I don't own anything. All characters and all rights belong to Natsume Akatsuki*
M for mature topics. No children allowed. *
Konosuba (Not): Thanatos Blessing Upon This Broken World
By Try Another Time
Aqua began to open her eyes as the first rays of sunlight reached her face. As she did, it took her a few moments to recognize the position she found herself in. Her face turned deep red as she found Kazuma's face right above hers.
"... I don't recall falling asleep like this!" Aqua wanted to scream at him as she stood up but stopped as she remembered the previous night. "He didn't wake me up. Did he stay up the entire night?"
Aqua came closer to examine Kazuma's sleeping face. The reaper had stayed in the same position for the entire night, not moving an inch. Aqua could clearly see the dark rings under his eyes, which concerned her as he wouldn't have the energy to fight if he was tired.
But then, her mind became far more concerned.
"He's asleep, which means that we barely survived the night because we both fell asleep." Aqua felt scared about their safety until she noticed something around their campsite.
A black magical circle enclosed their tiny camp. As she inspected the writings, she noticed the peculiar symbols that composed the entire circle.
"Who did this? I don't recall Kazuma having spells. Did Thanatos give him something extra?" Aqua was curious about the blessings Kazuma had received from the god, who was her senior. As she examined her partner again, she noticed the mysterious badge now embedded in his right hand. "Ok, that was not there last night. When did he get that?"
Questions continued to arise within her until Kazuma started to wake up.
"... Morning," Kazuma says with a tired expression as soon as their eyes meet.
"... Morning…. I think we need to talk. It seems to me as if you're hiding a few things from me." Aqua says as she points at the magic circle and the badge in his hand.
"Oh, that? We had a visitor last night." Kazuma replies as he stands up and stretches out. His cape returned to its standard shape when it was no longer necessary.
"When?" The goddess asks with a concerned expression.
"Right after you fell asleep. By the way, thanks for not considering me before you did that." Kazuma remarks with a calm tone.
"... Sorry about that, but what about that visitor? Are you keeping secrets from me?"
Kazuma shakes his head. "Her name was Chris, and she claimed to be our ally. She knew exactly who we were, and I had the pleasure of learning the necessary facts about this world from her. She also taught me some magic and gave us some useful gifts. The badge will allow us entry into Axel when we get there. It seems as if each town and city in this world has become far more cautious about unknown visitors. You and I fit the bill due to our appearances."
Aqua puffs her cheeks. "I didn't ask Thanatos to give me such weird gothic attire. I was fine with wearing my goddess attire."
"Right, I almost forgot about that. You can't call yourself a goddess anymore in public. Chris said that it would cause unnecessary trouble to us if you do, especially if you call yourself the Goddess Aqua. I don't think I need to explain why that is." Kazuma says as he faces Aqua with an inquisitive expression.
"But I am a Goddess, their goddess," Aqua argues.
"Well, you can't do that anymore unless you want to make enemies in every town we visit. The world is already bad as it is, and I doubt that those who plead to you for salvation but never got it are going to be happy if you claim to be such a goddess. Just call yourself Aqua, the dark priestess, and never say the g-word." Kazuma says before he picks up his scythe.
"But I am a goddess." Aqua's face grows sad as she feels her title is being ripped away.
Kazuma pats her shoulder with an apologetic expression. "I will call you goddess in private if that helps you, but no more g-word in public. I'm not trying to fight unnecessary fights. Now, come along. We need to reach the forest. I'm dying for water or juicy fruit to quench this thirst."
Aqua's face brightens as she hears the word water. "I can take care of that. I just need to summon-"
"Do not summon a rain storm; we'll draw attention. Let's just find a river or lake. Also, turn off the flaming skull that we used as a fireplace. It was useful, but someone else would creep out if they saw it." Kazuma says before he starts walking away.
"..." Aqua's expression was like that of a sad puppy as she was denied her moment of glory, yet she followed Kazuma's direction as the idea of fighting monsters kept her from testing her luck.
