They were headed to a little farming village called Peabody that was at the very heart of nowhere. It would be a two day trip to get there. The first day's travel was actually very pleasant. For the first time in months Kazuma saw Megumin in her red and brown wizard robes instead of in a waitress uniform. She had her staff and hat and even had the stupid eyepatch again.

"Why are you wearing that?" Kazuma asked.

"Heh, heh, heh I dare not remove it or a terrible catastrophe would take place!" With a hand she formed a 'V' in front of the eyepatch.

Kazuma gave her a blank stare. Then grabbed the eyepatch and yanked it out before letting it snap back into her eye.

She ditched the eyepatch after that.

Despite the bit of stupidity the journey was pretty enjoyable. It was a warm spring day and there was not a cloud in the sky. Having gone on so many quests with Darkness he'd gotten used to traveling with a heavy backpack and didn't mind it. Megumin was really enjoying it.

"I've missed going through the countryside. I haven't been outside of Axel since the cabbage harvest."

"Why not?" Kazuma asked. "If you wanted to go out no one was stopping you."

"Most days I have to work twelve hours and I'm too exhausted to so anything but eat and then sleep. When I do have a day off I usually have laundry, shopping, and a ton of other errands to do. Besides," she gave a heartfelt sigh. "I can't really use Explosion if I can't get someone to take me back afterwards. If I can't use Explosion I really don't have a reason to go outside the city walls."

"Okay, you do realize that if you would just learn a few other spells you could pick any party in the guild and they'd want you."

"I refuse! I will never debase myself by learning any spell besides my beloved Explosion! Anything less won't satisfy me. As the greatest wizard of the Crimson Demon Clan I refuse to let anyone see me casting an inferior magic and so damage my reputation!"

Darkness slapped her hands together. "I admire your devotion to the thing you love! No matter how difficult it may be or what opinions others may hold, I believe a person should follow their passion no matter what!" She gave Megumin an enthusiastic thumbs up, which the girl returned.

Kazuma felt a vein start to throb in his forehead. "Please don't encourage her."

As it started to get dark they made camp. Kazuma caught some fish in a nearby creek. He took one of the monster repellent jars and opened it. There was no need to splash it on anyone, it worked fine just being left out like an air freshener. It would keep monsters away for roughly eight hours. It smelled like oranges and dandelions. Kazuma also always kept his Detect Enemy ability active in passive mode. So if anything did approach them during the night he would wake up. As he was tending the fire and getting ready to sleep Megumin approached him.

"Ah, Kazuma?"

"Yes, I'm Kazuma."

"We're all going to sleep for the night, right? We won't be doing anything until morning, right?"

Kazuma looked at her. The girl's face was flushed and she twitched nervously. He considered the situation and understood what was happening. He reached out and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and spoke in a soft and tender voice.

"Megumin, I know what you're about to ask me. I can see how eager you are, but I'm sorry, my answer has to be no."

"B… But why? Wouldn't it be okay? Just this one time? Please? I'll beg if you want me to! I just mmph-"

He placed a finger on her lips to cut her off. "Megumin, I'm flattered that you want me to make you a woman and bring you into the world of adults. I can understand your attraction. Me being a successful adventurer and you being a lowly waitress. You want me to make sweet, sweet love to you beneath the stars. I truly am flattered, but it can never be, I ow ow ow!"

She bit down on the finger he was using to shush her. He yanked it out of her mouth and could see teeth marks.

"As if I'd ever give my precious virginity to a jerk face like you!"

He backed up away from her. Darkness was sitting by the fire watching this with an amused smile on her face.

"Then what were you asking about?"

"I just wanted to cast Explosion before we all go to bed! Since you're not going to need me to use it there's no reason not to, right?"

"Oh, I see." Kazuma was still shaking his finger and felt a little disappointed. "The answer's no."

"What?! But why not?"

"Loud noises attract monsters. There's no reason for us to get the attention on every living thing in the area just so you can have your jollies."

She stabbed a finger at the clay jar. "But that'll keep the monsters away won't it?"

"Yeah, but there's no need to borrow trouble."

"You don't understand, I have to cast Explosion or I'll die!"

He narrowed his eyes and placed his hands on his hips. "You'll die, huh?"

She nodded vigorously. "That's right! Crimson Demon Clan wizards suffer from a terrible curse! If we don't cast Explosion every single day we fall over dead! Do you want me to die, Kazuma? Do you want to be responsible for that?"

