"Since I will be staying here to help with the repairs, this is unfortunately where we must part ways for now. Which is why I would like to request my reward in advance!"

Cecily chirped, her arms crossed behind her back as she smiled cutely.

"Hah? Reward?"

Naruto questioned incredulously as he stared at the nun flatly. After everything that happened between the two of them, and this girl still had the audacity to ask for money?

She really was blonde Aqua.

"Yes! My reward for maintaining your image here in Alcaretia! After all, news about your sure-kill ability is spreading quite fast."

Cecily explained while smiling mischievously, causing Naruto to flinch.

The two were standing off to the side near some construction pallets at the city's entrance. Bodies scurried around the bustling plaza, preparing supplies for repairs, or recruiting members to the Axis Cult.

'That sounds more like blackmail…'

Naruto thought with a twitching eyebrow.

Although, it would save him a lot of trouble if Cecily kept that thing the Axis Cult called a pontiff from damaging the reputation he'd worked so hard to rebuild.

The shinobi was also feeling grateful to Cecily because her presence had proved to be invaluable in avoiding recruitment attempts. The moment the Axis members noticed Cecily next to Naruto, they'd just ignore him.

Just him anyways. The rest of the party was still fair game.

'Poor Kazuma…'

Naruto glanced back to see the guy trying his best to decline a recruitment offer by the gatekeepers.

Cecily had pulled him to the side when they'd stopped the group.

Wiz, who was standing behind Kazuma, noticed the shinobi staring in their direction and sent a cheerful wave in which Naruto returned with a grin.

"Hmmm… Okay, I'll bite. What do you want? But just so you know, I really am broke. So money's not an option."

Naruto stated and faced the nun again, deciding to proceed with caution.

As long as this woman didn't ask for anything unreasonable, it would be a fair exchange for the sake of squashing any potential misunderstandings about him in Alcanretia that could potentially spread throughout the kingdom.

"A bite from you sounds very tempting after what you awakened in me, but I was thinking more along the lines of this-"

Cecily started before she leaned forward and kissed Naruto on the cheek.

"Wha… Eh?"

Naruto stuttered and put a hand to his cheek the moment the priestess pulled away.

"Thank you for helping us save the Axis Order. Next time we meet, let's finish that wedding for real. Third time's the charm~!"

Cecily beamed and winked at the befuddled shinobi before spinning on her heel and walking off into the bustling City of Hot Springs with a newfound skip to her step.

'What… Just happened?'

Naruto thought while staring off into space, his hand falling limply to his side as his mind continued to process what had just occurred. The blonde then shook his head and slapped his now blushing cheeks a couple times.

'Focus, Uzumaki! You will not be enticed by that crazy woman! Remember your training!'

Letting out a huff, Naruto turned and started making his way towards the gates.

It seemed Kazuma had given up and accepted the flyers, promising to consider joining. This was enough to satisfy the gatekeepers who happily walked back to their posts.

But not before glaring at Darkness, specifically her Eris pendant, and spit on the ground in disgust.

Despite Kazuma's consistent requests, Darkness refused to hide her Eris pendant. Every Axis Cult member she came across would treat her with open disdain. Some even spit on the ground at the sight of the necklace such as these two.

If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, none of them would believe that the two Sects had been working together the day before.

Staying in the guard's blind spots as they turned, Naruto walked up to the group and patted Kazuma on the back.

"Nice work."

"Shut up! Where the hell did you and Cecily run off to!? She's been protecting you from these crazy people this entire time! Why isn't she protecting me!?"

Kazuma immediately barked at the shinobi.

"She told me she's staying behind to help out."

Naruto responded with a shrug, prompting his fellow adventurer to gnash his teeth in frustration.

But Kazuma relented and stomped towards the steps that led to the canyon that separated Alcanretia from the outside world. He was getting the hell out of this crazy place.

Kazuma's mind went numb and he felt nothing but the soft thuds of his footsteps as he descended.

But he just couldn't get the images of their crazed smiles and paper flyers out of his mind.

He was a fool. A FOOL!

Kazuma had figured the Axis Sect was a little weird. After all, he was partied with the very goddess of their worship and had enough interactions with Cecily while she was actively in Naruto's party.

