Author Note:
It's my birthday today, I can't throw a party, but hey, what better way to celebrate than with a new story?
I published a new story: Thousands Of Spells Away. It's a crossover between 'Naruto' and 'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End'. Go and check it out!
My one year anniversary on this site is coming soon: 29th December.
After 350 days on this platform, I've written 22 stories (yes, all ongoing—none abandoned) with over 900K words in total and nearly half a million views. I proofread everything myself—no editors or betas here—and somehow manage to write over 35K words every week while updating at least 8 stories weekly.
A huge thanks to:
…impashadows, SentinalSlice, Traitor of All Traitors, Samuel Santillan, ArashiNokitsune, Redone1977, Shisui No Akatsuki, EnoshimaYuno29, GodlyVortexofPain, Pinkypi, Joanne Frances Tiano Cajilig, FangofFire…
…for your unwavering support, help, and motivation. Apologies to everyone I couldn't mention, but know that I appreciate all of you.
And for those people who annoy me with copy-n-paste business offers in the review sections and PM… I have nothing to say.
I would like to remind you something: anybody writing here writes not for money and readers certainly aren't paying, so if you want to yell or waste your strength, do it somewhere else. Unless you have anything productive to say, go away. Don't like my story or MC? Think you can do better or can spend more time than me? Then be my guest, write one story yourself and let others be the humble judges.
Lastly, here are some highlights from my works:
Best Story: The Crystal Sage
Most Popular: Eyes That Hold The Heavens
Most Loved: A Greedy Witch in a Fantasy World
My admission test is on January so there will be irregular updates.
Thank you for sticking by my side. Here's to more stories and better writing ahead!
~Phoenix
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This Was A Mistake
Subaru stood in front of the dingy public toilet, her napkin firmly pressed against her nose as if her very survival depended on it. Beside her, Otto shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting with the hem of his coat.
"Uh… Otto," she began, eyeing the cracked walls and grimy floors around them. "I thought you were taking me to some mercenaries. This… this doesn't exactly look like a guild."
Otto coughed into his fist, avoiding her accusing gaze. "Emilia-sama, the mercenaries I was talking about are, um…"
Before he could finish, the door to the toilet creaked open with a sound that could only be described as a dying animal's last breath. Out stumbled two figures, covered head to toe in what could generously be called "sewer residue."
The stench hit like a physical blow. Subaru recoiled, her eyes watering as she instinctively stepped back.
One of the figures, a young man with brown hair, groaned as he peeled a slimy strand of… something… off his sleeve. "Aqua! I thought water was supposed to be your specialty. Why did you break the drain?!"
Beside him, a girl with light blue hair and an indignant expression snapped back. "You messed up my enchant, Kazuma! Don't blame me for your incompetence!"
Subaru stared, utterly dumbfounded. "Okay…?"
Kazuma looked up then, noticing Otto. His face brightened, and he waved enthusiastically, slime flying off his hand in the process. "Yo, Otto! Long time no see. Got a job for us? Because this,"—he gestured to his dripping clothes—"isn't exactly my idea of fun."
Otto forced a smile that screamed please don't embarrass me. "Actually, yes. Emilia-sama here has a job for you."
Subaru shot Otto a look that could have peeled paint. These idiots are the mercenaries?!
Kazuma extended his filthy hand toward her with a grin. "Satou Kazuma, at your service. And this is Aqua."
Subaru hesitated, her mind still reeling. Then her eyes widened as the name clicked. "Wait… you're from Japan?! Like isekai?!"
Kazuma blinked, clearly caught off guard. But then his expression shifted to one of resigned acceptance. "Yeah. Died by 'hitting a tractor', not a truck, though. Long story. Anyway, here I am, cleaning sewers and toilets. And you?" He gave her a once-over. "Reborn as a princess or something? Lucky you. So, what do you want us to do? Kill bedbugs? Clean your mansion?"
Before Subaru could answer, Aqua stepped forward, an eager gleam in her eye. "Ooh! Or maybe you're looking for a long-lost lover? A secret treasure? A—"
"Actually," Subaru cut in, "I wanted to kill the White Whale."
Silence.
