Here you go, people. Chapter 2!
It took a little while, but I finally finished it. Have you guys seen the finale of season 3 yet? I wanted to die watching it knowing there wouldn't be any more. Man, 3 months passed by so quickly. Let's hope for an announcement for season 4 soon instead of having to wait another 7 years.
Chapter 2: A Forced Quest Upon These Heroes!
It was nine in the morning when I was forcefully pulled from the comforts of the bed.
"Breakfast is already downstairs! How long are you going to sleep for?!"
This damn loli was too oblivious to realize it was her fault.
"Stop trying to grab my leg! Who's fault do you think it is that I didn't get much sleep?!"
That's right, no matter how deep you're into post-nut clarity, sleeping next to an attractive girl will keep any man's heart racing.
My thighs still hurt from having to tense them up to get the blood flowing away from my son.
Letting go of my leg because of my iron grip on the bedsheet, Megumin gritted her teeth.
"The nerve of this guy…! You're saying it's my fault?! You were the one who rejected my advances last night for a stupid reason!"
Stop reminding me of my fumbles!
And she agreed to that reason as well!
"You can't expect a virgin to stay calm when there's a pretty girl sleeping right next to him!"
Megumin seemingly blushed at the unintentional compliment.
"Y-You're not even a virgin!"
Whoops, old habits die hard, I guess.
"If you're so pent-up, how about we do something about it now?!"
I've been referring to myself as a virgin for so long that it's difficult not to-
What?
I looked at Megumin with wide eyes.
"Y-You really are a pervert! How can you say something so casually?!"
Without hesitation, she crawled onto the bed and began grabbing my pants.
"Come on! Let's get this over with!"
"Wait, don't you think this is a little too sudden?! Shouldn't we start by making out or something to build the mood?!"
I was pushed back onto the bed as Megumin crawled on top of me.
I know we've done it before, but I'm still not prepared!
What's up with her anyway? She's been unusually aggressive since yesterday!
Does this girl understand how difficult it is to keep a man away after he loses control?!
We stared at each other in silence; the only sound filling the room was our panting.
"Is… Is this enough of a mood for you?"
Not only were her cheeks red, but her eyes were glowing brightly in the same color as well.
…
How do I say this?
She's really sexy this way.
I'm getting seriously aroused.
Hearing that I had nothing to say, Megumin gave me a small sigh and started getting off me.
"No, don't."
I grabbed onto her waist to keep her in place.
"Y-You…! You're sending me heavy mixed signals! Do you want this or not?!"
Call it payback for how she treated me during our 'more than friends, less than lovers' period.
I got up and sat cross-legged with Megumin still on top of me.
"I… I want to do it now."
I don't care about that flimsy reason for not doing it yesterday night.
Not doing dirty things because it didn't feel right?
Screw that!
"... You really are indecisive. You know that, right?"
"You complain, yet you're moving on your own..."
Megumin closed her eyes as if enjoying the sensation of our hips grinding against each other.
"You're acting too cocky for someone who's making the girl take the lead…"
Actually, I've been thinking about this for a while now…
Am I secretly a masochist?
I seem to enjoy Megumin making moves on me instead of the other way around.
No, I'm not some hardcore pervert like Darkness.
I'm discovering some potentially bad things about myself because of this girl.
Before I could make any comments, she slowly got off me and sat on her knees.
"Here… Let me take it off for you-"
"Hey, are you two coming down to eat or not-"
Megumin and I spun our heads around and saw Aqua standing at the door with a shocked expression while covering Iris' eyes, who was behind her.
Aqua probably heard what Megumin said.
"E-Eh? What's going on? Why are you covering my eyes?
…
…
…
She slowly closed the door.
–The four of us sat at the dining table and ate our breakfast in complete silence.
Megumin and I would sometimes catch glances from a disapproving Aqua and a confused Iris, and we'd instantly avert our gazes.
This…
This is really awkward!
"... I send you to this loliNEET's room to fetch him, and that's what you end up doing? Are you guys stupid?"
I was too embarrassed to counter her name-calling.
"Aqua… I-It wasn't what it looked like."
Megumin tried to convince Aqua for the nth time.
No, it was more like she was convincing herself.
"Eromin."
"Uuu…"
Aqua slammed the table with both her fists.
"To think Eromin would be this perverted! I'd expect it from him, but you?! Kazuma, you've truly corrupted our archwizard!"
