"Alright I'm here," Megumin sighed as she opened the crusader's bedroom door, letting herself in. "Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing's the matter," Darkness reassured the crimson demon. She sat on her bed, and motioned for her fellow party member to sit next to her.
The two were dressed in their respective nightwear, prepared for bed as the cold wind howled outside. Megumin noticed Darkness' eyes avoid her own as she walked over.
"You must've called me for some reason or another," Megumin replied as she took a seat atop the noble's bed, Chomusuke held close to her chest.
"Oh, Chomusuke, I haven't seen you since Raemis moved in," Darkness said as she petted the small cat on the head. Chomusuke purred as she leaned into the crusader's hand.
"Darkness,"
"Do you want to be spoiled too?" Darkness chuckled as she continued to pet the cat.
"N-No!" She lied.
"Good girl, Chomusuke, sticking to your master," Darkness whispered. "Were you scared by Raemis?"
"Meerroow," The feline responded.
Megumin pulled away the cat, and set her down next to her atop the sheets. Chomusuke yawned, curling up into a little ball of fur.
"Why did you call me?" The mage asked. She clenched onto the covers below her in her fists, sensing something was amiss.
The crusader sighed, standing up and walking over to her desk. She pulled open a drawer, and removed a small, flat box before walking back over to Megumin. She held out the wooden box with both hands towards the mage.
"Take it," The crusader said. Megumin hesitated, confused at the sudden request. She took the box, placing it gently on her lap.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Open it,"
Megumin looked down, and slowly lifted the black lid. Inside it contained small dark brown objects, resting neatly upon a pillowy, velvet cloth. They were sorted neatly by its various shapes, like circles, ovals, squares, and hearts.
"I don't know what this is," Megumin said as she looked back up at the crusader, closing the lid of the box.
"O-Oh right," Darkness scratched the back of her head. "They're chocolates,"
"C-Chocolates?" Megumin stuttered. "W-Wait,"
"Today is the fourteenth day of the second month of the year," Darkness said as she looked outside her window. "In other words it's valentine's day,"
"Wait but-"
"Don't you wish… we could be like this… forever?"
"W-What do you mean?"
"Don't you wish, as a party, we could be like this, for just a bit longer?"
"I-I…"
"If one of us confesses to Kazuma, and I mean really confess, things will change. Our dynamic as a party will change. Our dynamic as close friends will change. You said so yourself,"
"Darkness I-"
"I promised, I would protect this party, and I intend to protect it from falling apart," She gently placed a hand on the top of the mage's head. "Please, take these chocolates and be happy with Kazuma for me,"
"N-No this isn't right,"
"I've been watching carefully for a while," The crusader paused. "He acts…differently around you. He's more direct, a bit more accepting of your advances. He doesn't hesitate around you, not minding if you're up close.
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He loves you, Megumin,"
"Y-You don't know that,"
A tear flowing from the crusader's eye, her voice not as confident as before as it shook.
"If you… and Kazuma… start dating… I can hold this party together. Maybe the dynamic between the two of you will change… but I can ensure that the dynamic between everyone else does not,"
"..."
"I am the party's invincible, iron wall, something as silly as unrequited love is nothing!" Darkness exclaimed as she shot Megumin a forced, small smile. "I promise I'll be okay,"
"Darkness, you don't think that I can take it?" Megumin asked her eyes looking down at the box of chocolates that lay on her lap.
"No… you're a strong girl," Darkness explained. "It's my duty to guard the party from harm. I will shield you from unnecessary pain,"
"Then what about you!"
"I-I like the pain!" Darkness forced out. "I am a masochistic pervert, remember?!"
"Not this kind of pain!"
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The crusader sighed.
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"Megumin, as much as I dislike it, I am a noble. Which means I have certain obligations I must fulfill,"
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"Don't tell me…"
"I must always have the ability to conduct a political marriage available. If it means protecting the Kingdom, or Axel, or you three, I would do it in a heartbeat. A sharp, painful, heartbeat, but a heartbeat nevertheless,"
The crusader watched as Megumin silently stood up, placing the box onto the bed before she did so. She approached her and not saying a word as she slapped Darkness' face as hard as she could.
The sound rang loudly throughout the room, bouncing off the brick walls as Megumin's hand stung with pain. Chomusuke stood up, shocked. Megumin looked up at the crusader, her cheek bright red where the mage's hand had made contact. Darkness held up her hand and gently touched her cheek as Megumin began to shout.
