"Awwwwh man!" a disturbed individual slammed his closed fist against a table, rattling the wooden cups of ale atop it, "Why'z it so friggin' hard to get laid!?"
A tipsy, youthful man with black medium-length hair sat slumped in his seat, pouting. His face tinted slightly red from drunkenness, but nonetheless scanned the entire tavern with lustful eagerness. He stared longingly at the pretty girls whom had just rejected his unhinged advances.
"Hey, do you realise how sad that sounded?" A light-haired comrade of similar age looked with concern at his friend's pitiful display.
"Shaddap... You're no better than me."
"Eh? Don't forget that one time!"
"You mean the time you made a move on that cute girl? The one who slapped you? Then her boyfriend beat you up? Then she dumped a drink on your unconscious body? Then you were arrested-"
"Alright, alright, drop it," the blonde cut off his tipsy partner, taking a quick swig of beer, "Hey… Hey, you know that guy?"
"What guy?"
"What's his name- Kuh… Ka… Kazuma! That bastard's always surrounded by a group of gals."
His grumpy friend returned a dirty look, "Oh that guy… Lucky asshole is all he is- hic- What about him?"
The shorter-haired adventurer looked at his drunker counterpart with a sly face, "There's no way he's bangin' all of them. If we can get close with him, we might have a shot at one of those beauties- and I already know who I'm after."
"...Who?"
"I don't know her name yet; I haven't spoken to her, but damn- what I'd pay just to have her for an evening!"
"And think about that Kazuma... Sleeping in the same place as them every night…!"
Smack!
"YAGH! What tha hell!?"
"Like I said!" the lesser drunk of the two slapped the depressed boy on his back, "If we get close to him, we have a chance at that supreme, Triple-A backstage pass pussy!"
"...What'z the chance of that, man? It's juzt… gunna….. fail…." the tired man slumped into his arms, "Ah… I drank too mush… Everyfhing's spinnin'…"
The exhausted adventurer heard more spiteful words from his partner beside him, but it all faded into a distorted blur, mixing in the rest of the bustling atmosphere. In his somewhat comfortable position, the young man was even half-tempted to fall asleep, but alas, that was an easy one-way ticket to being robbed, although his friend would probably take care of him as usual-
"Hm?"
Deep within his random thoughts, the intoxicated archer hardly realised shift in the tavern's atmosphere, from loud, overlapping voices to immediate silence, save for a singular remote conversation.
Thump!
A weighted object roughly collided onto the table, jolting the drowsy man back to earth. The force spilled his mug and added a strange sensation of warmness across his forearms. With no sounds from his friend or the rest of the alehouse following the event, a concern grew in the adventurer's chest as he gradually lifted his head… Spotting another face… Sideways… looking back at him.
"E-Eh…?"
His eyes, half-lidded and hazy took a few moments before they shot open in recognition. His breaths stuttered, panting faster as more things became apparent: The warmness- a dark red stringy liquid- No, blood! It came from the severed neck; a face stared at him with a frozen expression of trauma. His lips parted weakly, though nothing but sheer terror could escape:
"H-Hh…? Uh…!? UUUAAAAAHHH!"
Summer. Late afternoon. A petite Arch Wizard stood idly against a wall, arms crossed, gazing down the pathway of a lively town centre. A clear air of irritability surrounded her, illustrated by the vexed expression upon her face. A taller blonde woman soon emerged from a store opposite the girl, pacing in her direction with a stack of supplies.
"Here, take some of these," The Crusader dropped a few couple heavy bags of product into the Mage's hands.
"Ghooof!" The red-eyed girl barely prevented herself from collapsing under the weight of the large bags, "Hey...!"
"Hm? What's the problem? Is it too heavy?"
"Tch! Not everyone has your Orc-like strength, lady." Megumin quipped, as both party members began walking.
"Orc-like, huh?" Darkness' eyebrow twitched, "You've always had a cheeky way with your words, little one."
"Little one? Don't treat me like a child; I'm sixteen- an adult..!" the young girl's voice strained as she hauled the massive load with every ounce of her strength- witnessing the swordswoman beside her carry twice the amount without batting an eye.
The blonde fighter chuckled lightly, "That's just a number, girl. Whether you're truly grown-up or not depends on much more than that."
"Huh…? Oh… Perhaps, are you trying to show off the fact you've had some adult experiences?" the small spellcaster looked slyly at Darkness.
"Wha-What are you talking about?!" The pony-tailed fighter retorted with a mild blush, "You know I'm a noble! I could never besmirch the name of my household by sleeping around like a… Like… Haah, Haah…"
The exterior of a strong, upstanding fighter cracked for a few moments. What arose from that was a completely new character. Hot vapour appeared each time the Crusader panted. Her face appeared simply flustered, though there seemed a more dubious motive behind it all.
"Darkness..?"
"Huh?-" She snapped out of her thoughts immediately, peering at Megumin with a plain, innocent look, "What?"
"You were just..." the dark-haired Mage spoke confusedly for some time before shaking her head, "Never mind."
...
"That wasn't a very adult reaction, by the way."
"Shut up, shorty."
"Shorty!?-"
Opposite the exchange of the two adventurers, a shrouded figure passed by on the other side of the walkway. It continued on, swiftly turning around a corner, before pausing outside a small store. The speechless prowler glanced at the sign outside, then no more than a second later, entered inside.
Ding-a-ling!
"Welcome-"
...
A light, kind voice spoke to the direction of the newcomer, after which immediately cutting itself off. From then, a brittle quietness formed. The cloaked individual stood still at the entrance, gradually moving it's obscured face around, absorbing the setting of the tiny shop.
Small, but tidy and neat. Brick built walls and flooring; wooden cabinets and bookshelves. The simple layout of the displays contrasted the unusual items placed upon them. Finally, on the other side of the store stood a counter. There was a weight scale on top with more strange products presented beside it. Behind that, the shopkeep stood idly, silently watching the unusual visitor that shared her presence.
The attention of the lean, male humanoid steadily faced toward the owner after scanning the room for an arduous amount of time.
Step… Step… Step...
Slow purposeful strides as they paced to the front, flaunting a hostile manner. The woman on the other side showed no reaction, simply remaining In a formal stance; hands limp on either side of her body.
Step… Step… Step…
Stopping at the edge of the counter, the cloaked form waited without a word.
…
No movement. It then leaned down, overlooking a bell sat near the corner of the table top. Not soon after, they reached out towards it-
"What is your business here?"
After the absence of any words, the owner finally broke the rigid silence. As compared to the soft, caring tone from before, all empathy had left her voice. The expression left on her face closely followed her words, without any sign of sympathy in her gaze.
After the strong assertion, the outsider stopped his motion and faced towards her once again.
"Business…" a voice quietly responded through the dark hood, "I don't have any business here… Though there is someone who does."
…
"Who may that person be-"
"Let's not play games, Lich," the hidden figure declared assertively.
The woman squinted whilst furrowing her brow. She took a moment to compose herself before continuing:
"I have made my position very clear to your elders. If you know who I am, then you will be aware of the ones who gave me an oath under the name of the Devil King-"
Thump
"Oath…?" The visitor's hands landed harshly against the counter, creaking and cutting into it with unnatural strength, "This… This place, these things…" he glanced and gestured faintly around the store, "Is this what you valued so much? You abandoned your calling to play a tradesman? To serve the weak?"
…
Any respect the shopkeep retained had all but disappeared within her blank eyes, illustrating the extent of her diminished patience.
