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
The chamber they found themselves in trembled due to the massive weight of the creature they were fighting. Its horrendous appearance was worthy of being called a walking nightmare as its green skin had multiple grotesque putrid injuries from which putrid liquids burst out. The stench of the entire chamber was horrendous, but the team couldn't back down.
"Darkness, create an opening for me and Aqua. Aqua, I'll bring him down as much as possible. The goal is for you to deal the final blow. Don't waste this chance to get all that experience. We need to raise your level." Kazuma said as he looked at the massive beast holding a saw cleaver in his right hand.
Its bright purple eyes shone with complete madness as its instincts didn't leave space for a working brain.
"I won't fail," Aqua says with a prideful expression.
"Let's go then. Let's bring this Putrid Ogre Overlord down." Darkness charges forward before she raises her shield and blocks the massive cleaver. The ground shattered below her, but the Fallen Knight smirked as her body endured the blow. "Kazuma!"
"Right behind you," Kazuma replies as he approaches their prey from his blind spot. The reaper uses his impressive speed to deliver precise attacks toward the creature's weak points. Each attack hits the spot as green acid blood spills out.
The Putrid Overlord growls and trashes around while delivering blows at random with its cleaver. Its eyes look for Kazuma as its instincts are drawn to the adventurer doing the most damage at the moment.
Kazuma feels the gaze of the Ogre on top of him, forcing him to back down to create distance. "Aggro is on me. Darkness, I'll leave it to you."
"Where are you going, big green? I'm right here." Darkness rises her shield before a red aura surrounds her. Aggro Tank activates, immediately switching the Ogre's attention back to her.
The boss goes on the offensive once more as it goes for an overhead swing that seeks to eliminate Darkness.
"Bad choice. High Shield Parry!" Darkness shouts as her shield emits golden light, which repels the attack of the Ogre, thus leaving it defenseless against attacks as its large body loses balance and falls to its back.
"Good job. Let me join in!." Kazuma runs off the wall before jumping into the air. "Oblivion Edge!" Kazuma's scythe begins to shine with black energy as its size quadruples before he swings it down and delivers a devastating attack against the defenseless Overlord.
The Overlord cries in pain as the attack leaves a massive cut that leaves its innard open for viewing.
Kazuma's body falls on top of the open abdomen of the beast, which, to nobody's surprise, remains alive after receiving such a lethal attack. "Drain Touch." The reaper wastes no time as he uses the ability to regain some of the energy lost by absorbing it from the Overlord. Once he has enough, he jumps away from the beast. "Aqua, do it now before it has time to get up."
Aqua, who has been keeping a safe distance, nods. "Hear my plead, Dark God that dwells beyond this land. Deliver judgment upon our enemies. Underworld's Guillotine!"
A dark portal opens up on top of the Overlord. Its eyes look into the darkness before something shiny attracts its attention. Suddenly, without any mercy, a massive guillotine descends before it swiftly beheads the Ogre.
Its blood spills everywhere before the creepy blade returns to the portal after having claimed another victim.
"... I don't know which one scares me more. The Ogre or that thing." Darkness expresses as she approaches the duo.
"It's a rather tricky skill to use. It has a chance to miss if the target's health is not below 30%." Aqua says as she joins in. "Good job. You gave me the opening necessary to use it."
Darkness shakes her head. "It was a joint effort. I played my part, and you two did the same. Kazuma dealt the necessary damage to give you the kill."
Kazuma pats Darkness back. "Don't sell yourself short. I can attack as much as I want, but my defense sucks. How many times do you think we would have been defeated if you weren't here with us? Aqua can heal and even attack but can't escape without my aid. We've been exploring this dungeon for two days, and it has been successful mainly thanks to you."
Darkness blushes a bit as she enjoys the praise. "Don't say such things so easily. I'm still a maiden, Mr. Reaper."
Kazuma raises an eyebrow but decides not to pay much attention to it. His eyes then turn to the corpse. "Well, time to get nasty. It will take me 15 or 20 minutes to extract the pieces we can take back. I can leave the camp to you two?"
