurer? Don't bullshit me, man! You think we're all dumb like Aqua here?!" roared Kazuma, his voice annoyed.

"Hey, I'm not dumb, you Hikki-neet!" Aqua retorted but was ignored by the chestnut-haired guy.

"I know what I saw! I clearly saw you summon some sort of portal yesterday morning with this thing!" Kazuma, without warning, dug into his pocket and took out a white gun-like device with green glowing liquid.

"WHAT THE...!"

Instantly, Subaru stood and dashed to grab the portal gun. However, the chestnut-haired Japanese boy stepped back and held the raven-haired Japanese boy with one hand.

"Ah ah ah! Not so fast, bruh. Tell me what this thing is first," he replied with a smug expression. "Then Maybe, Maybe-"

"Tsk! Give that back! Or else I'll beat your fucking ass!" Subaru roared, his eyes enraged as he tried to grab the portal gun from Kazuma.

"What the hell is this thing, then Baruboy?!" Kazuma roared back as he struggled to keep Subaru away with his other hand while using his other hand to keep the portal gun out of reach of the raven-haired boy.

"GIVE IT BACK, ASSHOLE!" Subaru yelled.

"NOT UNTIL YOU TELL ME WHAT THIS IS!" Kazuma insisted.

"Tsk! So you really want to play this game, huh?" Subaru spoke, his voice cold.

"Try me," replied Kazuma.

"SHAMAC!"

In an unexpected move, Subaru activated his Shadow Magic, shrouding the area in a dense black mist, effectively obscuring their vision.

"Super Create Water!" Meanwhile, Kazuma quickly cast a spell, creating a sudden downpour that soaked Subaru, making him slip.

Caught off guard by Subaru's Shamac and Kazuma's Super Create Water, both stumbled and collapsed to the ground in a comical display of disarray.

A couple seconds passed, the mist gradually clearing as they both struggled to stand up. Water dripped from their clothes as they locked eyes, determination flickering amid exhaustion.

"Will you both hikki-neetos stop it?" Aqua exclaimed, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. With surprising strength, she held Subaru and Kazuma by their collars, lifting them from the ground with both arms, ending their pitiful clash.

Meanwhile, Climb grabbed the portal gun that had unexpectedly fallen to the ground. He then walked towards Subaru, who was being held up by Aqua.

"I'll give this to you, Sir Subaru, but you have to swear to stop squabbling with Sir Kazuma," Climb said professionally.

Subaru wanted to retort, but with his sudden use of Shamac, he was weak and sluggish, so he only rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said.

"And both of you, stop fighting, alright?!" Aqua chimed in once more, her frustration evident.

Both nodded reluctantly and were dropped by Aqua instantly.

"Ahhh! My butt! Aqua, you useless Archpriest!" Kazuma groaned blaming Aqua for the less-than-graceful descent.

Subaru, although feeling the impact, didn't show any signs of pain. After all, he had experienced death multiple times and recently had his body seared by flaming bolts. A small fall was hardly something to faze him.

Climb immediately handed the portal gun to Subaru, who accepted it and began to examine it. Fortunately, there were no damages.

"You know you're unnecessarily being stubborn, right? All I want is to know what that thing is," Kazuma grumbled, struggling to sit up.

"ITS A PORTAL GUN!" Subaru declared with a mix of anger and frustration. "I use it to travel to other worlds! There, happy?" he added.

"Huh?" Kazuma's eyes grew wide from this revelation. "You mean you weren't really..."

"Weren't Isekai'd to this mundane and boring world? No shit, Sherlock!" Subaru cut him off and continued what he was about to say. "I was previously isekai'd and stuck in another world, but now I can travel to multiple worlds."

Subaru then scanned the barn, located his brown bag, which sat in one of the haystacks near where he slept, and opened it. Founding his Interdimensional iPad safe inside he nodded in satisfaction, placing the portal gun inside as well. "All thanks to this portal gun."

Kazuma, still processing the information, raised an eyebrow. "So, you can just hop between worlds whenever you want?"

"Well, not whenever I want. There are some limitations, like having the proper coordinates and other things, but yeah, pretty much," Subaru shrugged nonchalantly. "Seriously, ya asking me this question when you saw me leave and arrive here yesterday?"