Kazuma's face drained of colour. He stared at her like she'd just told him she wanted him to wrestle a dragon with his bare hands. Then, with a heavy sigh, he turned and began walking away. "Every time… why is it always crazy women?"
Aqua, however, panicked, grabbing his arm. "Wait! The payment! The payment must be good, right?"
Subaru nodded earnestly. "Very good."
"Kazuma~! I don't want to sleep with the horses anymore!"
Sleep with the… h-horses?! Subaru shook her head, this was a fantasy world…
Kazuma stopped mid-step, his shoulders slumping. He turned back slowly, his expression that of a man resigned to his fate. "Well, I can't just leave a lady like you to die like that. Darkness, Megumin, we've got a job to do!"
On cue, the toilet door burst open again. Two more figures emerged, just as filthy and rank as the first pair.
The first was a petite girl with crimson eyes and a high-pitched voice. She struck a dramatic pose, despite the sludge dripping from her clothes. "I am the greatest magician—Megumin!"
The second was a tall, blonde woman in armour that somehow managed to look both impractical and filthy at the same time. She stepped forward, her smile radiant despite the circumstances. "And I am the knight—Darkness!"
Subaru stared at the group in stunned silence. The stench, the absurdity, the sheer incompetence radiating from all of them—it was almost too much to process.
She pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling slowly. "I'm starting to think… I shouldn't have looked for mercenaries."
Û~Û
The carriage rattled along the uneven path, weaving deeper into the eerie expanse of the Elior Forest. The towering trees whispered among themselves, their leaves brushing like ghostly murmurs as they formed a darkened canopy overhead. Subaru sat inside, legs crossed, her head resting against the carriage's wooden frame. On top of her head, Puck lounged lazily, tail flicking rhythmically, his small, furry form radiating a sense of casual alertness.
Across from her, Rosewall was immersed in a leather-bound book, his lips twitching in amusement at something he read, though he offered no clue to anyone else about what it was.
And then… there were the mercenaries.
"That coin is mine!" Megumin's shrill voice pierced the quiet, startling a flock of birds from the treetops. The small mage clutched a single copper coin in her fist as if it were the last treasure in existence.
"Yours?!" Kazuma shot back, his tone a mix of exasperation and disbelief. "I'm the one who unclogged the toilet! You just stood there and gave a monologue about 'explosive resolve' or some nonsense!"
"I was providing moral support!" Megumin declared, puffing out her chest.
"Well, your moral support didn't stop me from getting sprayed with sewage!" Kazuma countered, snatching at the coin, which Megumin promptly held out of his reach.
"Children," Rosewall murmured without looking up from his book, "play niiice. Or Ram might… lose patience."
At the reins, Ram gritted her teeth, her jaw visibly twitching as she tried to ignore the chaos behind her. Beside her, Darkness sat unnervingly still, her cheeks flushed and her breath coming in shallow pants.
"Such… a dangerous journey," Darkness muttered, her voice trembling with some inexplicable emotion. She squirmed slightly, her thighs pressed together. "To ride alongside my potential murderer… to face beasts… to be at the mercy of a cruel, unfeeling forest…"
Ram's eye twitched as she shot Darkness a sharp glare. "If you don't stop muttering nonsense, I'll gladly toss you to the cruel, unfeeling forest myself."
Darkness shuddered, her blush deepening. "How… brutal… but I accept my punishment."
A loud, graceless snore from Aqua broke through the argument, drawing everyone's attention. She was sprawled against the side of the carriage, her mouth hanging open as she leaned precariously close to falling out.
"She's going to roll off if this keeps up," Subaru muttered, leaning forward to nudge Aqua back into a safer position. Puck tilted his head and glanced down at her from his perch.
"Where exactly did you find this… group?" the small spirit asked, his voice laced with dry amusement.
Subaru sighed, dragging a hand down her face. "They've got a… destructive reputation in the city," she admitted. "Blew up a fountain, broke three vendor stalls, and somehow caused a plumbing disaster in the noble district. Figured I'd take my chances."
"Bold strategy," Puck replied, tail flicking.
The carriage hit a bump, jolting everyone inside. Megumin yelped as the coin slipped from her grasp, only for Kazuma to snatch it mid-air with a triumphant grin.
"Victory!"
"You thief!"