15 minutes later.
The duo finally entered the forest, and luckily for them, the sound of running water gave them hope of finding clean water to use.
As the duo carefully sped up and got closer to the source of the sounds, their path was suddenly cut short by a large, blue reptile creature towering over them. Thanks to its rear legs, it resembled a grizzly bear standing straight.
"Our luck sucks!" Aqua exclaims as she holds her scepter.
"I know, but that won't change my choice. I'm getting to that water source with a giant lizard or not!" Kazuma rushes forward as his scythe guides his movements again.
The lizard monster tries to crush him with his massive claws, but the reaper easily evades the attack before he goes on the offensive. The reaper goes for the neck of the beast, and as the blade cuts into the scaly flesh of his prey, Kazuma smirks, thinking he has achieved his goal.
But reality can often be disappointing as the strength behind his attack was lower than necessary to behead the beast completely, leading to a somewhat troublesome situation.
"Aqua, I think I messed up," Kazuma says with a poker face as he tries to pull away. The eyes of the lizard are focused on him with visible anger.
"What do you mean?" Aqua asks with visible concern.
"I'm stuck! Do something!" Kazuma shouts before the beast starts to shake and jump like a wild bull trying to get him off from his neck.
"Damn it, you idiot, I thought you got it! Accursed Bone Stakes." Aqua wastes no time as she activates her spell, which summons several stakes from beneath the beast.
The stakes pierce the lizard's flesh and lock it in place, but the beast remains alive as it tries to escape. The stakes shake as the beast's monstrous strength strains the bone stakes.
"Stop shaking, you stupid lizard!" Kazuma puts more strength into the scythe, which cuts deeper into the beast's neck.
The beast cries in anguish as the blade of the reaper finally finishes the job and cuts its head.
Kazuma tries to recover his breath as he steps away from the headless corpse of his prey. "Good… job, Aqua."
"See, I'm the best support you could ever need." Aqua proudly claims as she puffs her chest. "Praise me more, Kazuma."
Kazuma shakes his head in resignation at her prideful nature. "This is going to be harder than I initially thought."
And so the days continued for the duo as they traversed the massive forest while facing monsters of all kinds.
From spiders and even more lizards to two-headed infernal wolves, the duo got as much experience as they wished as the forest through the ringer.
At night, Kazuma always used the warding spell Eris taught him to keep them safe from monsters, while during the day, they would push deeper into the north as they sought to reach their destination.
During the 'peaceful' nights, Kazuma would continue to read the book that Eris had gifted them while keeping an eye on the sleeping Aqua and the monsters that patrolled within the darkness.
Kazuma could see them; their eyes sought anything to prey on, anything that moved or seemed weak enough to be consumed, yet they couldn't see Kazuma or Aqua, thanks to the spell, even with the obvious source of fire a few feet away.
"It is like we're invisible to them. Thank you, Eris. You saved us from a likely restless trip." Kazuma silently prayed as he continued to read.
Based on the goddess's writings, the societies of this world seemed medieval, with a significant focus on magic and basic technologies, although relics from far more advanced civilizations existed from earlier times. These relics, like the cores that existed in most towns, offered them electricity, running clean water, and even barriers that kept most monsters away.
Towns and cities were more like fortresses that secured the safety of the denizens of this world.
Races match most of his expected fantasy knowledge, such as dwarves, elves, and even half-dragons, but there were also rare races, such as Majims, which were creatures that feast upon human emotions, such as succubi.
"So they considered those separate from demons. It is good to know I shouldn't worry about fighting beautiful ladies who can charm me with their appearance."
Other things to consider were that nobles no longer existed since the kingdom fell; only powerful business owners ruled amongst the towns, as money could buy almost anything. Slavery was rare, but one could sell their freedom for a price. Power also played a big part in their society, as others respected and feared strong adventurers. However, the most significant piece of information was a particular one.