He had severely underestimated them.

From the moment they left their inn, the group had to fight off recruitment after recruitment from the Axis Cult. Save for Aqua who was cheering on her "good children" and Naruto who was being guarded by the blonde Aqua.

Just one night. One night was all it took for the deranged cultists to recover and show their true colors.

The Axis Cult had been everywhere.

"Would you like some help carrying your luggage? Axis Cultists get free luggage transportation! Join now!"

"Free samples! Glazed dragon meat kebobs for Axis Cult members only! Join now!"

"Big bro! You're a popular adventurer, right? Can I have your autograph?"

Change it back… Oh god, change it back! The world was in danger! The meat kebabs were now flavorless!

A little girl… Such an innocent looking little thing… She was part of it all just to get him to let his guard down!

The worst part of it all! He'd been warned!

Kazuma couldn't even be mad at Naruto and his bleeding heart for laying down the groundwork for the Axis Cult's reformation, because the shinobi had warned him at the beginning!

'And I helped Aqua deliver the final push!'

Kazuma thought as he swayed back and forth in his steps.

"I still think we should stay and help rebuild! It'll be just like the good old days working in construction, Kazuma!"

Aqua, who had been in a bubbly mood all morning, commented while tugging on Kazuma's sleeve.

"Hell no! Also, what 'good old days'!? You mean the time that I would break my back from a long day's worth of physical labor just to make ends meet? I can't tell you how many times I woke up next to horse manure in those stables!"

Kazuma responded and marched on, with a complaining Aqua trailing behind.

"I'm also in favor of never coming back."

Megumin offered with a raised hand, having been traumatized by the constant recruitment as well.

"I-I wouldn't mind coming back for a visit."

Darkness commented while fidgeting with her pendant.

Naruto smiled wryly, unsurprised by Darkness's antics. He was definitely on the side of not coming back.

"What about you, Wiz?"

The shinobi asked their final group member, but the shopkeeper seemed to be lost in thought.

"Wiz? Everything okay?"

Naruto leaned over and to get in her view, causing the girl to blink in surprise at his closeness.

"Ah, yes. Sorry… I was just thinking about heading back to Axel."

Wiz apologized while averting her gaze.

"You're going home?"

Naruto asked in mild surprise. He then remembered last night's events which caused him to blush and pull back, opting to place his arms behind his head as he matched the girl's pace.

"Yes, I would like to go back home and thank Vanir-san for thinking of me by having me go on this trip. He's too shy to admit it, but Vanir-san truly cares about me!"

Wiz chirped and laced her hands behind her back cheerfully.

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Naruto's face, but he simply chuckled in response. He didn't have the heart to tell his friend the real reason Vanir had sent her away.

"That's a shame… It would have been fun to go on an adventure with you, Wiz."

Naruto wistfully said and let out a sigh. Wiz was a powerful mage after all, they could probably take on really powerful quests.

Wiz paused for a moment.

The group was nearing the end of the bridge and Kazuma had picked up speed, eager to get as far away from the City of Water as possible.

Naruto maintained his pace with his friend who had slowed down a little while seemingly lost in thought again.

"I'm a retired adventurer… My questing days are over. I'm happy running my shop with you and Vanir-san. It does get a little lonely when you're too busy to help, but Naruto-san, I think you should keep enjoying these trips to the fullest. Make lots of memories with your friends, and never stop being the kind person that you are. I think the people are right to call you a hero candidate…"

Because you're my hero.

Is what Wiz wanted to add, but a memory flashed in her mind at the last second which caused her words to trail off.

The sounds of horses and men shouting out times and locations could be heard at the pickup area for carriages as they reached the steps.

At that moment, a gust of wind picked up, blowing some leaves between the two.

"You got this!"

Wiz finally said and gave a thumb's up.

'So lame…!'

Naruto thought and strained a smile. He swore she was building up to say something amazing, but it must have been his imagination.

The rest of what she said really tugged at his heartstrings though.

"Lately, I've been really stressed about some things… But you're right, Wiz. I won't bore you with the details, but I've been given a second chance at life and I really don't want to waste it."

Thinking on it now, there wasn't much he could do about Alderp and Deidara at the moment anyway. So he might as well focus on what was in front of him and make the best of things.