He smacked a palm into his face. "Are you like a compulsive liar on top of being a moron? You told me just today you haven't been outside of Axel for months. Which means you haven't cast Explosion in months."

She stood there fidgeting. "Ah, I've held on this long through an extreme act of will, but I'm at my limit."

"You sure that's what you want to go with? If you said you were being possessed by an evil spirit there's more chance I'd believe you."

All at once Megumin began waving her arms about and swaying from side to side. "Oh no," she gasped. "I'm being possessed by an evil spirit and it says it won't leave my body until I blow something up to appease it. What do I do, Kazuma?"

"…"

"Ah, Kazuma?"

"…"

"Ah, Kazuma? What do you want me to do about this evil spirit?"

"You know what? Screw it, knock yourself out."

"Really?! I can cast Explosion?!"

"Sure, why not?"

She lifted her staff and began casting before he could change his mind. "Oh anarchy! Oh primal chaos! Heed my call! Let loose the forces of destruction and call down the fires of heaven! Exploooooosion!"

Kazuma stood there and watched as a nearby section of forest was ripped apart and swallowed up in a massive fireball. He felt the earth shake and a hot wind blow past. He had to admit, to himself if not to her, it was damn impressive.

Thump!

He turned around and was not surprised to her lying face down in the grass.

"Ah, that felt amazing."

"Has the evil spirit gone bye-bye? You okay now?"

She chuckled. "Yes, I'm fine. Everything is perfect."

"Glad to hear it." He began walking back to the campfire.

"Ah, Kazuma? I can't move. Could you carry me to my blankets?"

"Nope. Have a good night."

As he got ready to sleep Darkness was grinning at him. "You know Kazuma, I think you have the most well-honed sense of cruelty I have ever seen."

"Thanks. Good night."

"Good night."

XXX

The following day they reached Peabody in the early afternoon. They crossed a bridge over a small river and then walked along its banks a couple miles until they arrived at the place that had been Peabody. It had been a rustic place where no more than five hundred people or so had lived. Now it was a lifeless ruin. There was not a single building left standing. Every house and structure was smashed and there were broken bits of stone and timber scattered everywhere. There were also about a dozen gaping circular hole in the ground. Kazuma went to one and stared down. He couldn't see the bottom.

The creepiest thing was that the place was silent. Other than the sound of the wind blowing it was still as a grave. Not only were there no people here, he didn't see so much as a cat or a dog anywhere.

"When they say, 'feeding frenzy' they aren't joking are they?" Kazuma sounded grim.

Darkness nodded. "This why the world needs crusaders. The strong need to defend the weak. There are many horrors in this world that only those with power can stand against. We have an obligation to fight for those too weak to fight for themselves."

Kazuma let out a low whistle and nodded. "Damn Darkness, that sounded really heroic." She smiled at him. "If I didn't know you were such a perv I'd probably admire you."

She let out a gasp. "So mean!"

Megumin stared and took a sidestep away from her. "Please don't be weird."

"You don't get to say that," Kazuma said. "Okay, lets go over the plan one more time."

It was pretty simple and straightforward, but he wanted to make sure everyone knew what they had to do.

"Darkness, you'll be the one in the most danger. I have total faith you'll be okay. But if you want to back out that's fine. We can try and figure something else out."

"I refuse to show weakness! As a crusader I have no choice but to do my part and rid the world of this horror."

She was already breathing hard.

"Okay, but remember to try and not get swallowed. Got it?"

"Understood!"

"Megumin, you're with me. Darkness, I'll give you the signal as soon as we're a safe distance."

Darkness nodded. "Please wait until you can make certain to destroy the monster completely. Even if you hear crying out please hold out as long as possible to ensure the mission is successful."

"If you get killed I'll be mad at you." He tried to make it sound like a joke, but it didn't come out that way. Standing in the middle of this ruined and lifeless town it was hard to kid about someone dying. Especially given what she was about to do.

He and Megumin began to walk away. "How far is a safe distance?"

"About five hundred yards," she said instantly.

He just nodded. She would know her ability better than anyone after all. "Remember, you have to take out the whole thing in one shot. If a piece of it is still alive and can get away we fail."

"Got it. I won't let you down!"

"Yeah," he tried to sound sure of himself. He was thinking of a dark damp tunnel and could hear the sound of chewing and of flesh tearing.

They found a large pile of rubble at a safe distance and got behind it.

"Darkness! Do it!"

"Understood!" She eagerly opened a jar with an angry monster drawn on it. Without hesitation she emptied it out onto the top of her head.