Darkness and Aqua nod. "Leave it to us."
Kazuma puts his scythe on his back before grabbing his storage bag. As he puts his hand inside, he looks for something until he pulls out a black suitcase. "Here's the bag. Set camp for the night. We'll go back to Axel tomorrow."
Kazuma gives it to the girl before approaching the corpse with the suitcase. The scent remains disgusting, but he knew better than to waste the chance of getting a massive reward that could likely aid them towards getting a base.
"Man up, Kazuma. Nobody said that adventuring was going to be a clean profession."
20 minutes later.
Kazuma walked back to the girls while holding a bloody bag made from raged pieces that he got from the tribal skirt that covered the lower part of the Overlord. His hands were tainted with the stench of the Putrid Overlord's guts. "Aqua, I'm going to need your help."
"I can see that," Aqua said as she saw the nasty appearance of her partner.
Darkness opened the storage bag before she sucked the bag that Kazuma was holding inside. "Ready. Go ahead."
Aqua nods before she lifts her scepter. "Consume and Absorb all pestilences before me—Devourers of Corruption."
Two skeletal arms appeared at each side of Aqua before all the filth and blood was absorbed into a tiny sphere that was then swallowed by a black skull that quickly disappeared into nothingness.
"Thanks, but we still need a shower when we get back. I should get started with the food." Kazuma says as he approaches the small camp with two tents and a small pot sitting on top of the flaming skull that Aqua had summoned.
"Ah, it has been a rather enjoyable adventure with you two. I went from level 32 to 34 thanks to not having to fight over who gets to kill which enemy." Darkness said as she settled into the camp with Aqua.
Aqua nods. "We had to face many monsters such as Goblins, Venom Salamanders, Lizard Runners, Giant Bats, and many more creatures. But it was all worth it; I finally reached level 18 with that Overlord."
Kazuma smiles as he feels the impressive progression of his party. "If we keep going at this pace, I might reach level 26 soon."
"Possible, but you shouldn't forget that enemies like these won't be viable for experience as we climb levels. Levels 1 to 20 are manageable compared to what comes after. Higher levels require more experience, which involves hunting stronger enemies. We might need to move to a different region after a while. Our trips will go from being a few days away from Axel to weeks depending on distance unless we can traverse the land more easily." Darkness adds as she pulls out a map.
"Axel is in the south of the continent, and monsters around can help groups reach level 20 in under two months if they are active, which means going hunting almost every day. Experience is not shared, so teams need to manage who gets which kills, and a disorganized party can quickly reach an issue in which their physical attackers and mages get all the experience. We have been lucky because Kazuma and I balance the mobs while we give the strong monster to you, Aqua. We get more experience in small chunks, while Aqua gets heavy chunks less regularly. The process works because there are only three of us, but we must seek other regions for better prey. I recommend going for the east; monsters are plenty the closer we get to the domain of Romeo, the Lustful One. Their levels will suffice for us to reach level 40 before 2 months." Darkness says as she points to the domain of the Demon Lord.
"Sounds like a good plan, but we'll need extensive preparations. Regis II is the only town in that area with a bad reputation for being a lawless town where crime is an everyday affair. I don't think we can put our faith in gaining supplies from that place." Kazuma says as he works on the meal. His face looks happy as he stirs the pot and adds spices after tasting his food's flavor.
"So you read about it? Look at you; you are always the proactive leader. It is just as you said. Regis II is lawless; only the brave and insane enter town. I had my experiences with thieves and the nastier side of adventurers. I want to blame the influence of Romeo's corruption to explain why Regis II is so bad, but I can't lie. Money rules, and those in power do as they please inside its walls. If we ever go in there, we should be worried about Dionys Tartarious. He's the most famous businessman in the town and a rather nasty individual who presents himself as a friendly fellow before he drags anyone foolish enough to trust him down." Darkness explains as she places a tiny red x with a chalk piece.
