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

Through the skies of the parallel world, an azure wyvern flew at full speed while carrying a team of insane adventurers.

"Kazuma! I'm going to fall." Aqua screams while Kazuma forces himself to grab onto Aqua and ensure that he does not let go of the wyvern.

"I'm not letting you fall, but stop shouting," Kazuma said as he turned to the dark priestess within his arms.

"Kazuma, I'm scared. Why does this happen to me?" Aqua cried as she hugged him like it was the last thing she would ever do.

Darkness couldn't keep it in as she giggled at the sight. "Hey, didn't you claim you got it? Aqua."

"I'm sorry," Aqua replies with tears rolling down.

Megumin and Yunyun felt sorry for the dark priestess who proudly claimed she would be okay flying on a wyvern.

The reality was often disappointing.

"We're almost there. Just hold on for a bit more." Rust shouts as he continues to guide his wyvern across the sky.

Early morning.

After flying through the whole night, the group finally stopped and settled in a forest. The canopy ofter a sense of safety as it kept them hidden while they made camp.

"Aqua," Kazuma called out to the dark priestess, who was currently hugging his waist while crying.

"Yes?" Aqua lifts her head to face him.

"Let me go. I need to work on a meal for the group." Kazuma says as he tries to push her away.

"No! If I let go, my legs will give up." Aqua says as she tries to remain attached to his waist.

"I got it." Darkness approached her teammates before she pulled Aqua away with ease. "Come on, Aqua. We're no longer flying. There's no need to be so scared. We're on solid ground."

"No, if I let go of Kazuma, nobody will save me," Aqua said.

Kazuma felt disappointed in his partner until his mind recalled what happened before. His mind recalls how Aqua reacted similarly when they descended upon this world. "Note to self: Aqua dislikes heights. Maybe it has become a traumatic trigger for her." His attention then turns to Rust, who is feeding the Wyvern. "So this is your partner?"

Rust nods. "Mina is her name. She's my proudest achievement. It took months to tame her and even longer to learn how to ride her properly. Sorry for whatever is happening to your friend. I keep forgetting that not everyone enjoys our insane flying style."

Kazuma shakes his head. "That's Aqua's trauma. It was my mistake for not recalling. Anyways, we will take three days to reach the dungeon. Is there anything that could decrease how long we take to reach it?"

Rust shakes his head. "We're traveling as fast as Mina can with so many people. Three days is the best we can do. I'm sorry, but that's all we can do. I recommend that you take the time to chat with Megumin and Yunyun about the dungeon. Many adventurers had fallen to its jaws, and few have come out to tell the tales. Being prepared will be crucial for your success."

"Got it. I'll let you know when the food is ready." Kazuma walks back to the tiny camp that contains three tents. "Megumin-san, Yunyun-san, can you come closer? I want to talk about the dungeon."

Megumin turns around with Yunyun before she shrugs. "I was expecting you to make the first move. I would like to exchange guild cards as well. I need to know what kind of skills each of you possess."

"Darkness-san, you gained a few things since we met, right?" Yunyun asks.

"I have. Here's my card." Darkness says as she offers her card. Her eyes turned to Aqua, who was sitting next to her. "Come on and offer yours."

Aqua cleans her tears before she offers her card. "Here."

Yunyun grabs both before she gives Darkness her own. "Oh, you gained Defiant Effort. Nice….. What is this guild card? -1 in luck?" Her eyes quickly change gears as she moves from Darkness to Aqua.

"Trust me, I had the same reaction." Darkness says before she examines Yunyun's card.

Name: Yunyun

Age: 23

Class: Elemental Lord

Level: 62

Strength: 24

Health: 430

Magic power: 1120

Dexterity: 509

Agility: 106

Luck: 76

Skills: High Water Creation and Control, Enemy sonar (allows user and allies to detect any enemies within a 1-mile radius regardless of skills), High Fire Creation and Control, Mastery of Light, Mastery of Wind, Mastery of Ice, High Spell Casting (Increases speed of spell caster), Mastery of Thunder, Reflect Magic Elemental (Spells will be repelled and returned to other spell casters), Assure Silence (Limits the usage of spells of enemies for a while. Varies depending on enemy), Sleep, Teleport, Multi-Casting (Allows usage of different spells at the same time), High Resistance to Status Effects, Multi-Elemental Infusion (Allows the infusion of elements to ally weapons), Magic Combo (Creates combination spells with a user with the same skill).

