God's Blessing on a Cruel World

by strongestkorean

Kazuma and Aqua are tossed in a much more brutal, unforgiving world where there is no resurrection or second chances. This place functions much less like a game, the character's personalities are more grounded, and our hero meets and brings the original party together in a very different, but much more intimate way, with a lot blood and tears in between. (contains smut)

4. Blacker than Black

The time was midday.

The vibrant sun overlooked a dissimilarly tasteless grey patch of land- so miserable, that not a single blade of grass, nor flower could sprout upon the crumbly dirt, even amidst the peak of spring. It was there that a group of formerly chivalrous people sat among each other within the canteen in an eerie silence. A strange sensation of fear, anticipation and suspense had existed in every soul for many days, growing like a leech.

A young man finished his meal, putting his plate away at the counter, as he slowly paced towards the exit. As he was about to leave through the doors, he took a quick glance to one of his colleagues, who gave a nod. He acknowledged them, then left to go outside.

A strange feeling of nostalgia came over the boy as he peered at the different buildings around the prison. It had only been a couple weeks since he'd been there, but by the end of the day, it was likely none of the things he saw would be the same. He took a deep breath of the warm, springtime air, then gazed at the final landmark: the large mansion that overlooked his recent home.

"Good luck."

…

Aqua stood by the end of her tidied bed, dressed and ready. She was one of six, though from the tireless practice that all the hardworking women endured together, it was like they existed as one soul. A tall and slim figure approached the door, revealing her appearance- the Head Maid of Joshua's manor house. For the first time, she appeared with folded uniforms clutched in her arms, and even herself appeared different in appearance. She centred herself, took a breath, then displayed a refined and mature look.

"As I'm sure you are all aware, today is the day. All of you have been working towards this moment, whether you liked to or not, because you believed you were worth more than the rest, preferring to depart with as much of your pride as you could," her expression changed as she saw the faces that looked back towards her. The fear and sorrow was beyond apparent. She sighed, approaching one of the maids at the front of the room, "I… I will never have the right words to comfort all of you during this moment; I've tried more times than I can remember, and have never succeeded," she uttered, while correcting the bow on the young girl's uniform. She then dusted her shoulders, trying to give her a reassuring smile, but the young lady wept silently, "All I know is how strong all of you are to stand here so proudly," she wiped a tear from the girl's face, holding her cheek just like a mother would, before returning to the front with a determined face, "No matter what they will call you upon that stage, or what anybody thinks of you; to me, you are the finest maids in Belzurg."

Aqua could easily sense the continued dread that existed in the atmosphere of the room. She looked up with her own confidence that things would not go the same way as they had for years.

The elderly maid gave a strong look to all the girls, sharing her confidence with as many of them as she could, "Now, put on these dresses; ones only the best wear, and come with me."

…

The Goddess trailed in a line amongst the rest, following the head maid. She paused at an intersection in the hallway, as footsteps could be heard approaching. Aqua turned to see the other half of the maid force advance towards them, lead by one of Joshua's soldiers. A couple of uniquely distinct girls within the line hailed her with small gestures. Both groups merged into one, then continued on.

As the congregation pressed on, a nervous pang ached and stretched across the girl's stomach- and not just the Archpriest; she noticed the usually calm and relaxed Megumin closing her eyes, taking slow breaths, and Yunyun straining to retain her outward image. The racing heartbeats of the Goddess sped up further as the muffled, yet loud voices of men vibrated through the walls as the distance shortened to the stage.

They finally reached the end of the winding hall, which felt like an hour of walking, despite the travel taking just a couple minutes. The eldest maid paused just before a set of stairs, as one of Joshua's men, an invigilator during the trials, walked down and assessed each and every member of the queue. Aqua's breathing became more uncontrollable. The scent of beef, pork and wine twinged her nose. There was chattering, laughing, plates clacking; the booming noise of men was very apparent to the point where conversations could be heard. Things about tools, techniques, favourite 'things to do' to their toys.

Clack… Clock… Clack...

A familiar, and much hated sound. The noise of those heels only belonged to one man. Aqua kept her gaze forward to avoid his attention, but it felt inevitable each time. His presence moved through the line slowly, peering at each one of his products like meat ready to be sold. He paused upon reaching a blue-haired girl, of course, growing a small smile on his otherwise nonchalant face, then continuing to the front. He stopped, then turned to face all the girls.

"Hmm," he hummed, "Okay."

He walked across a few bodies, then abruptly grabbed one of the maids who gasped at the sudden action, "She will be first. We always need the starters before we move onto the main courses," he smiled.

The lady was taken by the invigilator, then brought up the stairs. The head maid closed her eyes, saying a few words under her breath as the girl disappeared from sight, the ponytailed man then passed a piece of paper to another invigilator, and proceeded up the steps. A few seconds later, a wave of applause and cheering bellowed from the top of the staircase. After the greetings, announcements and special thanks, the voice finally called out a name- a fake name, as he apparently did to any 'unattractive' labels. The cheer followed and then an assortment of numbers were loudly declared- the auction had begun.

"Sold! 950,000 Eris to the gentlemen in the back!"

A twin-tailed, red-eyed maid scoffed at the number, muttering angry words to herself.

"Okay, next. Number eleven," the invigilator called, as one of the soldiers moved to the back and grabbed another maid from the line, this time a petite girl. Yunyun snapped out of her hatred as she saw her friend pass by her, returning a shocked look at the speed of her callout. Megumin gave a casual wink, though behind her bravado, there was a noticeable fear. As she approached Aqua, the Goddess returned a strong and determined nod, which relieved some of the mountain of stress underneath the collected eyes of the Mage.

Another wave of excitement, followed by lecherous words, fantasies of every degrading and impure act brought a seething rage in a certain girl. Her red eyes glowed with a dark desire.

"Sold! 1,400,000 Eris to the man over there!"

After Megumin, another maid was called up, then the next, then the next.

"Sold! 1,300,000 Eris!"

...

"Sold! 1,800,000 Eris!"

…

"Sold! 2,600,000 Eris!"

The room became emptier as more and more maids left up the stairs of no return. Aqua and her partner felt greater isolation after each sale, until the third-to-last was taken up the stairs.

"Sold! 3,300,000 Eris! A record value! Congratulations, sir!"

The choices were left to the two adventurers. The invigilator began to approach the girls, then grabbed the one with dark hair, "Send her," he ordered.

Yunyun had time to look at her friend- a fearful, yet hopeful and optimistic one, reminiscent of her innocent character. Aqua simply gave her comrade a comforting and calm smile.

She nodded back, before being taken away.

…

"Sold! 3,200,000 Eris, wow, high numbers today, folks!"

Aqua took a deep breath as her turn came unsurprisingly last. The invigilator approached the Archpriest, gesturing to continue herself- a luxury she assumed was given to the highest value product. She stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at the warmly lit stage that existed just beyond it.

"-And as you all will know, I love to keep the best for last!" a familiar voice called out to the excited crowd, "This has been an unprecedented run, and I have to thank you all for that!"

At the second burst of applause from the viewers, The Goddess felt a push from behind, signalling to make her appearance. She took a deep breath, barely slowing her rapid heart as she took step after step towards the stage. The shouts of men echoed in her ears and the stench of cooked, oily meat filled her nostrils on her approach. She made it to the top of the stairs where the muffled clamours finally became clear and deafening. She took another breath, almost coughing from the thickness of the clammy, warm air. She spotted Joshua stood by a stand on the right side of the stage, with a deceptively joyful expression. Further than that, Yunyun was still being booked on the other side of the curtain, with a guard stood by her and a man writing something into a diary of some sort.

"But now, for the best of the best; the crème of the crop: Please introduce Aqua!"

The blaring roar of cheers and applause swelled once again, almost making the Archpriest want to cover her ears, not before feeling another shove from behind. She walked past the curtain, and onto the stage where the shocked, and awe-inspired faces of the crowd whooped at her appearance, as if she were a famous celebrity, and not an item to be traded.

"A fine beauty, indeed," Joshua declared, shifting his positive appearance to a sly, evil stare that lasted barely a second, only caught by the maid herself. Her hands clenched in a mix of fear and anger, but something forced her to keep a presentable impression, as if the pressure of the crowd was controlling her, or terror of a certain someone that had built up over weeks of threats and psychological attacks.

Joshua hopped off the stand, and was replaced by the auctioneer, a balding, short man with a voice to match.

"For a beauty of this stature we will be starting at one million Eris! Can I have a million? A million? Where do I see a Millio- A Million! That gentlemen there with a million! Where do I see one and a half? One and a half anywhere- There! One and a half for the man over there!-"

Aqua looked at the large room of people. They were sat at circular tables filled with poultry and wine. Government officials, masked millionaires, Barons, Counts, Mayors; every rich and corruptible figure, and of course-

"Two million!" a large man wheezed as he stuffed his face with food, smiling deviously at the maid.

The man who had wanted her from the start: Governor George.

"Three million! Another voice called out."

"Rookie numbers, haha! Five million!" the obese man yelled, drooling over his robes.

"Five million for the governor over there! Any more-"

"Six million!"

"Bah! Stop trying! She's mine! Seven!"

"Eight!"

The back and fourth continued between the nobles. The thought of that man trying so desperately to attain her sent shivers through the Archpriest's body.

"Baaah! Twelve million Eris!" he wailed, silencing the debating room, "Heh. Hehehehehahaha! You should all learn to grow your businesses more if you want to compete with me!"

Aqua cringed. She looked at Joshua- even he couldn't hide elation on his face for the sum of money that had been mentioned."

"Twelve million for governor George! Going once! Going Twice-"

"Twenty million," an anonymous voice calmly uttered.

...

"WHAAAAAAAT? The flabby official threw a chicken leg in resentment, "Who the fuck said that!?"

All eyes turned to a hooded figure at the back. He didn't show more his bearded mouth, and sat casually with his arms crossed.

"What- That- That's impossible! That doesn't count! She has to be mine-"

"Governor George, please refrain from disrespecting my guests. If you continue to create a scene I will have to ban you from further participations. Remember, there will always be another time," Joshua gave a stern look to the chubby man.