"Lawless town or camping on the outside. The choice is obvious. We can prepare ourselves to camp in the outside for as long as we stay in there. I should learn a few water spells before that to take care of the lack of water." Aqua says.
"No party tricks. I heard you asking Luna about those." Kazuma says as he glares at Aqua.
"I know… party pooper." Aqua puffs her cheeks as she looks away.
Darkness smiles as she sees the interaction between the two. "Are you sure nothing is going on between you two? There's a strong connection between you two."
"If by connection you mean that I have to face the pain of every injury he receives, then you're right," Aqua says nonchalantly.
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Darkness looks at the pair with confusion.
Kazuma turns to Aqua with a disapproving look.
"Sorry, I let myself go," Aqua replies.
Kazuma resigns himself as he turns to Darkness. "The one that sent us here did something that ensures that Aqua faces my pain alongside me. If I cut myself, she will feel the pain. If I lose an arm, Aqua will feel like she has also lost one. The connection also seems to go the other way, so I will make sure Aqua doesn't get hurt, either. It is easier if I carry the worse of the two. Aqua can heal me, but I can't do the same for her."
"That's creepy. Why did this person do that?" Darkness asks with visible interest.
"Why? Maybe to teach her a lesson, such as being more responsible about her position. It was Aqua's superior who sent us here after all. Aqua made some mistakes and was sent to atone for them with me." Kazuma says before his eyes turn to Aqua. "I won't say that Aqua is not guilty of what she did, but I think she can redeem herself. She's not evil; Aqua just needs the right person for the job to keep her on track; that is what I want to believe."
Darkness raises an eyebrow. "And you're that person? Could I know why you were chosen then?"
Kazuma shrugs. "I say that luck brought us together—being at the right place and time. I have nothing special. These powers and abilities are not even mine but entrusted to me for the mission."
"Yet you act like what I deem as a high-grade adventurer. You're serene and calculative. You don't let ambition guide your actions, nor do fame or money. Your mind is always present in the now and observing your steps. When we reached this dungeon, you asked about traps instead of treasures; we passed many treasure chests to get here, yet you told us to ignore them. Adventurers will go for those 99% of the time." Darkness said.
"Mimics are a thing; we do not need the treasures in this dungeon. Prioritizing experience, our safety, and the quest is far more important than mere treasure." Kazuma replies as his hand continues to stir the pot.
Darkness smiles as she points her finger at him. "See? You know about Mimics. Do you know how many people recall that mimics exist? Less than 10%. I have seen many fellow adventurers fall for those, yet you thought our safety came first. That's the mindset of an adventurer who has experienced hardship. You're one of a kind, a newbie with talents that few can appreciate, but I do. I can't wait to see how we face more challenging missions and dungeons together."
Kazuma could see the excitement in Darkness' eyes. "Aren't you getting ahead of yourself? We have yet to decide if this is permanent."
Darkness shakes her head. "I have hope. Hope in the mysterious blue meteor that descended into our broken world—this feather." Darkness pulls a black feather she kept in her personal storage bag. "Many feathers like this fell as a blue meteor descended upon this world days ago. This feather is like the one your wings possessed. I don't have all the clues, but I want to believe in the two of you. This world needs help, and if you're determined to achieve the impossible, I want to trust your actions. I want to walk that path, fight alongside you, and see it recover from this broken state."
"Darkness…" Aqua felt an indescribable sense of guilt in her chest as she bore witness to the undying hope of Darkness.
Kazuma just remained silent as he took her words in. "We'll see if you can keep up. For now, let's just eat our meal. It has been a rather long day."
The two females nod as they feel their hunger rising.
Later, deep into the night.
Darkness began to wake up as she felt her companion's absence within the tent. "Don't tell me that she went to his tent."
The Fallen Knight pokes her head out, only to find Aqua sitting near the flaming skull. Aqua was silent as her eyes remained focused on the flames of the skull.