"Ah, I see…" The owner glanced away in disinterest, "I won't discuss any further with some simpleminded underling. Tell your master to speak to me directly if he wishes-"
CRACK!
"Underling…?" The damaged counter snapped further and more deeply. Beyond that, a warped aura of violence radiated from the vassal, spreading to fill the small space, "Let me be clear to you, Lich. I am not some messenger. I was sent here to judge the fate of your exile. This meaningless place, the people who frequent it, anyone that walks in this town- I could destroy them in seconds... I can easily slaughter half the populous in the whole city before they even knew-"
FWOOOSH!
Another even larger wave of energy suffocated that which orbited the aggressor. The Lich's warm hazel eyes, corrupted by anger, morphed with a purple hue, matching the colour of her robes as well as the flurry of dark essence that rippled violently around her. Jars and vials clinked and rattled within the dangerous black aura that spoke death toward the intruder's every instinct.
"You came into my store to threaten me… Then you ridicule the work I've done for the last few years..." The undead's eyes widened, displaying the magic swirling inside them, "But worst of all, you spoke deathly words to the innocent people that live in my domain. Did Beldia not tell you who I was- What I swore to protect against the tyranny of you people?"
Shatter!
The mere presence of the two powerful figures was enough to destroy the accessories displayed in between them. The advocate appeared close to unleashing his strength, as his form shifted into a grounded pose.
...
"Sigh, 'You people'…? Hmph!" the individual scoffed, releasing their gloves from the desk and moving back a stride. "You speak as if you never served the Devil King. Well… I've lost interest."
The disguised person turned away, leisurley marching back, as the murderous air gingerly began to diminish, "This isn't worth my time, but be aware of what follows the likes of betrayers, Lich."
SLAM
…
Despite being more than equipped to dispatch annoying presences, the lone shopkeep exhaled lightly in relief, content that the lack of escalation protected her products, more than anything else.
"Well… For the most part," she sighed, picking up the remains of a broken potion on the frontal display.
She stared at the glass shards and the purple liquid that trailed down her fingers in long contemplation.
...
"Something will happen soon."
Much later, a generic adventurer, Mage and Archpriest casually paced down the streets of the Town of Beginnings, having just returned from a successful quest.
The leader of the trio had an underwhelmed expression upon his face, "Talk about a quick buck… That was probably the easiest money we've ever made."
"Hmm! You can thank my amazing purification skills for that," Aqua displayed a prideful smirk toward her partner.
"Sure, you looked like you were enjoying your bath while we killed all the actual monsters," the young man gestured to himself and Yunyun, who responded with a flattered smile as usual- unlike the Goddess who leered at his cheeky remark.
"Kazuma, you shouldn't say that."
chop
The Crimson Mage lightly palmed her teammate on the back of his head, "Aqua did her job perfectly; she supported us so we could defeat the monsters easily."
"That's exactly right!" Aqua chimed in, grabbing the young girl and holding her close, "I couldn't have said it better myself!"
"Guh… I'm getting told off by Yunyun now?" the boy sulked quietly. He knew there was no reasoning against the kind, levelheaded Wizard, meaning he couldn't tease the smug Goddess any further.
'Yunyun seems a bit more outgoing nowadays. I guess she didn't really know too well before, but after a few months she's already more confident.'
The young adult appeared to stare down the red-eyed girl, who became bashful upon noticing,
"S-Sorry, was that wrong?" she asked nervously.
"No, it's not that," he shook his head with a grin, "I'm glad you're opening up. That's all."
"Jeeeeez, Kazuma. If you're gonna flirt, make it a bit less obivous," the Archpriest poked her partner's temple with a shameless smirk plastered across her face.
Yunyun stopped, feeling a pang of jovial emotion in her chest. As she watched the two adventurers bicker further on, she couldn't help the warm smile forming on her reddened cheeks.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Aqua called from ahead, waving to the spellcaster.
"Real friends…" she whispered to herself.
"Huh?"
"Nothing!" Yunyun called back, jogging back up to the rest.
As they continued, the leader of the three audibly groaned to himself.
"Hungry?" the Goddess assumed.
"No- Well, yeah- But it's mainly 'cause I know Megumin's gonna bother me as soon as we get home."
"Oh, yeah. You didn't let her use her prized explosion."
"Look… There's a time and a place for stuff like that. If she used it then, a bunch more alligators would've been attracted. Also, blowing them all up there just makes a huge mess we'd have to clean up."
"You don't have to convince me," Aqua patted her partner's back, "Good luck telling that to her."
"Gah… She's gonna force me to take her somewhere so she can use explosion magic… Why is she so obsessed with it?"
"She has always been that way," Yunyun smiled fondly, "Back at the village she was the same. Some of the folks called her cursed."
"Cursed?" Kazuma appeared surprised, "I thought curses can only be cast with magic."
"Some people can be born with curses, or get them during pivotal moments in their lives. It could be why she loves explosions, and also why she can't learn any other magic type."
'Seriously…?'
"Aqua-sama…? Goddess...!?"
The attention of all party members returned ahead. A young man in full plate armour stood dazzled at the sight of a deity in the flesh.
"Is… Is that really you?"
…
"(Goddess?)" Yunyun whispered to herself, leading the couple in front of her to flinch.
"Um… A-Are you a follower, perhaps?" The blue-haired woman sweatdropped.
The expression upon the adventurer's face diminished greatly, "No, Aqua-sama... I'm Mitsurugi Kyouya! You sent me here with your blessing- and Gram- this cursed sword."
The light-brown haired man unsheathed a large blade: Perfectly crafted, from the sharpened dark steel edge, to the grip and uniquely shaped cross-guard gilded with golden alloy. Just from its appearance and quality, the weapon was at least a Legendary tier or higher.
"Oh… Oh! Of- Of course!" The blue-haired girl laughed awkwardly, "It's just- you know- I would see a lot of people while I was working up above!"
'Man, that's tough… And kinda funny,' Kazuma covered his mouth, hiding the smirk that forced itself onto his face.
"I've vanquished countless monsters with this so that I could fulfil the promise I made to you then," the swordsman appeared disgruntled, "Goddess... How are you here in this world?"
"Well…" Aqua's eyes naturally fell to her teammate, with the curious man following suit.
Kazuma was partially embarrassed to admit it, but rather than feel guility, he stuck out his chest, and announced his misgivings like a proper man.
"I chose Aqua. I brought her to this world."
…
The face of the opposite adventurer sunk into disbelief, "Y-You Chose her…?"
The green-eyed boy nodded back absently.
The fighter's eyes became shadowed, "What is your name, adventurer?"
"Satou Kazuma."
"Kazuma…" he reiterated the name slowly, then looked back to the Goddess, "Aqua-sama, though you appear to have a talented party, if you're goal is to return home, I can bring you closer to slaying the Devil King. I'm a Sword Master, and currently I'm in the process of rebuilding a powerful party. I have already assembled strong candidates from across the district; with an Archpriest like you, it's likely that we would become one of the best in the country in no time. I can buy you new weapons, gear-"
"Okay, stop right there," the bored girl interrupted, "I'm not interested."
The armoured man was left without words before exploding in confusion, "Wha- Why? This will give you a much better chance at achieving your goal-"
"I'm not interested. You're not the first to offer me something like this. If there's one thing I've learnt, it's not to let strangers fool me into these traps again."