The squabble raged on, but Subaru's attention was pulled elsewhere as the light outside dimmed. The golden glow of the sun, which had been streaming through the trees moments before, was swallowed by a thick blanket of dark clouds. A cold breeze swept through the forest, causing the horses to snort nervously.
Ram slowed the carriage, her gaze flicking to the sky. "The weather was clear just minutes ago," she muttered. "Now it looks like a storm's brewing."
Subaru peered out, her unease growing as shadows seemed to deepen and stretch along the forest floor. "This doesn't feel like normal weather," she said softly.
Puck's ears perked up, his previously relaxed demeanor replaced by sharp focus. "Something's coming," he said, his voice low and serious.
The laughter and bickering in the carriage died down instantly, everyone's attention snapping to the sudden tension in the air. The wind picked up, howling through the trees, and the forest seemed to hold its breath, waiting.
Kazuma, clutching the coin tightly, glanced at Subaru. "Uh… you sure this is the right way? Because I'm getting some serious 'we're all gonna die' vibes."
Subaru didn't answer, her eyes fixed on the darkened horizon. Whatever lay ahead, it wasn't going to be friendly.
The tension inside the carriage was suffocating. The low growl of the horses, the snapping of twigs under the wheels, and the eerie whispers of the forest beyond the wooden walls only heightened the creeping dread. Subaru leaned forward, gripping the edge of her seat tightly, her knuckles white.
"Rosewall," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Cast a light spell. Now."
Rosewall closed his book with an exaggerated flourish and flicked his wrist. "As you wiiiish." A ball of shimmering, golden light materialized, bathing the carriage's interior in its comforting glow.
Subaru reached out and pulled the curtain back, letting the light spill outside. Her breath hitched. Darkness was sitting at the reins, her hands gripping them firmly as the horses whinnied in distress.
"Where's Ram?" Subaru asked, her voice rising in panic.
Darkness glanced back, her face etched with confusion. "Who's Ram?"
Subaru blinked. "What do you mean? Ram! The one driving the carriage before you!"
The rest of the group exchanged puzzled glances. Kazuma scratched his head. "Ram? Are you sure that's a person? Doesn't sound familiar."
"Is this a joke?" Subaru demanded, her tone sharp, her gaze darting between them.
Rosewall tilted his head, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "I don't recall anyone by that naaame, my dear Emilia-sama."
Her heart sank. This wasn't a prank. She turned to Puck, her voice trembling. "They can't be serious, right? Ram was just here. You saw her too."
Puck's fur bristled, his small body tense. "The creature who eats the memories of its victims…"
Subaru felt like the air had been punched out of her lungs. No… no, no, no. "Ram's gone? Just like that?"
Before anyone could respond, a deep, guttural roar echoed from outside, reverberating through the trees and rattling the carriage. The horses reared back, their screams of terror piercing the thickening mist.
"Something's out there!" Darkness shouted, struggling to keep the reins under control.
Subaru lunged toward the window, her hands trembling as she gripped the edge of the frame. But before she could peer outside, she realised something even more unsettling. Darkness.
She whipped around. "Where's Darkness?"
No one answered.
Subaru's chest tightened. "Where is Darkness?!"
Kazuma blinked, looking around, his confusion mirroring Subaru's panic. "Who is Darkness?"
"She was here… and now she's not," Subaru whispered, dread pooling in her stomach. They hadn't even noticed. They hadn't cared.
The horses screamed again, their hooves slamming into the earth in a desperate attempt to bolt. Subaru's heart pounded in her ears.
"It's the Whale," she murmured, her voice hollow.
The silence in the cart grew colder, heavier.
Megumin stood abruptly, wobbling slightly as the carriage jerked beneath her. Her crimson eyes gleamed with determination, and she raised her staff. "No monster, no beast, no vile creature of this world shall escape my ultimate power!" she declared, her voice ringing with conviction.
"Wait, Megumin, don't—" Subaru began, but it was too late.
The mage closed her eyes, her voice falling into a rhythmic chant. Words of power flowed from her lips, ancient and commanding, growing louder with each syllable. Her staff glowed with an intense, fiery light, the sheer force of her energy crackling in the air around her.
"Exploooooo~sion!"
