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
"Left, right. It is like a dance. I need to keep my eyes open as I fight. I see, dance while searching for an opening to strike." Kazuma told himself as he spun around the Brutal Alligators, seeking to eat him alive.
He continued to jump from the back of one Alligator to the next as they chased him with restless madness.
His movements were gaining a fluidity akin to that of a master of the scythe, and each assault sought to deliver sweet death to every enemy with as few numbers as possible.
In most cases, the neck was his target, but he would also attack the chest cavity as his eyes started to adapt while seeking the weak points of his targets.
"Aqua, are you closed?" Kazuma asked as he continued his dance.
"Almost there. Keep their attention for a while longer." Aqua replies as she floats above the tainted waters of this lake while two skeletal arms at her sides continue to concentrate all the corruption and filth into a tiny sphere.
"Alright, let us dance for a while longer!" Shouts as he continues his assault against the restless beasts.
20 minutes later.
After such an arduous task, the duo observes the clean lake with a sense of completion. No corpses or filth were left in the body of water. Adding the sunset to the occasion gave the view a much stronger charm.
"You did good, Aqua. You're getting the hang of your abilities. I feel more at ease knowing you'll know what to do in dangerous situations without my input." Kazuma says.
Aqua smirks as she pats Kazuma's back. "See? I'm the most amazing goddess you could ever ask for. Praise me more, Kazuma." The prideful goddess couldn't hold her antics back as she continued to seek Kazuma's praise, yet it didn't take long for her grin to disappear as she noticed the blood that started to drip from Kazuma's right arm. "You got injured."
Kazuma looks at the blood for a moment. "I didn't feel any pain; it must have been the adrenaline."
Aqua shakes her head with disapproval. "Be careful about these kinds of injuries. If you don't feel them at first, they can become a bigger issue if infected. I want to evade having to revive you if it's avoidable." Aqua then lifts her scepter before she shants the healing spell.
The mysterious torso with multiple limbs does its job; before long, any bleeding stops.
Kazuma examines his arm before he moves it around. "Like new. Hey, Aqua, do you think Lord Thanatos did something to this body when he sent us to this world?"
Aqua nods. "Both of these vessels were likely specially made to give us the best chance of finding success in this mission. I don't think your old human vessel was even close in strength to your present vessel. Even the vessel that I possess is not normal. A goddess shouldn't require sleep or even need to go to the bathroom, yet this vessel is as close to a mortal as possible. Thanatos planned this with precision. I don't doubt for a second that your current body can perform to the level of high adventurers with more experience." Aqua then bites her nail with visible annoyance. "As expected from a higher god, he outshines me by a lot. One day, I should be able to reach his level and offer blessings as strong as his."
Kazuma can't help but smile as he shakes his head. He pats the head of the goddess. "Does someone want to surpass her senior?"
Aqua nods with a puppy face. "I do. All deities want to be respected and praised by others. The might of a deity is highly determined by the amount of followers and the worlds under their jurisdiction."
Her words make Kazuma curious. "How many worlds does Lord Thanatos hold?"
Aqua raises her hand before she makes a perfect zero. "None, Thanatos doesn't hold jurisdiction over worlds. He's a god that rules over death alongside other similar gods. He rules over an endless number of condemned souls in the realm that goes by multiple names; Hell is one of those names."
"So he does not need this world?" Kazuma continues.
Aqua shakes her head. "Gods like Thanatos need worlds like these because they are the ones that produce souls. Death can't be without life, and Thanatos rules over the condemned. The issue then seems clear in my world. Too many are dying, and very few are being born. Demons aren't meant to exist because they have evaded judgment from gods like Thanatos."
"How so?" Kazuma asks as he raises an eyebrow.
"Demon souls don't leave this planet. They return to their father, the first demon lord. Somehow, his connection with his kin is so strong that it overrules the circle of life and death. He's preventing souls under his domain from reaching Thanatos and the others." Aqua admits.
"I see…. It makes sense why there's such a significant intervention. Someone has interfered with the delicate circle of life and death. New souls are born to replace the departed, so life continues. A rather simple yet also complex circle." Kazuma then turns around and starts to walk away from the lake.
Aqua follows after him. "You took that rather well. I thought that you were going to say something against it."