"This is great, Yunyun. Wait, you have teleport. Why didn't we use that to get to the dungeon?" Darkness asks as she faces Yunyun.

Yunyun shakes her head. "Is not a perfect spell. I need to set a beacon that allows me to teleport to a place I visited before. It has a limited number of beacons that can be active simultaneously. I didn't put a beacon on the dungeon. We never tried to go back after we survived the first time."

"I see. Also, what happened to your Infusion spells? I don't see them anymore." Darkness continues.

Yunyun smirks as she points to Multi-Elemental Infusion within her card. "They fused into a single skill after I reached level 60. It was a skill evolution. Now, I can switch the elements on ally weapons instantly."

"Amazing," Aqua says as she examines the card. "Teach me. Kazuma lacks elements, and having this will help us in the future."

"I don't know, Megumin might object." Yunyun turns her eyes towards Megumin before seeing her partner's unusual reaction. "Megu?"

Megumin trembles as she reads Kazuma's card. "What are you? How is this possible? These statistics make no sense for someone who is barely level 25. Also, Reaper Class? What is that?"

Kazuma shrugs. "Just the power that was given to me. Now let me verify your stats."

Name: Megumin

Age: 23

Class: Crimson Sage

Level: 65

Strength: 12

Health: 420

Magic power: 1600

Dexterity: 555

Agility: 80

Luck: 70

Skills: High Spell Casting, Multi-Casting, Mastery over the Flames, Gravity Armageddon (Destructive spell that creates a black hole that lasts 60 sec), Explosion Mastery (User possesses complete control of Detonation Magic. Allows usage of different Detonation Magics), High Magic Resistance, Energy Sacrifice (User exchanges all energy to secure a massive boost for one spell), Magic Combo, Reflective Magic Mirror, Physical Barrier (Creates Barrier against Physical attacks), High Resistance to Status Effects, Assure Hit (Secures Hit for one spell. Can't ignored Immunity or Absorption) and Minor Flight (Limited Flight).

"Oh, you have terrific stats and skills. I can see why you're-" Kazuma stops as Megumin pushes the card to his chest. Kazuma's card fell to the floor after that.

"How dare you?" Megumin shouts. "Why is someone like you so strong with such a low level? What did you do to gain such rare skills and absurd stats? Not even Darkness has such strong stats, and here you are, just walking around with such abnormality? It took me years to get to this level, and you get so much so quickly? That's…. Not fair." Megumin starts to tear up before she grabs her card and walks away towards one of the tents.

Kazuma is left confused alongside many others before all eyes turn to Yunyun.

"Sorry. She… just needs a breather." Yunyun says with an apologetic expression.

Kazuma shakes his head as he grabs his card from the floor. "Just let her know that is not my fault. I was given a mission and the necessary tools to achieve it. All this power was given to me for a reason, not because I wanted it." Kazuma approaches the cooking station before he starts to cook in complete silence.

The atmosphere takes a hit for hours as Megumin stays in her tent while Kazuma doesn't say anything.

Later that day.

"Megumin?"

Megumin started to open her eyes as she heard someone's voice. "Yun?"

"Wake up, you need to eat. We'll depart in less than an hour." Yunyun said as she presented a warm soup to her.

"Oh, I-"

"You mess up, but we can talk after you eat."

Megumin goes silent as she grabs the soup and begins to eat. The flavor is delicate and savory as the small pieces of meat add the extra punch it needs. "Who did this?"

"Kazuma. He has the skill for cooking. It seems like he learned several supportive skills." Yunyun says as she sits next to Megumin.

"I…. he just level 25."

"Megumin."

"A newbie."

"Megumin."

"I know. Danmit, I know. I should apologize. He didn't get to choose his gifts."

"He said they were given to him for a mission. Based on what Darkness told me, Kazuma and Aqua came from far away to hunt the demon lords. They must eliminate the demon lords before they can go home or something of the sort if Darkness's information is right."

"Divine intervention?"

"Maybe, but it is not their fault. We can't blame them for being blessed with power."

"... They are too late to the party."

"Megumin. We can't make assumptions like that. We don't know what happens or how gods decide when to interfere. Kazuma and Aqua are not to be blamed for what happened to our village. They weren't here back then, but they are here now, and we need all the help we can get. If we want to take the 12 lords down, people like Kazuma are required—people with talents capable of making a change. We can't create friction with those who want the same things as us. If we keep pushing allies away, we won't achieve anything."

"... Yun, I… don't know if I can change. There's so much anger inside."

Yunyun places her arms around her. "Small steps, Megumin. Small steps."