"A… I… I apologise…"

…

"S-So that'll be twenty million for the fellow at the back. Any more bids?"

"Going…"

"Going..."

"Sold! For twenty million Eris to the man in the back!"

Aqua saw Joshua's fists clench tight in excitement. Probably his biggest payday. She looked around herself, pondering at the strangeness of her situation. She was a Goddess; a deity. Something people praised and believed in. She had such power; the ability to choose the fate of those entering the afterlife. In such time, she fell from her throne into a mortal world, filled with more evil than she could ever see from the comfort of up above. She had always provided a dramatic performance of doom for the souls she would send to the world, but never could imagine the truth. It wasn't demons and angels, it's simply good or evil. Good can be anything. Evil can be anything; and whether by fate or otherwise, she was about to live the rest of her life as nothing more than property… Except-

SLASH

"Grhaugh!"

Gargled, bloody screaming was silenced by a kitchen knife being slotted into a soldier's chest. The sound was minimal, and the Mage responsible for the kill wiped the excess off her cheek. Her escort was dead, now leaving her free to roam with her stolen weapon. There was only one destination that the Crimson Mage wanted to go to. She quietly ran through the hallways, peeking around the corner to see two more men outside the door to the target.

"Shit."

Back within the theatre, Joshua looked upon his greatest treasure, and instead of a defeated, depressed look, he was met with sharp, wilful eyes. A strange first, and had somewhat ruined the satisfaction, but twenty million was twenty million.

He smiled, "I'll say, I didn't expect to see you like this, I was assuming… Upset?"

"I won't give you that delight."

"Well, the money is delightful enough, though it does pain me to see you go."

"We'll see about that."

...

Two armed men stood idly on either side of a door within the mansion's halls.

"Atchoo! Ugh!" a guard sneezed, wiping his snotty nose.

"Dude, that's gross."

"Piss off, it's allergies, okay?"

"E-Excuse me…"

"Huh?" he turned and looked down to see a petite red-eyed girl in a maid costume, shaking lightly, "What? A maid? Ain't you lot being sold? Where's your escort!?" the man raised his voice.

She flinched at the shouting, before displaying a helpless expression, "I… I was told t-to come here. The master said something about r-rewarding his loyal men."

"Huh..?" the guard paused a moment, before his face morphed into a chilling smile, "Oh, finally, my effort being rewarded. Thank you Joshua! Haha!" He posed dramatically.

"What? Bro, that doesn't make sense-"

"Shut your mouth! I'm takin' this opportunity! Do ya know how many times those hot ass ladies walk past and I just wanna- Oh man! Thank you Gods!" he walked over to the girl, "Come here, we'll make you comfortable. You don't gotta worry about anyth-"

Thck!

...

"Hey... You okay?"

The guard could see his partner frozen and unmoving after he had crouched down to the kid's height. Neither of them made any noise.

"What are you doing man?" the guard walked over, closer to the encounter, "You've gotta be losing your mind to perv on a- Wha-"

Upon reaching a stride's length away from them, the guard spotted blood scattered all over the maid's face. His partner emitted weak whines of desperation, as he fell backwards with a gaping hole in his chest. It erupted blood as his spasms reduced to minute movements, until he stopped moving altogether.

"YOU LITTLE-"

STAB

…

Joshua chuckled at the strange confidence coming from the doomed woman, "Am I missing something here? The way I see things, I'm one of the richest men in the country now, and you're going to be sent off to be used like a street whore."

The Goddess smiled disinterestedly, "All you've known yourself to be is the man who has the upper hand. You use your wits to control and manipulate everything around you."

"All I'm hearing is compliments."

"When you've never had the rug pulled from underneath you, you begin to forget it exists."

"Ah, you see, it doesn't exist. It never has; it never will."

...

"Uhh… Uhhh…" the second guard murmured unintelligible things as the Mage walked past him, turning the knob for the door.

Click

"Fuck!" she scrambled back, pulling a short sword from the bleeding, still living victim of her violence, then jamming it into the doorframe.

"Nnnnnngh!" the yanked the blade, with the sound of creaking and bending, "I'm… Not… Gonna… Lose… To… A… Stupid… DOOR!"

CRACK

She exhaled, panting as she rose to her feet, then burst into the office room. She jetted around the desk, throwing the chair back, then opened the trapdoor. She jumped inside, barely catching the ladder to break her fall. Upon reaching the ground, she could see her shadow emitted onto the wall with a bright purple outline. A strange, humming noise paired with a weird sense of warmth and cold radiated upon her back. She pivoted around, and glanced at a huge glowing gem, almost the size of herself, floating above a sculpted holder that seemed to magically support it in place.

...

Kazuma stood idly within the confines of the outdoor area. Many more men had gathered outside with him, perched around in small groups.

He heard some familiar steps, followed by a familiar voice, "Nervous?"

The young man turned, "Huh? Well… Yeah. You're not gonna tell me you aren't?"

The blonde shrugged, "Being around you with all your crazy ideas gets me nervous. This, being out here, is calming."

The prisoner chucked, "Okay, then."

A long moment of silence passed as there wasn't much to say or do, other than wait and hope for the anticipated moment.

"...Hey," the young man looked towards his senior

"Hm?"

"I know this is… Dumb to say, but uh, well... Thank you."

"Thank you? For what?"

"Like, you know, going with my plan, and giving me this chance."

"Well look at you, Mr Sentimental. You about to cry or somethin'?"

"Shut up man, Just making sure I don't feel bad when you die to something stupid."

"Hmrph, you got it the wrong way. You're the bastard that's gonna die."

"Wanna bet?"

"How you gonna bet something when you're dead, dumbass?"

"I've got a rented stables up for grabs."

"The hell? I didn't know you were a broke-ass like that."

"I won't be after this," The teenager pouted.

"Alright, how 'bout you owe me a beer then?"

Kazuma smiled, "No problem."

The green-eyed kid held out a closed fist, getting a funny look from his partner, before he rolled his eyes,

bump

…

"What the…" Megumin stood frozen in awe for a few seconds at the sheer beauty of the stone, but quickly shook her head, "I don't have time to gander."

She clenched the short sword with both hands in a reverse-grip, up against the bright shard, then stepping back, before running up at full speed.

"RRAAAGGH!"

CHINK

The blade embedded itself inside the crystal. The mage paused, as the strange ambience ceased from the amethyst, but the crystal itself stayed intact.

"You gotta be joking-"

crack

"Eh?"

Another fracture branched from the insertion point.

Crack… crackcrackcackCRACKCRAAAACK!

"Oh, crap!" the crimson mage shouted, as she darted towards the ladder.

...

Aqua tilted her head at the slim, confident man, "You've never experienced true loss. Once you do, you'll know."

"I've grown tired of this fruitless debate," Joshua turned to one of his men, "Send her away-"

"Master!" a soldier appeared from the stairs, panting, "One of the maids are missing, and there's three dead men!"

The calm, collected and cocky tone on Joshua's face contorted into a vein-pulsing, teeth grinding leer, "What?"

He gaze immediately shot back to Aqua, who stared at him with a cold expression.

…

CRAAAAACKKKK!

"Shit, shit, shit!" The petite maid clambered up the ladder, as the crystal continued to rupture and breach. The glow increased in intensity, until it bathed the room is pure light. She threw herself out of the trap door-

BOOOM!

A shockwave of energy blasted through the mansion, outside, and past the prison.

…

"Here we go," Kazuma cracked his neck, as the prisoners around him began to move.

…

Joshua stumbled as the ground of the mansion shook violently. The room of people screamed hysterically in fright; plates and cutlery smashed against the ground. He turned to the Goddess, "You-"

"Hey!" a soldier screamed out as Yunyun shot past him, jumping back onto the stage.

The chaotic confusion and panic ground to a halt, as all members of the crowd watched the maid's sudden appearance in silence.

She slowly lifted an arm, pointing her palm at the centre of the room.

"Burn." she commanded apathetically, "Fireball!"

"NOOOO-"

FWOOOOF

An inferno of fire erupted in the middle of the theatre, showering everything in a wave of sweltering heat, whilst bathing the room in a red hue. The screams of the nobles were heard inside the violent blaze, as they scrambled around in desperation.

STEP STEP STEP-

The Archpriest could barely react to the sound of approach, before the enraged man clashed into her, sending both of them to the floor.

He pulled a dagger from his waist, "I will make sure you'll die the most painful-"

KICK

"Agh!" he grunted, as Yunyun curbed him off the stage into the seating area. He staggered back to his feet, "KILL THEM!"

"Yunyun!" Aqua pointed behind the Arch Wizard, who quickly spun on her feet, casting-

"Blade of Wind!" as a razor-sharp gust blasted through the aggressors, splitting both in half. She turned back to Joshua, standing helplessly near the fire down below, "Blade of wind!" another streak of air bolted towards the pony-tailed man. He jumped away with pure adrenaline, dodging the fatal blast, but fell closer to the central pit of flames. The fire swayed, as a strip of the inferno rippled towards him.

FWOOF

"AAAAGH!" The man threw off his smouldering robes, screaming as half of his face was exposed to the scorching flame. He stumbled away from the fire, holding his melting skin, crinkled in burn marks and the boiling heat of his own rage.

Step! step! step...!

As Yunyun prepared to cast another attack at the man, Aqua grabbed her shoulder, "There's people coming from both sides! We can't defend ourselves here; if we stay any longer, we'll be killed!"

The Mage furrowed her eyebrows, "But he's right there-"

"Think about Megumin!"

...

The Arch Mage exhaled, nodding towards her ally, "You're right... Let's go!"

The girls ran away from the flaming theatre, with the spellcaster leading. Joshua stood in dead silence as he heard more gusts of wind, followed by the screams of his men echoing from the halls.

"This is you, isn't it Kazuma?"

...

The boy in question stood prepared as Nine lifted his arm up among the entire mass of men. Utterances of spells were heard throughout the crowd of prisoners as many arms pointed towards the battlements, as monsters- mostly Goblins- scrambled across them, grabbing bows and preparing themselves against the assault.