I have no right to say this, but…
"I-I'm not corrupted! It's completely normal for lovers to be intimate! And stop calling me that!"
"Eromin! Eromin! Eromin!"
This goddess of debt is really good at ruining the mood.
Truth be told, I'm still hard.
Iris started blushing, like she realized something, and looked down at her lap embarrassingly.
"J-Just what were Onii-sama and Big Boss doing?"
–After that whole ordeal, Iris wanted to play more but ultimately had to keep her word. So I promised her that I would be back soon and bid her farewell.
Megumin, Aqua, and I were on our way out of the castle with Claire and Rain escorting us.
"Kazuma-dono, as much as I hate to say this, I thank you for cheering Iris-sama up. The princess has been burdened with work and meetings to the point where it was rare to see her smile."
"Oho? Is that gratitude I hear, White Suit?"
Claire's body tensed in anger as she side-eyed Rain, seemingly trying to get her to say something.
Getting the cue, Rain awkwardly fiddled with her hair.
"A-And, well… It's not like we ban those types of activities in the castle, but… do lock the door if you're doing anything… risque. Especially when the princess is on the same floor…"
"Y-Yes ma'am."
Even though it looked like Megumin was too busy talking to Aqua to hear Rain's words, her blush told otherwise.
"You never change, do you? I expected to see you turn a new leaf after defeating the Devil King, but you never fail to disappoint."
"For the record, she was the one who initiated. I didn't intend for anything to happen this morning, so quit throwing insults at me."
"Like I'd believe that. From my observations, despite being an adventurer, Megumin seems to be a woman of class. She'd never start anything intimate with her partner as guests at the royal castle."
"You have terrible observation skills, then."
You'd be surprised at what Darkness, a noble lady, does at night.
"But to think Kazuma-dono is dating Megumin-dono is surprising. I expected you to go for Lalatina-sama with your… obvious preferences."
What's this?
I didn't think Rain would be so bold as to say her thoughts out loud to me like that.
Was she getting less meek, or was her opinion of me getting lower?
I hope it's the former.
"Well, I guess you don't pick who you're ultimately attracted to. Before I realized it, my surface-level desires for her turned into something real and meaningful."
"It's a little creepy how honest you're being, so I'd appreciate it if you stopped."
This White Suit never thinks twice before verbally abusing someone.
No, she only does that with me.
I wanted to throw my own insult at her, but then I remembered something.
"Oh, I've got something for you two."
I pulled Claire and Rain to the side.
"We're not doing anything dirty with you. You were just talking about how your feelings for Megumin-dono were real, and now you pull this? Despicable."
"That's not it!"
No, stop it, even Rain is looking at me with disgust!
"Ahem… I've got intel from my partner about a nobleman named Adouze. Apparently, he's got a dangerous relic. Could you two look into it and tell me anything you can?"
–We were back at the mansion.
"We're back!" x3
As soon as I opened the door, Aqua happily went to Zell.
I hope she didn't seriously still think that thing was a dragon.
"Welcome back, where'd the three of you go? I came back yesterday night and was surprised to see no one."
Darkness, who was sitting at the table, looked towards Megumin and me.
"We went to Wiz's yesterday to make a business deal about a new product Kazuma came up with. Then we ended up visiting the capital and staying the night. You should've been there, Darkness!"
Megumin stepped forward and struck an unnecessary pose.
"So I've heard. Word spread quickly that Iris apparently arranged for a hot air balloon to be blown up."
I didn't think it'd be so fast. This happened just yesterday evening.
Well, I guess it was a big deal relative to what was going on.
"Yeah, it's a shame you couldn't come with us to see it. Though I guess you didn't miss much since it was just Megumin doing her usual thing."
"What do you mean she didn't miss much? It was a special two-hundred-point explosion!"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Well, I'm glad you guys had fun while I was out attending to my duties. But I can't help but feel left behind…"
It was unfortunate, but due to Darkness' noble status, she hasn't been able to hang out with us much.
"We'll make sure to go back when you're not buried in paperwork, alright?"
Megumin gently placed her hand on Darkness' shoulder to comfort her.
She was acting unexpectedly motherly.
Maybe due to my pent-up urges, noticing little things like that about her was sending my body into overdrive.
I don't think my hands will be enough anymore.
I need something to distract me.