"Trap?- Goddess, it's me!" the swordsman gestured to himself, "People know who I am; I'm no scammer. You're very special and I don't want that to go to waste."
'This guy's really going for gold here…'
Aqua sighed frustratedly, taking a step forth and glaring at the tall warrior.
"Mitsugi."
"It's Mitsurugi-"
"I don't know what you're after, but if you really wanted 'talent,' you would've picked Kazuma in a heart beat."
The gilded man was left without words for a few moments, "But he's just a normal adventurer..."
'Somehow I've been involved, and then immediately underminded...'
The Goddess' eyes squinted with irritation, "This 'normal adventurer' saved my life more times than I can count. Without him, I would've been dead long ago. He might've brought me to this crazy, violent world but he gave everything he had to save me from it, and he didn't do with with a big cursed sword, mountains of money, or any special gear. In that regard, he's ten times the adventurer you are!"
...
The armoured young fighter, rejected in his efforts, eyed his counterpart silently, then returned his gaze to the Archpriest, "I apologise if I hurt you, Aqua-sama. I'll leave my offer open to you for as long as I'm in town, though it appears you've made your mind... Goodbye."
He bowed again, then took his leave. Three party members watched in silence as the nosey onlookers sped off, and normality resumed.
Kazuma faced the girl next to him, who quickly reddened under his gaze.
"Ten times the adventurer, huh?-"
GRAB
"-Gmph!"
The Archpriest had a claw-like grip on the boy's mouth, "Not a word."
"Yesh mah'am."
"Aqua…?"
The newly exposed woman turned to meet a confused Yunyun.
"Why was he calling you Goddess? And how did Kazuma 'choose' you?"
The two original party members faced each other- Kazuma still with his face squished in Aqua's palm.
She sighed, "I guess we should tell them."
"Alwight," he conferred through her fingers.
…
Megumin, Yunyun and Darkness sat across from Kazuma and Aqua inside the main living room, on the dining table.
"Uh… Seriously?" The small Mage looked at the couple in an unconvinced nature.
"Seriously." Aqua returned.
…
"This is kinda hard to swallow y'know?" The Arch Wizard continued, gaining a nod from the Crusader beside her and even Yunyun.
"I can imagine," Kazuma smirked in understanding, then focused towards the rest with a more serious bearing, "But it's true."
'And that's not even mentioning the world I came from. I doubt I could even explain to them how different it is.'
A moment of repose came and went, then the blonde Crusader spoke:
"Well, I don't see any reason for you two to fabricate this," she said with crossed arms, "Besides, it doesn't change anything about our party."
"That's true. Moving to more important matters, you owe me an explosion." Megumin stood up and pointed at the brown-haired man.
'That's more important than Aqua being a literal Goddess?' Kazuma squinted.
"It's too late, Megumin," Yunyun held her sleeve with concern, "It's almost night-"
"That's his problem! You should've let me cast it during the quest. We're going now!"
Grab!
"Gimme a break…" The young man groaned as he was dragged out of the room.
The sky was almost pitch black. A half moon overlooked two youthful souls as they returned from a late night explosion, halfway to the mansion, but still very much in the wilderness. The near-silent area of greenery was only accompanied by the chirping of crickets and footsteps against the grass. A young man carried his ally via the usual piggy back, sighing tiredly.
"So, are you happy now?" he asked.
"I would use the word satisfied," the Mage returned.
"Sure, whatever you wanna call it..."
Minutes passed in silence. The trees parallel to the path weakly shifted with the gentle breeze. Through gradual adjustment or a hidden buff for improving thief abilities, Kazuma found himself able to navigate the darkness with relative ease. The girl hoisted behind him watched the entrancing stripes on each tree trunk as they passed by.
"Hey… Kazuma?" Megumin spoke quietly into his back.
"Yeah?"
"...Are you angry?"
"No."
…
"You're really not angry?"
"No."
...
"Are you sure?-"
"Yes! I'm sure!- Unless you're trying to anger me!"
The young man took a few breaths to compose himself, then continued in a calm tone, "Hey, if you were so worried about me being upset, then why'd you bring me out here in the first place?"
"…"
'Now she's giving me the silent treatment…'
Kazuma sighed again, "You're a smart girl, Megumin. You know more than anyone else that you don't have to prove yourself like this… You're much more than just a spell."
"…"
The boy simply continued walking in silence after the lack of response from his comrade. There was little point in pushing for something she didn't want to talk about-
"s-not true…"
"Eh?"
"It's not true," The Mage uttered softly, "It's the only thing I've ever had. Because of this curse, I'll never be able to perfect any other magic… Like Yunyun."
"Yunyun? Hmm... I guess her spells are pretty good…" Kazuma tilted his head in thought, as he felt his ally shrink further into his back, "But they're also kinda boring."
"Huh?" She perked up in surprise.
"There's something about the explosion spell... I dunno if it's the spectacle of the buildup, the insane heat or the crazy shockwave that-"
"-rattles your brain," Megumin finished in reminisence of her art.
The young man smirked, "Yeah, that's right. Yunyun couldn't hold a candle to your explosions no matter how many levels she spends on it."
A feint smile drew across the Arch Wizard's face. Her arms clung around her partner a little tighter.
"You always have something sappy to sa-"
ping!
…
The sudden halt of movement. The petite spellcaster leaned to one of her carrier's shoulders in concern. His face- No, his entire demeanour changed. He took a single step back, scanning the darkness ahead with fearful eagerness. The sounds of life around them had disappeared.
"K… Kazum-"
"Sh!"
Her heart spiked with adrenaline. All the hampered girl could do was wait for the void ahead of her to move.
"Hold on tight," The anxious young man uttered quietly, unsheathing his sword, as his ally locked her legs around his waist.
…
ping!
Kazuma's head shot to his left.
ping!
He spun around with haste, only to witness more bushes and darkness. The distorted wind howled, shaking the agitated trees, and trembling the grass.
ping! ping! ping!
Different directions, different intensities; no logic seemed to follow the subconscious warning that rang through his ears. He was left panting from the simple exercise to face the danger. The girl on his back held on with everything she had.
…
Then… Nothing. The threatening presence subsided, the brutal winds were killed as quickly as they came, and no more sounds played in the young man's ears.
…
The red-eyed girl twitched as the long minutes passed without incident. She leaned near her carrier's right ear.
"Kazuma, let's-"
PING!
CHING!- SLASH!
"Gahk!"
The small adventurer was immediately thrown to one side, gasping upon impact with the ground. A loud metal clash was heard, followed by a vicious attack, then Kazuma's pained noises.
"Heal... Agh! Megumin...? Megumin!?" the young man called out from nearby.
"I'm here- I'm okay!" she shouted back, scrambling to a sitting position and locating her companion.
Her eyes expanded upon an open wound on Kazuma's side, grasped shut by force. His bloody fingers quivered in suppressed agony as they tightly held the skin together. Less worried about injury, the boy's anguished expression focused on another figure. The small Mage matched his gaze, spying a cloaked individual stood a few trees down the path. No physical characteristic could be seen on the person; all extremeties were completely hidden within the robe.
The hurt adventurer clambered to his legs, casting heals in between his shuddering breaths, "Megumin, can you run?"
The small girl struggled to get on all fours, then put everything she had to lift herself from the ground.
"Nnnghhh!"
Plof!
"I… I can't!" She cried out after collapsing back to the ground.