"Meh, for all I know, you just traveled to another part of this world, like some teleportation device," Kazuma reasoned.

"Yeah, yeah," Subaru replied rolling his eyes. "Sure thing, buddy. Just don't touch my stuff next time, alright?"

"Fine," Kazuma nodded, conceding to the request. "Now, can we find something else to do that doesn't involve almost drowning each other with mist and water?"

Suddenly, Subaru's stomach grumbled. It had been almost two days since he had something to eat, and by all means, he was hungry.

Very hungry

"How about something to eat?" Subaru suggested, rubbing his stomach. "I could really go for some hot meal right now... too bad I'm still broke... Again... Damn!" he scowled, touching his stomach.

Instantly, Kazuma's eyes shined, his mouth forming a wide smile. "Hmmm, hey, Subs! I got a proposition for you!"

Subaru digested this. He isn't stupid or dumb. He knows when people are trying to pull something funny. However, he decided to play along and humor the chestnut-haired Japanese guy.

"Now you're speaking my language. What kind of proposition?"

It was well past late morning, and the bustling guild in the heart of Axel hummed with activity. Adventurers gathered around the bulletin board and reception, eager to collect bounties or embark on quests. Meanwhile, others relaxed in the cafeteria, savoring their meals and drinks to kickstart the day.

In a quiet corner of the hall, Subaru found himself immersed in a wave of joy, relishing a lavish feast before him.

Giant fried toads, surpassing the taste of chicken, delectable wild-baked yams, cowboy beans, and rice—all accompanied by a colossal mug of ginger ale? It was a brunch fantasy turned reality and the best part? It was all complimentary, courtesy of Satou Kazuma.

Well, I would have preferred Japanese or Mom's cooking, even Rem's, but this would suffice for now. As they say, beggars can't be choosers.

"Chew your food properly, man! You might choke or something," Kazuma cautioned, seated across from Subaru.

Flanked by Climb and Megumin, who were also savoring their meals, Subaru paid little attention to the banter.

"It's no use!" Kazuma exclaimed, throwing his hands up in surrender.
In the heart of the guild hall, Aqua regaled adventurers and guests with her playful antics.

"TADA?!" she exclaimed, twirling two fans in her hands, creating a fountain-like Watershow. "Sprouts!"

"YAY!" A collective scream of joy echoed as the adventurers thoroughly enjoyed her act.

In an unexpected spectacle, a flower suddenly burst into bloom at the crown of her head, scattering a cascade of petals that showered the entire guild hall.

"AMAZING!" praised an elderly man, clapping his hands.

"WHAT A SHOW!" added a blonde kid, also applauding enthusiastically.

Aqua took a graceful bow, bringing her performance to a close. "Thank you! Thank you! You're all too kind!" she replied, expressing her gratitude to the crowd.

Kazuma observed the spectacle, shaking his head. "What the actual fuck!? That's just a simple party trick, dork!"

Aqua then directed her attention to the table where Subaru was sitting.
Flashing him a sweet smile, she shouted, "Hey Subaru, look! Don't you just love the new skill I acquired?"

Subaru blinked, once, twice, then thrice. If he were honest, Aqua's skill seemed anything but useful—more like a mere party trick, as Kazuma had pointed out, and even that's stretching it.

However, Subaru was keenly aware of Aqua's temperament. Her childish attitude and appearance were clear indicators that criticism might not be well-received. He couldn't afford to make another unnecessary enemy akin to Julius.

Being brutally honest had never paid off during his time in Lagunica. In fact, it often exacerbated his situation. Hence, the importance of keeping one's emotions in check and, if needed, resorting to a bit of necessary deception.

Thus, he set his utensils down, swallowed every bit of food in his mouth, and summoned his most charming smile for the Archpriest.

Gazing directly into her eyes, he praised, "That was truly amazing, Aqua-sama! As expected from a beautiful lady like you!" He accompanied his words with an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Subaru felt a pang of discomfort deep inside as he uttered those words—it was a lie. Sure, Aqua was beautiful, but amazing?

"Seriously, Subs? You call that amazing? Man, and here I am thinking you're a cool guy!" Kazuma clicked his tongue, clearly disagreeing with the raven-haired boy's comment.

In response, Subaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever—"

"SUBARU!" Aqua suddenly shouted.