"ATTACK!"

Multiple magical projectiles of fire, wind and lighting were shot through the air in a colourful and deadly volley.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

-They impacted heavily, burning, cutting and shocking the unsuspecting guards. The high-pitched screams of the gremlins was followed by more appearing, spreading out around the prisoners.

"Keep firing!" Nine yelled, as the monsters drew their weapons up above.

"Ready...LOOSE!" An Orc shouted above, leading to a barrage of arrows flying towards the aggressors.

Kazuma's eyes widened, "GET DOWN!"

FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT

Arrows stormed towards the eager men, followed by the unsettling sound of impact: cracked bones, skewered necks, and impaled bodies.

Nine stood back up, "Return fire!"

Kazuma waved at a section of spellcasters, "Secure the armoury! If we take it, we get cover!"

After the incantations were read, another armada of powerful sorcery discharged, blasting into more of the archers above. Another separate attack sent a flurry of spells towards the door of the small armoury, exploding the entrance.

Nine lead a section of men as he approached the building, "Warriors, take the armoury and gear up!"

The leader was the first to reach the smoking doorway, seeing half-geared monsters dazed and confused from the stunning attack. As the beasts regained their senses, they found themselves directly facing their enemies, staring at them on their doorstep.

...

!

A huge scramble for weapons ensued- Nine quickly dashed to the wall of swords, grabbing one, then instantly decapitating a Goblin before it could reach him. He tossed the weapon to a fellow fighter, "Kill them before they take arms!"

The physical battle of desperation begun. Adventurers raced the monsters to grab a blade, or began brawling with their bare hands if they couldn't in time. The noises of Strangling, wrestling and punching filled the building as Kazuma jumped inside.

"Whoa!" he quickly ducked underneath a flying comrade, tossed by a bulky Orc from the other side of the room. As he recovered, a Goblin clambered onto him.

"Agh!"

PUNCH

A singular strike threw the imp off. He stood above it, lifting his foot high, before-

CRUSH

...the action was strangely familiar.

Thump!

Nine looked up to see a large Orc announcing it's presence in front him, "Heh, I had a feeling I'd end up fightin' you."

The large creature charged towards him-

SLAM

"Ough!" he bounced off the sword rack, coughing while on his arms and knees, "Fuck, I'm rusty..." he groaned, slowly getting back to his feet.

The beast grabbed a huge wooden club from the corner of the room, facing the adventurer with a loud grunt.

"Come on then, you bastard," he waved at the brute with his hand. It complied, holding its weapon high, then swinging down onto the warrior. Nine quickly grabbed a sword from the rack behind them, then roll-dodged away as the club smashed against the wooden floor, caving a hole in the ground. The experienced man quickly countered with a strong diagonal slash, chopping the giant's arm off. The limb, as well as the weapon dropped onto the floor, as the beast howled in pain. The warrior swiftly followed up with a piercing attack through the behemoth's large stomach, leading it to throw up it's internals. He pulled it out slowly as the pig slumped over, squealing for a few seconds. After the encounter, Nine turned to see the last few enemies finished off by the rest- including his parter, who easily dispatched another Goblin.

"I saw your little scuffle with that Orc. Don't die on use already, leader."

"Shut up. How are things with those archers?"

"Most of them are dead. The rest are cowering above the gates so that we can't leave."

"Alright, lets get the others."

The blonde walked over to the other side of the armoury, Kicking the door open. The women's section of the prison was less crazy compared to the men's, with a similar exchange of arrows and magic.

"Come over here to gear up!" he called out to the adventurers.

After the event, a small moment of respite existed as almost all the prison's guards were dead. In comparison, the prisoners suffered a small amount of casualties. Both sides of the camp merged as one unit, taking as many supplies as they could, but a large portion of armour was useless due to being designed for the tiny Goblins and huge Orcs. There was also a lack of knives and swords, and no staffs for the magic users.

"Tsk! Most of this shit's useless," the angry bearded adventurer tossed a piece of armour away.

"We expected about this much," Kazuma examined a rough blade, "But this next part's not gonna be nice."

TOOOOT!

A horn blared over the entire compound. The sounds of steps and clinking of chainmail filled the air.

The brown-haired adventured squinted, "They're faster than I anticipated."

"Yeah, it's probably that little shit second-in-command."

The gates opened:

TAKTAKTAKTAKTAK- CLANG

-then shut.

A large reinforcement force, comprised almost completely of Goblins and Orcs dressed in light armour and chainmail appeared through the entrance, with a certain dark-haired man stationed in front of them.

Nine walked outside onto the men's section of the prison, seeing the conglomeration of metal, flesh and sharp teeth that stood ready in front of him. "Formations!" he called out, causing a shift in all the defenders, forming a frontline of the best armoured fighters, with the lesser geared deeper in, and rows of spellcasters towards the rear. Healers were on the field, but the majority stayed inside the small armoury, taking care of injured prisoners within safe cover.

The short-haired confident commander stood eagerly in front of his unit, "Well, well! Never thought I'd see the day you lot would have the balls to revolt against Joshua."

---

A small girl slowly opened her strained eyes, gazing around a wrecked room.

"Uhh... Huh?"

She shook her head, trying to get to her feet, "cough, What the hell happened- Oh! I was destroying... Oh, well it's been destroyed now," she figured, as she clicked her loose jaw. The room she laid inside was a mess; papers and books from the shelves were strewn out everywhere; dust and rubble covered the office.

'I need to find the others-'

SLAM

The door to the office shot open.

"You little shit! You're the reason-"

VWOOOM!

…

Just as some enemies appeared in front of the Arch mage, they just as quickly were diced in pieces by a supernatural force. The next couple of figures that appeared in the doorway left a smile on the face of the tired girl.

"Megumin!" Yunyun ran over to her close friend, checking her condition, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, a bit of a boom, but I'm used to it."

Aqua looked down both sides of the hallway, "Come on, we have to go!"

The three adventurers continued through the manor house, clearing up enemies until they finally found the exit.

Aqua took a deep breath of the fresh outdoor air, "Haaaaah! I've been stuck in that godforsaken place for so long!" she smiled at the change of atmosphere in what felt like forever. She enjoyed the long awaited sounds of the birds chirping, the feeling of the sun directly upon her skin and the smell of the grass and vegetation of the surrounding forest.

"Yeah," Yunyun panted, "All we have to do is regroup with Kazuma, then…"

…

"Then?" Megumin looked at her partner, noticing the girl staring off in a different direction. She matched her gaze, squinting at some movement a hundred feet away.

"It's... some of Joshua's men… They're putting something on a carriage… Is that- Those are the maids-"

"What?" Aqua, cut the small Arch Wizard off, peering over her head, "They're still being sold off?! Even during all the chaos-"

"Maybe they're abducting the girls for themselves-"

thum… thum… thum…

"Do… Do you hear that?" Yunyun turned her head towards the pathway outside the mansion.

Thum Thum Thum

Aqua's heart dropped, "Is that marching?-"

"Guys, get down!" Megumin dove onto her comrades, throwing them all onto the ground. They looked outwards from the cover of the neighbouring bushes and trees.

THUM THUM THUM

"FORWARD MARCH!"

The three girls silently witnessed an onslaught of monsters and men, fully armoured in platemail, marching towards the prison camp. Joshua stood in front, leading the group with the Orc Chief by his side. They continued to march past the mansion without any reaction to the black smoke and flames that filled the sky above.

...

"He… He didn't send anyone to try find us?" Yunyun remarked.

Aqua looked skeptically, "He knows we'll go to Kazuma anyway. We need to help fight that army-"

"We don't need to fight any army- as long as we make it there before Joshua does," Megumin gave them a knowing look.

The ponytailed man signalled for one of his own, then whispered something in his ear. The soldier nodded, before breaking off from the pack, and heading for the aforementioned soldiers near the carriage.

"You had to jinx it…" Megumin sighed.

"It's only one though. Maybe just to send a message?" Yunyun questioned.

The petite girl looked at the faraway maids, then back at the messenger, "No, if it were Joshua..."

Aqua gasped, "They're probably gonna kill all the maids! We we need to stop them-"

"Wait, wait. Don't forget about all of those prisoners who are about to face that army," Megumin looked at her colleagues, "If we don't make it to the prison in time, they all will die," she clarified.

"I can't leave them to die too..." Aqua closed her eyes in deep thought, "If we do, we'd be the same- We'd the same as those bastards!"

Yunyun looked down, "So how are we going to-"

"I'll go."

"Wait, what?"

"I'll go by myself," The Goddess shifted to a crouched stance, "Even if it's a stupid thing to do, I can't let those innocent girls die, or be taken away to a horrible place."

"I can come with you-"

"No, You have to accompany Megumin, or she'll be vulnerable."

"This… This is too risky! Right, Megumin?-"

"She's right."

"What?"

"It's the only way to do both."

"No, this can't be-"

"Yunyun!" the Goddess startled the Mage with her assertiveness, "We don't have time to debate! Both of you go! Now! I'll see you as soon as I can," she nodded, before setting off under the cover of the forest.

"Don't get yourself killed," Megumin nodded back.

"You.. You better not die, or I'll be angry!" the frightful Arch Wizard shouted out to the healer.

The Crimson Mages set off towards the prison, concealed from the small army.

...

'A large amount of Orcs, at least 25, and even more in Goblins; only a few men. Those brutes are dangerous in numbers; if they break past our frontlines, it's gonna be hell for our spellcasters.' Kazuma debated to himself.

He shouted out to the large force of enemies, "We've got a lot more numbers than you! If you try something, it's more than likely you're all gonna die."

The commander giggled manically, "Who gives a shit about that? You think Joshua would accept that excuse? The only reason I took this job was so I could cleave up people like you, anyway," he raised his arms, "Today is my lucky day!"

Kazuma and Nine exchanged a disturbed look with one another.

"I told you he was a fuckin' nutjob."

"Now, enough chit-chat," he pulled out his short sword, "It's game time. CHARGE!"

The gaggle of Orcs set off in a rowdy stampede behind the leader, leaving a tiny gap of space to run around him, before closing off the wall of beefy muscle.