"Speaking of, Lalatina-sama, you took care of all the noble stuff?"
"D-Don't call me that…! I had to attend a meeting about the new land I was governing, which took about all the energy I had. Not to mention all those marriage proposals I had to refuse… After we defeated the Demon King, I've gotten a lot more trouble on my plate."
I can't imagine how draining it must be to be someone of her status.
I patted the poor crusader on the shoulder alongside Megumin with sympathy.
"Yeah yeah. You've done a good job, Darkness. We'll laze around a little, and the four of us can do something around town, alright?"
Aqua, who came back to the living room after sneaking off to her room, came screaming to Darkness.
"Listen Darkness! You really have to beat some sense into these two hormone-filled perverts! Just this morning, they were about to-umph!"
"Ahhhh!"
Megumin, who didn't want to be known as a pervert, ran up to Aqua and stopped her from talking with her hands.
Why does Aqua think it's a good idea to share things like that?
I'm gonna drink that wine if she keeps doing that.
Don't think I didn't see you sneakily bringing it into your room.
But well, seeing Megumin so embarrassed about our intimacy was also quite cute.
Damn it…
I really want to do it.
"W-Wait, Megumin, let Aqua finish! W-What were you and Kazuma going to do this morning?!"
"N-None of your business! Keep prying, and I'll seriously start calling you Lewdness!"
"A-As an upstanding noblewoman, I can't allow any dirty acts to be done at the royal castle! What were the two of you thinking, doing those things in the place the princess sleeps at night?!"
"D-Don't act like you didn't flirt with Kazuma with your child watching just a few months ago! Yeah, that's right, don't think I'd forget something as scandalous as making moves on someone who was already taken—in front of a child, no less! Just how shameless can you be?!"
"Wait! T-That and this are completely different! And how many times do I have to tell you Sylphina is not my child?!"
Aqua slowly walked beside me.
"Nee, Kazuma. You've become unexpectedly popular."
But I couldn't digest what she was saying.
I'm trying to focus…
Channel the zen energy within your very core and stay calm, Kazuma…!
"Need I say more? You say you're a noblewoman, but would a true noblewoman do the things you do at night-"
"Ahhhhh! Shut up!"
The image of what our friendly neighborhood masochist did at night was the last straw.
I can't take this anymore!
There's no way I can do anything with Megumin now since Darkness and Aqua are in the house.
I can't book a hotel and take Megumin with me because that'll look suspicious…!
I'll have to wait until tonight.
Even then, Megumin might pull her usual temptress tricks and blue-ball me.
And I can't go to the pretty onee-sans anymore since I promised not to…
Ah… I really regret not doing it yesterday.
I'm about to cry.
I want to die.
"We're going on a damn quest! Get ready now, we're leaving in ten minutes!"
"Kazuma wants to go on a quest? That's a rare sight… I guess if it means I can use explosion, I shouldn't complain."
I chuckled drily at the irony of the recently assertive Megumin not figuring out why I was so keen on doing something that wasn't lazing around.
"Ehh? Don't wanna! I wanna stay here and play with Emperor Zell!"
"Shut it, you're a goddess, so act like it!"
If I can't do anything about my pent-up urges now, I might as well do something that'll distract me enough to last until tonight.
I didn't want to stay in the house anymore, so I started heading out the door.
It definitely wasn't me trying to hide the tent I was pitching.
"Ah, wait, Kazuma. This is actually perfect, Luna-san personally gave us a quest to complete. I tried to refuse, knowing we all needed a break, but she insisted, saying that we should at least take one weekly. But well, I'm glad I took it since you seem to be fired up for one."
I put my hands in my pants pocket, carefully adjusted my son's position, and walked back.
I quickly grabbed the quest sheet from Darkness' hand and turned around.
The writing reads as follows:
'-Monster Investigation: People have been disappearing around the southern forest of Axel. There have been reports of unusual activities and sounds deep within the forest. A loud metal grinding sound could be heard sometimes. Investigate and eliminate whatever lies there. The reward is 500,000 eris."
That sounds simple enough.
But I thought about what Darkness said.
"The quest itself is fine, but isn't one quest a week a little too much? I don't wanna have to do quests that frequently when we're this rich already."
"I get where you're coming from. But, well… Luna will no doubt threaten to kick us out if we stay inactive."
Honestly, is that any way to treat the party that saved the world from the Devil King?