"Huh?" Startled, Subaru turned to look at her. "What the heck—" To his surprise, she wasn't in the distance of the guild hall but was barreling toward him, flying through the air. "H-hey, hey, hey!" Subaru screamed, but it was too late.

"SUBARU!" Aqua crashed into him, tackling him to the ground, and began pinching his cheeks in pure happiness. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU!"

"Hey, calm down, you're—hmmpp," Subaru protested, but his words were muffled by Aqua's enthusiastic cheek-pinching.

"THANK YOU! THANK YOU! YOU ARE BETTER THAN THAT HIKKINEET SUBARU! THANK YOU," Aqua exclaimed as she thanked him for appreciating her, unlike Kazuma.

"THIS B—" Kazuma fired back.

"Well, it seems Subaru has become Aqua's newest fan," chimed in Megumin this time.

Aqua, still grinning widely, retorted, "Of course! Subaru appreciates talent!"

Subaru, finally freeing himself from Aqua's enthusiastic cheek-pinching, groaned, "Yeah-yeah, talent, right. My face disagrees."

Kazuma laughed, "Well, Subaru, you've officially become Aqua's number one fan."

Subaru sighed, "Just my luck."

"And you'll be the first to witness all my amazing performances!" declared Aqua, not missing a beat.

Subaru shot a pleading look to Kazuma, who merely shrugged in amusement.

"Hah! Enjoy your front-row seat to Aqua's 'amazing' talents, Subaru." Kazuma teased.

"Oh, boy," Subaru muttered under his breath. It looked like he was in for a long, boring time.

But at least there are no terror goats, warmonger lolis, and crazy cult ladies who are all dead set on ending his life.

Right?

"Sheesh, what a bummer," Subaru muttered, his hand pushing open the creaking wooden doors of the guild.

The lively atmosphere inside had become overwhelming, prompting him to seek solace in the cool breeze of the late morning. Laughter and chatter faded away as he stepped outside.

His decision to distance himself from the quirky group of adventurers felt justified, especially after witnessing Aqua's cheerfulness and a certain crazy girl now pestering Kazuma.

"Who the heck is that girl, by the way? Barging in and getting so close to Kazuma? Then blushing after getting insulted? And those eyes of hers. Is she crazy?! Jeez!" A shiver ran down his spine at the thought.

After brunch, just as Kazuma was about to ask him questions, a blonde Imperial knight girl, accompanied by the thief Subaru had seen the previous day named Chris, appeared at their table, bombarding them with questions.

"Hey, at least it's not me being—Ouch!" Subaru couldn't help but caress his reddened cheeks, still feeling the effects of Aqua's enthusiastic pinching.

"Damn, Aqua really did a number on my cheeks, huh?" Subaru commented, soothingly rubbing his cheeks and wincing from pain. "How come someone that cute and cringe is that strong?" He rolled his eyes, pondering the paradox of Aqua's strength and quirky personality.

As he strolled down the cobblestone path, his mind wandered to the peculiar dreams he had experienced earlier.

"Shit... I can't believe I really did all of that, experienced all of that. And in multiple worlds and dimensions," he said, his voice pained.

The unsettling mix of past worlds and haunting nightmares left him on edge. However, he shook off the lingering unease, focusing on the tangible world around him.

He knew what he needed to do: find a predominantly safe world where he could establish a base or haven seemed crucial. A place to retreat, hide, and let things settle down if the need persisted. A world where he could immerse himself in invention and research in peace, free from danger or worry.

A world where he could start over from scratch and explore other realities. A place where he might have a chance to begin anew with Emilia and Rem, or at least versions of them.

As Subaru wandered away from the guild, a distinctive voice called out from a distance.

"Subaru! Wait!"

The raven-haired Japanese boy's heart stirred within him. Her voice sounded like... Emilia's, in a way.

Turning around, he the loli mage, her crimson eyes gleaming. Subaru couldn't help but be intrigued by the red wizard's eccentric aura.

"What's up, Megumin?" he greeted, offering her a small smile.

"Uh, I saw you were leaving, and I, uh..." She struggled to talk, looking at the ground and playing with her hands. "I uh, thought you might be interested in witnessing my daily... my daily."

"Uh-huh? Daily what?" Subaru cocked his head in curiosity.