"Hold the line!" Nine shouted, as he stood with the most armed men and women within the frontlines, watching the oncoming barbaric fiends approaching like battering rams.

"Hold!" he reiterated, feeling his body sweat.

The ground began to vibrate violently, as the giants came closer to of the petrified, half-geared prisoners.

'They're gonna smash right through them!' the young man ran up towards the front, 'If I can trip one of the Orcs, it should slow down the charge!'

As the Orcs closed in further, Kazuma appeared within a gap in the frontline, "Bind!" A rope whipped out, catching a frontrunner by their meaty leg. He grabbed it, yanking the rope towards himself as hard as he could-

TWANG

"Oh, SHIIIT!"

The rope became taut, but as soon as it did, the monster's leg kicked back, and the young adventurer was immediately thrown forwards by the raw strength of the beast. The kid was now many feet in front of the frontline, with the thundering wave of monsters a few seconds away.

Nine's eyes widened at the spectacle of the chaos, "What the f- Kazuma!- Everyone grab the rope!" he screamed.

The soldiers frantically held onto the rope, then felt the brute monster-like force as soon as they pulled it tight. They struggled as they barely could compete against the power of the behemoth in front of them. Nine reached the rope, grabbing it tight and rallying the others around him, "Kazuma! Grab the damn rope!"

The young man shook himself out of his daze, then held onto the cord as if his life depended on it.

"Readyyyyy, HEAVE!" Nine screamed as all the prisoners wrenched the rope. The Orc's leg was thrown forward, causing the beast to fall over, simultaneously throwing Kazuma in and behind the first line of defence. The stumbling Orc collided into the others around it, reducing their momentum just in time-

SMASH

...

Chaotic disarray was all Kazuma could see as he was jerked back to safety. The clashing sounds of the impact were deafening, as men were battered onto the floor by the force of huge clubs, crushing their makeshift armour. Grounded soldiers were trampled on by the monstrosities, squashing their heads like grapes or worse yet- having their bodies macerated under tones of fatty weight.

After the initial contact, and the desperate fighting that ensued after, the line of dozens of fighters was almost completely destroyed or disabled from the attack, only leaving the central part, including Nine, intact.

"Everyone!" Nine held up sword to hold the men together, "COUNTER!"

After hearing his call, Kazuma snapped out of his haziness, grabbing his stolen blade and entering the shambling battle. He slotted his sword through the thick neck of a fallen Orc before it could react, having to yank powerfully to prise the blade from its greasy body. He turned to see his partner, and the only few men who were left from the frontline desperately cleaving the monsters who were still disabled from the collision. More reinforcements came from behind to back up the fallen adventurers, grabbing whatever sharp metal they could, then joining the brawl. Chants were sounded from the rear, and soon after, many accurate magic attacks blasted into the monsters; electric bolts stunning some, leaving them open to be stabbed to death, flames that cooked the monsters alive like beef, and sharp gusts of air that ripped their limbs off.

The blonde killed as many easy targets as he could, before the barbaric enemies regained themselves, and began to strike back at the adventurers. He narrowly ducked under a wide swing, which continued forward and clattered into an unaware prisoner, sending them flying, as their internals were pulverised. The victim threw up their insides onto the increasingly muddier ground, as it continued to be caked in blood.

"Finish them off!" A crazy man's voice screamed above the noise of battle, leaving twinge of fear within the young adventurer, as well as his senior.

Nine clenched his teeth, continuing to slash as many beasts and he and his comrades could manage before the second wave appeared, "Form a line! Get ready!" the older man screamed, as more people took up arms for the fallen soldiers, and fought in the mess of bodies and gore. Kazuma joined the line, narrowly evading the wild and unpredictable lashes of huge clubs, returning with his own strikes. The boy scarcely noticed feint movements of creatures behind the lumbering savages, of which only a third were left alive.

"Shit- Incoming!" Kazuma yelled, as he jabbed an Orc into it's side. The beast jumped backwards, leaving the sword embedded inside before the young adventurer could pull it back out. As he went to pursue, the quick, abominable skittering sounds and high-pitched grunts he heard were all too familiar, and kept him still.

"They're here!"

The brown-haired prisoner braced himself, as a swarm of chittery green fiends squabbled between the hulking Orcs, jabbing forward with their small, serrated knives.

"Shit-" Kazuma caught one of them pouncing towards him, grabbing its arm before it could get him, but-

STAB

"AGH!"

Another appeared from underneath, piercing Kazuma's side. He fell down into a thick puddle of blood, while still trying to control the flailing gremlin in his hands, as the other tried to yank the knife from his own body, shifting the weapon around violently.

"FUCK- YOU LITTLE-" Kazuma's adrenaline and instinctual rage clenched his hands around the imp's neck- to such a degree-

CRACK

That it snapped from the pressure. He immediately grabbed the weapon of the deceased Goblin, impaling the other one through it's skull. The small monster finally let go of the knife, relieving the young man of the excruciating pain.

"Aaah, God...!" He gasped, coughing out a small amount of blood, as he held his wound.

"Graaagh!" a third one appeared, scrambling towards the weakened prisoner, as he barely was able to hold up his blade in time-

SLICE

The enemy was halved in an instant, adding to the butchered leftovers spread across the battlefield. The injured boy looked up and saw his partner standing above him, the excess of battle splattered all over him.

"You look like shit," Nine said, helping him up.

"Well- cough- You don't look- Agh!- that good either," Kazuma strained as he got to his feet.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just a scratch."

"You got a knife stuck in you, buddy, that's more than a scratch."

"It's nothi-"

WHAM

Both men staggered away from an Orc strike, slamming the ground, sending mud and gore flying.

"Get to a healer!"

"I'm not gonna leave 'till it's over!"

"Ah, you stubborn- Shit!"

SLASH, SMACK, CRUNCH

Nine was interrupted by the continued swarm of Goblins jumping towards him, but as Kazuma surveyed the battle, the last few Orcs were either almost dead or being finished off, and by comparison, the Goblins and the underwhelming number of soldiers were placing less pressure on the rebels.

'We can win this… We can win this!'

"The hell are you smilin' at?"

'That voice..!' Kazuma quickly turned to see a man stood calmly in front of him, doused in the fresh blood of the prisoners.

"The fight ain't done," he smiled sadistically at the adventurer

'The second-in-command!'

"You look like you've been busy, I can respect that," the dark-haired man pointed at Kazuma's wrecked appearance, "But you've also been a pain in the ass. Once I kill you- tsk! RAH!- Once… Once I kill you, then the blonde bastard, all these cowards will crumble," he grunted, while killing a prisoner with a swift dodge-and-swing.

...

"Well, stop running your mouth and kill me then," the adventurer tiredly pointed his sword towards him.

"Heheh, I like you."

"That makes one of us."

"RAAAH!" the man screamed, running towards the boy.

"Bind!" Kazuma casted, sending another length of rope towards the incoming soldier.

He quickly sidestepped, slashing the rope in half before it could ensnare him.

'Shit!-'

The second commander jumped high, before swinging downwards at the prisoner. Kazuma darted to the side to avoid it, then took another step back to swerve away from the follow up.

'He's good. I'm probably not a match for him in terms of swordsmanship. I need to rely on tricks!'

"Hey," the young man called out nonchalantly, "I thought you'd be a more interesting personality to fight, but you're actually just Joshua's shitty lapdog after all."

"Huh?" a large vein bulged on the man's forehead, "Are you tryna' piss me off? I'll cut you to ribbons!" he screamed, dashing at the adventurer.

Kazuma sidestepped from the attack one again, clashing swords with the next, before grabbing the embedded knife inside him with his free hand.

"Checkmate."

STAB

"Ough! Arrgh!" the commander stumbled back, looking down at the knife deeply planted in his chest, "You fucker… You think that's gonna kill me, huh!?"

"That's- Mgh!- your aorta; I know that's gonna kill you," the young man groaned from the pain of ripping a knife out of his own torso.

The short-haired man stood in silence for a few seconds, "Huh... Is that right? Well, it don't mean I won't still KILL YOU!" he screamed, jabbing his sword into the dirt and flicking it up at the young man.

"Agh!" dust was thrown in Kazuma's face, blinding his vision. Just as he wiped the crap off his face, he felt a shove-

PLOF

-before being brought onto the ground.

"Oogh!" he looked up, seeing the man smiling manically towards him. He sat down on top of him, placing his knees on the struggling boy's arms, then held his sword up high with both hands.

"This is it for the both of us, hehehehaHAHAHA!"

'Shit, shit, shit! Think! Think!'

Kazuma's hand shifted to face upward, "STEAL!"

A bright flash of light appeared, leaving the man stunned for a few seconds. Once it had gone, he looked around in panic, but noticed his weapon still in his grasp.

"Heheh, Nice try you fucker, now… cough- now… uuuh… Aw fuckh-" the dizzy man looked down toward his chest, noticing the item plugging his heart's artery was gone. Blood continued to seep out of the cavity in his torso as his eyes rolled to the back of his head-

Splat

The impact from the commander's dramatic fall ended the engagement.

Kazuma panted, wincing in pain from the open cut, "Heal… Heal… Heal…" he chanted weakly, while looking at the remnants of the battle which had mostly concluded. The soldiers were finishing off the last of the Goblins; the runaways being sniped with magic. The ground was covered in dozens of corpses belonging to both sides.

There was no victory shout or cheers, as the aftermath was a brutal affair. Lost limbs, bloodied bodies that had been stabbed or crushed under the weight of pigs- healthy prisoners desperately dragged their injured allies to the healers, hoping they could be saved.

Above all of the horrors, the reason why the tension of fear and expectation remained so heavy was because every man and women in the camp knew that it still wasn't the final battle, including Kazuma. He staggered over to the armoury to be healed.

---

A man dressed in full platemail, with the exception of a helmet, marched towards the burning manor house. In the distance, he could spot a couple of his peers loading the usual quarterly slaves onto a carriage, even during the chaos of riots and rebellion. Their efforts would be in vain, as his the direct orders from the master would see all of the maids, even the old hag, executed. As he approached earshot of the unsuspecting men, he lifted his head to call out-

SWIPE

A sudden strike from behind the soldier's legs sent him immediately onto his back.