Maybe bond with Jerry some more? After all, they were about to set off for the village of beast tamers.

'You're starting to sound like those Axis Cultists…'

'Please don't say such scary things.'

Putting the fox's alarming comment aside, Naruto faced his friend and put on his trademark foxy grin.

"Thanks Wiz, for keeping me grounded! I promise to make you a big bowl of ramen when we get back!"

The shinobi said before descending down the final steps and made his way towards the caravan Kazuma had evidently chosen.

Wiz smiled fondly as she watched Kazuma bark at the shinobi for dawdling, and when Naruto gave his response the group turned to the Lich and waved goodbye.

Wiz smiled and waved back.

It was better this way.

The trip to the beast tamer village would only take a half day's trip from Alcanretia. But much like the Crimson Demon Village, they'd have to walk a few hours off the road at some point to cover the rest of the distance.

For the first couple hours, the group was resting from their experiences that morning. Aqua, unsurprisingly, had been the first to break the tranquil atmosphere. She must have gotten bored of watching the scenery.

"What were you and that Lich talking about anyway? You weren't making any suspicious requests like last night, were you?"

Aqua asked, her narrowed eyes reflecting her suspicious tone.

"Wiz was just saying goodbye and I only promised to make her some ramen later, so you can stop staring at me like I'm some criminal. Also, like I keep telling you, it was Wiz that offered to wash my back. Nothing more."

Naruto responded with a wave of his hand, although the experience had been quite embarrassing for him.

Because who wouldn't be nervous when a beautiful woman was washing their back?

"Anyways, here's a new maid outfit. You still have four days left of your sentence."

Naruto added curtly and held out a frilly maid outfit to the suspicious goddess before she could continue pestering him with that troubling topic.

"You're still going to make me do that!? W-wait… Can I just do something else? I don't mind brewing you some tea whenever you come over to visit the mansion…"

Aqua balked before suggesting hopefully, her hand hovering over the dress hesitantly.

"Isn't that something a good host should do regardless? Although, your tea is just hot water. So maybe I should ask Darkness to make the tea."

Naruto retorted before making a thoughtful comment, which caused the knight's eyes to light up with excitement.

"Are you going to allow me to take on the rest of Aqua's punishment!? I-I'll admit I can only make simple dishes… But I was taught how to brew tea at a young age!"

Darkness exclaimed and reached for the maid's outfit, but Aqua seemed to panic at this notion and snatched it out of the shinobi's hand first.

"No! You'll tear it with your bulging muscles, Darkness!"

Aqua snapped, clutching the frilly cloth to her chest as if to protect it from her party member.

"B-bulging!? Take that back, Aqua! I'm trying to help you!"

Darkness shrieked and made a move to grab the dress, but her hand was skillfully smacked by the goddess.

As the two girls bickered, Naruto snickered to himself. He had a feeling she would take the bait. After all, they all knew how much Aqua actually liked wearing a maid's outfit.

'I thought you were going to drop her charges? Not that I'm complaining. I vouch we make her walk on hot coals after what she created in that city.'

Kurama asked before making a startling suggestion.

'Yeah, I decided to just give her the day off given the circumstances.'

Naruto thought back with a mental shrug. He wasn't going to make her do anything brutal like stand on hot coals, but he had some fun ideas up his sleeve.

He must have been making a strange face while thinking of his plans, because Aqua cowered in her seat and tried to hide behind Darkness.

"O-oh no… That man is finally going to do it… He's going to take advantage of this bet and make me do ludicrous requests because I look too cute in this uniform!"

"Naruto, you fiend! Let me be the one to take Aqua's place as your slav-I mean, your maid! You'll take advantage of your position of power over me and spill something on your pants during your meal… Then you'll become enraged and blame it on me before demanding I clean you up myself…"

Darkness described her warped delusion while seemingly squirming in her own skin.

Naruto's expression shifted from one of playfulness to straight up pitiful.

Normally, he'd get upset from this kind of thing, but then he remembered it was these kinds of reactions that Kazuma had to deal with on a daily basis.

'You have my condolences, Kazuma…'

When the shinobi continued to stare at them, Aqua and Darkness began to sweat.