"Mortals grieved the death, and many can't easily accept the departure of those we love, but life has meaning because it is limited yet precious. We choose how to live while carrying our dreams and desires or following our promises to others. I made mistakes throughout my life, but my brother uses his time to the best of his ability. I'm proud of him because he has achieved so much while I failed." Kazuma says as his face continues to look forward.
"... Your father called you useless and a disappointment before he died from a heart attack. Does that still hold control over you?" Aqua asked.
Yet no answer came from Kazuma. Aqua only needed to see his face once before she decided not to ask again.
It was a rather touchy subject that Kazuma wasn't ready to touch yet.
Back to the guild.
"And so the newbie stars return. Tell me, how many beasts did you slay today?" A male adventurer asks with a joking attitude.
Kazuma ignores him before he approaches Luna at the front desk. "Here are the forms for each quest." He places a package of at least nine quests before grabbing his bag. "And here are the monster parts that 7 of the nine quests required. You can send someone to verify the state of the tainted lake."
Kazuma places some eyes, horns, and small monster parts on the desk.
Luna nods before she takes the documents and monster parts. "Give me a moment."
Kazuma turns around before he examines the guild until he finds who he's looking for.
Darkness was sitting alone, a bit isolated from the rest, while she sipped her beer. Her eyes met those of Kazuma before she waved her hand with a silly expression on her face.
"Well, she seems drunk to me," Kazuma said.
"Sounds like a drinking partner to me." Aqua tried to walk away, but Kazuma pulled her back.
"We're not doing that here. If you're sharing a drink with her, we will look for a more private bar. We have things to discuss with her." Kazuma said as he held Aqua from going away.
Luna returned with a tray containing several silver and gold coins. "This is the payment for the monster parts from this morning and the quests from today. The final amount comes close to 800,000 Eris before we took the 18% we agreed. Please confirm the amount."
Kazuma examines the amount before he calculates their final cut in his mind. "Sounds good to me. We can talk about the other monster parts tomorrow. I have something else to do. Can you give me some information about Ms. Darkness over there?" The reaper discretely points his finger at Darkness.
"Oh, Darkness-san; we didn't expect her return so soon. She's a rather tricky adventurer with 9 years of experience. She has joined and left many parties across the years due to disagreements with the goals of said parties. There are rumors that she's one of the few survivors of the Rain of Fire." Luna says.
"Rain of Fire?" Kazuma raises an eyebrow.
"Demon Lord Talus controls a horrendous weapon capable of long-range attacks. After Fulcan took over the capital, several noble houses prepared themselves to try to take it back. Still, before they moved, their territories were simultaneously attacked with what can be described as the Rain of Fire. Entire towns and cities burned to the ground as Talus showed no mercy. The attack took a single day and left few to no survivors. Axel was lucky to evade such a fate. Darkness reached Axel months after the tragedy; since then, she has been active as an adventurer across the surviving towns. She usually moves between them after some months, but we didn't think she would be back so quickly. She barely left a few days ago." Luna continues. "Hey, you aren't thinking about recruiting her, aren't you?"
Kazuma grabs the reward from the tray. "We'll have a chat and see if our goals match. See you tomorrow."
"Bye, Luna-san." Aqua waves her hand as she's dragged along by Kazuma.
Kazuma and Aqua stop before Darkness.
"Can you still walk?" Kazuma asks.
Darkness takes another sip from her drink before she stands up. "You surprise me, Mr. Kazuma. Barely two days in, and you already made enemies with most of the adventurers at the guild."
Kazuma shakes his head. "I know my goals. Let's look for a bar where we can chat."
"I know a place. Follow me." Darkness takes the lead.
"Yeah." Aqua cheers on as she follows the blonde alongside Kazuma.
A couple of minutes later.
After a short walk, the unlikely trio reaches a Japanese-style bar with private booths for the clients. Thanks to Darkness's help, it doesn't take long for them to get a booth for themselves.
As they sat on the Tatami mats, they put their weapons to the side before they ordered an array of food that could be eaten alongside most alcohol.
Kazuma chose something similar to sake, while Darkness and Aqua chose beer.
"Nice place. Feels somewhat similar to my homeland's bars." Kazuma said as he glanced at Aqua.