"Can't be helped then."
"Kazuma, are you sure you don't want to do this later? it's not like you to be productive. And why are you turned away from us?"
I always underestimate how perceptive Crimson Demons are.
"I'm in a good mood right now, so stop insulting me before I do something unforgettable to you."
I quickly read through the quest paper Darkness handed me again.
The southern forest?
Even though I've never been there, I've heard somewhere that the southern forest in Axel is extremely safe.
"Oi, isn't the southern forest one of the safest places around here?"
Megumin looked over my shoulder and glanced at the quest sheet for a few seconds.
I'm glad the piece of paper is blocking her view of my lower half.
It's half-chub right now.
I just need to think pure thoughts…
"It is. If I remember correctly, the forest is called the 'Tranquility Forest'. Despite the name, no Tranquility Girl lives there. So there's no need to worry about you being a heartless killer."
"I thought you were supposed to be smart. If Tranquility Girls don't live in the Tranquility Forest, which is known for how safe it is, then doesn't that mean they're not as peaceful as you guys believe them to be?"
"I-I'm gonna ignore that stupid and thoughtless remark and pretend you didn't say that."
Judging by the look she had, it was clear who the winner of this argument was.
No. There wasn't even an argument in the first place.
"You guys have nothing to do in the afternoon, right? Let's hurry up and get this over with as soon as possible."
"Don't wanna!"
I ignored Aqua and headed outside to clear my mind.
–A few hours later.
"Sniff… Sniff… My hair… to think the hair of a goddess was violated like that…"
"Stop being a crybaby, I didn't pull that hard!"
After almost ripping off her scalp, Aqua relented.
During our journey to the forest, we encountered quite a lot of monsters. Since I didn't want to use our ace, Megumin's explosion, before we even arrived at our destination, I did most of the work and used up quite a bit of mana.
Maybe I really should force Darkness to improve her accuracy instead of putting all her skill points on defensive skills.
I mean, letting the weakest person in the party do all the work wasn't the smartest thing to do.
I looked around.
The forest definitely lived up to its name. It was quite a beautiful place. I wasn't much of a plant person, but even I could tell the trees and flowers were more vibrant in color compared to other forests. There was a faint metallic scent buried in the rich smell of the forest, which was a bit odd. But other than that, it fits the description.
But then again…
"Hey… Just double checking, Is this really the forest we're looking for? It's so peaceful here. I know it's supposed to be that way, but the quest paper said there were unusual sounds, right? So why am I not hearing any?"
We've arrived at our destination. But there wasn't a single abnormality present.
Megumin, who was pulling on my sleeve, pointed at the map I was holding.
"Maybe we should head to the towns around? We might be able to get some clues on what's happening."
"Ah, I forgot to mention. Luna-san said that only the people from this town are disappearing."
Darkness pointed at the map.
I wish you wouldn't forget to tell us important information like that.
"Southmore huh… That's not too far from where we are right now. Alright, we'll head there."
After around twenty minutes of walking, we arrived at Southmore with the desire to find clues, but…
"... There's no one here."
Darkness and I went inside one of the houses.
The furniture and rooms were clean, and it seems like they were used not too long ago.
"Kazuma, all these houses seem like they were abandoned just recently!"
Megumin shouted from one of the other houses.
That's strange. If there were people living here not long ago, then where are they now?
I double-checked to see if there was anything strange going on.
"Hey, this is kinda weird, none of these houses have beds in them."
Darkness pondered for a bit-
"You're right… Maybe the inhabitants sleep on the floor instead of on a bed?"
That was a possibility, but it still didn't explain why there was no one here.
I was about to go out when I noticed something.
"Hold on, no, you can see four faint scratch marks in the bedrooms. Presumably from the legs of a bedframe."
"Maybe we should check that big house over there!"
I looked out the window to see Aqua pointing at the biggest house in the town.
Just what is going on here?
–Knock knock knock
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
…
…
…
"Looks like this town is a ghost town."
I reached out to the doorknob and paused before looking behind me.
The girls all nodded in unison.
"Alright, here goes nothing."
Before I could grab it, the doorknob twisted slowly with a metallic click. The old wooden door opened slowly as the joints rattled.
"Who's there?"
A young boy with dark red hair looked up at us with a puzzled look.