"Agh!- Gmph!" His immediate reaction was cut off by a foot stomping upon his mouth, leaving only pained muffling. He gaped upwards to see a woman in a maid costume, leer down at him with a frightful scowl. He watched a steel staff lift into the air, momentarily blotting the bright sun, before being thrust down at a deadly speed.

"MMMGGGHHH!-"

STAB

...

The Goddess removed the tip of her staff from the soldier's gaping mouth, quickly grabbing his body and dragging it back into the vegetation on the side of the pathway. She peeked back towards the captors-

'They didn't notice. I have to be quick.'

Aqua silently and rapidly frisked through the trees and bushes, reaching one of the mansion's walls. The smell of smoke and burning timber was an exciting, yet frightening reminder of the situation the maid was placed in. She looked around the edge, seeing the two soldiers leading another maid to the carriage with her hands tied behind their back.

"Alright, this is the last one… Geez. What that hell are we doin' during this time? And why haven't the others taken out the fire yet?" one of the soldiers tutted, looking up at the continued eruption of black fumes disperse into the sky.

"Stop complaining, man. Just think about the payout we'll get. Joshua promised that commission, remember-"

SHLICK

The soldier looked down to their waist, where a long sceptre stuck out through him.

"Blargh!" he coughed up a stomach full of blood, alerting his ally.

"What the f- Hey!" he pulled out his knife, watching the stick retract from his companion's body, before it slumped lifelessly to the ground, revealing the Archpriest stood behind. The other maids upon seeing one of their peers, screamed muffled words through their gags in reaction.

"Shut yer mouths before I kill all of you!" the swordsman turned back to the adventurer, "Damn, I never thought you'd be the one jumpin' us."

She glared at him coldly, "Leave your weapons here and go. I'll spare you life in exchange."

"Heheh, That ain't a good bargain, princess. Besides, from the looks of it, I'd say you're a healer."

'Tch! He saw through me. I expected that, anyway.'

She posed with her staff pointed towards the soldier, "Come, then."

The lightly armoured man complied, approaching cautiously. As both of them were about to enter melee range, the Goddess aimed her staff-

"Create water!"

A bolt of liquid shot forward, blasting the unsuspecting opponent in the face.

"Blah! What-"

Aqua took the moment of distraction to charge forward, pointing the sharp end of the rod towards him like a bayonet.

"Take this!-"

"Just kidding."

Grab

Before the pointy tip reached Aqua's adversary, he casually stopped it an inch away from spiking his body, "Come on, you really thought that some water's gonna distract me?" he ripped the staff away from the maid's possession, throwing it away behind him, then pointing his sword towards the defenceless girl, "Well, I'm glad that you came back just to finish the work I'm doin' here."

"Wait, wait!" she pleaded, stopping the man's approach, "One of… One of the maids over there is my sister."

"Huh?"

"We were captured together." she looked down with a pained face, "I don't care what happens to the others, but if you let her go, I'll willingly come with you and-" she removed her long gloves, then slowly stroked over her chest, waist, then her thighs with a presumptive look, pulling the dress up slightly to show extra, "I'll show you a good time."

"Ah… I see…" the soldier grinned, drooling out of the corner of his mouth, "Which one?"

"She's there," she pointed at a random captor.

He pulled the girl off the cart, throwing her roughly to the ground, "Come here then," his sadistic smile grew further, as his blade sat just under the maid's neck, "You try something funny, she's dead."

Aqua slowly walked over the man, giving a strong, yet seductive look towards him. She tilted her head, examining his form.

"What's the holdup? Get it done," he gestured downstairs, but the maid was still dealing with upstairs.

"I like to create the mood first," she reasoned, while resting her hands on top of his shoulders, massaging them gently, then caressing his neck, chin, and eventually holding his head between her hands. The man moved his free arm lower down, rubbing himself.

She slowly closed her right hand beside the temple of his head, giving a reassuring look, as he continued to touch himself, chuckling lightly through his grunts of self-pleasure.

The blue-haired woman's smile was immediately replaced with a dark look of disdain:

"Summon."

Shoom!

The staff that laid behind the soldier vanished in an instant-

SQUELCH

…

The steel object materialised within the soldier's cranium, immediately impaling through, displacing the inside of his skull, as it fell out the other side of his head in a gory mess. Blood crawled through the gaping eye sockets of his frozen, mortified expression. He gasped and sputtered weakly, as he gracefully fell backwards…

SPLAT

The emotionless, sharp-eyed maid crouched down, ripping her staff out of her victim's head, with more crimson liquid leaking from the opening. She turned towards her fellow colleagues, who appeared disturbed, yet thankful towards their saviour.

She paused at the mixed reaction, looking at her red hands emptily, 'It looks like I've changed… For better and for worse...' she peered back at the body, then shook her head, focusing on freeing the girls. She started with the one on the ground. As she reached to unbind her mouthpiece, the woman's eyes shot open in panic, as she thrashed around desperately. The bound lady's gaze fell beyond the confused healer, and upon her realising, she quickly spun around.

A hooded figure stood silently before her, arm raised high-

"Wait!-"

THUMP

…

---

"Agh! Damn!" Kazuma groaned.

He was sat down amongst the rest of the injured, or dead. Healers meandered around, fixing limbs back together, filling gaping holes, or un-mashing crushed ribcages with magic. Eventually, it was his turn. A lady attended him, removing the bandage around his waist, then casting recovery on his wound.

"Ah, thanks," the young man smiled.

The lady with neck-length dark hair and fringe that covered an eye returned a sharp look, "Heal, Heal, Heal- Don't thank me, just make sure we make it out alive. Heal, Heal, Heal…"

The adventurer frowned, facing away, 'Yeah… She's right. We've lost, maybe, half of our own, probably a hundred of us left... We have to do this, for the ones who died trying.'

"Finally getting yourself sorted out?" a familiar voice sounded near him.

"Yeah," the boy looked up at his senior, "What? You're not hurt at all?"

"Yeah, I'm hurt," Nine sat down with the grunt of an old man, as two healers immediately came to his aid, "I can just deal with it better than you."

"Oh, sure. And I see you get immediate priority on the healing, too?"

"Course. I'm the leader," the adventurer glanced at Kazuma with raised eyebrows, "What the hell was that dumbass move you did earlier- with the rope? You trying to kill yourself?"

"The way I remember things, it saved your ass by slowing down the Orcs."

"Nah, we saved your own ass by pulling you back in time."

"Let's just say we helped each other out."

Both fighters sat in silence for a few seconds.

"It won't be too long now."

"Yeah," the young man stood up, "I'm gonna get ready; I'll see you later."

…

thum… thum… thum…

Thum Thum Thum

THUM THUM THUM

"They're here! Get into formations!"

Men and women shuffled around, shifting to their positions, as the sound of clanking armour, swords and bows arose from behind the huge stone walls. The gates rattled as they slowly opened, then slammed shut, leaving the prisoners locked in with their new visitors. They continued to march up to the edge of the scarred battlefield, with every Goblin, Orc and soldier in full platemail, carrying large sharpened blades. The commander of the force wore his signature dark steel set, displaying a separate appearance from the silvery metal that his subordinates wore. Joshua stood further forward, still in his burnt attire. The clouds smothered the bright sun during the encounter, leaving a grey, overcast spread of colourlessness across the land.

A singular man from the prisoner's side walked past the bodies of earlier battles, stopping some feet away from his old business partner.

Joshua's eyes were squinted sharp, as he surveyed the new state of his prison. He peered at the man in front of him, "So, am I lead to believe that you were responsible for this?"

"Me, or anybody else, it doesn't matter. Your mansion's on fire, your second-in-command is dead along with half of your men, and- oh, it looks like you took a little burn there," Nine smiled in satisfaction.

"Yes, congratulations," he wiped the purulent sweat and pus from the seared side of his face, "But all this planning, all these tricks- this is the result of someone's scheme."

"Hmm, I wonder-"

"Kazuma. Where is Kazuma?"

The bearded man chuckled, "You think I'm gonna give him up?"

"Have you not come here to negotiate?" The businessman's eyes bulged in rage, "Behind me is a force you cannot beat. What you have faced is merely child's play compared to the amount of blood that will be on your hands. Now, I'll reiterate: Where Is Kazuma?-"

"I'm right here, stupid."

The man snapped his head over to the new visitor, his face exerting a lapse of pure resentment.

Nine kept the strongest pokerface he could muster, as he slowly faced his partner, "(You dumb mothef- I told you to-)"

"(Relax, I got this,)" the boy faced faced his rival, "I'm here, so what do you want to say?"

"Kazuma…" the frightful man repeated, "You actually came… So, you are here to give yourself-"

"No. I came to have a final chat with you," Kazuma looked at the burnt gent with a dirty look, "This breakout isn't just an escape. It's an execution," he pointed to the magnate, "Your execution."

"Huh… Heheh… Is that all? You brought yourself in such danger to-"

"That's all for you," the adventurer then shifted to the Orc Chief, "I wanted to discuss something with you, too."

"Hmm?" the general looked at the smaller kid in front of him, "If you wanna say something, say it."

"Most of those Goblins and Orcs that lay dead behind us were sent by the second-in-command. He followed Joshua blindly, like a puppet on strings-"

The master flared up in rage, "Stop this impudence! Don't discuss with my own-"

"Joshua didn't mind using your men as mere fodder to weaken us, despite the poor strategic gain. You might be at risk again during this battle. I'd trust you more than him with a deal: No more of your men have to die in this fight. We will leave peacefully, but we'd need just one man in exchange."

"Hrmph!" the pig smiled at the clever words of the adventurer, "You're a smart kid. Unfortunately, there ain't any reason for me to breach my contract, but I'll rate ya guts. Now, scatter on back to your fellows; I'm gettin' bored of this yappin' back n' forth."

"What? No! Shoot him now! Crossbowmen!- Shoot!" Joshua screamed.