"H-hey… Why are you looking at me like that? I'll put the maid outfit on without a fuss, okay? I-I get it… So you can stop looking at me like that, okay?"

Aqua stuttered almost apologetically and nervously tapped the ninja on the knee reassuringly.

"I know Naruto has been having amazing developments recently, but… Even I have my limits to the kind of looks I want to receive."

Darkness said with an equally nervous expression while stealing shameful glances at her fellow blonde.

"...Anyways, what's the game plan Kazuma? I was thinking we go all out and fight a bunch of monster tamers right off the bat to promote the Scroll Ball!"

Naruto redirected his attention to Kazuma, causing Aqua and Darkness to fall into a state of depression.

Kazuma, who had been ignoring their antics in favor of watching the scenic views passing by, turned to face them and clasped his hands in front of his face in a very business-like manner.

"That's not a bad idea, but we know close to nothing about this village. Before we left, I asked around town to see if I could get any information just in case Vanir was trolling us. But I guess the place was founded fairly recently and not a lot of people have been there yet."

Kazuma explained, and the shinobi nodded his head in understanding.

"That's true… It'd be better to get some information first, learn their customs, then plan an event that would appeal to their tastes."

Naruto agreed with his business partner's thoughts. Maybe Kazuma really should just quit being an adventurer and become a businessman since the guy seemed to have a knack for it.

"Heh… What you guys really need is an attention grabber. I have just the spell in my arsenal that'll blow the audience away."

Megumin declared with a cryptic tone while gesturing to herself in a dramatic fashion.

"No thank you." x2

Kazuma and Naruto rejected at the same time, prompting the Crimson Demon to flinch.

"Why!? Explosion magic is the perfect way to-Ah, I get it. You just don't want me to steal the show from your useless product. Because who needs monsters when you have the ultimate sure-kill magic that is Explosion magic!"

Megumin began to fire back, but was quick deduced why her idea had been rejected and came to her own conclusion.

"No, I just don't want you blowing away our product by accident or scaring off our customers. In fact, your Explosion magic is sealed during this trip. You got that?"

Kazuma simply said with a wave of his hand.

Megumin's jaw dropped to the floor at the new development.

"Oh! Maybe Aqua could perform some of her party tricks with Jerry! I taught him how to shoot toad slime the other night while we were on our way to Alcanretia."

Naruto suggested while patting the Scroll Ball in his ninja pouch proudly.

"Oh, is that where you went off to after we set up camp? Also, how is Jerry so obedient? That's not normal for giant toads."

Kazuma asked with cocked eyebrows. Naruto hadn't changed jobs to Beast Tamer, had he?

Was Jerry secretly some amazing super toad?

This seemed to bring Aqua out of her stupor as she gained a look of disgust.

"I am NOT performing any tricks with that disgusting monster! How could you even suggest that a graceful goddess such as myself would even consider-"

"Oh, you'll get paid a portion of what we earn for helping out. So the more we earn, the more you'll get."

Naruto interjected, causing the goddess to stop mid-sentence.

. . .

"Ara~ It seems I may have misjudged little old Jerry! I'm sure he isn't like those other disgusting toads… Hahaha…"

Aqua was quick to flip her script as she rubbed her hands together anxiously.

Naruto nodded his head approvingly, with Kazuma giving his business partner a thumbs up.

"You're going to use that orange blob over my Explosion magic…?"

Megumin mumbled and fell to her hands and knees in disbelief.

"You seem to be taking Jerry's training seriously, Naruto. What else have you trained him to do?"

Darkness asked, and the shinobi looked at her suspiciously.

"I didn't teach him anything nefarious… and you still can't borrow him."

Naruto responded and put his hands over his ninja pouch defensively.

"Wha-I didn't even have an ulterior motive this time!"

Darkness balked, her ears burning bright red from embarrassment at the implications.

"This time…" x3

"Everyone?!"

Naruto, Kazuma, and even Aqua said in unison, which caused the Crusader's entire face to flare up.

"...rrrrRRRAAAAHHH! 'Jerry this' and 'Jerry that'! Okay, Naruto! Bring out that cheater frog and we'll decide who gets to drive in all of the attention!"