"Uh, hey there. We're adventurers from Axel. We're here to investigate the thing that has been disturbing this town. But before that, may I ask, where is everyone?"
"Oh, everyone is in here, please come in."
Darkness and Megumin began welcoming themselves in. Before I could do the same, Aqua pulled on my shirt.
"Hey, Kazuma… I have a really bad feeling about this. There was a very strong presence behind the door right before the boy opened the door..."
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it. Let's just stick together and stay on guard, alright?"
Aqua gave me a worried look and nodded.
"Okay…"
"Don't worry. After all, you're a goddess, aren't you?"
I gave her a forced smile and headed inside.
The four of us followed the kid into the house as the wooden floor creaked slightly with every step we took. The inside looked clean and well-maintained. Different furniture was scattered across the rooms, which was weird.
Why are all the bedrooms filled with furniture? Not to mention the bedrooms don't even have beds in them.
I know I said all those things to Aqua, but…
Isn't this really bad? If Aqua is sensing something, then it must be related to the undead or devils. But instead of charging in head first like she usually does, she got worried! Doesn't that mean something really dangerous is here?!
"By the way, What's your name? I'm Darkness, and these are my teammates, Megumin, Aqua, and Kazuma."
The kid froze in place after Darkness introduced us, but quickly regained his composure.
"... My name's Tor. It's nice to meet you all."
I'm getting really weird vibes from this place.
"Likewise, Tor. Is there any information you can give us? We know that people here have been disappearing left and right. Do you have any of their last known locations or important information?"
I was glad Darkness was able to keep her calm and carry out the investigation. Aqua was never that useful in intel gathering, and Megumin was unusually quiet, likely sensing the same weird atmosphere.
"Well… not that I can think of. People usually go missing during the night. One family had guards looking out for them as they slept, but they all went missing along with the guards. It was like they just disappeared into thin air."
Maybe this was the work of a really good kidnapper, and we could hand this over to the police.
"What about the sounds in the forest? Do you have any clues on what might be there?"
"Unfortunately no. The forest was always a peaceful place for us to relax… But these strange metallic sounds suddenly started to happen around the time people began going missing."
I'm starting to think I bit off more than I could chew.
Tor led us to a room that was full of people, from children to elders. There were around ten of them here.
"U-Um… Is there a reason they're all in here?"
I was honestly a little afraid to ask at this point.
"Well, since any one of us could go missing during the night, we figured that staying together in a room where everyone could see each other at all times was the best thing to do. But that didn't work. They tried staying up all night but somehow everyone passed out after a certain point. And now these guys are the only ones left."
'They'?
"If that's the case, then why didn't you guys just flee to another town?"
I mean, isn't that the most logical thing to do?
"Did that as well. But the other townspeople refused to let anyone from Southmore take refuge in their territory. Saying that they'll bring whatever's in the forest to them. We also thought about going to Axel for help, but it was too far and the road was too close to the forest."
That's troublesome.
I crouched down to ask one of the townsmen questions, but-
Is this guy even alive?
No no no, his chest is moving up and down, so he's breathing.
But… His eyes look empty and hollow. It's like he's in a trance.
I looked at all the other people here, and they were all in the same situation...
I thought about everything that happened up to this point, trying to figure something out.
Anything.
Lots of people have gone missing, and there are loud sounds around the forests. It's likely the two are connected in some way. Then there are the people still here… who all look to be alive, but in the state they're in, it's more like they're in a coma.
This kid, Tor… It's kind of strange that he's the only one awake.
He also accidentally called the townsmen 'they'…
…
…
…
This is bad.
We're in a lot of potential danger if my theory is correct!
We need to get out of here as soon as we can!
Suddenly, I felt a slight pinch in my head.
At the same time, Tor put his hand on my shoulder.
"I-I don't think it's good to disturb them… Since I don't know what's going on with them, I've been afraid to do anything to try and help them."
I stood up, and his hand slid off my shoulder.
"These people can't answer our questions in the state they're in. Thanks for bringing us here, Tor, I appreciate the information you've given us. We'll take our leave now."
"Ah, alright."
The girls all exited the house. But before I did the same-
"I almost forgot to ask. Do you live here, Tor?"
for a split second, panic flashed in his eyes before he recomposed himself and answered.
"Yeah, I do. Why?"
"It's nothing, I was just curious."
We thanked Tor once again and headed back to the Tranquility Forest.