…

"Hey! Didn't you hear me!? FIRE!-"

"Shut ya pie-hole!" the commander interrupted the master's protest, as he watched the two prisoners walk back to their posts.

"Excuse me..?" he slowly peered at his own employee, with a hysteric face.

"Listen up," the Orc stared down towards the skinny fella, "The reason we're standin' here right now is 'cause of ya own incompetence. The Devil King gave you that powerful crystal, and ya let some yobbos break it? You fucked up on your end, and now I'm here to clean up ya shit. Also," the massive beast's hand clenched around his metal mace, as he glowered down towards the businessman with a burning intent of death, "That kid weren't lyin' about you sending my men to get chopped up. If I was yourself, I'd sit my ass tight, and let the competent one do his job."

The brute shifted back to face the battle, holding his arm up, "Crossbows and archers!"

The ranks behind him shifted as the monsters lifted up and prepared their ranged weapons.

Nine stood on the other side of the prison, "Wizards! On my mark!"

Tap.. tap… taptap… taptaptaptap- shaaaaaaaa...

Rain began to fall, moistening the dirt, as the small militia of monsters drew and aimed their weapons. A human soldier disconnected from the ranks, along with many more of the same race, and approached the silent pony-tailed man at the front of the army, "(Joshua, I don't care about what the Orc bastard thinks, you hired us, and we're loyal to you.)"

The man in question turned to the soldier, growing a harrowing grin, "Excellent, then I have a use for all of you."

...

Kazuma stood with his fellow fighters, looking up at the darkening sky, 'Please make it.'

"LOOSE!"

"FIRE!"

Waves of projectiles soared into the air, harmlessly passing each other, then continuing directly towards their targets.

"BRAACE!"

FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT

Arrows and bolts indiscriminatingly shredded through the ranks of poorly-armoured men. Cries of pain and screams echoed around the fortunate adventurer. He looked in the distance, noticing minimal damage from the magic as the plated armour of the enemies protected from the wind and fire. He was then drawn to bellowing of a bloodied prisoner ahead of him.

"Hey! Are you okay?!" he shouted towards a downed ally.

"Glargh!" the unfortunate fighter screamed, holding an arrow that protruded through his neck, barely missing his airway.

"Shit… I'm gonna get you outta here!" The young adventurer held the injured fighter underneath his armpits, dragging him through the mud, towards the small armoury-

"CHARGE!"

The men and women of the prison yelled as they followed their leader towards the opposition.

'Ah crap! I need to fight too! They won't last long if they're not supported!'

Kazuma turned to the wizards as he continued to pull the victim to the armoury, "Use lightning! The rain will make it stronger!"

TOOOOT!

"ATTACK!"

"RAAAAAGH!"

The signal for the monsters' first charge was given, leading to the beasts sprinting forward with a loud jeer.

The young adventurer finally reached the armoury, "Take care of him, please!"

After dropping him off, the injured man said something above his groans of pain, but the kid was already running off into the upcoming battle. Both sides of warriors ran through the muddy ground, tossing wet dirt in the air as they dug holes into the weakening soil with their own steps. The sounds of panting, battle cries and clanking armour filled the rainy atmosphere.

The delayed adventurer squinted his eyes, barely able to see Nine and the other fighters as the intense wind blew the water into his eyes. He wiped his face continuously, hoping to reach the frontline before-

CLASH

The sound of bodies colliding into one another hit the adventurer's ears, followed by brutal sounds of warfare.

CLANG

SHLACK

BASH

A disorganised, bloody and wet skirmish began. Nine threw his blade around, jabbing it through the weak points in a Goblin's armour, then skewering the little monster though, before pulling the blade back and out of the lifeless corpse. He looked up into the air-

"BRAACE!"

FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT

More arrows, thrown around by the stormy wind, flew unpredictably, as they shifted back and fourth. The prisoners lowered themselves, as another wave of the projectiles clattered into them.

A stray bolt glided past the entire exchange, straight towards a brown-haired boy.

THCK!

"AAGH! FUCK!" The young man fell to the ground, as the bolt pierced completely through his left shoulder, "Ah… God!"

The pain was initially unbearable as he rolled around irrationally. After some seconds of recovery, he peered at his open wound. It was large, and if he didn't get it sorted he'd bleed out… But-

'I can't turn back… They're all fighting… I need to be there with them!' he placed a hand above his shoulder, "Heal! Heal! Heal!" the young man casted, as the bleeding partially slowed down, but the pain burned his nerves just as badly. The adventurer continued to trudge through the thick, slobby dirt, as he finally could see the conflict ahead of him.

"AAAAGH!"

"KILL HIM; KILL HIM!"

"GRAAAUGH!"

The boy was left wide-eyed at the havoc he was witnessing. Humans and monsters swung wildly at each other in an insane fight of attrition. Huge craters of mud were littered with water and corpses from the never-ending battle. He approached closer, watching the heavily armoured Orcs lumbering helplessly, unable to move their narrow hooves through the soaked ground, but still swaying their huge, metal maces around, shredding whomever came too close to pieces. Fighters slipped around the uneven ground, trying to score direct hits between each manic attempt at each other's lives. Kazuma ran up, finishing off an armless Goblin as it shuffled across the ground helplessly.

"Nine!?- Agh!" the adventurer called out, tripping over a mangled body of a fellow warrior.

"Kaz- Grah! Kazuma!?" a familiar voice called out between the sounds of clashing swords and groaning men.

"Yeah! Where are you?"

"Over ere'! Help me out!"

"What…?" Kazuma climbed over a pile of bodies, almost slipping into a huge pit in the ground. He wiped his face, noticing his partner stuck at the bottom of the crater, standing on top of another set of carcasses belonging to both sides.

"N-Nine? What the-"

"Some bastard Orc threw me in here- Anyway, help me out!"

The young man sheathed his blade, as he laid down, extending his arms down as far as he could. His partner reached up, grabbing his hands.

"Ready…" Kazuma assumed a deep squat, "PULLLLL!"

The young man tugged his heavier counterpart upwards with as much might as he could muster. Nine kicked against the edges of the pit, trying to find any amount of grip inside.

"Come on! Come one! Just a bit… Mooooore!" Nine shouted as he slowly drifted above the ground.

PLOF

"Haaah! Haaah!" the older man panted on top of a similarly winded kid, before noticing a bloody circle above his arm, "Hey, you're hurt! How'd you even pull me up with that injury!?"

The young man slowly rose to his feet, pulling his sword out again, "I can just deal with it better than you."

TOOOOT

The boy's senior smirked, "Alright then," he turned to face the second horde of monsters, "You ready?"

"Yeah."

"This rain's a fucking nightmare… But it's only reason we've survived this long."

Kazuma spat on the ground, "Yeah, their armour's weighing them down."

"Rally! Rally!" Nine held his sword up, gathering as many active soldiers around him, "Use the terrain to your advantage! Outmanoeuvre the bastards!"

"HOORAH!" the prisoners screamed in response, moving onto the offensive.

SLASH

HACK

CLEAVE

The young man's sword slashes went into a rhythm, severing the Goblins as they came. Lightning fizzed past, zapping multiple enemies at once, leaving them as easy pickings, or frying them from inside. The smell of rain, mud and bodies was a pungent mix, but when the tide of momentum was on his side, it just felt like fresh air.

'We won't last forever, but at this rate, we could have a chance-'

Plop… Plop… Plop…

The blood-stained teenager jolted around, 'That sound...' He tried to find the source of the noise in the midst of the chaotic engagement, however, the muddy hills were empty in appearance. Unbeknownst to him, a piece of the small mound slid around, moving with the consistency of a living thing. The mud-covered men quietly approached their target.

…

Kazuma closed his eyes exhaling softly, 'Sounds… Focus on the sounds.'

shift...

slide...

shift...

STEP STEP STEP-

The innate adventurer jumped into action, as he swiftly spun around, swerved under a narrow strike, returning with a low, deep-

STAB

"Arrgh!" the muddy man fell backwards, with blood spouting out of the new opening in their torso.

"I already know there's more of you," the young man flicked the gore off his blade, "You might as well come up and fight me."

A few seconds after the adventurer's announcement, a group of at least ten men stood up from behind the distorted, wet earth.

'Jesus, that's more than I thought…'

…

"Haah! Haah! How'd they get so far ahead of us!?" Yunyun panted, as she ran along the muddy pathway between the violent, swaying trees.

"Come on, we need to- Whoa!- keep going!" The petite girl shouted, slipping slightly, then regaining her stride.

"There! There it is!" The taller Mage pointed towards the large stone walls of the compound.

The adventurers approached the gate, hearing the echoes of mortal screams through clashes of battle as they closed in towards the prison.

"Oh god… Kazuma, please be okay...!" the Arch Wizard prayed while her partner proceeded further.

"Perfect," the small girl announced, as she picked her spot.

She looked at her lame, wet maid costume, "Tsk! Without my staff, no hat, not even my amazing robes," the petite spellcaster tutted, "Whatever; I don't care. I'll produce the greatest spectacle these bastards have ever witnessed."

…

A young fighter stood casually as found himself surrounded from every direction.

"Well, well, it seems I'm not in a good position," Kazuma stated obviously, while scanning for any gap in the circle of men around him, "Okay, I have an idea..."

…

RUN!

Kazuma sped off towards one of the attackers, slipping slightly, at a breakneck pace.

"RAAAGH!"

The combatant swung his blade at the adventurer, who leaned back allowing the attack to sail an inch over his head. The strong motion lead the young man to fall onto his back, sliding with momentum and gliding in between his opponent's legs. He quickly clambered to his feet-

SLICE

-cutting across the surprised man's back. The wounded fighter collapsed to the ground with a loud splatter, as Kazuma continued running away from the pursuing pack of men,

'Fucking Joshua!- I know this is his scheme! There's too many of them to fight one-one-one, so I'll have to get into quick altercations to whittle them down-'

CLASH

"Ough!" the adventurer crashed into a wandering Goblin, tripping himself to the floor, "Pagh!" He spat the mud stuck within his teeth.