The figure walked leisurely towards the couple, allowing them the brief time to recuperate. Kazuma shifted himself in front of the taller being, with his right hand clutching a sword, and his left holding back the blood that leaked from his side.
'It's fast!- Faster than anything I've ever seen! I could barely react, even with my enemy detection!' The hurt fighter shifted his head so that his comrade was within his peripheral vision, 'How do I save Megumin and fend off this thing!? Think… Think!'
The adventurer's teeth clenched as the aggressor began to pace closer, only a dozen feet away. Fear tingled the young man's arms, leaving the hairs stood up; fright of the lightning-fast attack quickly took over his body, needing to be thawed by pure willpower and instinct. He momentarily held his bloody hand behind his back, all the while watching his opponent like a hawk. The dark entity crouched-
"Bind!" Kazuma shouted in desperation, spawning a rope that stretched toward the assailant.
SHING!
Sliced to fibres in seconds.
'That's fine; it's just to buy time!-'
"Steal!" Kazuma yelled, birthing a bright light at his fingertips, then immediately following with-
"(Lurk!)"
With brilliant speed, the crafty adventurer shrouded himself within the night-time darkness to a near-undetectable level. A minuscule blindspot created by the initial skill was all he needed to cover his disappearance. Kazuma slinked through the forest with speed, keeping an eye emphasised on the mysterious enemy.
'Whatever that is, it's dangerous; seriously dangerous. I was lucky to get away with my Lurk,' Kazuma's gaze quickly faced the direction of where he last saw his ally, 'Hopefully Megumin saw the signal I gave behind my back, to hide away anywhere in the bushes. Once I get to her, I'll hide her within my-'
The adventurer froze, then speedily ducked behind a tree in alarm. The hooded person, for the brief time Kazuma looked away, was gone.
'What…? Impossible! Where did it-'
PING!
SHOOOM!- BOOOM!
A pulse of energy ruptured through the forest like lightning. A single, powerful swipe of a blade- imbued with magic- flashed through the tree that covered the adventurer. A single backstep from the tree was all he could manage as the brilliant blue light zipped toward it, exploding the trunk outwards. Dust and bark scattered around like shrapnel; a small shockwave rippled inside his body and resonated inside his ears.
CRRRAACKK! CRASSHHH!
The thick birch tree, without half its midsection, collapsed in seconds, revealing the culprit of the insane feat stood just behind, fixated on the now exposed boy. Kazuma could only stare back in disbelief.
'It… It saw through my Lurk just like that…? What the hell is this?'
An earth-like, leafy smell filled his nostrils. The chaotically destroyed greenery gently settled between the two fighters, until the dark forest was once again left in silence.
The adventurer re-covered his grimy wound, making a wet squelching sound when he applied pressure, and a flare of pain that shot up the exposed nerves.
"Mmgh!" he winced with a strained expression, 'I don't have a chance… I'm completely outclassed.'
The monster-like aggressor assumed their deadly stance, just as before.
'But…' A wide-eyed, grisly smile appeared on Kazuma's face, "If you're gonna kill me, I ain't gonna make it easy for you."
The figure appeared to hesitate a moment, whether in amusement or competitive recognition; nevertheless, it's stance changed once again, and the air around it seemed to grow more fearful.
SHOOOM!
…
"Get…! Up…! Come on!" a burdened voice pleaded to itself in desperation. A young girl clawed her fingers against the side of a tree, attempting to bring her lifeless body back onto its feet, despite refusing time and time again.
'I need to get up! Kazuma's fighting for his life while I'm sitting here like some useless deadweight!'
"Nnnghhh!" she struggled, feeling her nails peel and bleed against the tough bark, "Stupid! Useless!"
With limited strength, the Mage just about managed to drag herself up to her bent knees. She gritted her teeth, and kept going.
"NNNGGGH!" she panted, watching as the droplets of blood trailed down her fingers, "He wouldn't stop! He wouldn't stop here for me!" she spoke with resolve, steeling herself and taking a heavy breath:
"NNNNNGGGGAAHH!"
Step!
One of her feet finally took ground. After more straining, it wasn't soon before the other did as well. She was beyond exhausted, but none of that mattered; it could all wait for later. She hastily caught her breath while bear-hugging the tree in front of her with everything she had.
"Come on… Come on…! Walk! Please, for his sake, Walk!"
The Crimson Demon released her bloody hold onto the sturdy trunk, and stiffly moved to take a step-
Plaf!
Her strength was completely gone. The young girl's legs crumbled like dry twigs; she fell backwards, landing into a small bush- exactly where she started.
…
'I'm sorry, everyone...' The girl looked toward the half-moon with feeble eyes, as tears began to glide down her cheeks, 'I'm sorry for being so weak.'
A scoff of pity escaped her lips, "How pathetic-"
Clash!
…
"Is that-"
Crack! Shoom!
"Shit!" A battered, but wilful soul darted through the trees, dodging, reacting and exchanging with his pursuer while on the run. Just to cover some twenty feet of distance, the young man faced constant and near life-ending attacks, narrowly avoided by honed instinct and the grace of the Gods. The foresty environment suffered the aftermath of most strikes, leading to a path of shredded greenery that followed him everywhere he ran.
"Bind! Steal!.. Bind!-"
CLANG!
Kazuma spun on his feet to meet the enemy's weapon with his own- chipped and blunt from the disparity in class and quality. The sheer strength of the interaction threw the adventurer forward in the direction of the chase, smashing into the thick branches of a deformed tree.
CRRRACK!
"Paggh!" he coughed out a lump of blood on impact.
The branches snapped, broken as much as his ribs- though the adrenaline alone was enough to ignore the injury. He spun back onto his feet with whatever momentum he could retain, as he sped toward the place- the destination where he should find-
"Megumin!" he shouted towards the grounded girl.
The panicked voice of a companion jerked the Arch Wizard out of her dark thoughts and back into the tense reality. Whether by fear of what also approached or otherwise, she mustered enough strength to roll onto her belly. In her perilous state, she could only observe the desperate adventurer as he sprinted after her, riddled in more bruises and cuts than she'd ever seen before.
"Kazuma..."
"Megumin!"
Grab!
The petite Arch Wizard was plucked from the ground and thrown around her partner's back before she could spare a moment of thought. She instinctively latched onto him with both arms and legs.
"Agh!" Kazuma exclaimed as the girl tightened around his torso, putting more pressure on his battered ribs and open wound, "Megumin, we're going to-Shit!-"
THOOM!
A deadly strike flew over both victim's heads after Kazuma shifted his momentum just in time. He clashed with a tree due to the force of the misdirection, then stumbled back into a hampered sprint.
'This isn't gonna work- We're too slow! I need to... I need-'
Clench!
The young man felt the two hands on his torso squeeze tightly, then a whimpered voice that followed.
"Kazuma… Just… Just leave me! Leave me and by some time-"
A vein popped across the boy's forehead, "Huh?! Are you stupid!? If you're gonna bark nonsense like that then I really should leave you!"
"But!-"
"But nothing!- Idiot!" The adventurer glanced behind him for a small moment, "Watch! Watch and learn from your senior!"
Kazuma peered over his shoulder once again. The hooded pursuer, as expected, was hot on his tail and soon to attack. Before that chance came, the young man darted across a tree, blocking direct vision for the moments that he needed. Unperturbed, the hooded figure prepared another lunge for as soon as the adventurer emerged out the other side, but as he did-
"Fireball."