"The spell resurrection is highly sought after, although not perfect. High priests and archmages can learn spells and revive the dead, but the results can vary on the target due to their ages and physical conditions. One target can be revived multiple times if needed, but with each resurrection, the chances of success decrease until the target cannot be resurrected anymore. Be careful about letting your allies die because luck might not be on your side."
Kazuma's mind made a big note of this as he imagined that Aqua had access to this spell, but although he likely had infinite respawns, his future allies might not possess such luck.
Concern arose as he imagined losing someone he trusted because he couldn't protect them. His eyes turned to the sleeping Aqua, which rested on his lap like any other night.
The goddess was immortal, but what about the others? He didn't know if they could be easily revived, and having the lives of others in his hands scared him as the responsibility was far too real for him to ignore.
"... I can't let anyone untrustworthy or weak join us. We're going after the demon lords and their armies; one mistake could mean game over. I need to be careful about who I let join us. Eris might be right about Irene, but the others must be carefully selected."
Kazuma's expression turned serious as he started strategizing about the look of a future team based on what he knew about his abilities and those of Aqua.
It would take him many hours to conclude what he sought to be the perfect combination of jobs based on his experiences with role-play games.
The next morning.
"Kazuma, Kazuma."
"Yes, that is my name."
"I can finally see the town," Aqua said with a cheerful expression as the town of Axel was finally visible to them. The goddess was smiling from ear to ear, but her reasons were far from what one might expect. "I can finally take a bath." Her expression changed as she recalled how disgusting they both looked due to the dry blood and innards that now covered them.
"... For once, I feel the same," Kazuma replies as he tries to ignore the disgusting scent that now covers him. He has fought many monsters the past few days without a single bath to use.
He didn't want to remember his experience with the so-called river in the forest, which turned into a trap with what he would describe as horrific humanoid fishes.
His body trembled as he recalled their hands trying to drag him under the water while he was naked. If it hadn't been for Aqua's quick reaction, he would have drowned before becoming fish food for the humanoid monsters.
"I'm going to turn them into sushi if I ever face them again," Kazuma told himself as they finally reached the gates of Axel.
Six guards surrounded them with sharp spears as soon as they were before the gates.
"Identity and reason for coming into Axel, stranger." The lead guard said as he glared at them.
Kazuma sights as he shows his right hand. "My name's Kazuma, and she's Aqua. We're associated with the Black Daggers and came to this town to register as adventurers. Could you let us pass and tell us where to get a warm public bath? We have been traveling for 5 days straight, and we have been unable to get rest."
The guards continued to glare at them, especially Kazuma, due to his creepy gothic armor. To them, he was the very personification of a grim reaper, and his tired expression didn't help either.
The guards' leader was tense but decided not to start a fight he might be unable to win. As he approached Kazuma and examined his hand, he recognized the authenticity of his claim as a member of the famous organization that existed in the shadows. "Sorry for this, Sir Kazuma. We're careful about letting strangers into our town so easily; your armors don't help your image either. I can send one of us to guide you to the public baths if you please. We like to keep an amicable relationship with the Black Daggers."
"We understand. Please, guide us in." Kazuma said as he remained calm. "Aqua, let's go."
"Right behind you," Aqua says excitedly as she can't wait to bathe after so long.
One of the guards took the lead and started to walk while Kazuma and Aqua followed him. As they traversed the town, they noticed how tense the atmosphere felt. People watched them with curiosity and glared eyes as if they were pests.
The streets seemed clean, yet the few children he saw walked about in ragged clothes while adults didn't look up to help them.
Maybe it was due to the deteriorated state of the world, but Kazuma felt as if he was back in his office where the very air seemed to suck the very life out of him and his fellow coworkers.
As he thought about this, a young girl with a lost expression walked right into him. Kazuma examined the girl and noticed how weak and fragile she felt. Like a crystal figure, the girl could easily shatter with one tiny push.
He felt sorry for the child as he kneeled. His hand reached into his purse before he pulled a single silver coin. "Get something to eat," Kazuma said as he offered the coin to the girl.