Megumin shrieked, startling everyone, before taking a fighting stance. She would teach that overgrown tadpole a lesson and exact vengeance for Chomusuke!

"Umm… I don't think that would be a good idea here. Also, Jerry's a toad."

Naruto said apprehensively while glancing around their caravan's compartment.

"Hah! Are you scared your precious little frog is going to lose to a little girl?"

Megumin taunted and crossed her arms smugly.

"No… It's just… I wouldn't want to pay for the repairs for the caravan."

Naruto responded while scratching at his whisker marks sheepishly.

Kazuma raised an eyebrow at this. Sure, Jerry had grown a lot. But it wasn't big enough to do any serious damage to their ride… Was it?

Before Megumin could continue her snarky goading, the driver shouted out an announcement.

"We've arrived at the drop off point, you lot!"

–After gathering their belongings, which consisted of light backpacks and adventuring gear, the group stood in front of a thick forest with a large mountain in the distance.

The village was allegedly at the base of the mountain, which was entirely surrounded by trees. The driver had explained that they only needed to head towards the mountain from this spot and they wouldn't get lost.

"Alright guys! Just a couple more hours and we'll be rich! Come on!"

Kazuma shouted and stepped into the lush forest. He planned on testing the Scroll Ball if they ran into any monsters.

"Kazuma sure is motivated for once. But money makes even the laziest of people motivated. Not that I blame him… So let's get moving everyone!"

Aqua, who adorned her maid outfit, urged the others to pick up the pace and followed after her party leader.

"She's just as money driven as he is."

Naruto commented while smiling wryly. But he definitely hoped the Scroll Balls sold well. It would suck to be back in debt after all the trouble they went through to pay off the wall repairs and Cecily's debt.

At the thought of the crazy nun, the shinobi's hand unconsciously raised to his cheek in remembrance. But he caught himself and shook his head.

Absolutely not.

"Hey! I want to settle things with Jerry once and for all! There shouldn't be a problem now that we're out in the open, right?"

Megumin stood in Naruto's way and demanded.

"That'll have to wait, Megumin. We need to get going or Kazuma and Aqua will leave us behind."

Darkness said and dragged the huffing mage along into the forest. After all, they were in an area with high leveled monsters and needed to stick together.

Naruto snickered at their interaction.

"It's moments like this that almost make me forget about your hopeless quirk. You're probably just eager to see some action."

"Hush, you."

Darkness curtly responded, but she didn't deny anything which fueled the shinobi's amusement.

The woodlands held an enchanting atmosphere, seemingly untouched by man.

Signs of life were evident in every corner, the most prominent being the chirping birds and singing insects.

Naruto took in a deep breath, smelling the familiar earthy scents of dampened dirt and moss. It smelled like home.

Pushing the nostalgic memories to the back of his mind, Naruto created a single Shadow Clone and ordered it to scout ahead. The clone made a quick solute before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

Naruto sighed, resisting the urge to take to the treetops himself because they had decided on a specific formation.

Darkness insisted on being the front guard and led the group, she was followed by Kazuma who was utilizing his Detect Enemies skill. Aqua and Megumin, being the most vulnerable in close quarters combat, were in the middle to provide support if need be. Which left Naruto as the rear guard to defend from sneak attacks in their blind spots while sending out clone scouts.

The beginning of their safari was quite peaceful, which left the group in high spirits.

But it wasn't long before Kazuma sensed something with his skill.

"Heads up, Darkness. There's something ahead."

Kazuma warned before turning back to the others.

"Should we try and go around?"

"Nah, this'll be a good training opportunity."

Naruto responded with a cheeky grin.

The fact that his clone hadn't immediately taken out the impending threat meant it had judged that whatever it was would be safe for Kazuma and his party to fight.

The shinobi did promise to train Kazuma, and Naruto Uzumaki kept his promises.

"I was afraid you were going to say that…"

Kazuma groaned, but pulled a scroll out from his bag and opened it. In a plume of smoke, a bizarre looking sword appeared in his hands.

These sealing scrolls were damn well convenient.

"Is that… A katana?"

Naruto asked, his eyes lighting up in recognition.

"Yes, it is. I had this baby forged with some of the money I earned from Vanir's bounty. It's name is-"

Chunchunmaru!"