If everything is just like I think it is, then we've got a hard quest on our hands now!
"Kazuma Kazuma, did you figure something out?"
I'm sure Darkness and Megumin are on the same page, Aqua, on the other hand… I doubt she thought about it at all.
"I don't know, I have a theory on what's going on. We'll talk about it later. Actually, did you sense anything back in the house?"
"Well... besides the strong presence, something really faint was nagging at me ever since I went in the house."
"I'm guessing it disappeared after you left?"
Aqua gave an affirmative nod.
What a tricky situation I've gotten us into.
Megumin, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.
"Don't you guys think that kid was acting a bit suspicious?"
Darkness, who did the majority of the questioning, put her hand on her chin.
"I've dealt with children before, he was indeed acting too calm for someone his age."
"Guys, we'll talk about this later, alright?"
You never know if someone is listening.
–By the time we got to the forest, it was already almost nighttime.
We were supposed to investigate the forest, but it's definitely too dangerous to do that now.
"Oi, you three. We're heading back before night comes. We have to inform the guild about this."
"Wait a minute, are we really just going to leave the people back there? They're just gonna keep going missing until all of them are gone."
"But there's nothing we can do at the moment, is there? Whatever is happening here is obviously beyond us, so it's better for us to get professionals to deal with this."
"Luna-san's gonna think that you're just trying to get out of the quest. But I've been feeling this weird eerieness from this place for a while now. So I'd like to go home."
Darkness chimed in—
"And you still haven't told us your theory on what's going on."
I activated Enemy Detection to make sure there was nothing dangerous nearby.
Huh…?
What's going on?
"Hold on, Create Earth."
I tried to use a skill to see if my magic was working.
"Kazuma?"
Strangely, my magic still works, but usually, I'm able to create much more sand than this.
"This is just speculation, but… I think it's safe to say that Tor kid back there has something to do with this. His clothes had no signs of damage, while the townsman had tattered clothing. Don't you guys think that's shady?"
"Yeah, there was also no one there that had red hair, only him. If he has such distinct hair, wouldn't his parents also have it?"
"Maybe they went missing?"
"He told us an entire family disappeared, even with guards looking out for them. And would a child whose parents went missing act so nonchalant about it?"
As the four of us brainstormed for any possibilities, I decided it was better to get home sooner than later.
"We'll report this back to the guild. I don't think we're capable of handling this case. Let's just abandon this quest and look for an easier one, alright?"
I checked my mana, and luckily, I still had enough for Teleport. Though, something weird was going on with my mana, I had to focus extra hard to do the incantation.
Before I cast the spell—
Wait… How did this quest end up all the way in Axel when no one was able to leave Southmore…?
Just as I thought that, I felt a prick in my neck.
"Ow!"
"W-What?"
Aqua worryingly said while the other two had looks of concern.
I pulled out whatever had struck my neck.
It was a small dart.
…
A-Am I being poisoned?!
"A-Aqua! Cast heal, quick!"
"Heal! Heal! Heal!"
Scary! What the hell is happening?!
"Kazuma! Are you alright?"
Megumin came rushing to me, checking if I had any other wounds on me, while Darkness went on the lookout for any enemies.
We need to get out of here, now!
"Teleport!"
But nothing happened.
"E-Eh…?"
W-Why can't I use any magic?
I tried using Tinder, but once again, nothing happened.
Before I could try again, the ear-piercing sound of metal grinding echoed in the forest.
We looked around with alertness.
"Stick together!"
Darkness pulled us into a circle with our backs facing each other.
My hands trembled as I pulled Chunchunmaru out of its sheath.
Shit! This is bad! I can't use magic to teleport us out of here!
I glanced behind me and saw Aqua and Megumin with the same look of terror on their faces.
"K-Kazuma, I wanna go home…!"
No kidding!
Suddenly, right in front of Megumin, a giant metallic creature as tall as the trees appeared out of thin air.
It genuinely surprised me. It was like I blinked and it appeared.
It had a completely smooth metal body, and it crawled on all fours. Its silhouette resembled a lizard.
Despite its animalistic appearance, it moved rather mechanically.
The smooth gloss of its body morphed into extremely long, thin spikes like a porcupine. As soon as that happened, the metallic grinding sound was emitted by the creature. It slowly lowered its body to our level as the head liquified slowly, acting almost like slime.