Darkness was curious, so she put her boots on before stepping outside. "Isn't it a bit too late for you to be awake?"
"... I'm too old to have a set bedtime." Aqua jokes.
Darkness sits beside her. "I thought you were joining Kazuma."
"... Maybe later, but I want to have time to reflect on some things."
"So you admit it. Hey, I won't judge you if there are feelings involved."
Aqua rolls her eyes. "Kazuma and I don't have that kind of relationship. We're two different beings in many ways. I only enjoy the calming sound of his heart. It grants me safety like some enjoy the sound of nature while going to sleep."
Darkness seems confused until she recalls how some people enjoy the sounds of waves at night before sleep. "To each their own. So, tell me, what's up with Kazuma? What kind of person he was before coming here?"
Aqua faces her with surprise. "That's not something I expected from you."
Darkness smiles. "I'm just curious about the person that came to this world from so far. His name is already rare, and he speaks about his homeland as if it wasn't within reach."
"... I would rather not speak about it. Kazuma doesn't have the best story. He bears guilt for past mistakes while remaining an almost empty shell without ambition or dreams. He… has nothing awaiting him, yet he seeks to return to his homeland." Aqua admits.
"Nothing?"
"No family besides a younger brother. No children, no wife, no friends. No future with bright prospects. You said that he faced hardship, and you were right. He has faced then, yet Kazuma strives to return, which I can't understand."
Darkness slowly nods as she takes it in. "Maybe that brother is enough for him. I'm not different from Kazuma. I have no family left, no home to return to, and I still have hope. I hope that I can eliminate those who threaten my world. I hope that I can punish Talus for taking everything I care about, and above all that, I hope that this world can heal. Maybe that's what's pushing Kazuma forward. Hope that the next day can be better."
"..." Aqua remains silent after hearing such words. "Hope for a better tomorrow…. I don't know about that."
Her eyes turned to the tent in which Kazuma sleeps. Her doubts about Kazuma's fate if he were to return to Japan did not inspire hope in her.
The next day.
The group took some time to make its way back to Axel, but as soon as they reached the gates, they found more than a few anxious reactions amongst the denizens of Axel.
"A wyvern. Have you seen it?"
"It just showed up while carrying a pair of adventurers."
"Some are saying that the rider is a member of the Black Daggers."
Kazuma, Aqua, and Darkness looked at each other with confusion as they heard the rumors.
"A wyvern? Don't tell me that there's tamers out there?" Kazuma asks.
Darkness nods. "They exist, but the ones capable of taming monsters like wyverns are rare. We consider those specialized classes as Monster Riders, which only tamed a single monster for life due to its difficulty in taming and caring for them."
"They also said that two adventurers arrived with the rider. Who do you think it is?" Aqua joined in.
Kazuma ponders. "Maybe Chris sent them to inform us. We should-" Kazuma recalled how they were in a dungeon for two entire days. "Let's get a bath before we go to the guild."
Both girls nodded as they followed Kazuma towards the bathhouse. Once there, the owner glanced at them before charging them for a private bath.
"Private bath? Wouldn't it be better to go for the normal bath?" Darkness asked with a rather obvious blush across her face.
"She won't let us. We're strangers; they don't want us with the locals." Aqua said with a blushing face as well.
"Let's just go in. We need to go to the guild." Kazuma takes the lead.
"... You better keep your hands away from my body, Kazuma." Darkness says as she follows him.
"Aqua can speak on my behalf. I'm a gentleman. I won't do anything. Let's stop wasting time." Kazuma says.
Both girls can't stop blushing, but neither argues against it since time is of the essence, and they have already paid for it.
After the bath.
"... I can't never get married. Kazuma, you need to take responsibility." Darkness said.
"Hey, we didn't do anything. Just because the towel fell and I saw your body doesn't mean you're impure. You can find your other half and completely ignore this event. I'm likely not going to be around by that time." Kazuma said as he tried not to think about the curves of Darkness. "Thanatos, I pray for strength. I pray for mental fortitude. I pray to you, my lord."