For a few minutes nothing happened. Kazuma began to wonder if the monster was out of range, or it the potion didn't work on something underground.

Then through Detect Enemy he sensed a single foe coming from beneath his feet.

"Darkness! Get ready!"

He was too far away to see it, but he would bet there was a look of exultation on her face. As it got closer the ground began to shake. Then the ground right in front of Darkness fountained up and a giant brown monster rocketed out. It was taller than a three story building, and the head of it was nothing but a mass of long, sharp, spear like teeth.

"Here I am!" Darkness yelled up at it. "Do your worst!"

The mouth came down on top of her, its teeth snapping. He saw Darkness grab two of them and forces its jaws open.

"Megumin, do it!"

"It's not all the way out yet! If I don't wait for it to get all the way out of the ground I can't kill it."

He wanted to scream at her to do it before Darkness got swallowed. He clamped his jaw tight though. She was right. As Darkness struggled, more and more of the Sand Wyrm's body came squeezing out of the earth. Its body circled around Darkness, giving her no place to escape to. The monster's teeth were snapping, as Darkness struggled to hold them back.

Then he saw the tail come out and another set of teeth began to close in on her.

"Megumin!

"Got it!" She raised her staff. "Forces of destruction show me the ultimate power! Bring my foe to ruin and doom! Exploooooosion!"

Six circles of magic formed above the monster and his partner. Then, in the next moment, everything was blasted apart.

XXX

When it was over Kazuma slung a limp Megumin onto his back and rushed to the crater that the spell had just been created. He was relieved to find an unconscious darkness at the bottom of it. Her armor was cracked and singed, but she herself was breathing and looked just fine. Best of all, there was nothing left of the monster.

"Heh, heh, see? I told you I wouldn't let you down. With me on your side nothing can go wrong!"

"Oy! Don't raise flags like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't say things like that to tempt fate."

She laughed. "I just killed a Sand Wyrm! What's there to be worried about now?"

That was when he felt Detect Enemy go crazy as a throng of enemies began approaching from underground. There were more signals than he could track. "Damn it! I told you!"

He hurriedly dropped Megumin so that he could toss Darkness over his right shoulder. He then picked her back up and put her over his left. He climbed out of the crater and began running to get away from whatever was coming.

That was when he saw some hairless, pinkish creatures popping out of the different holes that were in the town. They were each about the size of a large dog. As soon as they popped their heads out they started chasing after him.

"What the hell are those things?!"

"Naked mole rats," Megumin sounded very calm.

"Mole rats?! Aren't they supposed to be really tiny?! Like the size of mice?"

"Who ever told you that?"

"I hate this fucking world!" He was running as fast as he could, but it was tiring carrying so much weight.

"They don't have claws and their teeth aren't that sharp they're not really dangerous except in large numbers." More and more of them kept popping out of the holes. There had to be over a hundred of them. "Ah, Kazuma, this is bad."

"You think?!" He yelled as he kept running for his life. "You know right about now if you could cast magic that would be a big help! Even if you could just run on your own that would help!"

"Sorry."

His path was taking his towards the river. An impromptu plan formed. "Can these things swim?"

"I don't think so."

He nodded to himself, now if he could just make it to the river! Through Detect Enemy though he could feel the leaders closing in.

"They're going to catch us." She still sounded calm, almost bored.

"Thanks for the update! How about something useful?! A couple Fireballs right now would be great!"

"Sorry."

He was only twenty yards from the river but there were five that were on top of him and a whole pack not far behind. He wasn't going to make it. He shut his eyes. Hey Eris! If you really are the goddess of luck I could use a little help here!

There was a loud crash. Kazuma looked back over his shoulder. A half-collapsed house he'd just run past had suddenly fallen over and buried the mole rats that had been right behind him. The others were still following but now he had a little room.

Hey Eris, thank you! You just got yourself a follower!

He ran to the river without slowing. "Freeze!"

He froze the water in front of him. Just enough for him to walk over and made an ice walkway to the other side. The second his feet touched earth he dumped Darkness and Megumin and grabbed his throwing daggers.

On the other side the mole rats rushed onto the ice bridge, but it was not wide enough for more than one to cross at a time. In their mad rush they were pushing each other into the water. When ever one splashed in it sank and disappeared. Many didn't bother trying to reach the ice bridge and instead plunged straight into the river. None of them hesitated as they couldn't seem to think of anything other than trying to reach Darkness. Kazuma only ended up having to kill six of them. All the rest wound up drowning.

And with that he plopped down in the grass and breathed a sigh of relief.