"-not important…"

Kazuma began to say, but was interjected by Megumin who proudly revealed the weapon's name. Was she still mad over her Explosion magic getting sealed?

"Chun… What?"

Naruto had to stifle his laughter from the look Kazuma was sending Megumin.

But he had a sinking suspicion that Kazuma had been given Naruto's Explosion skill treatment by the Crimson Demon as she didn't have a hint of remorse on her face and even seemed to be proud of herself.

Their antics were short lived as an insect-like creature that was the size of a dog came into view. Its two antler-sized pincers snapped together violently upon seeing the adventurers.

"Eeek…!"

Aqua shrieked, a shiver shooting up her spine at the sight of the Stag Beetle. She quickly hid behind the shinobi.

"So cool! Kazuma! Let's catch it with your magic item and keep it as a pet!"

Megumin marveled at the beetle with starry eyes.

"Now she likes the item…"

Kazuma muttered as the giant bug charged towards them.

Darkness quickly moved in front of it, her sword drawn and at the ready. Horns clashed with metal as the Stag Beetle tried to latch its pincers onto the knight. The Crusader held her ground, digging her heels into the dirt to avoid being knocked over by the thrashing bug.

Kazuma took the opportunity to attack from the side. Grasping Chunchunmaru in both hands, he swung downward with all of his strength. This swing represented his renewed vow to adventuring. From this point forward, no more running away! This was HIS adventure! Nothing would stand in his-

Ching!

It all happened in slow motion.

Chunchunmaru harmlessly bounced off the Stag Beetle's carapace.

The unexpected movement caused Kazuma to stumble and fall to his knees, his sword dropping just out of reach on the floor.

The insect released its hold on Darkness's sword and lunged at the vulnerable teen.

Kazuma's eyes widened. This was it. He was going to die. Again. His third time. THIRD. What hero died THREE times!?

"Like hell I'm dying here!"

Kazuma shouted and threw a Scroll Ball at the giant beetle.

The magic item hit the bug right square on the head and activated.

The air resonated with a low hum as ethereal symbols poured out of the device and wrapped around the Stag Beetle. The surprised creature was then lifted off the ground as it was sucked into the Scroll Ball like a vacuum.

Click!

Kazuma let out a sigh as the ball landed on the floor. He could hear Megumin's excited cheers in the background.

Well, that was a good field test-

The Scroll Ball suddenly burst, and the newly freed Stag Beetle landed on the ground and looked around in confusion.

Its eyes quickly settling on Kazuma, it lunged with a newfound rage.

"Kazuma!"

Darkness shouted and dove between the bug and her party member at the last second. The Stag Beetle latched onto the woman, successfully pinning her arms to her sides.

"Darkness!"

Kazuma shouted and scrambled to his feet. Re-brandishing his katana, he searched for another opportunity to strike. But the Stag Beetle was thrashing Darkness around too violently and he was scared he might hit her by accident.

"Aaaaahaaaahaaaa!"

Darkness's shouts came out in waves as she was shook back and forth.

"Kazuma, you idiot! Do something! Naruto! Why are you just standing there!?"

Aqua shouted at the two boys, but Naruto continued to watch Kazuma who was starting to panic.

'What do I do!? My sword won't damage it, and I doubt my magic will fare any better… Ahhh! Stupid Naruto and his training! Stupid useless me!'

Kazuma thought, enraged by his helplessness yet again. He managed to hit the bug a few times, but the blows would simply bounce off of its hard shell. Even its legs were too hard for him to cut through.

Doubt riddled the boy's mind as tears of pure frustration started welding up at the corners of his eyes.

Eventually, the Stag Beetle ceased its thrashing and opted to drag the knight into the brush.

"K-K-K-Kazuma! This beast is taking me back to its layer to do unspeakable things! W-what should I do!?"

Darkness stammered she squirmed within the creature's mandibles.

"Don't start babbling out nonsense with such a happy face!"

Kazuma snapped out of his thoughts and barked at the hopeless woman. Honestly, that girl was lucky it grabbed her by the armor. She was still vulnerable in between the-

Wait, that was it! The joints!