Kazuma stared firmly into the unreadable expression of the disguised killer, as a sphere of orange light formed in his open palm. The flame grew and expanded until the small inferno reached maturity, blasting away from the his fingertips and heading straight for the aggressor.
FWOOOSH- SLASH!
The skilled assassin changed form mid-air, then swiped away the magic with a circular parry. The move only bought a few seconds, but that was needed time. Many paces ahead, Megumin's hold on her partner was quickly lost as the young man thrashed her off, grabbed her, then-
SHOVE!
"Mmgh!" Megumin winced, feeling rough sticks and leaves scratch against her face.
A hand quickly covered the Mage's mouth, leaving a muffled gasp of shock.
"Concealment," A voice calmly spoke above her.
The warmth of an entire body laid on top of the confused soul. The distressed girl breathed erratically, trying calm the exhalations to match the ones that blew against the back of her head. She was forced into a fetal position; her partner was the same, covering her every part under his form. The adventurers could feel each other's hearts beating out of their chests, the puffs of air from their exhausted lungs, and the threat of death looming in their presence.
The shuffles of movement soon appeared nearby the hidden pair. The attacker audibly scuffled around the surroundings, kicking and cutting forestry into pieces with large, metallic swings of a blade. Low, deep grunts of exertion could be heard from such a close distance, meaning that the concealed couple were equally susceptible to alerting the deadly presence with even the slightest movement. As both parties seemed to become aware of the same fact, the woodland quickly plunged into a deafening silence.
…
A broken twig; a rustle; a jerk in movement; any sound would appear as a blaring giveaway within the stillness of the moment. Shifting from a fast-paced, violent exchange into a test of complete stillness proved agonisingly difficult for the two adventurers. Racing hearts starved for oxygen that came in tiny, weak inhalations; cramped muscles that begged to be stretched, scrunching their legs with tight pains, and the pulsing agony of broken ribs that were squeezed in an uncomfortable position. For one of the two, the pressure was too overwhelming:
"(Mmh!)"
The young girl's body took over out of pure survival instinct, convulsing her diaphragm and forcing a feint gasp.
The presence nearby stopped.
…
Step...
It paced closer.
Step…
The familiar humming of magic emanated once again. The blue light filled the edges of Kazuma's closed eyes, spiking his bloodstream with fright.
Step...
Run? Don't run? Does it know? Is it faking?
STEP...
Ideas ran rampantly in the boy's mind. With each time it strode closer, the more his arms grasped around the girl beneath him, preparing to flee with everything he had left, if he had anything left.
STEP...
Both souls felt the vibration of the footstep as it landed on the ground. The attacker couldn't be any further than stride's length. Unnerving waves of warmth radiated from the glowing blade that existed an arms length away. It raised itself high in the air, burning even hotter.
The impending threat loomed over both of the adventurers. It could've been for show; there was was no way to know. Conflicting ideas ran back and forth within the injured boy's head; try to escape, or pray that they hadn't been spotted. A singular trail of blood crept down his face, then fell onto his partner.
STEP...!
Run? No, Don't run! No time left; It's now or never!- Run, before it's too late!-
Growl!-
SHOOOOOOM!
…
…
...
'H...Huh…?' a feeble thought passed by in a petrified conscience, 'What…?'
The presence of such potent magic- for a second of time- was immense. The heat was enough to sear the couple's skin off; it's small period of maturity was their only saving grace. What followed after was a booming noise, resonating through the adventurer's souls and leaving faint ringing within their ears. They remained silent and completely still.
...
"Hm..." an amused gruff sounded.
…
STEP, STEP, Step, Step, step... step...
…
One minute.
…
…
Ten minutes.
…
…
...
Half an hour passed.
With the deadly existence long since faded away, the compressed bodies of both adventurers loosened, finally allowing ample room to breathe deeply in what felt like an eternity. Kazuma peeled himself from the girl beneath him, falling back, then grimacing from the pain that sparked on his side and in his chest. He held his wound, then turned to face the aftermath of the bone-chilling assault.
'It's...'
His weak eyes widened at the devastation. A whole section of the forest entirely razed. Dozens of pale birch trees were seared black, severed completely through with glowing red midsections, smouldering with the scent of charcoal. The grass covering the entire area had lost colour, left yellowish and dry.
The injured adventurer looked back to his ally. The small Mage absently watched the dimly lit woodlands with a frozen expression. She met Kazuma's gaze after a few seconds, leaving both adventurers facing one another in total shock. Many long seconds later, they scrambled into a tight embrace. Once the dark-haired spellcaster felt the warmth of her close friend in the comfort of safety, she trembled in relief, sobbing quietly into his chest.
…
Kazuma gingerly rose to his feet with his comrade in tow, still suffering from his untreated injury.
"Home's closest, so we'll head there under cover," he quietly spoke.
He spotted a nod in the corner of his eye, then set off to take a disguised route back to the mansion. Before he did, the dirtied young man took a moment to gaze at the smouldering leftovers of the prior battle, stood exactly where the mysterious figure was. Immediately in front of him was the corpse of a Rookie Slayer, a catlike creature that laid at the forefront of the attack. It's body was cleanly halved, and frayed all the way to the bone.
'This is what he reacted to…?'
"Kazuma?" Megumin spoke in concern.
The boy shook the thoughts out of his head, and turned to leave.
"Lurk."
…
THUMP
The long, arduous and painful walk back to the mansion was finished.
Two exhausted souls collapsed like corpses as soon as they stepped through the entrance. With the larger of the two completely out of commision, and nearly out of blood, the dark-haired Mage shifted her body up, attempting to call out for help.
"someone… Someone!- Cough! Cough!" her breathless voice waned.
Her exhaustion was overbearing; the young girl couldn't muster enough energy to shout again. She stuck a trembling, bloody hand out, as her head fell onto the tiled floor.
"...someone…"
Megumin's consiousness faded rapidly, but as her vision disappeared, a shadowed figure walked into the dark hallway, freezing upon seeing the downed couple.
"(Megumin!? Megumin...!)" the muffled vocalisations echoed as darkness took over.
"Ah!"
A young girl jumped up from her bed, panting lightly.
...
She sat still for a long while, recounting as much as she could to the present self. After a few minutes of recollection, the petite Mage rubbed her eyes, then took notice of her hands; clean, healed fingertips and perfectly trimmed nails.
"Huh..."
The girl glanced around her surroundings; she was in her room. The daylight shone through her window as it did every morning. Megumin shifted her hand from her side, feeling something to her right.
"Huh?- Ka..zu..ma…?" Megumin's eyes widened upon seeing the young adult laid next to her, "… Kazuma!" she exclaimed once again, as the teenager suddenly regained all her memories.
The young adventurer quickly moved towards the unconcious soul, placing her ear against his chest.
Ba-bump… Ba-bump… Ba-Bump…
Cheerful tears grew in the Arch Wizard's eyes. The warmth, the steady heartbeats; nothing brought more relief to the girl since she was saved from the goblins. Content with listening to the rhythm of his heart for a little while longer, she remained bound to her companion.
Well, the truth was more than that. The presence of the adventurer brought a level of comfort and reassurance that made the physical touch between them leave a fuzziness in the girl's core; possibly garnered from all of the piggy-backs they had shared. Megumin's arms moved by their own will, closing around Kazuma's torso into a warm embrace. It brought back a fond memory, and served to be even more comforting. She closed her eyes, snugly sharing body heat as her grip tightened around him.