"Do you understand how hard Kazuma worked to save you from that?! How many sleepless nights worrying about you, thinking about how you would have to marry that creep?! And now you're saying you're going to do it again?!"
"Megumin, you have to understand-"
"No! I really don't! I thought you loved Kazuma, and now you're saying you're above loving a commoner like us! Spitting on all the hard work Kazuma did to save you from the aristocracy!"
Megumin glared at Darkness as she tried to avoid her eyes. She shook her right hand in the air, still painful after slapping the blonde.
"I thought we were the stubborn type, you and I. Why are you giving up on this so suddenly!?"
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Darkness turned her head to look at the young mage.
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"He doesn't love me, Megumin,"
"Again with this! Why are you so sure that he doesn't love you!"
"Why are you so sure he does?!"
Megumin flinched, shocked at the sudden outburst from the noble. She watched as Darkness clenched her fists tightly.
"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you," Darkness apologized in a hushed voice.
"N-No, I shouldn't have slapped you first," Megumin responded. "Sorry,"
An awkward silence filled the room, the two unsure as to what to say to their party member.
"It's true, Kazuma saved me from a life of servitude to Alderp, for that I'm eternally grateful," Darkness held her hand over her chest, her heart skipping a beat as she remembered Kazuma carrying her through the aisle. "But you were beside him too, Megumin. For that I'm eternally indebted to you as well,"
She turned her head away from her. Taking a shaky breath to calm herself.
"Megumin, you're a wonderful girl. You deserve to be with Kazuma," Darkness whispered. She moved to pick up the chocolate that sat on her bed. She held the box in her hands, her eyes glued to the top. "When I joined this party, I promised to defend it with my life… I'm not very good at it, as you probably have realized,"
Megumin watched as Darkness walked over to her, her sky blue eyes finally meeting her crimson ones.
"Too many times his precious life has slipped through my fingers, I try and I try to hold onto him a little tighter, but my weakness, my weak resolve, my lust pulls my fingers further apart, his life slipping past my fingers again and again," Darkness whispered. "It's unforgivable. That man has saved me, changed me in countless ways, shaped me into who I am, given me a place where I, for the first time, truly belonged, yet I cannot keep him in the mortal world for longer than a month,"
Darkness presented the box to Megumin once more.
"I want you to give this to him, and I want you two to be happy together,"
Megumin hesitated as she reached out for the box, her hands uneasy as she looked down the chocolates.
"I am a woman burdened by responsibility. As much as I enjoy being an adventurer, I am a noble. I have responsibilities to the people I rule, especially after taking over as governor of Axel. I have no time for a committed relationship,"
Darkness looked outside the window, watching the barely illuminated snowflakes fall in the dark, midnight sky.
"What I'm saying is… I would be a terrible lover," Darkness chuckled. "Kazuma deserves better than that,"
She looked back at Megumin, her eyes watering as she held out the chocolates once more.
"So let me protect you one last time… before Kazuma takes over for me," Darkness pleaded. "Let your big sister protect you from heartbreak,"
Megumin reached out, her hand shaking as she took the box from the noble's hands.
"That's not fair… you can't just call yourself my big sister…"
"Sorry, Megumin. But I wouldn't be any good of a politician if I didn't know how to pull heartstrings," She chuckled. "Now go, the day is almost over. You wouldn't want to miss valentine's day,"
Megumin slowly nodded and turned to leave the room. She walked towards the door, glancing behind her shoulder as she turned the doorknob. She saw Darkness gazing outside her window once again. Her reflection was faint on the glass, the mage could barely make out a sad smile on her sister's face.
The mage opened her mouth to speak, but found that no words came out. She quickly closed the door behind her, unable to bear the atmosphere of the room. She clenched the chocolates tightly to her chest, her heart pounding as she took a shaky step forward.
Down the hall was Kazuma's room, just a few steps away, but to Megumin, it seemed like a few miles to his door. Her nervous steps felt like they only advanced her forward by millimeters and a time.
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She blinked, her eyes only closing for a moment before they opened once again. When crimson eyes were filled with light, she was met with the wooden grain on Kazuma's bedroom door, her hand already subconsciously raised to knock.
Megumin took a deep breath, hiding the box behind her back as she softly knocked on the door. She held her breath, waiting for Kazuma to respond to her making herself known.
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The door opened, Kazuma dressed in his green tracksuit, his hair still a little damp from his bath. He looked down at his party member, his eyes noticeably a little tired.