"Idiot, how can someone waste time on an orphan without a future." A voice remarks from the sidelines.
Kazuma ignores it as the girl grabs the coin. Her eyes regain hope as the silver coin is within her grasp. "... Thank you."
"Go. Don't waste your time and eat." Kazuma said as he got up and followed the guard alongside Aqua.
The girl waved her hand as she saw him off before she walked away with her coin in hand.
Aqua remained silent until she couldn't see the girl anymore. "That was… rather pure of you."
"... I saw my sibling in her. I… might face a thousand struggles, but I don't wish for others, especially children, to face them as well." Kazuma said as he looked straight ahead.
"You saw that as pure, and others might call it useless as that girl might not survive to see her fifth birthday. Axel is not a town for orphans. The few that remain will likely die due to the old orphanage closing down after the fire two years ago. Nobody has the energy or desire to work to revive it or fund its operation. The only children with a future are those with parents that can support them." The guard says as he continues to lead them.
"... Where was that orphanage located?" Kazuma asks.
The guard remains silent until he points his spear towards the west. "West wall, a bit isolated from the rest of the town. It once took care of them, but nothing remains now except for its ruins."
Kazuma nods. "Thanks for the information."
Aqua looks at Kazuma with curiosity but says nothing about it as they continue to push forward.
After at least 10 minutes of walking, Kazuma and Aqua finally reached the public baths, which surprisingly resembled Japanese Public Baths.
Kazuma gave Aqua a side eye while she looked away before she began to whistle.
The pair entered the establishment and paid one silver coin for the entrance before getting several copper coins back.
"10 copper coins for you two. You two seemed like strangers, so I can't allow you to join the other clients. There's a private mixed bath through that hallway on the left. Use it and let us know if you need anything, " the owner said as she pointed the way.
Kazuma began to walk while dragging Aqua, who wanted to object to the owner.
"We can't bathe together!" Aqua said with a blushing expression.
"There's nothing we can do about it. A regular bath should only consist of two copper coins, based on what the book said, but since we're strangers, she is charging us more while giving us a better choice. She has a business to run, and I think she's trying to prevent any issues. Bite the bullet for this once until we figure something out. I promise I won't do anything to you." Kazuma said as he tried to hide his own blush.
"But my purity!" Aqua said.
Yet there was nothing to do about it. Once they reached the private bath, both got inside and springily, their attires vanished until they were no longer clothed as if they had a mind of their own.
"Not this again!" Both said in their minds as they recalled what happened in the river.
Both rushed to get towels to cover themselves from each other.
A small black diamond and a few mysterious black sigils were visible on their backs.
With still blushing expressions, both set out to clean themselves from all the dirt while not sharing a single word. Kazuma remained set on not glancing even once at Aqua, while the goddess couldn't avoid glancing at least once.
As she examined his appearance, she noticed the scars that her spell had left after healing him. His body had a few muscles, likely due to Thanatos' interference, but she didn't mind its appeal. But she still worried about how many scars he had gained in such a short time.
"You will share his pain. Every time he gets injured, you will share his pain." Thanatos wasn't joking when he said that, as she felt all of it.
It was a punishment as Thanatos sought to teach her a lesson like no other.
Once they finished their individual showers, the duo sank into the warm bath that awaited them. Kazuma couldn't fight back as he closed his eyes and allowed the warm waters to heal his aching body.
The sensation was indescribable as he finally let himself rest after five restless days.
"Ah, this is what I was waiting for. Can we stay for a while in here?" Aqua asks as she leans against the edges of the wooden bath.
"We can't. The guard is likely waiting for us. We need to reach the guild and register today. I want to see how much money we can get from our saved monster parts. After that, we can get an inn and finally have a proper dinner." Kazuma said as he described the plan he had created for them.
"Alcohol is on the table, right?" Aqua asks with shining eyes.