"Greeeh!" the small thing growled at him, before pouncing-

GRAB

Kazuma read the monster's movement, snatching it mid-air, spinning with the momentum, then tossing it behind him. The approaching assassins suddenly had a knife-wielding abomination flying towards them-

"What the-"

CUT

The frontrunner hadn't enough time to react to the monster that stabbed his throat, before being quickly chopped to pieces by the second chaser. They continued to follow the boy through the muddy mounds, as he distracted, misdirected and lead each chaser into a deathly fate: stabbed around a corner, brought into a head-on fight with an Orc, or sent into a deep, muddy pit of blood-water.

Only five remained, as they were brought in the same circles over, and over again.

"I've had enough of this shit!" the lead pursuer tossed his blade.

The young man turned around-

JAB

"Gah!" the panting kid fell to the ground as his right peck was embedded with a short sword, "Bind!" he screamed in response, sending a rope that caught two others, stringing and immobilising them together. The next attacker jumped in with his dagger, thrusting down towards the grounded boy. Kazuma quickly rolled out the way, painfully stumbled back up, then staggered to the two tied by ropes.

SLASH, SLASH

He swiftly cut their necks, leaving his opponents down to three. He ripped the sword out of his chest, "ARGH!" holding it by the blade then hurling the spinning weapon towards another adversary-

CLANG

however, the sword was deflected with a reactive block.

"Haah, heah, fuck…" the adventurer's eyes drooped in exhaustion and pain, as he now had two open wounds-

SLAM

"Oof!"

SPLAT

"Ahhgg…" the tired kid was powerfully bodied into a shallow crater, splattering water and mud all over him. He spat out the mess in his mouth, 'This is bad. I don't have anything left in me…' He slowly looked up at the three fighters standing proudly above.

The middle man lifted his weapon, "Joshua sends his regards."

"Figures..."

Kazuma closed his eyes-

PIERCE, SCHLACK

"Wait!-Wait!-Wait!-"

SLICE

…

"Man, what is this? Like, the third time I've saved your ass today?"

Kazuma didn't bother to open his eyes at the presence of a voice he'd heard too often, "Heh, You ass… You should've- cough- come sooner… Heal, Heal-Ack! Heal..."

"Fucking Joshua, the vengeful bastard," The blonde crouched down to his partner, concerned at the condition of the kid, "You gotta get back to the healers; you've done your bit here."

The older man slowly picked up the injured boy in a fireman's carry.

"Aggh! That hurts!"

"Stop whining. What happened to 'dealing with it'?"

"READY MEN! PREPARE TO CHARGE!"

"Huh?" The bearded man turned to the distant Orc chief, as the leader prepared himself and the other half of his army for battle. The exhausted swordsman peered around the battlefield, where barely any adventurers were left standing.

"Ahh, shit," he muttered, gently placing his partner back down on the ground.

"Nine… You gotta go, man. You can't get us both outta here before they reach us," Kazuma panted tiredly with blood slowly seeping out of his battered and cut up body, "You just gotta go."

…

"Hey, you hearing me or what?"

…

"Are you trying to get yourself killed-"

"Shut ya mouth!" the older man turned to the wounded teenager, "I should ask you that! You want me to ditch ya, leaving you to bleed out here!?"

"Gargh!" the young man groaned in pain as he adjusted himself, "I'm… I'm probably gone anyway."

Nine clenched his teeth, "If I run off back to the rest, I'd get killed there too, and nothing would change."

"You would go if I wasn't here-"

"Damn right I would! But I can't!-"

"Why not!?-"

"Because you are here!"

...

Kazuma's eyes widened, before soon relaxing in acceptance.

...

"Well then… It's been nice knowing you… cough."

A tiny smirk formed on the otherwise grim face of the blonde man, "Geez, a bit depressing don't you think?"

The Orc Commander held his steel mace high, "THIS IS THE FINISHER, SOLDIERS!"

"GRRRAAAH!"

The demented cheers of monsters followed the commander's announcement, with a smirk appearing on a despicably heinous man as well. The rain began to falter, falling with less volume.

"Before we take off, a final volley! High arch, aim at the stragglers!"

The savages complied, drawing their bows, ready to fire.

"Ready…. LOOSE!"

…

'Ah, what am I thinking?' a confused veteran stood by himself, as the rainfall that had showered the battlefield reduced single droplets. He overlooked the desolate area of bodies, 'I'm gonna die for some kid, huh? Yeah, I've definitely changed.'

"Hey, Kazuma," he turned around to quip at his partner, only for his smile to fade upon seeing that the young adventurer had passed out.

He took a deep breath, "Ah, come on man," he smiled in sadness, "At least be my witness."

fwip fwip fwip fwip fwip fwip fwip fwip-

Chattery, wooden noises emanated in the distance. What followed were tiny, thin black streaks gliding high into the sky... until they began to fall. The old man stared at the entire spectacle absentmindedly.

"Thats-" he glanced over to the exposed, unconscious kid, then back at himself.

…

"I could probably get away…" his gaze slowly turned to Kazuma, "But… I can't…" his face scrunched in anguish.

He trudged over to his partner and stood strongly above him, "Heh, My last moment… with this idiot…" he closed his eyes.

A strange tear rolled down a faintly wrinkled cheek.

"Ah, you guys… I'm finally-"

FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT FFT

…

TOOOOT!

"WE MARCH!" the Orc leader yelled, followed by shrieks of exaltation from his soldiers. A single human followed the group of killers, eager to watch the ending of a very long, cursed affair.

"I hope to see you, Kazuma," he smiled eerily.

---

...

"Hoohhhh..." a particular petite girl exhaled deeply as she composed herself. She began with her hands; they danced, flowing elegantly in preparation of her ritual. Her mind entered a different state of complete concentration; every sense focused to the finest medium, drowning every distraction out of existence. She slid a foot back, lifted her palms up in front of her, then opened her glowing red eyes:

Darkness blacker than black; darker than dark,

I beseech thee, combine with my deep crimson;

A strong wind howled menacingly, circling the caster as she continued her cry of magic.

The time of awakening cometh.

Justice, fallen upon the infallible boundary,

appear now as intangible distortions!

Streams of dark, glowing essence coalesced around her upheld hands and flowered away, growing in volume as she continued to feed her ultimate art.

I desire for my torrent of power a destructive force:

a destructive force without equal!

The beams of blackness twisted and turned, surrounding the pool of victims. Their fear festered, absorbed by the sentient sorcery, as it continued to coil and stretch into the sky. It was there that a distortion of reality shone bright with supernatural colours. With the appearance of an eye, the unknown being overlooked their awaited sacrifices with indiscriminate pleasure.

Return all creation to cinders,

Come fourth from the abyss!

The Arch Mage faced her open palms toward her prey, as she steeled herself, inhaled and screamed with all her might:

EXPLOSION!

The darkness sparked with galactic hues; it spread across the mystic string, rising to the floating entity. With acceptance of fate, the energy rebounded- approaching the mark with brilliant speed-

BOOOOOOOOM!

A blinding illumination of pure heat scarred the airspace, blazing in the centre of the compound and summoning a thunderous shockwave of superhot air. The ground rippled like water from the charring heat, as the condensed pressure blasted outwards, eviscerating the victims caught within the fireball's wrath, liquefying the bodies of those outside it, then hurling whatever was left with ungodly force. The shockwave continued to rip up the ground as it screamed towards the gate, obliterating it into pieces. Any cowards left atop the battlements were annihilated in the aftermath, whether by the strength of the blast, or becoming crushed by their own protective walls. A mushroom cloud bloomed out in the sky, displayed like a trophy of hope to the survivors of the deadly event. The storm clouds themselves separated in respect of the spectacle, allowing a peaceful beam of sunlight to glimmer against the puddles of conflict.

A panting Wizard looked up at the art she created, forming a smile on her tired face, "That was a good one..."

Plof

Another Crimson Mage ran up to her partner, picking her up in a piggyback, before continuing into the gaping hole leading into the prison.

---

"Mmm… Eh… Wuh…" a young man weakly opened his eyes, before jolting awake," Hah! Wha- Whats-"

"Easy, Easy! It's me!" a mature, female voice sounded.

"Huh?" Kazuma squinted at the appearance of a healer, someone whom he barely knew, but had treated him before.

"What is…? What happened? Why are you here?"

"We came over to find any survivors after the explosion."

"Explosion?- Agh!" the young man cringed in pain on attempt to stand up.

"Easy! I've stabilised you, but you still missing a lot of blood."

"Right… Of course," he exhaled, "Ah, I feel like… I'm forgetting something…"

…

"Oh, where is-" he turned, before his eyes shot open in disbelief.

…

"Is… Is that- Healer! You have to-"

"I've tried…" she said quietly. Her head faced the ground with a grim look upon her face, "I tried... I did everything I could… But he was already…" she covered her mouth.

The boy continued to stare emptily at the sight.

"Wh-What…? There's no way…" he looked back towards himself, "It was me..."

"Don't blame yourself-"

"It was me...!" he rambled, his hands shaking violently.

"Stop!"

"I… I… I killed him!-"

The young man's hysteria was stopped by a heartfelt embrace from the stranger. After the seconds of realisation passed, he began to weep deeply into the woman's chest, as she silently shed some tears of her own. The warmth of the returning sun was a comfort that came from the sacrifice of over a hundred innocent people. Those left to bask in it were fortunate, but unfortunate in the same respect. The two poor souls that sat in the centre of the killing field were one of many people who had lost a piece of themselves within that broken place of confinement.

...

The teenage boy didn't know how much time passed until he had stopped crying. He pulled his wet, snotty face away from the woman's chest, leaving marks on her shirt.

She peered down at the kid, "Hm, you look like quite the mess."

"I'm… I'm sorry about that."

She wiped the leftover tears off the boy's face, "It's alright. It's the least I could do."

Kazuma cleared his throat, "Uh… Can you… Please don't tell anyone-"

She sighed, "Ah boys, you're all the same."

He smiled weakly, struggling to rise to his feet.

She stood up as well, "You know, you kind of reminded me of my son."

"...Your son?"

