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
"So, who did this?" Kazuma asks as he examines the corpse of the monster that killed him. The body was charred beyond recognition while its face was smashed into bits.
Yunyun slowly raises her hand. "I attacked the Queen with an electric attack."
Darkness cracks her knuckles. "And I made sure she didn't get to smile anymore."
"OK…. we can't use this corpse. What a waste, but I appreciate that you eliminated it," Kazuma said as he stood up and turned his attention to the next target.
"At least I got enough experience to raise my level once. I'm level 39 now." Darkness declares with sparkling eyes.
"Lucky, girl. I'm still trapped in level 27." Kazuma declares.
"I couldn't deal the finishing blow to that fish vixen. I'm also stuck at level 21." Aqua says with a depressed expression.
"All of you have it good. I haven't raised my level even once since we began." Megumin says as she glares at the corpses of the Bro-rillas. "You were supposed to give me more experience."
"Don't blame them. It takes much more for you to level up. They helped me to get to level 63." Yunyun admits that she feels sorry for her partner.
"Well, you might get a chance to level up now," Kazuma said as he looked at the treasure chest before the wall blocking their passage. Kazuma glared at the mysterious chests as his instincts screamed to be careful. "Is definitely a mimic."
Yunyun nods. "My sonar confirms it."
Everybody glares at the chest with visible annoyance.
"Why couldn't it be a normal chest?" Darkness asked as she rubbed her hair.
Megumin examines the chest with careful attention. "Can I try something? Other adventurers usually got to kill these things before Yunyun or I got to approach them. Sometimes, such adventurers would get a piece of equipment that fits their class. The chance is low for low-level mimics, but the chance must be much higher in this dungeon. It will also give me a lot of experience."
Kazuma doesn't think twice, and he gives Megumin a thumbs up. "Go all out. If you get lucky, the item is all yours."
"Thanks," Megumin smirks as she points her staff at the mimic. "Draco Bomb!" A small ball-shaped dragon appears at the staff's tip before it flaps its wings and approaches the mimic.
"It's cute!" Aqua claims as she watches the fat dragon doing its best to reach its destination.
The mimic reacts as its massive jaws show themselves before devouring the Draco bomb.
"Oh… that's not cute at all," Aqua adds as she sees the disgusting jaws of the mimic.
"Give it a second," Megumin says with a smirking expression.
Not even a second later, the mimic implodes from within as the flames consume its flesh until only charred pieces remain. Megumin looks for her guild card. "And I just reached level 66!"
Yunyun gives her a high five, and Megumin reciprocates the friendly action.
"Good, now let's look for the treasure." Kazuma uses the tip of his scythe to move the charred remains around until he sees a shining piece. Kazuma reaches out and grasps the treasure before noticing its shape. "Is a ring. Megumin, come here."
Megumin steps closer before raising her left to him. "Put it in."
Kazuma raises an eyebrow. "Are you sure about wearing a ring in such a hand?"
Megumin looks at him with confusion. "Why are you asking? Is just an equipment piece."
"Maybe they don't have that tradition." Kazuma places the ring on the ring finger, thinking everything is alright. His eyes look around the room until he notices the blushing face of Darkness. "Crap."
"You proposed to her!?" Darkness's expression told him everything he needed to know.
Aqua didn't look amused either, and her expression seemed to say, "Pervert."
Megumin admires the golden ring with a tiny dragon holding a red jewel. Her eyes are enamored with the ring. "Is so good. I feel its power, but we need a blacksmith to check it out before we can learn about its stats and abilities."
"Alright, I'm happy for you. Now we know that there's a chance for anyone to get some extra experience and equipment. We should try it again with the next mimic we find. If you excuse me, I'd like to take a look at the wall." Kazuma says as he tries to ignore the glaring stares he is receiving from Aqua and Darkness.
"Why are you looking at him like that?" Yunyun questions the girls.
Darkness approaches her before she whispers something in her ear.
Yunyun's face grows red like a tomato as she takes this information in. "What? That's a thing? I don't recall anyone doing it back home." Her eyes turn to Megumin, who playfully poses with her ring. "I'll tell her after we get out."
While that's happening, Kazuma examines the wall and notices the countdown. "Less than 1 hour and 15 minutes before the next wave. We're going to need this time to fix Darkness's armor…. The girls might enjoy a quick shower….. Wait, what does this say…" His hand touched the letters below the countdown before they transformed into Kanji. "If you wish to continue now, strike the wall."