Aqua pats Darkness' back. "Trust me. I understand your pain. A guy like Kazuma shouldn't be able to witness the beauty below our clothes. I will support your marriage."
"There won't be a marriage! Give it a rest." Kazuma said.
Darkness tears up. "Is it because I have so many muscles and scars? Do you prefer Aqua's soft skin without scars?"
"I have no preferences, so stop it." Kazuma turns around and faces them. "Look, I don't have a type. I find almost all women beautiful. Every lady has a unique charm, but I don't have time for it. Romance is not on the cards, so please let it go. I already have enough with Aqua infiltrating my bed."
Both girls look at each other before coming to a simple conclusion. "Lustful pervert. Kazuma wants a harem." The duo shouted as they tried to cover their bodies.
Kazuma slaps his face as he turns around and continues walking.
"Hey, wait for us!" Aqua shouts as she speeds up alongside Darkness.
After walking for a while longer, the team came into view of the guild and the large blue wyvern sleeping next to it.
"That is indeed a wyvern." Darkness declared while keeping a safe distance. "It would be rather troublesome if we had to fight it. Flying monsters are rather dangerous."
"We know that." Kazuma and Aqua reply as they recall their first fight.
After seeing the wyvern, the team enters the guild.
"There you are. Took you long enough." Luna says as soon as she sees them.
"Sorry, we had to stop by the bathhouse," Kazuma said as he approached Luna with the others.
Luna stops him as she raises a hand. "Go to the back. We have visitors that asked for you."
"Visitors? Are they agents from the Black Daggers?" Aqua asks.
Luna gives her a troubled expression. "Just go and see. Be mindful of your words. She's rather explosive."
"Explosive? Could it be her?" Darkness's mind doubts about the identity of the mysterious arrivals.
Kazuma says nothing and approaches the door. As soon as he opens the door, his eyes meet those of two girls and a masked agent from the Black Daggers.
"Took you long enough, Mr. Kazuma. We waited for your arrival." Yunyun says with a kind tone.
"So this is the bastard that Black Shadow spoke about? He looks like an average dude who found a weird armor somewhere before he became an adventurer." Megumin says as she examines Kazuma.
"Miss Megumin, please mind your manners. Kazuma deserves as much respect as the one we show to you and other adventurers. If you want to proceed with such an attitude, I'll put a penalty of a couple of million eris on your guild card." Calgar says.
"You wouldn't dare." Megumin glares.
"Test me and see. Mages are good with spells, but I'm still good with my knives." Calgar gives her a cold look.
"... Fine." Megumin settles down on her seat in silence.
Kazuma's eyes turn to face the masked agent. "Name's Kazuma. Chris sent you, right?" Kazuma offers his hand.
The masked agents reciprocate the friendliness. "Name's Rust. Glad to meet you. Chris-sama spoke highly of you, but sadly, I'm not the messenger." Rust points his finger at Megumin and Yunyun. "They are. I'm just the rider of the wyvern."
Kazuma raises an eyebrow. He turns around and faces the two girls. "You two?"
Yunyun nods. "Hi, my name is Yunyun. Sorry for the rude attitude of Megumin. She's not very sociable. Like Rust-san said, we're the messengers. We worked with the Black Daggers before we came to Axel on a special mission."
"Special mission?" Darkness approaches Yunyun. "You two got recruited?"
"Oh, is Darkness. It has been a while since we saw each other. We weren't recruited; we were offered a mission and agreed to work with them." Yunyun explains.
"Hi, I'm Aqua. What kind of mission was this?" Aqua joins in as her curiosity arises.
"... We were asked to attack Tulos, the Spider Aberration. We failed to eliminate it. Our strongest combined attack damaged its outer body, but that thing still lives." Megumin says with visible anger at her own shortcomings. "I used everything, and it got up."