"Uhhh, my daily explosion magic routine! Care to join me in the deep forest?" Megumin exclaimed, her excitement palpable.

"Huh?" Subaru processed the words of the loli mage. Did he hear her right? Explosion magic? "What do you mean, explosion magic?" Subaru squinted his eyes, a mix of suspicion and curiosity.

"Oh, I'll show you my cool explosion magic! Subaru! I promise you'll love it!" Megumin replied with an enthusiastic voice.

"Uh-huh?" Subaru sighed. Well, he'd rather do something like explore his gears and gadgets more, but a change of pace might be ok. Plus, whatever he was going to do, he decided to do it later.

"Ight! Sure! Lead the way, Megu-san!"

As they strolled towards the town's outskirts, Megumin began elucidating her daily ritual.

"Subaru, I practice my explosion, Bakuretsu, every day at sunset. It's crucial for maintaining the strength of my spell. Hopefully, one day, I'll cast the most magnificent explosion the world has ever seen!"

"Uh-huh," Subaru listened, finding her eccentricities peculiar; he could almost categorize her as a Chuuni.

Reaching the entrance of the deep forest, Megumin spoke again. "The abandoned castle isn't far from here, Subaru, just about 20 more minutes of walking."

"Oh."

As they walked, the sun began to set. Soon, a large imposing castle loomed over the land.

"Hey, that doesn't look like an abandoned castle!" Subaru remarked.

"It is!"

"It ain't!"

"It is!"

"Grrrrr! Fine! I don't care! Just make it quick!"

"Gladly!"

Megumin stepped forward, preparing to unleash her explosive magic. Subaru found a safe distance, leaning against a tree, watching as Megumin chanted her incantation.

"Darkness blacker than black and darker than dark, I beseech thee, combine with my deep crimson," she began dramatically, raising her hand.

"The time of awakening cometh." She then lowered her hand, as if bringing power from the heavens.

"Justice, fallen upon the infallible boundary, appears now as an intangible distortion. Dance, Dance, Dance!" Okay, she's definitely a chuuni! Subaru thought.

"I desire for my torrent of power a destructive force: a destructive force without equal! Return all creation to cinders and come from the abyss!"

What the hell is this long-ass chant? This isn't going to be useful in battles, Subaru thought once more.

"This is the mightiest means of attack known to man, the ultimate attack magic!" Subaru cringed so hard his eyes nearly turned white.

"EXPLOSION!" Finally—

Suddenly, a large pentagram spell covered the distant castle, and darkness from all sides surged, and before he knew it—

*BOOOOOM*

A massive explosion engulfed the castle, shockwaves destroying nearby trees and bushes.

Subaru covered his eyes from the flash, hugging the tree to avoid being blown away. After a couple of seconds, the explosion subsided.

"Tsk!" Clearing his eyes from the dust, he opened them. "Huh?"

After a few moments, the dust cleared, and the once formidable castle was now in a ruined state.

"Damn! That was powerful, Megumin," the raven-haired Japanese boy praised, shaking his head. "Seriously, that spell could be very useful!"

Subaru's face contorted into a smile, grateful he had come with the mage. "What do you say, Megumin?" he asked once more. However, he received no response.

"Megumin?"

Looking at the former location of the mage, he could now see her on the ground, collapsed, her face planted on the dirt road.

"What the heck?!"

"Subaru... I need your help," Megumin asked.

"Why are you lying there?"

"I can't stand up. I need you to carry me," Megumin replied.

"What the heck?!"

Subaru clicked his tongue in disbelief as he retraced his steps toward Axel, bearing the burden of the small Mage on his back.

"Really?" he muttered incredulously. "You unleash one super-destructive spell, and then you're down for the count? Why?" he pressed, genuinely puzzled.

"The power of explosion magic is overwhelming," the mage explained, nestling her head against his back. "It consumes all my mana and strength, rendering me powerless for a few hours." Her breath brushed against Subaru's ear, adding an unexpected intimacy to the conversation.

"Well, that's… logical, I guess," Subaru quipped, rolling his eyes. "But why stick to spells that drain you completely? Aren't there less mana-intensive options?"

"Kazuma asked me the same thing yesterday," Megumin replied with a bored voice.