"He died long before I ended up here," she looked calmly at the large forest beyond the demolished walls, "Or, I guess you could say I ended up here because I lost him."

"I'm sorry-"

"Stop it."

"...Stop what?"

"Apologising. You won't survive if you keep taking the blame for everything that happens around you... Trust me, I know," she held her elbow with her right hand, "I did it all the time; after my son… It doesn't make you feel any better."

…

"I don't think I could ever-"

"I'm not asking you to forget," she shook her head, "I think about my boy every second- every waking moment of my life, wishing that- even just for a second- I could hold him in my arms again," she turned to the young man, "But he's gone. It took me a long time, but I finally accepted that. I accepted it because I know my boy would rather see his mom become an awesome hero, not someone who sulked their entire life, lamenting over their past mistakes."

Kazuma opened his mouth to say something, but the words were lost.

"I… I..."

"Don't say anything, just go."

"Go...?"

"Go!" she grabbed the boys shoulders from behind leading him away, "Aren't there people you still need to protect? Go to them now! Don't look back!" she pushed the young man towards the open freedom.

The end of the rainfall brought life into the dead environment. Birds were singing again, the wind blew comfortably against the boy's skin, and air he inhaled was the clearest he'd ever remembered it to be. He looked at the ground- small flowers germinated from the soil below. His eyes peered back up, and widened at the sight of the lush green forests and pastures all around him.

He stood in disbelief, 'Was the view from here always so beautiful?'

The weights of dread lifted from the boy's heart as he stared at the future of hope.

"Thank you," he calmly stated, "And... Goodbye," he finished, trudging through the mud.

The healer watched the newfound man as he slowly walked into the distance, "That's it, kid."

…

She then turned to her side. There, a body laid riddled with arrows in a shallow pool of blood. Despite the tragic nature of the image, a calm expression befell upon the victim. He had made his peace within the seconds of time that he had left, something others couldn't do in their lifetimes.

The woman looked down, smiling weakly with the air of sorrow surrounding her.

"Farewell, Nine."

---

Kazuma wondered through the silent battlefield, approaching the other end of the open walls. The ground below his feet gradually increased in temperature, as long black streaks of burnt remains stretched across the damp earth. He gazed onwards at a wide, deep crater just beyond the 'gate', or where it used to be, anyway.

Evidence of the evaporated enemies existed only in the forms of frozen shadows imprinted onto the ground, or the remains of the stone walls. Other figures were still physical, but destroyed by the immense shockwave, fire and rubble. He passed an Orc who once wore dark metal armour, or what was left at least. Near the end of the compound, he met a group of charred, smouldering corpses, with a particularly skinny figure laid down at the furtherest point. He stood above it, looking down emptily. The man was someone he once felt an insane loathing towards, but now, he struggled to even hold any contempt. His body laid so weakly, so delicate and frail, that it felt difficult to mock.

"All of those promises of pain, death and the unthinkable that we made..." the boy stared at his remains in thought, "We weren't even the ones to end it."

"Kazuma?" a familiar voice took the adventurer out of his daydream.

His eyes focused on a cherished member of his party, "Yunyun!?"

"Kazuma!" she screamed, jumping into a deep hug, "Finally!"

The young man almost teared up again, having finally held one of the reasons for all of his hardship in his arms.

"Yunyun, where's the others-"

"Come with me!" she grabbed the boys hand, dragging him with her as they ran towards the manor house.

"What happened?" Kazuma shouted in between his breaths for air.

"Megumin's safe, but we split up with Aqua!"

"What!?"

"The other maids were in danger, and we didn't have time!" she panted, "So we had to separate to save everyone!"

'Oh god, please. Please be here, Aqua! I can't do this again..!'

The duo made it to the mansion in record time. The Arch Wizard sprinted around the corner of the building, stopping dead at the sight… or lack of anything, in truth. The carriage, the maids, and Aqua.

"Th-They… they're all…" her voice shuddered.

Kazuma looked at the fresh wheel marks in the dirt, then back at his horrified ally, shaking his head, "No, No, no, no- NO! AQUA!" he screamed, sprinting into the manor houses hallways, "Aqua! Where are you!?" Room after room; empty, then empty again. The adventurer raced through every crack and crevice of the property calling for his lost healer.

"Aqua?"

"Aqua, are you here?"

"Aqua!?"

"God fucking dammit- AQUAAA!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs, before slumping lifelessly onto his knees.

"This can't be real…" he stared in disbelief, "Everything… Everything that happened, all those people who died…!" his hands dug deeply into his scalp, "I failed again…?" he gasped weakly with shaky breaths. The tears that he'd promised to banish once again leaked from his eyes. He sat helplessly on the stage of a silent theatre room, distorted only with the sounds of his own dismay. Light emitted through the collapsed, burnt ceiling, as the charred seats and tables lay wrecked in front of him.

A presence quietly entered the room, stepping onto the same platform as the sobbing young man. Upon noticing the visitor, he faced away to hide the shame. The figure said nothing, approached closer, then sat down beside him.

…

Nothing happened for a few long moments until Kazuma felt a palm rest upon his chest, feeling the throbbing pulse of his heartbeats. It was soft and caring, like the touch of a mother. The uneven breathing of the adventurer quietened with the comfortable sensation. The hand began to shift, moving to the young man's collar bone, neck, then gently grasped his chin. All the while, he felt them steadily sliding across the wooden floor, closing the distance. A feint air breathed against his chest, as the kind hand turned his head towards them.

A blurry face appeared in his view. The adventurer knew who they were without a doubt, but because of strangeness in their actions, it felt completely foreign to him. Once the tears were peacefully thumbed away, the image of the Arch Wizard was clear in front of him. Never had he seen the charm of her face in such close detail: Beautiful dark-brown hair; damp, yet still holding it's image of purity; Cute light pink lips that appeared soft like pillows; And of course, the eyes. The eyes were the first thing he saw, and continued to be the culprit of his long, hypnotic ganders. He felt himself lost in the Crimson cesspools of her irises; he could never get enough of them… It was then he noticed. Her actions weren't strange at all, she had always been this way; the girl who cared more for her friends than anybody else.

The young girl could read his entranced gaze, looking away momentarily in shyness, but took a breath, then continued moving closer. Their bodies came closer and closer to touching, with their faces standing just a few inches away. Her breaths felt warmer, and tasted sweet, as her presence continued to take of his field of view. She moved another hand towards him, cupping both hands around his cheeks.

…

'What are… What are we doing..?' the young man blinked, realising the situation the two of them were in.

The Mage stared longingly at him, as he finally began to regain his senses. He attempted to de-escalate the moment, slowly backing away-

'Wha-'

His head was locked in place by her hands. Their bodies then came together, giving the adventurer another godly feeling: Her breasts squished against his chest, sharing warmth between their humid, heating bodies. The more the comforts built up, the less inclined he was to avoid them.

Alas, he knew it wasn't right. He spoke up:

"Yunyun… We sh- Mmh!"

The young man's eyes shot open, as the twin-tailed girl lunged forward, closing the distance, bestowing upon him deep, intimate kiss. He was left frozen in motion, as his party member continued to twist their mouthes together.

Chuuu~

The softness and fullness of her lips more than lived up to his private fantasies, covering his own lips with a perfect seal.

Chuuuuuuu~

Kazuma's eyes drooped. There was something about these moments that paralysed him; submitting to the pleasurable sleeping spell.

Chuuuuuuuuuuuu~

'But how long is this going to last?!' Despite the luxury, the young man was starved for oxygen that wasn't being provided to him.

Chuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-

"Bah!" Yunyun finally separated from her partner, exhaling heavily, with a small dribble of saliva down the corner of her mouth. She looked at the target of her heavenly assault, who was similarly starved of air.

After the young adventurer recovered, he looked with confusion towards the Mage, as she covered her mouth with a deep blush.

"Th-That was a present, o-okay?" she touched her bottom lip gently with an index finger, "Since y-you were feeling down, I… I did that t-to help cheer you up."

…

"Y-You have cheered up, right?"

…

"Please say something!" she bit her nails in embarrassment.

The absent look on the young man's face changed to a feint smile, as he stood up. Yunyun looked up toward him expectantly, and was offered a hand. After helping her up, Kazuma displayed a jovial look of appreciation, one that he hadn't shown since they had met for the first time.

"You're so cute and innocent it kills me," he said to her straight.

"Huh… Huh?!" she stepped back, her face flushing a deeper red.

He took one of her hands, earning a super nervous reaction from the receiver, despite the fact that she didn't resist at all. He placed it within both of his own, holding it close to his chest, as she had done for him before.

"Thank you, Yunyun."

…

Seeing him back to normal, the adventurer sighed, reverting to her cheerful, positive state.

"You're welcome, Kazuma-san." she beamed a pure smile back.

'Oh man, I'm falling for this girl…'

…

'-Wait! No! What the hell am I thinking?!' he shook his head quickly.

---

After the second of their little moments, the adventurers scavenged around the torched theatre room.

"There was a man in here writing something in a book while me and Aqua were being sold."

"Probably some kind of ledger," he threw a plank of smouldering wood aside, "Hopefully inside it we can find some details."

"Ah! There!" she picked up a thin red booklet, dusting pieces of rubble off it it, then handing it to Kazuma.

The adventurer opened the book, looking at a long lists of information on the first page. At the top, titles labeled each column of data inside the diary: Number, Name, Gender, Date, Sale.

The first page numbered each of the prisoners from '000' to '020'

"Number… 001, 002, 005, 009…" his eyes shifted to the next column of details, "Name, Adam…?" the boy scoffed sadly to himself, "So that was your name, huh...?"

"...Who's that?" The Crimson Mage asked.

"I'll tell you later," he flipped to the newest page, "Number… 431. Name, Aqua; Gender, Female… Sale, twenty million Eris- Jesus," his eyes then moved onto another name.

"So, they're the ones responsible..." Kazuma creased the page as his hand clenched in rage towards the unknown alias for which the sale of his precious party member was given to:

...

"Dustiness…"

.

.

.

an: Let me know what you think about this arc :^)