A Traumatic Experience for this Tsundere Party Leader

They all watched as Kazuma, seemingly out of no where fell over, a massive wound leaving a gaping hole in his chest.

"Kazuma?!"

The three girls yelled. They'd seen Kazuma up and walking mere seconds ago and were severely disoriented by the mysterious attack that assaulted their party leader with no warning.

But after realizing the rest of them weren't being targeted by the same attack, they calmed down.

"Welp, no way he survived that. I'll just resurrect him."

Far too used to seeing Kazuma dead, Aqua calmly walked over the Kazuma's corpse and began casting her miracle spell.

"STOP!"

Aqua had almost finished up her incantation when Vanir interrupted her.

"That isn't a normal wound. It was a planned assassination by the Demon king's royal assassin. Any type of holy healing magic on him would have the opposite effect. And if the brat fully dies here, the core binding his soul together will be shattered, thus, erasing his existence from the universe."

Vanir looked around. Seemingly searching for something, activating his clairvoyance.

His eyes then narrowed, looking at an unsuspecting hole in the rusty castle.

The crescents on his mask shined a blinding red.

"Vanir Style Murder Ray!"

A red laser beam shot out of the devil's eyes towards the direction he faced.

"Well that's a problem taken care of."

He then took off his mask and threw it onto Kazuma's face.

From there, chaos erupted.

Aqua summoned her staff into her hand, Darkness unsheathed her sword, and Megumin tried to get up, only to fall back down due to losing her balance.

Aqua was the first one to act.

"How dare you filthy devil, I knew I should have purified you long ago. Wiz will be sad but I'm sure she'll understand. Sacred Exorcism!"

Vanir's mask floated off Kazuma and dodged the attack.

"Goddess STOP. If thou distracts moi one more time thy brat will die. Didn't mount explain that this attack was planned specifically to deny any sort of holy magic?. Moi can only think of two beings, moiself included in this entire world that could save the brat in his current state. And goddess, you are not one of them."

Vanir replaced himself on Kazuma's face.

"And goddess, one more thing. Although moi's already said thy brat's soul shalt cease to exist,

incase thou doesn't understand, if the brat dies now there will be no heaven or hell for this brat. No second chance and no resurrection. Not a single spell will be able to bring back the brat from erasure."

~~~

I confirmed the situation. I've somehow been sent to a weird dimension of sorts.

The entire place is just... space.

Just a whole bunch of space.

There was absolutely nothing in this realm.

What kind of insane maniac creates a place like this?

Surrounded by a blackish gray background and standing atop a heap of nothingness, I was slightly overwhelmed.

"What the hell is this place?"

"Not quite."

A voice sounded from behind me.

"Huh?"

"You, brat, are currently experiencing... death! Usually this process is supposed to be instant, hence why you have no memory of this place despite having passed through it quite the number of times. In fact, you've passed through this realm more than any mortal soul has ever before."

"That's cool and all but, what are you doing here Vanir? I thought you just respawn when you die."

"Brat are you messing with moi or do you not understand just how much danger you're in right now?"

"Eh?"

"Yes brat, something unnatural happening within the process of life and death, is way out of scale for a weakling like yourself. Best not worry about it but... Moi would say you have about 3 hours before your soul can no longer take the strain of being in this realm and shatters in pieces. If that happens brat, you will cease no exist. No resurrections, and no coming back."

Do you want me to calm down or not? Nothing about what you said is helping me "not worry about it".

This devil is making no sense.

"Hmm, perhaps Moi explained poorly. Allow Moi to reiterate, brat, there is absolutely nothing you are capable of doing about your current situation. However, if thou leaves things to moi, I can save you. All I require is for you to decide if you want to be saved."

"Why wouldn't I want to-"

"Stop, brat I was just getting to that. Your current predicament is a very unique one to say the least. Saving you isn't as simple as casting a couple spells on you. The only way to prevent your soul from breaking is if Moi lends one of moi lives into thou soul to secure its instability."

"So, what happens if I do choose to be saved?"

"If Moi merges one of Moi lives with one of yours, in exchange for saving you soul, Moi life will leave traces of itself within your body. Simply said, you'd be agreeing become a devil by agreeing to be saved here."

"Your other option will be for your soul to cease from existence with no hope of being revived. So, which do you choose?"

Wait... if I think about this isn't this a win win situation for me? In exchange for getting my life saved I get to be merged a devil. Aren't devils supposed to be really handsome and staff? And now that I think about it isn't Vanir an Arch Duke of Hell? There's no way I'll end up weaker from my soul having part of his in it.

What a steal!

"Vanir, I've made up my mind. Save me. I'm fine with becoming a devil."

"Can't take this back brat, if you have any regrets don't hold it again me."

"Pfft as if I'll regret-"

Vanir then took off his mask and put it on my face.

The past 10 seconds were memories I don't wish to recount upon.

Just imagine having your entire heart ripped out along with each one of your bones. Then having something burning, as hot as lava being pushed in to your body in place of them. All without painkillers.

"VANRRRR I REGRET MY DECISION JUST LET ME DIEEEE."

"Shut up brat I'm trying to concentrate if you mess me up now you'll be in this pain for all of eternity stuck inside this realm."

And now you've experienced a fraction of the pain and horror I went through because it humanly isn't possible to properly visualize what I suffered.

Hell, I didn't know it was possible to experience that much pain without dying. And I've died more times than I'd care to admit.

Thud

As soon as the procedure ended, Vanir collapsed.

"Oi. Vanir? Did it fail? V-Vanir?"

I felt myself turning whiter by the second. If the process failed and Vanir was dead…

I'm so screwed.

"Ahh who cares anymore. Goodbye shitty world. You've been nothing but a pain since day one. Boy am I glad I'm freed from this torture. What the hell kinda isekai was this? My "op blessing"? A useless goddess who doesn't do shit besides party tricks. My party members? A flat onetime use mage who can't be used in 90% of the situations we find ourselves in and a masochist crusader who screws us in more battles that she helps in. Man I wish I never came to this world. I wish… I wish."

Splash

A single droplet of water landed on the empty space next to me. It's strange how this dimension lacks sunlight, clouds, and life yet can still produce rain.

Splash splash

Some of the rain must have hit my eyes.

I can't see clearly anymore.

Splash splash,… sniff

Who am I kidding? I just… I just…

"I just wish I could've said goodbye to them."

I guess at the end the day I-

"Mmm the dark emotions of a leader with regretful feelings unknown to even himself. Quite the delicacy! Worry not brat, the process was successful. So successful in fact that Moi believes thou owes a moi generous tip."

The dead form of Vanir fell apart into dirt and reformed into the smug figure of Vanir licking his lips.

"…"

A/N I was facing a bit of a dilemma on what to do with this chapter. Like any good procrastinator I pushed it back to next chapter. If you want to know why this chapter is short and I didn't update for a while there you go!