"Uh... Megumin?"
"KYAAAAH!"
PUNCH
"Ough!"
Kazuma was dished a instant hook from the small girl, as she leapt off of him like a cat.
"Yeesh…! Hey, what the hell was that!?" the newly awoken boy rubbed his cheek in confused anger.
"That's my line! You… You... Scared the crap outta me!" the embarrassed girl lied with a flushed face.
"Scared you? I only spoke up 'cause you were clinging onto me like that."
"W-WHAT? Stop spouting nonsense!" Megumin looked away in embarrassment, paddling the boy relentlessly with an obvious blush all the way to her ears.
"Cut it out!-"
Creaaak
...
"Yunyun...!" Kazuma expressed happily, seeing the normally more reserved Crimson Demon in the doorway, "Did you-"
Hug!
Both adventurers were tackled into a deep embrace by the twin-tailed girl.
"You guys… I was so worried!" the gentle-voiced Yunyun shouted in solace, "I thought… I thought you guys were gonna die!"
The purity of their comrade was enough to cease the couple's bickering, and return the hug to the emotional spellcaster.
"Why?" the girl cried in between them, "Why were you so hurt? What happened?"
"I'd like to know that as well," the voice of a fourth entered the room.
The pair of healthy party members looked up to find Aqua angrily posed a few paces away with crossed arms, flanked by a similarly unimpressed Crusader.
After the short moment of comfort, the whole party rallied around the table of the main living room.
"Y-You sure you're okay, Kazuma? Megumin?" A worried Mage with pigtails asked.
"That was some state you guys were in," Darkness added with a more reserved, but nonetheless troubled manner.
"Yeah, we're totally fine now," the young man returned an 'OK' with his fingers, "Megumin was more tired than anything, and I was just low on blood."
"Just low on blood…?" the Goddess huffed, "You were in a terrible state… Also, think about how your healer feels after seeing something like that. None of us had a wink of sleep since last night, you know."
Kazuma looked down, "S-Sorry."
"So?" Darkness confronted the victims of the prior night, "What happened?"
…
After retelling the recent events to the upsetted party members, a long frightful silence lingered after the fact.
"That's… That's horrible," Yunyun held her arms, feeling her body shiver.
"But why?" Aqua trembled in contempt, "Who would do something like this?"
The girls looked expectantly at their leader.
Kazuma took a breath, recounting the events for the millionth time in his head, "Some of you may have guessed it already, but this was definitely a premeditated attack from the Devil King's forces."
Many disturbed expressions returned to him. He continued: "Whoever was sent after us, they're more powerful than anything we've faced before. Someone like Joshua was cunning and calculated, but on the opposite end, this was a stone-cold killer with speed, strength and powerful gear to match."
The others continued to listened in with expressions of dismay.
"Did you catch their appearance?" the Crusader queried.
"He was almost definitely a male. He wore a cloak, stood taller than me and had a larger frame… I couldn't see anything else."
"Hey… Instead of figuring all this stuff out, could we just… Run away?" the smaller Mage questioned, grabbing the attention from all the others around her.
'...I never thought I'd hear Megumin say something like that. Because of what happened, I guess.'
"I doubt we have enough influence to get direct attention from the actual Devil King; this is probably from whichever general was linked with Joshua. Whatever the case, if they had enough resources to find us where we are now, they could track us down easily in the future, too."
"So… You mean that we have to fight it- Him- Whatever this thing is?" Yunyun looked at the boy with concern.
"If this person was able to catch me and Megumin not even a mile away from our home, there's a good chance he also knows or will know where we live, or at least where we frequent," Kazuma gave the twin-tailed girl an honest look as he continued, "We have to take him down before we become the victims again."
The Arch Wizard appeared startled at first, but quickly understood and nodded in return.
Aqua crossed her arms in frustration, "That's simply impossible right now. We don't have any idea who this person could be or how to find him."
The brown-haired adventurer held his chin, 'A male that's a bit larger than me… Doesn't leave much to identify.'
Kazuma's brow furrowed as he fell deep into thought, 'It's strange though… Someone as powerful as him was able to track us enough to find out at least general area we lived, but my Enemy Detection didn't sound a single time until right before we were attacked. Even if he had help from other demons with less presence, I should be able to pick up anyone with violent intent that spied on me… Why didn't I notice them?'
"Kazuma...?" Darkness asked with mild concern, as she witnessed the leader of the party falling into a trance.
'Wait, wait, wait. This doesn't make any sense; Enemy Detection will go off once an 'enemy' within a certain distance holds the intention of violence towards me, but what is an 'enemy'? If a demon had Enemy Detection, it would trigger If I was close to it, so 'enemy' is just whomever is consciously considered dangerous to the user. It's why Joshua triggered my ability; I always thought he might've had ulterior motives. This attacker managed to go under my radar because-'
"He's hiding in plain sight…!" the young man's eyes opened in realisation.
"Eh?" The taller Mage reacted to the claim in confusion, "How would you- Why would he do that?"
"The only way he could've avoided my detection is by blending into the populous,' Kazuma spoke briskly, relaying all the information that conjured within his head, "Meaning that he's probably appeared around us as a normal person on the streets… It's possible we've seen him, or have even spoken to him."
"No way…" Yunyun's hands clasped together with cold sweat, "You mean the person that did all of those things… Could be any of those people out there…?"
"It wouldn't just be a random civilian. Only an adventurer could get away with owning such a strong presence and not arousing suspicion, and a powerful one at that," the boy added.
"An adventurer?" The Archpriest held her staff tightly, "That can't be right..."
"Kazuma, do realise what you're saying?" The blonde swordswoman took the young man's attention with a sharp, but sincere look, "Please don't take this wrongly; I've always trusted your judgements, but this is something you cannot say lightly. If we decide to hunt one of our own, we need to be more than sure it's him. If this is wrong, you could lose all that you've earned, and it could even cost us our lives."
The rest of the girls appeared to mirror the same sentiment, as they didn't look at the young man in distrust, but rather in desperation for a reason.
"You're right, Darkness," the green-eyed man regarded his ally's words and faced the small group with confidence, "I'm sorry for dropping everything on all of you like this. I would never want to scare you in vain, but I'm also sick of being betrayed and ambushed. Everything I've told you isn't wild theories, but real facts as I've understood them."
Kazuma's allies seemed more at ease after the words of clarity, though the uneasiness still remained-
"Were you guys there?" a young girl voiced quietly, catching the attention of the rest. The petite spellcaster looked emotionless, with a darkened, but earnest appearance. With no response after some time, she leered to all of her teammates- besides one- as anger became more apparent in her expression,
"Were you there? Paralysed in the darkness with no way to help yourself or anyone you care about... Your life one breath away from being taken?" She looked around in irritation, "We won't have time to worry about morals when we're dead. Now's not the time to doubt each other; if we have to fight we will fight. If we want to win, we have to do whatever it takes, even if we don't like it."
…
"She's right," Aqua sighed, "Sorry, Kazuma."
Yunyun nodded sadly afterwards and Darkness, for once, didn't counter the words of the Crimson-eyed girl.
"So… Do we have any idea who it could be?" Yunyun asked openly.
"That's the real question," Kazuma sighed, "This adventurer… They have to be someone who has arrived only recently- Within the last three months. A powerful adventurer that is good with a large, magical sw-"
…
"Kazuma?" Aqua asked with concern.
The young man's fists clenched with vigor.
'If it's you...'
...