"And what did you tell him?"

"That it's not possible."

"Why not?"

"Explosion magic is my only forte. I neither possess the knowledge nor the desire to dabble in other spells," she declared, her tone colored with a hint of arrogance.

"Seriously?" Subaru turned around, locking eyes with the petite witch.

"Seriously," Megumin affirmed, meeting his gaze unflinchingly.

"Heh, that's troublesome, I guess..." Subaru muttered, shaking his head.

A nagging feeling lingered, suggesting that everything's was just too good to be true. That there's always a catch! Can't a guy like him catch a break?

Continuing their journey, they emerged from the forest, revealing a vast plain stretching out before them. Subaru's eyes widened at the terrifying sight.

"FUCK!" he exclaimed, taking in the expansive view.

Ahead, a horde of giant toads roamed freely, numbering around Twenty.

"So, those are giant toads, huh?" Subaru mused, absorbing the scene before him.

"Yes, they devour people and animals whole, by the way," Megumin replied as she shivered and embraced Subaru tightly, probably from fear that didn't go unnoticed by the raven-haired Japanese boy.

"heh, it's fine! Don't worry about it," he assured her. "Alright, I have an idea." Subaru began to lower the mage and propped her against a nearby tree.

"Wait! Don't tell me you're going to try—"

"to kill them all? Yeah, that's the plan."

"But I'm powerless, and you don't look strong, and you're not armed!" the mage desperately reasoned.

"Meh, you'll see soon," Subaru replied. After securing the loli mage against the tree, he retrieved his Morty Pad, opened it, and started scrolling through the apps, his finger clicking on the tools section.

"Hmm, let's see."

Checking the available options, Subaru couldn't help but sigh.

"Looks like the Purge Battlesuit isn't available; says it needs more munitions, kyber crystals, and volatile moats," he noted, realizing they also required maintenance. "Hmm, what's this? A blaster?"

Clicking on the icon, he began to read. "Type 03 Energy-Based Laser Pistol, crafted by the genius Rick Sanchez, is a weapon of choice against humanoid and non-humanoid threats. Its super-heated red bolts can effortlessly sear through organic targets, leaving behind large holes or severing entire limbs with a single shot. Users can manually adjust the weapon's output to vary its lethality. Plus, it doesn't need reloading and can recharge in direct sunlight. Cool!"

Tapping on the icon once more, the Morty Pad suddenly transformed in his hand, becoming a futuristic laser pistol.

"Eh? What's that, Subaru?" Megumin inquired, her voice brimming with curiosity as she observed the new gadget in Subaru's hand.

"Heh, you'll see!" Subaru replied with a confident grin.

With determination flashing in his eyes, Subaru sprang up and fired deadly bolts of laser at the toads, dispatching them instantly. Startled by the sudden onslaught, the others observed the chaos and leaped towards Subaru. With skillful precision, Subaru picked them off one after another from a distance.

"Holy shit, Subaru, this is amazing!" exclaimed Subaru, his eyes wide with amazement.

Subaru continued his relentless assault, a lethal dance of precision and firepower. Two toads managed to close in on his position, firing their elongated tongues to devour him.

"FUCK!" he screamed. Evading their attacks by rolling to his right with agility, he swiftly avoided their tongues by a hair's breadth. Standing up quickly, he aimed his laser pistol once more.

"Alright! Here's more!" the raven-haired boy screamed as he fired his weapon once again, incinerating the giant toads to death.

"Is that all you've got?!"

As the last toad fell, Subaru stood amidst the carnage, his laser pistol still humming with energy. The scene before him was filled with burnt-out giant toad remains, their innards and flesh strewn all over. With a satisfied grin, he turned to Megumin.

"See? Told you it would work," he said, a hint of pride in his voice.

Megumin chuckled, "Well, you've impressed me, Subaru Natsuki. That was quite the show."

Subaru meticulously surveyed the surroundings, ensuring there were no lurking surprises. Content that no threats lingered, he smoothly secured the futuristic weapon, which, to his surprise, transformed back into the Morty iPad.

"Let's keep moving. We've got a long way to go," Subaru declared with unwavering confidence. He approached Megumin, ready to hoist her onto his back once again.

"Awww, too bad we don't have those carts; these toads would fetch a price, you know," Megumin mused, pouting cutely.