A plan in mind, Kazuma ran to the side of the giant beetle and sought out to find the small crevices of its shell. He then thrust his sword into the insect's side in between the plates.

The Stag Beetle made a hissing sound and rose off the ground in pain, dropping Darkness to the ground. The Crusader rolled to the side in a complete daze.

Kazuma pulled his weapon back and thrust again, this time at the exposed underside of the creature that looked unprotected by armor. He must have hit something important as the Stag Beetle fell back and lay motionless.

Collapsing to the ground, Kazuma struggled to catch his breath. His heart was still pounding in his chest. But he did it.

"You okay, Darkness?"

"Yes… That was… Exhilarating! What a ferocious bug! I hope we run into more of those! Woah!"

Darkness eagerly said and pushed herself up to her feet, but it seemed she was still a little dizzy from all the thrashing and nearly fell again. She was caught by Naruto who was grinning widely.

"Rocky start, but you did good Kazuma! I learned all I need to know just from that fight."

The shinobi stated and held a hand out to his fellow adventurer.

"I'm sure you did…"

Kazuma muttered with a hint of annoyance. He knew he had a lot to learn, but he was supposed to be the senpai damn it!

"I wonder why the Scroll Ball didn't work… It worked just fine on Jerry."

Naruto said as he inspected the remnants of the destroyed magic item.

"Either the seal wasn't strong enough, or the monster was too powerful… We should probably mention that you need to weaken the monster first in our pitch."

Kazuma deducted, as this was just like the game in his home country. He should have known the magic item wouldn't have worked right away on a high leveled monster. He only had the "beginner level" Storage Seal skill he'd learned from Naruto.

If he'd been stronger, then maybe he could have weakened the Stag Beetle without killing it. Not that he actually wanted to keep it.

'I wish I could trade in the thing I brought to this world…'

Kazuma thought with a twitching eyebrow, earning the attention of Aqua who was cautiously poking the dead Stag Beetle with a somber Megumin.

"Hm? Are you injured, Kazuma? Need me to heal you? Honestly, what would you do without the me?"

Aqua sighed and trotted over to her party leader with a self-satisfied grin on her face that made Kazuma want to slap her.

"Better make it quick, Aqua. Because we have company."

Naruto suddenly said, and this time he pulled out a kunai as the forest itself seemed to come to life.

Kazuma and Aqua's faces paled to a sheet white.

There were bugs. LOTS of bugs.

'Damn it, Darkness! You raised a flag!'

Kazuma thought but didn't dare shout in fear of triggering the swarm.

"Aqua, give the others some buffs. Megumin, stay behind Darkness and get your spell ready. Kazuma, you're with me, okay?"

Naruto directed, and the others nodded their heads. He then turned to his fellow adventurer and grinned.

A giant centipede crawled up a nearby tree and hissed at them, causing Aqua to squeal in fear.

"Take what you learned from that fight and trust your instincts. You have pretty good intuition, so trust yourself a little more."

Naruto added and lowered into his fighting stance.

"Damn it… You sounded pretty cool right now and it pisses me off…"

Kazuma reluctantly said, earning a snicker from the ninja.

Then, they charged–!

"I never… Want to see… Another bug… AGAIN!"

Kazuma wheezed as he dragged himself into the clearing.

After fighting what seemed like an endless swarm of giant creepy crawlers, the group finally emerged from the forest victorious.

Aqua sobbed into Naruto's back as he carried her piggyback. She was definitely traumatized.

"Blow them up… I'll blow them up… up them blow…"

Megumin muttered under her breath as she used her staff as a crutch, her eyes glowing violently.

Darkness, who had taken the most damage, had a look of pure bliss on her face. Her armor was dented and even pierced in various places. She'd probably have to get a professional to look at it.

"Never in my life have I been manhandled so roughly… The way those bugs tossed me from one to another… Ngh…! It was almost like when Naruto used me as a human weapon!"

"That was Vanir controlling my body. Anyways, we made it! Look!"

Naruto retorted and pointed up the hill to a sign that read:

Welcome to Nuzloft - Beast Haven for Tamers!

A/N: I feel quite accomplished after this chapter. I feel like I was quite original this time around.

Lots of developments… Let me know what you all think!

Next time, we explore the beast tamer village: Nuzloft!