"Eh?" Everyone's eyes turn to Kazuma.
"That's what it says. It seems like we can continue by hitting the wall. Did nobody try that before?" Kazuma turns to face Megumin and Yunyun.
The spellcasters shake their heads.
"Only a fool would play with unknown things from an old civilization. The dungeon is already a deadly trap, and adventurers should be cautious about any dungeon they enter." Megumin argues.
Yunyun nods along. "We lost team members to the monsters; fooling around wouldn't happen after such things."
"Fair enough. Don't worry; I won't initiate the next wave. We deserved a break after all that. My body still feels the sensation of having my organs damaged by the attack. I need a breather." Kazuma turns his attention to Darkness. "Take off your armor. It needs repairs." His eyes then turn to the others. "If you want, go take a shower while we have time. I'm going to be in the room over."
Darkness follows Kazuma as he approaches the door that has a symbol for beds.
"Darkness, we'll wait for you," Yunyun says.
"Is just going to take a second." Darkness says with a calm expression as she enters the room alongside Kazuma.
Darkness POV.
Once inside, Darkness was surprised as she saw what types of beds were found inside the room. "This… is just like the barracks of the knight academy."
Kazuma turns to her with curiosity. "Knight Academy?"
"... Yeah, Knight Academy. I once belonged to one. I don't think it was hard to figure out." Darkness says as she tries not to face Kazuma.
"... I don't know much about this world's culture besides the most important. Knighthood is not within my range of expertise. Like I do, you're also within your right to keep your past a secret. Now, take off that armor. Is best if we don't waste time around." Kazuma says as he sits down on one of the beds. As soon as he does this, his armor reacts and changes shape. The chest armor piece goes away and leaves a sleeves shirt that covers his upper torso. "... Thanks, I need that." Kazuma, thanks the armor.
"...Must be nice to have something like that." Darkness says as she removes her armor pieces until she's left in her regular clothes. Her armor consists of a chest piece covering her entire abdomen and chest area alongside one of her shoulders, metal gauntlets, metallic boots, and two skirt pieces attached to her waist. A lion crest was visible within the shoulder piece of the armor.
Its writing was old and barely visible anymore, but it seemed to hold meaning for Darkness as her eyes seemed lost momentarily as she placed it on the bed.
She then places her shield and axes down as well.
"Are you alright?" Kazuma asks as he notices this.
"... I once trained alongside many others to protect my nation. To uphold the sacred duty of my ancestors, I sought to become a knight like no other but… I no longer have a place to call home or a king to serve." Her eyes tried not to show weakness as she held her pain back.
"..." Kazuma remains silent as he sees this before he reaches out and grabs her right hand. "I'm sorry about everything you lost to this war. I can't imagine all you faced, but I assure you that I will aid you in finishing this war. Once it is over, you can rebuild and seek another path if that is what you desire. I promise that I won't let you die. You can trust me, and I shall do the same by trusting you."
A single tear runs down her cheeks as she sees the sincerity behind those eyes. "Thanks, Kazuma." Darkness clears her tears away. "I should go; the others must be waiting."
Kazuma nods. "Enjoy the time, water." The reaper watches her depart before turning his attention to the armor pieces. "Time to work.
Meanwhile, the girl's POV.
The girl's eyes shone as they focused on the Roman-style bath before them. The warm water released steam that invited them to sink into its waters while a hydra statue consciously dispersed water in all directions.
They wasted no time using the bath items the dungeon offered as they helped others clean themselves.
All the dirt and sweat were cleaned away as they scrubbed every inch of their bodies.
"Megumin, can you remove it?" Yunyun asked as she helped Megumin.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Megumin removed her eyepatch only to show an old scar that covered the area where her eye should be.
"I see. You lost something like me." Darkness said as she lay eyes on Megumin's scar.
Megumin nods. "A spear. It went right through my eye. Yunyun had to drag me away to safety while almost bleeding herself to death."
Yunyun bit her lips as the tingling sensation on her back made her remember the many gruesome scars she now possessed.
"You also lost an arm. Where did you get the replacement from, if I can ask?" Megumin asks as she faces Darkness.
"... after the rain of fire, I woke up in a survivor camp all alone and with bandages covering my body. A brunette, carrying a mysterious white cat with a mask, sat by my side. Her face looked worried. Her only words were, 'This arm is all we can do for you. Use it to survive.' I lost consciousness shortly after, and when I woke up, she was already gone. I have been looking for her to thank her and ask her for help since nobody else knows how to maintain the arm properly. Luckily, someone gave me her name, Wiz, the Ageless." Darkness says with a longing expression.