Kazuma shakes his head. "Under moderation. I won't allow our funds to be used for excessive alcohol expenses. We're not funding our guilty pleasures. We have a mission, and our goals should be constantly focused on progressing our plans towards defeating the demon lords. We need a base of operations and allies to match our goals."
Aqua raises an eyebrow. "Is that why you asked about the orphanage location?"
"... An isolated building could be a great base if we can make it work. The book said that we should be careful about who we trust and that having a base will prove useful instead of renting a room at ins so regularly. Privacy is the key because we can't know what's going on inside the minds of other adventurers. Money can lead them to turn on us and sell us out to future enemies." Kazuma explains as he opens his eyes and looks at the ceiling.
"Ah, so you have been thinking about it. I appreciate that. Truly worthy of being paired with someone such as me." Aqua said as she carelessly stood up, letting her towel fall.
Kazuma had a clear view of Aqua's entire body before covering his blushing expression. "Idiot!"
Aqua took a second to realize what she had done before she sank back into the warm waters of the bath while blushing. "Erase what you saw from your memories."
"If I could, I would do it, but I can't," Kazuma replies.
"Why are you saying it like that? Are you saying that I'm not beautiful?" Aqua asks with an angry tone.
"Aqua, just be quiet. Neither of us wants to escalate this situation. Just enjoy the bath. I'm far too tired to start a fight about this." Kazuma said as he covered his face and something else with his towel.
"... Virgin," Aqua remarks as she sees his blush.
Kazuma glares at her. "I'll let you know that I'm not a virgin. My college life might have sucked, but I did get to experience the joys of adulthood a few times. If you know about my life, you already know this."
"... Pervert." Aqua continues as her expression turns even more red.
Kazuma gives up and just lets himself sink into the bath.
A couple of minutes later.
The pair finally meet up with the guard after exiting the bathhouse.
"Took you long enough. Wait, your attires seemed to lack the stench from before. What did you do to erase it?" The guard asks with a curious expression.
"That's a secret," Kazuma says.
Aqua nods along.
"Damn, what I would give for an easier way to clean my own armor. Anyways, follow me. We're going to the guild now. I recommend that you find allies soon. A party of two won't do well against the monsters that plagued the land. Adventurers do well with large parties ranging from 4 to even 14 members depending on the quest they take on." The guard says as he continues to lead. "By the way, what do you seek? Power? Money? Fame?"
Kazuma faces the guard before he just answers with one thing. "A wish."
After a silent walk.
The duo finally reached the guild, and as soon as they made their way inside, the eyes of those present were drawn to them.
Some held curiosity, while others disdain as they fitted the bill of mysterious strangers.
Yet neither pays attention to them, although Aqua seems scared as she holds the edge of Kazuma's cape.
A blonde lady faces the front desk with a worried smile once they reach the front desk. "How can I help you two?"
Kazuma lifts his right hand to show the badge. "My name is Kazuma, and she's Aqua, my partner. We want to register as adventurers."
As soon as she saw the badge, the receptionist's expression changed into a confident one. "It would be my pleasure, Sir. Do you know about the payment for the registry?"
Kazuma nods as he pulls out several silver coins and places them on the counter. "That should cover all expenses."
The lady claps her hands with visible joy as she feels there won't be any issues with this new arrival. She pulls out two small forms before she presents them to the pair. "Fill them out for me."
Kazuma and Aqua start to fill the forms out. Kazuma was expecting a hard time with the language of the world, but thankfully, one of the skills he naturally possessed, thanks to Thanato, allowed him to read and write the language with no issue.
He quickly finished his form before examining Aqua's form for any mistakes, which he then found as she tried to write the g-word in the race section. The reaper quickly delivers a karate chop to the head of his partner.
"Why did you do that?" Aqua asks.
"You know why," Kazuma says as he taps the section.
"... Alright. I won't." Aqua says as she just writes human instead.
The receptionist sees this with curiosity. "Are there any problems?"
Kazuma shakes his head. "My partner felt the need to joke around about her race. She was about to put Majim instead of a human."