"Hey… Can I come in?" Megumin whispered. Her eyes avoided Kazuma's as her fingers clenched the box behind her.
"Uh… sure…" Kazuma stuttered as he moved aside.
Megumin caught a glance of Kazuma's hands as she walked inside of his room. The skin was still noticeably scared from the burns he sustained earlier that day. Aqua assured them that they would be healed by the next morning.
"Is something wrong?" Kazuma asked. His eyes squinted in confusion as to why his mage was in his room so late into the night.
"No… nothings wrong," Megumin replied, her eyes still refusing to meet Kazuma's. She looked over at his desk. She noticed Raemis' now severed horn laying atop some papers. Although it was barely noticeable to the naked eye, it softly emitted the faintest warm glow, probably only noticeable in a dark room such as this.
"Something was bothering me, and I wanted to ask you about it,"
"A-Alright,"
Megumin paused, taking a moment to gather her thoughts, finally looking up at his confused face.
"Do you miss your younger sister?"
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"It's only been a few hours but I guess I miss Ir-"
"Not Iris,"
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"I miss her everyday Megumin,"
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"Even though you don't have one?"
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"Damn it Aqua…"
Megumin watched as he looked away from her, his gaze falling upon the falling snow outside.
"I have a younger brother. I don't like admitting it, but I miss him alot,"
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"How blunt," Megumin giggled.
Kazuma frowned and pitched Megumin cheek as hard as he could.
"You little!"
Megumin laughed as Kazuma pulled on her cheek.
"You're such a tsundere Kazuma!" She laughed. "Okay it really hurts now you can stop! Ow Ow!"
"I'm never telling you anything ever again! And how do you even know what a tsundere is?!"
"I'm- I'm sorry Kazuma!" Megumin laughed as Kazuma gave one final tug. "You're too fun to tease,"
"Whatever," Kazuma turned and sat down at his desk, picking up various blueprints and documents he had lying around. The room was silent except the shuffling of papers. "Are you done bothering me?"
Megumin smiled and walked over to Kazuma. She looked over his shoulder, down at the diagrams and writings that littered his desk. She watched as he analyzed his work carefully.
The mage clenched the box behind her once again, almost as if she was calling upon it for strength.
"Can I ask you one last question?"
"No!"
"Then can you just listen to what I have to say?"
Kazuma remained quiet, not saying a word as he continued to sort the papers he worked on. Megumin interpreted his silence as a sign to continue.
"Hey, Kazuma. You know how I feel about you right? I don't have to tell you that I love you… again,"
Kazuma didn't respond, not looking up from his work. Megumin felt her heart race as her cheeks began to burn up. She had rehearsed this scenario in her head countless times. The plan was always to play it cool, be casual and calm about it, no problem, maybe even act all cutesy and embarrassed, but she found it was a lot more nerve wracking than she imagined. Her feet shifted in place, her eyes staring holes into the back of Kazuma's neck.
"I love you, Kazuma," She forced out. Her hands played with the lid of the box behind her back, her idle hands trying to calm her down.
"I know," Kazuma quietly whispered.
Megumin looked up and held her breath, her eyes brightly shining a bright red. It was almost blinding, drowning out the candle light atop Kazuma's desk as she continued to stare.
She heard him take a deep breath. He put down his pen onto the wooden table, the small sound almost deafening in the silent room. He got from his chair, and turned around to face the crimson demon.
She looked up at him, his face illuminated by his eyes. She saw a slightly confused expression, but it was mostly neutral and curious at her actions.
She took a small step closer, hearing her heartbeat grow louder and faster, she gently placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. It was fast and rapid, like a beating drum, but its rapid pace calmed the mage, giving her the courage to continue speaking.
"You know how Darkness feels about you too?"
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Kazuma hesitated, his hands clenching into a fist. He wordlessly nodded. A deafening silence filled the air.
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"I-I would always wonder why you would choose to ignore our feelings for you," She whispered. Her eyes glowed slightly brighter. "I know now,"
She took a step forward.
"You could have me and her both you know," She chuckled. "One for each arm,"
She closed her eyes, a small smile adorning her face as she continued to speak.
"It wouldn't be unheard of, but I know you're not that kind of man, Kazuma. At first glance you're the scum of the earth, a man that would stop at nothing to get what pleases him… and you are, but you're strangely honorable about the most random things,"
She opened her eyes again, washing Kazuma's face with a hue of red as she looked up at the adventurer. Her hand now pressed onto his chest, her face too close for comfort.