"Eh?"

"Yeah, each toad corpse brought to the guild is worth 5000 eris, if I remember correctly," The tiny mage replied.

"Hmmm, 5000 Eris each, huh?" Subaru mused, taking a moment to absorb the information. "Aha! I have a genius idea, Megu-san!"

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the city of Axel, adventurers began to trickle into the guild. The stores outside started closing up, and the atmosphere shifted to a more relaxed evening setting.

However, this tranquility didn't last long.

"Huh? Are you seeing this dust?" A brown-haired girl with green eyes spoke in shock as she pointed above.

"Yeah... What kind of magic is that?" A blonde boy with red eyes replied in awe.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, twenty green portals materialized in the sky.

"Do you have any idea what that is?"

"I don't know, probably some magic—SHIT!" The blonde guy suddenly shouted as he grabbed his female companion to safety. Without warning, the portals began spewing out carcasses of giant toads, shocking onlookers and barely crushing others to death.

"Phew, that was close! Are you alright, Rin?" he uttered with a sigh, thankful the evaded certain death.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Dust," replied the brown-haired girl.

Chaos ensued as adventurers and shoppers scrambled to avoid the unexpected giant toad carcass invasion.

It took a couple of moments before the rain of corpses stopped dropping. Soon, screams and shrieks were replaced by gasps and murmurs, spreading among the adventurers and townsfolk as they stared at the scene.

"What happened?"

"Are those giant toads?"

"What are they doing here?"

"Ewww, they're dead... and slimy."

Various more comments buzzed through the crowd.

Amidst the confusion, a new green glowing portal appeared in front of the adventurer guild. Subaru stepped out, carrying Megumin on his back, instantly shifting the crowd's attention. The duo attracted curious and surprised gazes as they made their way through the crowd.

"What in the world just happened?" an old man commented.

"Who are those two?" another chimed in.

"The girl on his back is probably a Crimson Demon mage, like Yun-Yun. But the guy, I don't know who he is."

Subaru rolled his eyes and shrugged off the comments. He didn't care for these things; he had bigger fish to fry, like getting a hefty sum from the guild or something.

"Hey! I know him! That's the boy Kazuma-san and Eris-san have been talking about!" shouted a girl, capturing Subaru's attention.

"Huh?" Subaru spoke as he looked at the source of the voice. "Shit! It's her!" Subaru swallowed and looked away. It was the crazy knight he had seen earlier in the morning pestering Kazuma, and he didn't want to get acquainted. Hence, he quickened his walk to the guild entrance.

"Hey, wait!" screamed the blonde girl, but the raven-haired Japanese boy ignored her.

Inside, Subaru continued to hold the loli witch on his back as they reported their kill count to the guild receptionist.

"Alright, our guild personnel have tallied twenty giant toads just outside the Guild building. Your teleportation magic took a mess outside. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and nothing was damaged. Otherwise, most of your earnings would've gone into fixing that mess, hehehe," chuckled the receptionist.

"Hahaha, is that so?" Subaru scratched his head nervously.

"Right... Anyway, with 20 giant toads, that brings your total to 100,000 eris. Congratulations, Mr. Subaru. But after deducting the guild registration fee of 3,500 eris, you'll be left with 96,500 eris. Is that okay?"

"Well, it looks like I have no choice," Subaru nodded.

"You don't! Hehehe."

"Aww, jeez."

It took a couple of minutes as the receptionist completed the counting of coins, registered Subaru, and issued his very own card.

"Allow me to formally explain. Adventurers, each with their own unique occupations," she began, extending a registration card toward Subaru. "This card serves as your record of conquered monsters. As your level advances, you'll accumulate points to unlock skills. So, put in the effort to elevate your level."

"Sure, I guess," Subaru replied casually.

"Don't worry, Subaru, I'll be here to assist you!" Megumin chimed in with enthusiasm.

"Uh, thanks?"

"Alright, sir, onto the next step," the receptionist introduced a sleek crystal device. "Please place your hand on the crystal."

Subaru promptly followed the instructions. The receptionist then slid a card underneath his hand, and the crystal radiated a brilliant glow as a beam enveloped the card.

"With this, you will each learn your current status, so please choose your desired occupation based on your stats," the receptionist explained in a friendly manner.