"Hey, what's wrong?" a girl with maroon-coloured hair looked to see her teammate stood still behind.
"Ah, sorry. I thought I heard my name," a young adult smiled innocently, then swiftly caught up with both of his allies ahead of him.
His gaze sharped once no eyes met his own, 'Make your move, Kazuma.'
Three days later.
Late evening. The sunset had already gone, leaving the sky black up until near the horizon where a feint blue hue remained. Though the light was mostly gone, the centre of town was still very much alive. In a popular tavern nearby the guild, the sounds of voices, laughs and plates could be heard easily from outside. A lone visitor took a breath, and after spending a quiet moment to ease themselves, they entered inside.
The volume of of noise spiked as the door creaked open. Widening it all the way, the hectic atmosphere was on full display. Within the warmly lit wooden walls, all walks of life were intermingling: young fighters, old veterans, merchants, nobles and adventurers, of course. The seasoned smell of food and liquor appeared like a calming remedy, though it did nothing to relax the newcomer. The jumble of voices bouncing across the tavern walls could tell several stories at once; the busy, understaffed waitresses, tales of bloody battles against the undead by retired souls, the current economic climate from the businessmen. They were all considered distractions; there was only one goal for this person. They continued past the bar, scooting in between people loitering with their drinks, and others sat down across the dozen or so tables inside, all of which at full capacity- as expected. Almost reaching the seating area of the alehouse, a youthful, drunken dark-haired man jumped in the way, stumbling to meet a couple of girls stood at the edge of the bar.
"Wow, Wow! Such beauties!" he slurred loudly while stumbling back and forth, "So, so beautiful you are! Say, if you want a nice night with a lot of fun, me and my partner over there are free to show you a good time!"
A lack of patience pushed past the nuisance, hearing the aftermath of disgusted reactions and a slap for good riddance. Scanning the busy area, a point of interest was found. A circle of guild members surrounded a central table, obscuring the inhabitants from view. Regular bursts of laughter and praise were directed to the popular occupiers, leaving a feeling of discomfort and wrongness. The useless thoughts were quickly discarded, and focus soon returned to the objective.
The closer the small gathering became, the more a strange twinge grew throughout the approaching individual. It wasn't something tangible, or anything that could be seen or described, but rather a series of gates that shut tight as each step brought themselves closer to the source of fear. Other ideas, plans and last-minute decisions faded away. The pressure was definitely felt, after all, this was something that they weren't used to; a singular, massive obstacle that couldn't be beat with cheap mind games, provocation or smarts. They hesitated only a few feet away from the table. Survival instincts screamed to leave in the other direction, valuing life over anything else. Flashes of recent memories reminded the soul why they were there, why it wasn't enough to stop at this point. The seething, but controlled rage returned, and the adventurer braved the final few steps, budging past the annoying onlookers, and charging through the final gate:
"Mitsurugi Kyouya."
…
The announcement overpowered all petty conversation within the small mass by its sheer presence. Other groups surrounding the small circular table fell into silence, granting attention toward the tresspasser. Out of all the gazes that were directed to the young soul, there was only one which garnered all of his attention.
"Kazuma-san… was it?" a calm voice replied, "Can I help you?"
The Sword Master sat casually in his armour beside both of his female party members. He appeared friendly, but under the soft eyes of the fighter existed a veil. The less experienced adventurer swore he could see it.
"Huh? Who's this stranger?" a petite-bodied girl questioned, detesting the uninvited man.
"Do you know him, Mitsurugi?" a softer voice to the other side of the adventurer asked, gaining a mixed reaction from her comrade.
"Yes, well not especially. I tried to recruit a member of his party, which understandably could've upset him."
Rounds of gossips emanated after the seated adventurer spoke. Kazuma ignored the sounds, and after the underwhelming result of his confrontation, frustration seemed to feel more apparent than fear.
"Are we really going to play this game?" the boy squinted with an unimpressed expression, "Did you really think you could protect your image after all of that?"
A twitch of annoyance in the corner of his mouth. Kazuma's keen eyes picked up every detail he could use.
Mitsurugi presented open palms, "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."
"If you thought I was gonna play your game- Ambushing you in the middle of nowhere- You didn't learn enough about me… Joshua would have done better.
twitch
"(Hey, who's this guy picking a fight with Mitsurugi?)"
"(Isn't that the guy who saved all those prisoners? Kazuma?)"
"(If he doesn't wanna get beat up, he better get out while he can.)"
The mutters increased in hostility, as the air of the Tavern quickly turned against the underdog.
"Once again, I don't know who this Joshua is… What is it exactly that you want from me?" a hint of irritation was thrown on top of the affable nature of the swordsman.
"I've done my own research as well," Kazuma disregarded his question, "I've learnt a lot about your history, and how you came to be what you are now. There are some gaps, however, though I have a pretty good idea of what happened during that time."
"You should know it's not good to assume things about people…"
"Is that what Grace told you?" a feint smirk appeared on the adventurer's face.
Twitch
SLAM
"Hey, have you lost your mind!?" the green-haired warrior bashed the table in anger, before approaching the stranger with pace.
Grab!
"Cremea-"
"I don't know what your problem is with my comrades, but if you don't wanna get beaten to a pulp, you better get out of my face!" the fiery warrior held the dead-eyed boy by the scruff of his neck, ignoring her more reserved female partner.
The presence of more unsettled bodies closing around the boy was noticed, but didn't change his motivation. The lies; the tricks; the glaring evil that presented itself under a guise of innocence was taking its toll. The mountainous hatred that built up since that night burnt brightly in his eyes. The girl witnessed the power of loathing from a singular glance that peered deeply into her soul. Her strong grip partially weakened, as did her resolve.
Kazuma's attention switched back to the primary target. The armoured adventurer- who once appeared lax- seemed to be staring ahead, with both gloves clasped around his wooden mug- creaking from pressure. Despite the presentable exterior, sharper eyes could perceive the image of chivalry on the brink of collapse.
'That's it... Show me your true self, Mitsurugi.'
"Hey… Kyouya. You really need these weaklings to protect you? You really haven't changed at all since then, have you?"
The pony-tailed fighter regained her rage, holding a fist out against the boy, "You bastard!-"
CRACK!
"Heh… Heheh…"
…
The misplaced chuckles from the Sword Master froze all movement within the tavern; all eyes inside turned to the estranged character and the broken mug within his clenched hands.
He gently stood from his seat with a humoured, albeit cynical smile across his face. As he blinked, the blue in his irises faded into near-blackness.
"You've really done it, Kazuma..." He took the gold circlet within his hair, carelessly discarding it onto the floor.
"Mitsurugi...? What's going on? You're acting weird… Is it because of him?" the female thief stood next to the armoured man, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
No words were said. She touched the metal shoulder plate, attracting the void-like eyes of Mitsurugi to meet hers, injecting terror with a mere look. He placed a hand on the hilt of his cursed sword.
Kazuma's eyes widened, "NO, DON'T-"
SHING!
…
All the souls within the cramped building watched. With morbidly-stricken eyes, they watched as it drifted weightlessly in the air. It travelled to the far corner of the building, until-
Thump!
A youthful dark-haired adventurer woke to the disturbance landing on his table. He sat up, then froze at the terrible sight front of him. The longer he gandered at the severed head, the more the dread filled his body. Viscous blood covered his face and arms; only once the boy looked upon the gore splattered on his apparel, did his voice catch up with his fear.