"The mysterious woman of legend. Some say she collects relics, while others claim she's a ghost wandering the continent for 200 years. We haven't had the pleasure of meeting her, but I do recall Chris mentioning her in passing as if she knew where she was." Yunyun says as she recognizes the name.
Darkness stands up with an excited face. "I need to meet her. I've looked for years."
"If you ask Chris for help after the mission, you'll likely find her, but choosing to look for Wiz would mean leaving Kazuma's team. Her location might be far away from the demon lords." Megumin says as she stands up. "You're going to need to make a choice. Do your wishes come first, or is your allegiance to Kazuma stronger?"
Darkness faces her with a sharp expression. "I wouldn't betray Kazuma's trust like that. I promised to be the shield in his team. Walking away is not something I'm willing to do; I'm not one to betray those who trust me with their lives."
Megumin smirked as she felt the intense glare of the lioness. "I applaud your determination. Seems like you were meant to share a path with him." Megumin turns and starts walking towards the pool filled with warm water. "In all my years, I haven't seen someone so determined as an adventurer. Shit, I have to applaud how reckless he was. Death was about to claim him, and yet he stood up while his entire body was breaking down. I have to admit that I wouldn't be capable of something similar. He's a walking abnormality, and I can see some of the reasons why Chris placed so much trust in him. Someone like him requires a certain type of adventurer to keep up with him." Her body sinks into the warm waters.
Darkness crosses her arms. "What are you trying to say?"
"You need to put such side goals aside. The demon lords should be the only thing in your head right now, just like with him. His mind is in the right place, and unless we can do the same, we won't be able to keep up." Megumin says before a soft meowing reaches her ears. "Chomusuke?"
Everyone's eyes turn to the source of the meowing before a shadow emerges from below the door.
The shadow reshapes itself into the form of a tiny winged cat.
"What is that thing?" Aqua and Darkness ask as they try to distance themselves from the mysterious 'cat.'
"Chomusuke," Yunyun replies before she extends her arms toward the cat.
The 'cat' rushes forward and jumps into Yunyun's arms. "You've sleepy cat. We were worried you wouldn't wake up for weeks."
Chomusuke purrs as Yunyun caresses her body.
"Silly cat. If you were hungry, you should've meowed for food." Megumin says.
"Megumin," Aqua calls out to the caster. "What is that cat? I can sense something abnormal within it."
"... My old master entrusted me with protecting 'her.' I know she is not an average cat, but I acknowledge her as one. It is easier for me to describe her as such or just my familiar. Don't worry. Chomusuke sleeps most of the time in my hat. She won't interfere with the mission." Megumin explains before Yunyun joins her in the water alongside the 'cat.'
Aqua and Darkness looked at each other with concerned expressions before they entered the pool with the rest. Aqua's eyes couldn't stop examining the cat as her mind tried to recall where and when she saw something like it.
"She doesn't eat people, Aqua… well, unless she deems it necessary," Megumin says jokingly as she grabs the cat from Yunyun's arms. Chomusuke purrs before it starts to pat Megumin's breasts, which are by far the smallest of the group—maybe an A cup, but nothing bigger.
Everyone's eyes watch as Chomusuke tries to play with Megumin's tiny breast for a bit before it turns around and tries to return to Yunyun.
"... Traitor. I know they're not big, but how can you be so openly traitorous? I care for you, and this is how you pay me?" Megumin tears up as Chomuzuke ignores her and returns to Yunyun's embrace.
"Sorry, Megu. I still have faith in your genetics. You will have a B breast very soon." Yunyun tries to cheer her friend up.
Megumin's single eye turns deadly as she faces Yunyun. "Cow boobs, you're just saying that because you have those two mountains. Those damn H-cup breasts you parade around for men to look at. I bet that Kazuma is also drawn to them like every other man. Men only care about big breasts, while women like me are left to the side. I will incinerate this world and eliminate all men who dared to express their love for big-breasted women."
A deadly aura surrounds Megumy as she shares her plan.
Aqua, Yunyun, and Darkness gulp as they face such a deadly aura.
"Hey, Megumin, relax. Kazuma said that he has no preferred type of woman. He said that every lady has his charm and that he would date anyone regardless of how they look if he found their unique charms attractive." Aqua starts as she seeks a way out of an assured bad ending.
Darkness nods. "He already finds you attractive. He proposed matrimony to you not long ago."