"Yes, what a surprise," Aqua says as she tries to laugh it off.
"Do you two come from the same place?" Darkness asks.
"No, but you can say she knows a lot from my homeland. Every day, I'm learning a bit more about her secrets." Kazuma says with a rather cheerful expression as he takes a sip from his sake.
"I see. Could I ask what the relationship is between you two? You seem relatively close." Darkness continues as she tests the waters.
"Partners, allies chained by the same mission. Neither of us can return home until we take care of our mission." Aqua replies as she points at the choker around her neck.
Kazuma nods. "We were asked to eliminate the demon lords that threaten this land. Once that's done, we'll leave this land."
"Oh… so you two came here for that? That's rather amazing. Did the Black Daggers get you to come here?" Darkness puts her drink to the side as her interest grows.
"You could say that, but the more complex answer is that someone higher than the Black Daggers and we decided that we needed to work together to eliminate the Demon Lords," Kazuma replies before he takes another sip. His eyes observed Darkness, expecting a reaction.
"... Someone so strong that it forces the Black Daggers to change plans and actively help someone to eliminate the Demon Lords. Is there someone capable of that? The Black Daggers have existed for ages. There are rumors that their activities go back to previous civilizations. For such an organization to bend the knee and obey someone else, it must be akin to the will of Eris-sama." Darkness says with a concerned expression.
Aqua tries to hide her annoyance at the mention of Eris.
"Don't think about it too much. Just know that we're actively working towards eliminating the Demon Lords. Neither Aqua nor I came to this land for fame or money. We're here to finish what others started. All twelve shall lose their heads by my scythe." Kazuma coldly said.
Darkness gulped as she felt a cold aura surrounding Kazuma. Her eyes could almost see the shape of a grim reaper manifesting on top of him while greening from ear to ear. "A reaper?"
"?" Kazuma and Aqua look at her with confusion.
Darkness shakes her head. "Sorry. Maybe the alcohol is getting to me. Let's say that I believe you. What's the plan?"
Kazuma crosses his arms. "I'm waiting to get information from Chris, but until then, I'm striving to strengthen ourselves and recruit any allies worthy of joining us. Based on what I heard, the Demon Lords aren't targets that can be easily defeated without teams of strong warriors. We are still far from ready, but with more experience and levels, we should be prepared for the first fight. The target hasn't been chosen yet, but I can assure you that we're not failing. I'm putting my life on the line to ensure victory."
Darkness smirks. "That's just a bluff. You can't be serious."
"Do you want to see my willingness to achieve what seems impossible?" Kazuma questions Darkness.
"I shouldn't since the Black Daggers aren't an organization that would lie about their goals, but I need proof of what you say. If you want me to join you, I need proof of your claim." Darkness says as she glares at Kazuma.
"What should we do…. Will a duel suffice? I heard that strength plays a big part in the life of adventurers. Let's have a duel, you and me. If I win, you'll join us temporarily." Kazuma suggests.
Darkness raises an eyebrow. "Temporarily? You don't want me as a permanent party member?"
Kazuma crosses his fingers. "We need strong allies but, above all, allies we can trust. I strived to go all the way to the dark continent to eliminate every single demon lord. I can't entrust Aqua's safety and mine to untruthful allies. If I allowed anyone to join us, who knows what could happen? Maybe one night, I go to sleep, and our so-called "allies" stab us in the back. Aqua is a lady, and there are men out there who could try to get their way with her."
"Hey, I wouldn't allow anyone to touch me. I'm too pure and beautiful to let mere mortals touch me." Aqua says with a disgusted expression.
"I understand that. My experience with other parties has taught me to be careful with everyone. Other females can be worse than any men if they feel threatened or let jealousy drive their actions. Let's have the duel; I'm rather curious about your skills. You're the first adventurer I have seen using such a grim weapon." Darkness stands up before she reaches out for her shield and ax.
"Wait, you're trying to do this now?" Kazuma asks.
"Why the wait? The guild has an underground arena where we can go all out. I don't feel tipsy anymore, and a good fight will do me good." Darkness says as she smiles.
"But my beer." Aqua points at her half-empty glass.
Kazuma sights before he stands up. "This is important. I'll take you out another night."