"You don't want one of us to feel… how you did with that girl… when you realized that your feelings were one sided," Megumin rested her head against his body, next to his rapidly beating heart. "That feeling of heartbreak,"
Darkness stared at the papers in front of her. Piles and piles of paperwork she had to get through, being governor of Axel was a thankless job. She sighed, pulling the paper off the top of the "to do" pile. Her tired eyes skimmed the page illuminated by candle light, something about a tax reform or so, her brain not quite possessing what she just read. She read it through it again, trying her hardest to focus.
"City funds low…" She mumbled to herself as she tapped the desk with her fingers. "Hydra exception…" A smile formed on the corners of her lips, remembering her stubborn attempts to slay the beast by all by her lonesome.
"Adventurers to be taxed…
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Ten million…
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Half of total income…
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Satou Kazuma's party…"
Darkness paused. Satou Kazuma, the one of a kind man she had just given up so she could spend the rest of her days reading boring legislations and tax forms.
"You seem to crawl into everything I do Kazuma," She chuckled under her breath. "I can't escape you…"
She picked up her pen to sign the form, reading through the page once again, ensuring that she didn't miss any small details. Her eyes fell upon her party leader's name once again.
"Satou Kazuma…" She sighed. "Kazuma…" She clenched the pen was holding, trying to shake him from her mind. She tried to focus on the rest of the paper, but found that her eyes would always wander back to his name.
"Kazuma…"
She held the pen even harder.
"Kazuma…"
The pen shattered in her hands, unable to handle the immense pressure Darkness was applying to it.
She sighed, leaning back into her chair, letting go of the pieces of the pen that remained in her hand. The crusader buried her face in her hands, groaning with frustration as she leaned back even further. The chair was balancing on two legs as Darkness looked up at the dimly lit ceiling of her room.
"Why did I let him go…"
Darkness felt the chair tip back, then her feet leave the ground. She tried to wave her arms in the air to try to tip back to its normal position, but the chair was way past the point of no return. She fell back onto the floor with a loud thud, her high defense stat thankfully stopping her from getting hurt.
The noble laid there, arms outstretched, staring up at the ceiling, unphased by her fall. Her mind was elsewhere after all.
"Are you really okay with letting him go?" She heard in the back of her head. "Are you really okay with seeing him with Megumin?"
Of course she wasn't.
She hated it.
When Megumin clung to his arm, she hated it. When Kazuma walked through the front door with Megumin on his back, she hated it. When Megumin would welcome her home, Kazuma beside her, she hated it.
She shook her head, trying to shake the thoughts from her head. She felt terrible, thinking so negatively about her closest friend. It would be selfish of her to deny her two friends of their happiness. It was a good thing, after all, her friend was finally going to be with the man she loved, she should be happy for her!
"If only it was so easy…"
Her mind wandered to her first meeting with him, vividly remembering hearing rumors of a man that used and abused his female party members like simple playthings, uncaring if they were covered in giant toad slime.
"I can't believe we met because of my lust," Darkness chuckled. "Maybe I came off too strong,"
She remembered approaching him, Chris in tow as she confidently walked up to him.
"Megumin was beside him even back then…"
A sharp pain shot through her heart, her breath hitching as she clenched her fist.
Darkness tried to calm herself, moving her hand to top her chest as she took deep breaths. She felt her chest rise and fall, her hand shaking as the slow rhythm soothed her.
"Let your big sister protect you from heartbreak," Her words to Megumin echoed in her head.
Was she really protecting Megumin?
Or herself?
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She stood up, looking down at the chair that lay on the floor. She thought back to her life as a crusader, a protector of the weak, a shield for the innocent.
"Kazuma's anything but innocent," Darkness thought. "Perhaps that's why I'm so terrible at protecting him," She pondered to herself.
Darkness picked up the chair, sitting back down at her desk. She pulled out another pen from the desk drawer. Staring at the paper once again, she took a deep breath in.
"He's gone now, he's not yours to protect," She muttered under her breath as she signed her name onto the document. "He was never yours to protect,"
She placed the document atop her "done" pile, and grabbed the next one from her to do.
"Megumin's probably told him by now," She thought, skimming the legal mumbo jumbo that littered the page.
"She's probably Kazuma's by now…"
Darkness felt a tear run down her face, then saw it drop onto the paper in front of her. She quickly tried to wipe it off, but her efforts were in vain, as it only spread the tear around the page.