Megumin turns her face towards Darkness. "He did What!?" The aura increases.
Yunyun raises her hand. "It is common for males in the kingdom of Belzerg to offer a ring to their significant other before they place it on that hand." Yunyun points her finger at the ring on Megumin's hand.
The Crimson Sage grows silent as she takes this information in. Her face starts to turn red as her hands begin to tremble. "Mammaaa…..rriaggeeeeeee. Me with him? Me a bride?" Her brain stops working before she falls back into the water while trying to understand the whole thing.
Yunyun and the rest take a deep breath as they evade a catastrophe. Their eyes turn toward the door with sorry expressions.
"Sorry, Kazuma, but you must sacrifice yourself for the greater good." Aqua starts.
"I promise that Megumin will be a wonderful bride if you ignore her problems." Yunyun follows.
"I… wouldn't mind being the second bride." Darkness says in a much lower voice.
Meanwhile, with Kazuma.
Kazuma focused his entire attention on fixing the armor for Darkness while ignoring whatever was happening in the bathroom. His gaze was worthy of a master as he ignored all distractions and focused his entire body on the task.
This was the case until he felt a cold sensation crossing his back.
"... Is someone speaking about me?" Kazuma asks himself for a moment before he returns to his work.
Back with the girls.
"Yunyun, explain to us what the cat is?" Aqua asks.
Yunyun sighs. "Alright, but don't expect me to have all the answers. Our home, the Crimson Demon Village, had a mystical being who lived by our side. We called her the Goddess of Violence Wolbach, and we continuously engaged her in battle for a long time, seeking to defeat her. Generations came and went as Wolbach faced our people time and time again without killing any of us. Each generation grew stronger through these engagements, but something changed at one point. Our people started to worship her, and she found us appealing enough to live by our side. Since she moved to our village, Wolbach would take one person from every generation and raise them as their student to ensure she had someone to face as part of one of our ceremonies. Megumin was Wolbach's last student, the final disciple of a long line of strong spell casters. Wolbach even placed a sacred beast at her side as part of the training. Chomusuke is that beast, a part of our goddess incarnate in the flesh."
Aqua and Darkness's faces show complete amazement after hearing such a tale, yet their curiosity remains, and they feel the need to know more.
"Where is this goddess? Why is she not by your side?" Darkness is the one that has the guts to ask the question.
"... We don't know. Our village was attacked on the same day as the Rain of Fire. A gruesome fight took place as our people tried to defend themselves against the threat. Nobody was spared by the demons as they destroyed our homes and attacked our elderly and children. Megumin and I tried to help, but the result was a horrible defeat; we only managed to get away because Wolbach gave us a chance to escape. She stayed behind with our elders while we were forced to run away with the help of Chomusuke. When we returned after healing ourselves, we found only destruction and corpses. Many of our people were also missing; no matter how much we looked, Wolbach was nowhere to be seen. We were barely 11, and we found ourselves in total solitude. We… gave up on the idea of finding them alive; Wolbach wouldn't have given up, and she likely perished alongside everyone else. We only hope to find out why so many corpses were taken away." Yunyun says as her hand caresses the cat.
"... She can't be dead. If the cat is still alive, there's a chance that Wolbach was just taken away alongside your people. Goddesses don't die." Aqua expresses as she thinks about the situation.
Yunyun shakes her head. "It has been too long. We haven't found a single cue to tell us where and why they took them. We can't live on while chasing an impossible dream. The best we can do is to bring our fight to the demon lords. If we defeat them, we'll get our answers."
Chomusuke meows as if cheering Yunyun.
Yet Darkness wasn't entirely sure about the ending of such a strong clan. "There has to be some hope, Yunyun. Don't give up hope unless you see the body like I had to. There's always a diminutive possibility that life can surprise you. The answers you're looking for might be somewhere with one of the four demon lords. Regardless of how long it has been don't lose all hope yet. I know that as long as we follow Kazuma, there's hope that things will turn around. He descended into this world within that blue meteor like an emissary from the gods. He is our reaper and our guide to the brighter tomorrow."
Her words show her blind faith in the reaper and the interference of a greater being. Someone might call it the words of an insane woman, but for Yunyun, it was a sign that all hope wasn't lost.
Her mind recalled the mysterious meteor they saw as Darkness did.
They wanted to ignore it, but the meteor came to them instead.
Maybe there was hope.
A tiny flicker of hope.
For the first time in years, Yunyun wanted to believe in said hope.
In this broken world, could a miracle really present itself before them?