Here it comes. Now, my lack of talent and abilities will be exposed... again... They'll label me as a weak, a good-for-nothing pathetic guy once more... BUT...

Bah! Who cares about abilities and magic? Science triumphs over fantasy magic!

The beam from the crystal ceased after a short while, and the receptionist retrieved Subaru's card, scanning it with interest.

"Natsuki Subaru, is it? Let me take a look... Hmm, overall, pretty average... Oh, wow, your intelligence is significantly above average, but your luck, unfortunately... is low. Very low."

"Tsk! Yeah, I know! No need to rub it in!"

After a few conversations with Luna, the guild receptionist, Subaru completed his registration.

Upon receiving the reward, he generously chose to share it with Megumin despite her protests that he was the one who defeated the giant frogs. However, the raven-haired boy, being notoriously fond of beautiful girls and lolis insisted otherwise.

Not wanting to linger any longer inside the guild, they made a quick exit as the crazy blonde knight and her rogue companion began to hassle them, much to Subaru's chagrin.

Now, they find themselves strolling through the streets of the merchant district, darkness slowly enveloping the surroundings.

"What's your plan now, Subaru?" Megumin inquired as they walked together, fully recovered from her previous fatigue.

"Probably grab a room at a local motel, get something to eat, just unwind," he responded casually.

"I see," the petite witch said. "That device you have... the portal gun," she added.

"Yeah, what about it?" Subaru replied, continuing to stroll.

"You mentioned using it to travel to other worlds, right?"

"Yep, that's the idea. Why?"

"Are you planning on leaving, disappearing? Will I see you again if you do?" Megumin's voice carried a hint of sadness.

"Geez, Megu, why the heavy questions?"

"Eh! Nothing! Nothing at all! Hehehehe," Megumin replied with a hint of nervousness. "I'm just curious, you know! Hehe," she added, a subtle blush coloring her cheeks.

"Oh?" Subaru looked at her suspiciously.

Megumin gazed into his eyes with a sad expression, then sighed.

"I won't lie, Subaru, but the thought of you living and not seeing you again makes me feel sad. I can't quite explain it, but that's what I feel. I know it's unfair for me to say this, but if you plan on leaving never to return, please... don't vanish out of thin air. Just let me know, at the very least."
"Huh?" Subaru processed her words.

He recognized that look, familiar yet ambiguous. However, he didn't want to assume too much. For all he knew, she might simply see him as a senpai of sorts. With this in mind, he carefully chose his next words.

"Megu..." he began, offering her a simple smile. "Ya know, this world is nothing but a mundane and boring place, right? And there's an infinity waiting for me. Just to be clear?"

Megumin simply nodded in response.

"Look, I have to admit, the other worlds I've visited are like hell compared to here... yeah, hell," Subaru confessed, a shiver running down his spine. "Eldritch abomination goats, Stalingrad 2.0, crazy cultists," he continued, embracing himself, visibly shaken and nervous. "Cold-blooded killers, pompous aristocrats, uncaring girls," he added, his voice shaky, eyes on the verge of tears.

"Eh?" Megumin tilted her head, curious at the sudden change in Subaru's demeanor. "What are you talking about?"

"Huh?" Subaru fortunately snapped out of his train of thought and regained composure. "Oh, that's nothing! Don't worry about it! Hehehehe," he said, scratching his head once again. "All I'm gonna say is, honestly, this world feels like a safe haven. And, to be honest, I don't mind that idea."

Megumin smiled at that. "So you mean-"

"Yeah, I might explore other dimensions or worlds, but this world... I'll definitely set up shop here. Even if it's mundane, even if it's pathetic, even if it's boring... at least it's safe"

Megumin's eyes brightened at this. "Really!?" she exclaimed.

"Yep," Subaru confirmed.

"Then can I go on adventures with you together?"

"Whoa, you're pushing your luck, little missy!"

"Come on! My Bakuretsu Explosion magic will be a big help!" Megumin reasoned as she started to cling to Subaru's side. "Hell, I'll find the strongest explosion magic the multiverse has to offer and incorporate it into mine! Just think about it, Subaru!"

"Tsk! I'll think about it!"

"Come on Suuuuuuuubaru!"

"I said I'll think about it!"