"Promise?" Aqua's eyes shined as she locked eyes with Kazuma.
"Promise," Kazuma says.
Underground Arena.
The guild staff came together to watch the fight between Kazuma and Darkness. Luna and even Calgar left their tasks behind after they heard Darkness' request.
Aqua stood on the sidelines of the sand stage. Her eyes focused on Kazuma as the reaper took his place opposite of Darkness. "You better win this thing, idiot."
Kazuma's POV.
His body felt light as he took his fighting stance. "Alright, Kazuma, you're about to fight someone with far more experience than you. I doubt I can pierce that shield of hers, and if I let her connect any attack, I might be done for. I might need to level our playing field."
"So, you're not taking the first step? I'll do it then." Darkness charges forward with tremendous speed while maintaining her shield at the front.
Kazuma waits at the last moment to dodge to the left while looking for an opening, but Darkness surprises him as her metallic arm twists back before her small holes appear in her knuckles and start to shoot tiny metallic arrows. "Cheater."
Kazuma dashes away as the arm targets him with impressive accuracy.
"Meet my relic. It is a fantastic arm, although I occasionally miss my real one. Now, stop running away and let me hit you." Darkness turns and rushes after Kazuma.
Kazuma grins as he raises his left hand. "Steal."
"Huh?" Darkness watches as her shield disappears from her hand.
Kazuma catches it before he throws it away. "No shields allowed."
"Cheeky bastard." Darkness grins as she continues to charge forward.
The two engaged in a mutual exchange of attacks. Darkness swings her ax with short yet precise attacks while also shooting projectiles from her relic. The restless assault pushes Kazuma to the limit as her scythe guides his movements.
"Don't think—just act. Cut her down. Become the reaper you're destined to be." A feminine voice that resembled Aqua's whispered in his ear as Kazuma sank deeper.
His attacks became sharper and brutal as his eyes lost color.
Darkness became concerned as she received the first cut on her cheek. "Hey, you're starting to get serious. That's my neck you're going after." The blonde tried to create distance between her and Kazuma, but his cold, expressionless face was like a hunter not letting go of his prey. "I'm not losing to you!"
Darkness waited until Kazuma was close enough to use another of the abilities of her relic. A bigger hole appears on the hand before magic energy accumulates, and a devastating blast hits Kazuma's chest.
The reaper's body flies several meters back until it hits the wall.
"Kazuma!" Aqua shouts as his body crashes down.
"Shit. I think I-" Darkness stops herself as Kazuma's body twists and stands up.
The dark cape that sat on his back transforms until the jet-black wings appear. Kazuma's eyes turn completely black as the scythe overwrites his consciousness.
"Those wings, it was you?" Darkness closes her eyes for less than a second before the scythe's sharp edge touches her neck. The weight of her opponent, who stood on top of her, forces her to kneel while offering her neck out. As her eyes try to look up, she finds Kazuma's expressionless face.
"Do you surrender?" Kazuma asks in a cold and merciless voice, ensuring that Darkness feels the sharpness of his scythe. His eyes are devoid of emotion. They suck the life out of anyone who looks into them like a void ocean that doesn't let go.
A single drop of blood rolls down as Darkness gulps. Her entire body trembles as she sees the Grim Reaper again. She can almost feel how her bladder gives up due to the fear she is experiencing. "I… surrender… please…. let… me… live…."
Kazuma smiles before closing his eyes and falling unconscious to the side. Aqua rushes forward and catches him before he hits the floor.
"Kazuma, wake up. Idiot, why did you do that?" Aqua says, panicking, as she holds him between her arms. Her face showed genuine care as she examined his body while pleading for him to wake up.
Darkness remains silent as she observes the ground. Her eyes examine the feathers on the floor before she recalls the day she saw that mysterious meteor. "Black feathers like the ones of that day. Is you. You're the one that arrived from the sky."
The guild members couldn't move an inch as they couldn't shake their surprise at the sight of such a mysterious and dangerous adventurer.
"A reaper has come for the demon lords. Have the gods sent us their biggest blessing yet?" Calgar asked as he looked up, expecting a divine signal.
*Avant-EVE*
Yet it wasn't needed. Before their very eyes, a reaper had descended, and that was undeniable.