30 minutes later.

The party put the camp supplies away before preparing for takeoff. Kazuma decided to stay as far from Megumin as possible, and the girl could see it.

"Alright, Megumin. Time to fix the mess you created." Megumin approaches Kazuma.

Kazuma sees her before he raises a hand to stop her. "If you're seeking-"

"I'm sorry. I said things I shouldn't have said. I… lost a lot. I pleaded for aid at my worst time, but nobody showed up. I've met many strong adventurers who pride themselves on being heroes, but not a single one of those aided me and my people when we needed them the most. I… have a terrible temper. I know it. I have a bad time accepting that people with talents and blessings are out there." Megumin says as she bows her head.

"I don't undermine your efforts. Your card showed the dedication you put into becoming what you are. I'm not talented. I can assure you. I'm a nobody who just wants to accomplish the mission he was given before I can go home. You're more talented than I could ever be. You're younger, yet you have achieved more than I have ever done in all my 25 years. Be proud of your efforts." Kazuma says with a sincere smile before he walks away.

Megumin can only watch as he walks toward his teammates.

"Small steps, Megumin. You'll get there." Yunyun pats her shoulder before grabbing her hand and dragging her towards the wyvern with the rest.

Next camp.

Aqua used Kazuma's lap as a pillow while the reaper read a book about monsters.

Megumin, Yunyun, and Darkness were seated around, confused by the unconscious expression on Aqua's face.

"So she's afraid of heights?" Yunyun starts.

Kazuma nods. "I forgot that she panicked before when something similar happened."

"Blue meteor?" Darkness asks.

Kazuma raises an eyebrow. "You're not letting that one go?"

Darkness shakes her head.

Kazuma sighs. "Yes, Blue Meteor."

Megumin and Aqua seemed confused but decided not to ask too many questions.

"Can we start discussing the dungeon now?" Kazuma asks as his eyes turn to the two spellcasters for answers.

"Yes, we can. Megumin?" Yunyun turns to her friend.

"The Dungeon of Geomantia is located at the highest mountain of a mountainous area called the Fingers of God. Normally, one would need to climb up, but we can skip that part thanks to Dust." Megumin says.

Dust gives them a thumbs up as he rests by the side of his wyvern.

"The issue we face comes once we're inside. The dungeon is artificial. Is not a natural dungeon." Megumin continues. "Once inside, we'll find ourselves in a place that can only be described as a palace hall with thousands of columns containing ancient writing from an ancient civilization. Within that hall, a tall blue monolith includes a passage in a mysterious language we can't read. Once we leave that hall through the only door, the nightmare begins as the dungeon creates an extended hallway that stretches out for what seems to be infinity."

"A straight path?" Kazuma asks.

Yunyun nods. "A straight path that seems to lack an end. Monster groups will be teleported before us every 20 minutes, and what monster shows up is random. It could be a group of 12 zombies or maybe seven dragons with different elemental attributes; luck decides what we get."

"What about resting?" Darkness joins in.

"After every ten groups, the path is blocked by a wall with mysterious writing and a timer. The timer changes depending on how far your team gets, but it can start with barely 15 minutes and increase randomly with every ten groups. Once the wall is up, two rooms will open on each side of you. One contains bathrooms with warm baths for usage, while the other includes beds for sleeping. No food is offered." Yunyun continues.

"I can see why it is artificial. Do you think an ancient civilization is behind its creation?" Kazuma asks. His face shows curiosity as he takes everything in while trying to connect dots inside his mind.

Megumin nods. "Is the only reasonable explanation unless a god is behind it. The challenge is absurd because of the randomness of the whole thing. It almost feels like a-"

"Challenge. Have any treasure chests appeared after the fights?" Kazuma continues as if something has clicked inside.

"Sometimes. Mainly after strong monsters." Megumin admits. "The treasures range from jewels to weapons and even some accessories."

Kazuma snaps his finger. "I think I know what the dungeon is. How many waves did your team ever defeat?"

"Waves?" Megumin questions him.

"Number of monster groups," Kazuma replies.

"Oh, 65 groups of monsters. Then we had to run away for our lives." Yunyun adds.

"That confirms it. I see three possibilities based on this information. One, the dungeon has no end. It is an endless challenge that seeks to test anyone who dares to enter. It will give rewards after a milestone, and the randomness of the rewards will be based on how well the team did across the previous ten groups. Speed will play a significant factor in the rewards. If the enemies are eliminated quickly, the reward is greater." Kazuma starts.