"H-Hh…? Uh…!? UUUAAAAAHHH!"
A singular, bone-chilling scream sent the entire room into turmoil. Every man and woman scrambled in panic, pushing, punching and fighting their way to the exit.
"Everyone, run for your lives!"
"He killed her! She's dead!"
"He's too strong! We can't beat him!"
"F-Fio…?" The warrior watched in horror as the remains of her partner slouched limply on a chair, exerting jets of blood from the cleaved neck. So much in shock, It took a moment for her to realise she was laid on the floor, and being held onto by Kazuma, no less. Once her mind and senses realigned, the swordswoman grasped her proximity had been in direct range of the deadly sword slash, only avoided through the boy next to her.
The adventurer quickly pulled her up to her weak knees, and shoved her into the cramped horde of escapees on the other side of the tavern. She was sucked into the mass, and pulled along with them before she knew it.
Kazuma turned back, meeting his adversary once again, but this time in the flesh, without any cloak or darkness, in his true form. The leaking corpse to the left side of his vision haunted him.
His eyes trembled, 'God dammit… God dammit!'
Mitsurugi exhaled in freedom, "Ahhh, Maybe I should thank you, Kazuma. This charade would've needed to end eventually, anyway."
"...Why?" the boy stared at the man opposite with detestation, "Why do you kill innocent people? Why did you try to kill me and my party? With your strength as a human... Why did you choose them?"
"Them…" The dark-eyed swordsman looked upon the crimson splattered against his blade, "You misunderstand."
The armoured fighter placed a hand on his chest, "I am and will always be human. I fight for the humans-"
"Don't give me that shit!" Kazuma's eyes bulged in rage, "Look there! A person dead to your hands!"
Mitsurugi glanced at the body with a lack of any sympathy, then back to the man opposite himself.
"The death of the weak minority hold no significance Kazuma," he returned calmly, "Let me-"
"No, I've heard enough," The brown-haired adventurer drew his sword, "I know everything that I need to."
The demonic associate appeared to frown, but resumed his stance.
"Then it's a shame… Just so you're aware, Kazuma, I intended to recruit you after passing my test."
A strong shiver crawled down the boy's spine, 'That night… Was a test?'
"I won't show any patience this time," the Sword Master uttered as his blade began to glow.
Kazuma exhaled gently, grabbing a mug of ale with his swordless hand.
"A test, huh…?" He scoffed lightly, then took a swig of the drink, appearing to abandon all regard for the presence of the killer mere feet in front him, "You don't mind if I finish this first, right?-"
SHOOOOM!
The armoured swordsman launched forward with incredible speed, breaking the flooring where he stood and reaching melee range within a second of time. Without letting the young fighter react to his attacks like before, he lifted his glowing sword and-
Splash!
"Ghk!"
'My eyes!- The Sword Master's vision became drenched with a stinging solution, blinding him, 'He used the beer?!'
Unperturbed, the sightless fighter grounded his stance, and swung his cursed sword with searing rage.
"RAAGH!"
SMASH!- SHATTER!
Instead of a meaty sensation, a solid collision was the only feedback Mitsurugi felt from his wild attack. He wiped his bloodshot eyes, then remarked upon… Nothing?
"What?" he exclaimed, looking around the empty tavern in confusion. He turned back to the direction of his attack. Pieces of destroyed furniture laid in front of him, and at the far wall, a broken window.
'He shielded himself with a table, then rode the force of my strike?'
"That crafty little-"
Woooooooosh!
The winds of destruction blew violently. Only through the smashed glass did the warrior become aware of the magic that conjured around the alehouse.
"Cough, Cough! Arrgh!" An Injured adventurer struggled to breathe as his battered chest felt as if it was struck by a bus. More importantly than the boy's pain-
WOOOOOOSH!
Powerful gusts of magic blew closely with immense force. Streams of dark essence coiled nearby, and a bright, mystical gate shone brightly above him.
"Sh-Shit! Someone! Help!" he yelled in panic, barely able to clamber onto his knees.
"Kazuma!" a familiar female voice shouted.
A sturdy pair of hands took hold of him, dragging him away from the ill-fated building with immense pace. In mere moments the young man was brought far away from the dangerous area, and laid down at least a few hundred feet from danger. Three girls stood above him, looking down with concern.
"A-Am I dead?"
The boy's allies all sighed in relief after hearing his confused voice.
"Not yet, you dummy," Aqua crouched down over him, casting recovery.
Many paces further than that, an Arch Wizard was reaching the climax of her art.
"-I desire for my torrent of power a destructive force: a destructive force without evil!"
She held her staff high-towards the enigmatic portal that shone above the distant tavern, as more beams of blackness coalesced around it. The magic shaped a dome around the building, trapping the only soul left inside.
"Return all creation to cinders; come fourth from the abyss!"
'Feel the power I lacked that day!'
"EXPLOSION!"
"TAKE COVER!" Kazuma's allies screamed to the nearby townspeople.
The magical darkness sparked with vivid colours; from the base of the structure all to way to the sky. The mystical gate opened up above, ejecting a torrential inferno that rocketed down towards the target.
BOOOOOOOOM!
On contact, the flames compressed into a singular point before erupting with the energy of a star, bathing half of the town in the blinding light of annhilation, followed by a skull-rattling shockwave and a thunderous roar of power. The distant adventurers were shoved back by the pure energy of the blast, watching as the blazing flash died, and the red fire darkened into black as it rolled higher up into the sky. A mushroom towered above the flaming carcass of where the tavern stood, with only fragments of flaming wooden planks, and a squarish shape of the destroyed foundation left. Scattered screams and panic sounded in between the rumbling tremors.
Recovered by his Goddess' healing, Kazuma trekked across the scorched, gritty road with his party in tow, tailed by the dumbstruck onlookers. The quantity of scarred rubble became more dense as they closed in on the crater. A scarlet hue glowed at the site of obliteration, where flames burnt the remains of the bar that once existed there. The party leader stood a stone throw's distance away from the shrouded smoke, and waited. No soul spoke a word, as they watched the flames crackle and pop, and their nostrils fill with the scent of burning timbur.
After minutes passed without event, Darkness sighed, reaching her male colleague and placing a hand on his shoulder, "We got lucky here. Next time I'll-"
"Check your card," the adventurer cut his ally off without gazing away from the plumes of smoke.
The blonde woman looked at her ally in bewilderment, though in spite of that, she retrieved it and glanced upon the numbers.
"I don't understand," she squinted, "They're the same."
"The same…?" he repeated after the Crusader.
"The… Same!" her eyes shot back to the burning cavity.
Creak... Crunch… Crack…
In long intervals, the sounds of wood and glass shattering under weight emanted from the shrouded area. A darkness took shape beneath the reddened smoke, slowly trudging past the demolished doorframe of the taven. The figure stood limply, with sizziling steam radiating off the scalding armour they wore. He paused in motion, then exhaled a puff of hot vapour into the air.
"Haaaah…"
"He… He survived…?" Yunyun watched in horror, as her comrades shared the same sentiment of dread.
'Is he really human…?' the boy watched in fearful frustration.
"I would expect no less… Kazuma…" The charred man spoke in gasps, as he struggled to regain his endurance. He strengethed his stance, then lifted Gram to his rival. the unfaltering appearance of deathly willpower formed on the emotionless face of the Devil King associate.
"Now… It's my turn."
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an: Sorry for the wait. Let me what you thought. :^)