"C-Crap," She muttered under her breath, trying desperately to soak up the tear with her handkerchief, but more kept falling onto the paper. "No No No!" She started hyperventilating, trying to rub the paper to dry out the damp, dark circles.
The paper ripped down the middle loudly, causing the blonde to start panicking. More tears dropped onto the now two pieces of the document as her hands shook uncontrollably.
Darkness slammed her fist into the desk in frustration, trying to suppress her emotions. A few papers scattered across the room, a sizable crack forming down the middle of the wooden desk.
The crusader stared at the mess she made, not helping to calm her nerves. She didn't bother trying to catch her tears anymore, hanging her head, defeated. The "to do," pile slowly began to fall over the side of the desk, scattering the papers all over the floor.
The only sound in the room was the waning fireplace that quietly crackled, the sounds of papers periodically falling off the table, and Darkness' feeble attempts to suppress her emotions. She crossed her arms atop the damaged desk, burying her face into her arms, trying to hide her sorrow from the world.
The candles on Kazuma's desk burnt out, the flames finally out of wick to burn. The only illumination in the room was the silver moonlight shining through the window and the red light that shined brightly from the crimson demon's eyes. The room was now filled with a red glow as Megumin looked up at Kazuma's face, her eyes a little teary as she tried to hold back her emotions.
Kazuma's room was silent except for the beating of both their hearts. The rhythm was almost in sync as Megumin clenched Kazuma's shirt in her fist. Kazuma's hands hung awkwardly at his sides, still balled into fists as Megumin finally broke the silence, finally finding the inner strength to speak.
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"You don't want…"
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She caught her breath, trying to calm herself.
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"You don't want… me to feel that pain,"
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A tear fell down her cheek, her face burning up with emotion as she tried her hardest not to collapse.
"I love you, Kazuma… but I know you don't feel the same way about me," Megumin cried, her eyes unable to hold back her tears any longer.
"I-I," Kazuma stuttered, regret filling his heart as he struggled to find the words to say to his party member, his closest friend, and his potential love interest. "I'm sorry, Megumin,"
Megumin felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. She felt the fragments fall to her the bottom of her feet, the room suddenly feeling like it was freezing cold. She had known, deep down, in the furthest corners of her mind, that Kazuma didn't harbor the same passionate, intense feelings she had for him, but hearing it in Kazuma's voice shook her more than she could take.
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"I love you," She whispered, tears still flowing from her bright red eyes. Her hand shook as it tightly held onto Kazuma's shirt, the other gripping the chocolates behind her. "I love you,"
Kazuma wrapped his arms around the mage, tightly embracing her against his body.
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"I'm sorry," Kazuma whispered, his voice shaky as he held her even tighter.
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"It's okay," Megumin reassured her leader in a quiet, somber tone. "I'll be okay,"
She gently pushed Kazuma's chest away from her. He unwrapped his arms from the mage's body. She felt his heartbeat one last time, before her hand left his body, the warmth fading from her palm.
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She wore a teary smile on her face. She tried her best to wipe the tears from her face. Kazuma looked away, unable to bear the sight of his closest friend's crying face.
"I'm sorry Megumin, I'm sorry I hurt you," He whispered, clenching his fist again. "The last thing I wanted was for someone else to feel the way I did. I wanted to protect you, for as long as I could,"
The mage frowned. "You and Darkness said the same thing," She pouted as she fought against her emotions from spilling out again. "I'm sick of you two trying to protect me,"
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The two stood there silently.
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"I'll be okay," She repeated as she wiped the final tears from her eyes, calming herself down. "Thank you Kazuma,"
She took a moment to collect herself, taking a deep breath before she began speaking again. Her hands fiddled with the box behind her as she spoke.
"This won't… change anything between us right?... We can still be party members… still be friends?"
Kazuma suddenly grabbed her shoulders. "O-Of course! I-I need you by my side!"
Megumin blushed a bright red. "Y-You can't just say that to a girl you just rejected…"
"Wait, that came out wrong," Kazuma groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. The crimson demon giggled as Kazuma's cheeks turned pink.
"It's okay, I know what you mean," Megumin reassured, smiling up at the adventurer. "I'll be by your side as long as we stay a party…"
"And I'll stay by your side as long as we're friends," Kazuma replied. "I'm sorry that's all I can call you…"
Megumin gently caressed Kazuma's cheek. "It's okay, Kazuma. I'm happy you're honest with me," Her hand left his face, resting on the chocolates behind her. "Could you be honest with me… one last time?"