The sky erupted in a blinding flash of orange and gold. For a brief, harrowing moment, the entire forest was illuminated as though it were midday. And then they saw it.
A massive, unblinking eye stared at them from just beyond the carriage, its iris a swirling abyss of madness and malice. It was so large that it dwarfed the trees, its gaze piercing straight through their souls.
Subaru's breath caught in her throat. Her mind screamed for her to look away, but her body refused to move.
The light faded.
The attack had missed.
And Megumin? She collapsed backward into Kazuma's arms, completely unconscious.
The air grew colder, the mist seeping into the carriage like a living thing. It coiled around their legs, their arms, their throats. The horses stopped screaming. The forest fell deathly silent.
No one spoke. No one breathed.
And in the suffocating quiet, they waited for whatever came next.
The roar echoed in her mind, a deafening crescendo that seemed to rattle her very bones.
And then… nothing.
Û~Û
Subaru blinked, her vision adjusting to the soft sunlight streaming through the carriage. The forest outside was alive with the gentle rustling of leaves and the occasional chirp of birds. The eerie mist, the suffocating silence, the Whale's piercing eye—they were all gone, as if they'd never existed.
Her heart thudded violently in her chest. She turned her head, her gaze darting around. Everyone was there—safe, sound, and utterly oblivious.
Rosewall was lounging in his seat, a serene smile on his face as he lazily turned a page in his book. "Emilia-sama, is everything okaaaay?" he asked, his elongated vowels dragging through the warm air like honey.
Kazuma was crouched beside Aqua, shaking her violeny. "Hey, wake up already! you can't slack off," he muttered. His other hand, not so subtly, was reaching for the coin pouch tied to Megumin's belt.
Puck perched on Subaru's shoulder, his tiny body tense, his wide eyes scanning her face. "Lia, are you feeling alright? You're pale. Well, paler than usual."
Subaru's chest tightened. Her hands trembled as she clenched them into fists, her nails digging into her palms. This was wrong. All wrong.
She had died. She knew she had. The image of the Whale's monstrous eye was seared into her mind. She could still feel the cold mist coiling around her, the weight of her final breath before everything had gone dark.
Her stomach churned.
"Oi, you good?" Kazuma asked, frowning as he leaned toward her. "You're looking at me like I stole your lunch or something. Which, for the record, I didn't. Yet."
Subaru swallowed hard. "I… I'm fine," she lied, her voice barely audible.
Puck didn't look convinced. He hopped onto her lap, tilting his head. "Lia, you don't have to lie to me. Did something happen?"
Her mind raced, but no words came. How could she explain this? They wouldn't believe her. Whenever she tried to tell someone about her Return By Death ability, an invisible hand would clutch her heart…
Instead, she forced a shaky smile. "Just… a bad dream, that's all."
Rosewall chuckled, his eyes not leaving his book. "Well, if it was a dream, it's one worth dismissing. We haaave quite the task ahead of us, don't we?"
Subaru's gaze dropped to her hands, her fingers twitching as if still trying to grasp onto the fleeting moments before her death. She couldn't shake the dread that clung to her like a second skin.
A roar. Mist. Death.
And now, the sun. The warmth.
Her second chance.
She forced herself to sit straighter, her shoulders tense but her mind resolute. If this was how things worked, then fine. She had a second chance to fix it. To stop it. To save them all.
But first, she had to figure out how.
Subaru clutched the edge of her seat, her knuckles turning white as dread clawed at her chest. She turned to Ram, her voice cutting through the calm air like a whip.
"Ram, stop the carriage. Now."
Ram's brows furrowed as she glanced back, her tone laced with irritation. "And why would I do that, Emilia-sama? We have no reason to halt here."
"Because the White Whale will attack in a minute," Subaru said, her voice trembling but firm.
The statement landed like a stone in the carriage. Kazuma, sprawled lazily with Aqua leaning on him, sat up abruptly. Puck, perched on Subaru's shoulder, froze mid-stretch.
"How do you know that?" Ram demanded, her suspicion sharp as a knife.
Subaru opened her mouth, but no words came. She didn't know how to explain the weight of her knowledge, the death that she had already seen and now carried silently. Her gaze flickered to Rosewall, hoping for some support, but his unreadable smile stayed plastered on his face.