The receptionist girl laughs. "I see. She might be beautiful, but I see no wings or tail like succubi's."
"Right? That's what I said. I mean, who would try something like that?" Kazuma says with a cheerful tone.
"I get you, but you should be careful. Someone once tried to call themselves a goddess years ago, and she had a hard time with the people of Axel. The town is not very religious, although many are members of the Eris order. Godhood is a severe manner, and for someone to claim such things without proof is like sealing their own fate. Also, do not claim to be part of the Axis order. That entire faction has been condemned as enemies of humanity." The receptionist says.
"I see," Kazuma says as he pats Aqua's shoulder. "We can assure you that we're not religious at all."
Aqua holds her tears back as she faces the cruel state of her very religion. "Yes, no religious at all." One can almost see her will breaking into a million pieces as she has to deny her very existence as a goddess.
"Anyways, your forms look to be in order. Let's take care of your guild cards. Do I need to explain how they work?" The receptionist asks.
Kazuma shakes his head. "An associate already did that for me, and I explained it to my partner."
"Good. Could you please place your hand on top of the crystal for me?" The receptionist says as she places an empty card below the blue crystal.
Kazuma does as told—a small beam fires from said crystal before it starts to update the empty guild card.
The process is done within seconds before the receptionist takes a look. "Let's see what-" Her eyes widened as she read the information within the guild card. "Sir, have you been fighting monsters before you got here?"
"...Yes?" Kazuma replies with some concern.
"... Your card says the following:
Name: Kazuma Satou
Age: 25
Class: Reaper
Level: 10
Strength: 346
Health: 456
Magic power: 107
Dexterity: 89
Agility: 367
Luck: 7
I'm not even counting the skills you already possess, but you seem to be a broken character with an already chosen class without previous guild registration. Also, what in Eris' holy name is the Reaper class?" The receptionist asks.
Kazuma shakes his head before he takes the guild card from the receptionist. "That is private information that only the Black Daggers can know. I ask for you to overlook this."
Although Kazuma says that the entirety of the guild is already watching him with interest as a newbie at such a high level, it is already a theme of interest.
The receptionist nods, understanding the organization's secrecy. "I won't look into it then. Miss Aqua, can you come over and do the same as your partner?"
Aqua steps up before she does the same, and once more, the receptionist can believe her eyes as she reads the card.
"Class: Dark priestess, Level: 9, Strength:43, Health:267, Magic power: 256, Dexterity:34, Agility: 77, and Luck: -1, what sort of stats are those? A dark priestess? What are you two?" The receptionist trembles at the absurdity of both Kazuma and Aqua.
Aqua takes her card from the impressed receptionist. "Kazuma, Kazuma, am I great or not? Look at my stats."
"We were bound to have such things with such circumstances. Ms. Receptionist, can we sell monster parts to the guild?" Kazuma asks.
The receptionist nods. "You can. Do you have any, sir?"
"I do, but before that, I would like to make a request," Kazuma says.
"What kind?" The receptionist asks.
"A request for party members. We're looking for people to join our team." Kazuma starts.
People listen in with excitement and even more curiosity. Some are already grinning at the requests.
"I came to this land from far away for a mission. I can't return home until I accomplish such a mission, which is relatively simple. I need allies who are willing to grow stronger alongside us before we go on the hunt for the 12 demon lords. I came to this land for their heads. Only those determined to face such a challenge should apply for this request. I'm not here to gain fortune or fame; I came to finish the job that nobody else could. If you don't have what it takes, do not approach us. Death only awaits those who don't have what it takes to hunt the demon lords." Kazuma says with a cold yet determined voice as he faces the receptionists.
Everyone remains silent as they hear his claim. Not a single adventurer dares to approach him or Aqua, as they only see utter madness in his eyes.
Only a lunatic would claim such a thing, and even more, only those insane enough would dare to follow him in hunting the impossible.
So, this tale begins.