"Megumin…." Yunyun looks calm, yet she is annoyed by the result. "The Black Daggers want to send a team inside to finish the Demon Lord. The mission will take place in 27 days, and Chris-san wants your team to be ready by then, Kazuma-san."
Kazuma goes silent as his mind takes all this information in.
"Kazuma?" Aqua touches his shoulder. "What are we going to do?"
"..." The reaper turns his attention to a map that hangs from the wall. "Darkness, remembered what we discussed?"
Darkness, who was looking at the floor as she clenched her fists, raised her head. "What thing?"
"Raising our levels. Twenty-seven days wasted on Axel won't help us. We need to go for bigger prey. Calgar, I hope you understand this." Kazuma turns to the dwarf.
Calgar shakes his head. "You're going after a demon lord. You need to be ready for it and give it your all. Where are you planning to go?"
Kazuma points his finger at the region surrounding Regis II. "Rust-san, how long will it take you to get us here?"
Rust approaches the map. "If we depart tonight, we can reach that area in 1 to 2 days. It depends on how the conditions look. However, the issue lies with Talus, who is right on the opposite side. If I get you to this area, it will take another 4 days to get to Talus. I can't stay around Regis II without a safe town to rest. Your time will be severely limited, and your gains hunting won't be secured." The masked rider points to Talus's location.
"We need a place close to Talus to raise our levels. We must reach at least level 40 in less than 22 days." Aqua adds.
"A place to hunt." Calgar thinks about it. "Would you like to hear my recommendation?"
"I'm all ears," Kazuma says.
"The dungeon of Geomantia is found here." Calgar points to a location close to Talus. "Its difficulty level is not for newbies, but the situation requires drastic measures. It can get you to level 40 or 50 if you play it well, maybe higher if luck is on your side. You need to acknowledge the possibility of losing somebody if you do this. There's no aid to be found once inside."
Calgar approaches the table before he picks up a quest form that describes the dungeon. "Conquer this dungeon, and you'll leave a mark in history. The reward for exploring it is more than enough to take care of the base and orphanage. Good rewards, extreme difficulty."
Kazuma grabs the form. "... I only came to this land to slay the demon lords. I already knew my life would be on the line." His eyes turn to Aqua. "Are you ready to follow me?"
Aqua smiles. "I wouldn't be able to run away if I wanted to do so. You need me, no matter what."
Kazuma nods before his eyes turn to Darkness. "Will you entrust your life to me?"
Darkness places her hand over her heart. "I have been waiting to face Talus for years. I won't forgive you if you leave me behind. I'll follow you if you trust me to be your shield."
Kazuma nods. "Let's do this together." His attention is directed to Rust. "Can you fly us to the dungeon?"
"Without issue, but you're forgetting someone." Rust points his finger at Yunyun and Megumin. "They were asked to participate on the team that's going inside Talus."
Kazuma turns to the spellcasters. "... I can't do this with strangers."
"The feeling is mutual… but I can acknowledge your determination. The dungeon of Geomantia has enemies that range from level 60 to 70 and maybe higher. I entered its halls once, years ago, with a group of 14 adventurers. Only six survived, including Yun and me. I was level 55 back then, and now that I'm level 65, I don't feel less scared about it. We will support you if you can trust Yunyun and me to do our best as spellcasters. We're going to a place that devours the weak, and you're going to need all the help you can get." Megumin offers her hand to Kazuma. "Are you in?"
Kazuma doubts for a moment before he shakes her hand. "Let us fight together until Talus falls."
Yunyun clapped her hands as she saw how Megumin could agree with someone. "She's growing out of her shell."
"Start preparation, children. You shall depart tonight. If you need any skills, we'll help you obtain them. Get your equipment ready and pray to any deity you believe in. Geomantia awaits you." Calgar says.
Kazuma's eyes return to the quest form. "Thanatos, please. Let them survive. I'll bear the consequences."
There was no turning back for them anymore.
Five would enter, and hopefully, five would come out.
27 days remain until the hunt for Talus begins.