The girls remain silent as he continues with his explanation.

"The second possibility is that the dungeon has 100 challenges, and once we defeat the last, a final boss will appear. If we defeat that final boss, the dungeon could destroy itself as we try to escape or reset itself before letting us leave. One is better than the other."

The girls look amazed as he comes up with such explanations.

"The final one, none of what I said is correct. If that's the case, the challenge will be worse since none of my ideas will apply, and we will face our worst nightmare." Kazuma finishes.

The girls are left speechless as they take all of this in. Neither of them could imagine something so ridiculous yet possible within their minds.

"... Does your homeland have something similar?" Darkness breaks the silence.

"... No and yes. In my homeland, there's a concept called Boss Rush Challenge. It is something kids can access within games. It is meant to be an extra challenge for kids once they finish the games. Kids test their skills as they seek to finish the challenges or push as high as possible, depending on whether the Boss Rush has infinite or limited challenges. As a kid, I played a few games with such things. It is something that can be a living nightmare or a breeze." Kazuma explains with a severe tone. "I know it sounds absurd, but if I'm right about this, we could be facing heaven or hell."

"... Let's say you're right. What can we expect if the 100 challenge is real? What kind of boss is waiting at the end?" Megumin asks as she starts to consider the ideas presented by Kazuma.

"Bad news for us. That boss monster might surpass our levels and be immune to many elements. It could even repel our attacks or have a timer before it uses an attack that kills all of us. I suggest we escape before facing that boss, but the dungeon could prevent it. Fighting the final boss shouldn't be our goal, and we should try to avoid it." Kazuma suggests. "We care about experience, not the rewards. A monster that could kill all of us is not worth the price."

His eyes turned to Yunyun. "That teleport skill could be our way out. How many can you use it on?"

"... Four people at most. Me and other three. I'm sorry." Yunyun replies.

"I see…. If everything goes wrong, I want you to use it to get yourselves out while leaving me behind." Kazuma says.

Darkness stands up. "Are you mad? Are you trying to sacrifice yourself while we get away?"

Kazuma shakes his head before his eyes turn to Aqua. His hands caress her blue hair. "A gamble. I'm going to gamble my life away to secure yours. Aqua's skill, Forbidden Resurrection, could be my saving card if it works on me without needing my body around. I have the crazy plan, so I should face the consequences."

"... But your life. Don't you fear death?" Yunyun objects.

"I came here to finish this mission. If someone is biting the dust in my team, it will be me. I promise to return as many times as necessary." Kazuma's face shows an empty yet peaceful smile.

A man without hopes or dreams and only promises to keep him alive.

"... We'll go with that if everything else fails. But you better return if we leave you in the dungeon." Megumin grabs his face and forces Kazuma to look deep into her single eye. "You better come back, or I promise I'll go to hell to kick you in the dick a million times."

"... I promise." Kazuma smiles as he makes another promise. His emptiness remains even after such a promise.

"Good." Megumin releases him. "I'm taking a nap. Call me when it is time to leave." The spellcaster begins to walk away.

Yunyun remains seated. "... You better keep that promise."

"I'll do my best," Kazuma says.

Yunyun nods before she walks away.

Darkness stares at him with visible anger. "This is complete madness, Kazuma. How can someone be so willing to give his life for others?"

"Is because of that. I don't want any allies of mine to die. Why do you think I have a terrible relationship with the other adventurers? I can't bring the weak to their deaths. I'm actively keeping anyone who can't match you or Aqua away. I'm not trying to bury someone other than myself. Death is not the end for me, but for people like you, death is inevitable. Ressurection has a lower probability with any of you than with me. I can resurrect as many times as needed, but that doesn't apply to any of you. I'm the one who needs to carry that weight."

"That's…. Sad. Hearing you speak like that worries me." Darkness kneels before she grabs his face. "You deserved better, Kazuma. You're as precious as any other life, so please don't sell yourself short."

Darkness brings him closer to her chest before she embraces him. "Your life matters, so don't sacrifice it so willingly. Choose life, Kazuma. Always choose life."

Kazuma remained motionless as he felt the warmth of Darkness's embrace. He had no energy to fight back in those moments.

Days later. Dungeon Day.

The wyvern descended before the dungeon's gates. From the outside, the structure seemed like a normal palace, but its interior was a different affair.

The team climbed off and approached the gate, but Yunyun stopped briefly.

A red magic circle was drawn into the floor before she stood up and followed after the rest.

24 days remain before the hunt for Talus begins.