Before I realized it, the beast shot out a tendril from its slime-like head that was headed straight towards Megumin.
"Megumin!"
My body moved on my own as I pushed Aqua and Darkness out of the way before pulling and throwing Megumin to the left. The tendril then instantly wrapped around my arm in a painful grip and forcefully pulled me into the air, toward the monster.
"Ahhh!"
As soon as Megumin fell to the floor, she instantly looked up in fear, like she didn't even know what was happening.
Darkness was rushing towards me while Aqua buffed her.
"Powered! Haste! Protection!"
"Kazuma, your hand!"
Darkness jumped as high as she could to try and grab my hand, but I was too far for her to reach me.
As Darkness fell to the ground, the monster kept me suspended in the air while its head slowly split in the middle, revealing the inside.
The inside of its head was filled with long, thin spikes, just like its outer ones.
I was really sweating at this point.
I struggled hard to get my hand out of the slimy tendril's bind. But even with me hacking it with Chunchunmaru, it didn't budge.
The tendril slowly lowered me toward the mouth of the metallic creature.
"Ahhhh! Nooo!"
I turned my back to look at Megumin with panic written all over my face as I kicked and pulled as hard as I could, to the point where my wrist was starting to hurt from all the stress.
"M-Megumin! Do it, do your thing!"
I looked down with horror as I prayed for a quick death.
But when nothing happened, I looked over at Megumin again.
She was trembling with dread in her eyes as she watched me get closer and closer to the thing's mouth while using her staff as a crutch to stand up.
Oi! This isn't the time to get cold feet!
Darkness quickly went to her and shook her.
"Megumin, snap out of it! Use explosion now! We'll have Aqua revive him!"
"ah… ahhh…"
She made such noises, almost like the beast completely petrified her with fear.
"M-Megumin! Don't worry, I always revive him without trouble, right? So just go ahead and do it!"
Aqua and Darkness were seriously panicking.
As for me, I was about to piss myself.
My companion's screaming turned into a fog in my head as I was lowered into the mouth of whatever this thing was.
"Ahhhh! Megumin! Use it, please! I beg you!"
I screamed out, begging her.
I was so far into the creature that I couldn't see the girls anymore.
"Teleport! Teleport! God damn it! Why isn't my magic working?!"
The monster's mouth suddenly started closing as the lower spikes began piercing my legs.
"AHHHHHH!"
I screamed out in agony as tears welled up in my eyes.
I felt the blood leaking out. The pain receptors in my leg screamed at my body to get away.
I tried crawling as hard as I could, but the needle-like spikes that impaled my leg kept me in place.
I don't want to die…
Even though I could be revived, my survival instinct didn't know that.
A loud ringing sound bounced around in my head. I could still faintly hear my companions screaming.
I looked around to see if there was anything that could help me get away.
But there was nothing.
"Megumin! Please!"
"I'll treat you to dinner!"
Those two were still trying to snap Megumin out of whatever state she was in.
I gritted my teeth hard, grabbed the outside of the creature's mouth with my free hand, and pulled as hard as I could while the tears fell.
I don't want to die.
"MEGUMIN!"
I screamed out her name in monstrous desperation as a last-ditch effort.
As the mouth closed more and more, the spikes around my torso began to close in on me.
The spikes dug into my thighs.
Then my hips.
Then my sides and back.
I could feel them coming out the other side.
As I was skewered more and more. My body screamed progressively louder at me, begging me to escape in any way.
The spikes reached my lungs and pierced through them with ease.
"ARGHHHH…!"
I tried breathing, but it was futile.
I don't want to die…!
I could feel my consciousness fading slowly.
The only thought repeating in my mind was…
I don't want to die!
From the corner of my eye, I saw the last set of spikes closing in on my neck and head.
Please…
They dug into my skull, slowly making their way through.
I DON'T WANT TO DIE!
"EXPLOSIONNNNNN—-!"
I faintly heard the word that should've been said way back before I died.
Whether I died from my brain getting punctured by needles or the explosion.
I didn't know.
So... how was that? We've now truly begun the main story. Since the gang has never really been in any real danger before in the light novel, I wanted to see how they'd fare in a dire situation, with Kazuma taking the fall there at the end since I don't think I can stomach writing any of the girls getting seriously hurt or even killed. I might come back and edit this chapter and change out some stuff, but I'll leave it for now. I've spent too long on this chapter.