Kazuma hesitantly nodded, his fist clenching with guilt.
"What do you love about her? Why her over me?" She fiddled her thumbs. "Is it her body? Her money? Her status? Please don't tell me it's her chest,"
"Why do you have such a complex about your chest?! Your chest is fine!" Kazuma exclaimed. He looked away trying to hide the heat rising to his cheeks. "It's none of those things," He said under his breath.
"Then what is it?" Megumin whispered.
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"It's her stubborn selflessness,"
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"Selflessness… She is selfless, almost to a fault," She giggled. "I didn't expect you to give such a cute answer."
She paused.
"Maybe you can learn a thing or two from her, you greedy-" She choked on her words. "Y-You greedy-"
"What?"
Megumin began to tear up again, her mental fortitude failing her as she felt fresh tears run down the dried ones
"Y-You could've been a g-greedy man, K-Kazuma. So why! Why won't you be greedy now!" She exclaimed, her words stuttering as she choked on her emotions. "Why won't you be greedy with me!?"
Kazuma stayed silent, his guilty eyes staring deep into Megumin's teary ones.
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A few minutes passed before Megumin calmed herself down.
"S-Sorry for asking," Megumin apologized, trying her hardest not to choke on her tears. "I just wanted to know why you loved my sister,"
"Sister?"
"Y-Yeah," She stuttered as she toyed with the wooden box.
"Nevermind, is there something behind your back?" Kazuma asked as he tried to look at she was hiding.
Megumin smiled.
She presented the box to him with both hands.
"It's from Darkness," She whispered. "She asked me to give it to you,"
Kazuma hesitantly took the both from her with both hands. "What is it?" He asked as he opened the wooden box. The dim moonlight illuminated the dark brown chocolates. The color was barely visible, even less so than the red velvet cloth it rested on. He closed the box and looked up at Megumin, a pale look on his face.
"I think you should go thank her, Kazuma," Megumin whispered.
He silently nodded, walking quickly towards the exit. Opening the door, he took a step into the hall when he felt Megumin grab onto the side of his tracksuit. He stopped, turning back around to look at the crimson demon.
Megumin pulled him back into the room. She gazed at Kazuma's face as she gently placed her hand on his cheek. The mage gazed into his eyes. She smiled at him.
She rose up to the tip of her toes and leaned in closer to the adventurer. He could feel her warm breath on his face as the mage slowly closed her glowing eyes.
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Their lips touched, feeling red-hot as Kazuma's eyes opened wide, not expecting Megumin to suddenly kiss him, especially after he just rejected her. His lips felt like they were on fire, Megumin leaning further into the kiss with every second. She gently caressed his cheek as she continued, feeling her cheeks burn brighter, her heart beat faster.
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She pulled away, her eyes opening to see Kazuma's shocked face, his eyes wide open, mouth slightly agape. Before he could speak, she gently wiped his lips with her thumb.
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"That's what you get for leading me on for so long," She pouted. "I'm taking that for damages,"
"I-I,"
"It never happened though, okay?" She smirked.
Kazuma stuttered, unable to speak.
"What are you doing standing here, Kazuma," She whispered, turning around to hide her face. "Darkness is waiting for you,"
He raised his hand and touched his lips, trying to process what just happened. "Y-You-"
"Go!" Megumin exclaimed. "You shouldn't keep a lady waiting! So go!"
Kazuma ran out the room, outrunning his guilt as he dashed down the hallway. Megumin glanced over her shoulder as he disappeared from his view when he passed the door frame. She watched the man she loved finally escaped her grasp.
She stared at the doorway for a while, trying to compose herself as she clenched her fists. She turned back around and gazed out the bedroom window, watching the snowflakes slowly fall through the air.
Megumin saw a tear drop onto the floor beneath her, then another. She let her emotions finally take over her, letting the tears flow freely from her face once again.
She felt a pair of arms gingerly wrap around her, causing her to flinch.
"You're very brave, Megumin," She heard a familiar archpriest say behind her. The crimson demon turned around, being met with a comforting smile from Aqua. "I know it wasn't easy letting him go,"
Megumin buried her head into Aqua embrace, throwing her arms around her, her sobs finally becoming audible.
"You did good, Megumin. I'm proud of you," Aqua reassured her friend. "Now let it all out," she said as she began to gently pat the mage on her back. Aqua felt her tightly grip the back of her shirt.
Not another word was spoken between the two of them that night, as Megumin came to terms with her unrequited love.