"Rosewall, say something," Subaru urged.
But he didn't. Instead, he calmly closed his book, his eyes twinkling with some hidden knowledge he wasn't ready to share. "I think it's best we don't question her for now," he said, his tone maddeningly serene. "We don't have muuuch time to waaaaste."
Subaru's frustration bubbled, but she shook it off. "Ram. Stop. The. Cart. Nooow."
With a sigh of exasperation, Ram yanked the reins. The carriage lurched to a halt, the sudden stillness unnerving.
Kazuma groaned, shaking Aqua awake. "Oi, Aqua, get up. Apparently, we're all gonna die or something."
Aqua blinked groggily, then shot up. "Die?! What do you mean, die?! I haven't even gotten paid yet!"
"We're under attack," Subaru said, jumping out of the cart. "Everyone, get down and move away from the carriage!"
"Are you serious right now?" Kazuma muttered but followed her lead, Aqua stumbling after him.
The group barely had time to retreat when the sky darkened. The forest around them seemed to groan under the sudden shift in atmosphere, and a dense mist began to roll in, consuming the trees and the path ahead.
Kazuma and Aqua stood frozen, their faces pale as the realization hit. "Oh no," Aqua whimpered. "I don't want to die in a stupid forest! I knew we shouldn't have trusted Otto!"
"Focus!" Subaru yelled. "Rosewall, we need light. Now!"
Rosewall stepped forward, his hands weaving intricate patterns in the air. A burst of magic erupted, casting a brilliant light that pushed against the oppressive mist. But it was weak, barely illuminating a small circle around them.
"That's it?" Subaru asked, panic edging into her voice.
"I'm afraaaid the mist resists liiiight quite strongly," Rosewall said, his usual smugness replaced with a rare note of unease.
Meanwhile, Darkness stood near the carriage, her cheeks flushed, her breath heavy. "The Whale… the legendary White Whale… What an honor it will be to face such a beast!" she moaned, her body trembling in excitement.
"Will you shut up?!" Ram snapped, her temper flaring as she stomped her foot. "Emilia-sama, what have you gotten us into?!"
"I—" Subaru started, but the words caught in her throat. The distant sound of something massive moving through the mist made her blood run cold.
And then, a roar. Deafening, primal, and so close it rattled the ground beneath them.
It was here.
Puck growled low, his icy aura flaring as he launched a sharp, jagged shard of frost toward the source of the roar. The mist made it impossible to aim precisely, and when the shard struck, there was no reaction. The whale's roar merely grew louder, mocking their efforts.
"Rosewall!" Subaru yelled, desperation in her voice. "Do something!"
The margrave tilted his head, an uncharacteristic seriousness overtaking his usual smug demeanor. He extended his hand, swirling mana gathering into an enormous sphere before exploding outward in a dazzling arc of energy. The spell tore through the mist, but when it reached its target, it dissipated as though striking an invisible barrier.
"It seems the beast's hide is imbued with maaagic resistance," Rosewall mused, his voice eerily calm despite the chaos.
Subaru turned, her frustration boiling over. "And you call yourselves mercenaries?! Make yourselves useful!"
Kazuma froze mid-step, looking sheepish. "Useful? Uh, yeah, sure… Darkness, do your thing!"
Darkness stood resolute, her eyes gleaming with a bizarre mixture of determination and… ecstasy? "This is my moment!" she cried, clutching her sword tightly. "Come, beast! Let me face you head-on!"
And then, without a second thought, she charged into the mist, her armor clanking with each step.
"Darkness, wait!" Subaru shouted, but it was too late.
The ground beneath them quaked as the massive form of the White Whale passed overhead. Its shadow consumed them, blotting out what little light Rosewall's spell had conjured.
The creature was enormous—an otherworldly behemoth, its body stretching impossibly far into the mist. Pale, glistening skin shimmered faintly in the dim light, its surface marked with countless scars from previous battles. A single colossal eye glared down at them, filled with an ancient, otherworldly malice.
It roared again, the sound a deafening cacophony that rattled Subaru's bones. The sheer force of the sound felt like it would crush her where she stood.
Subaru flinched, glancing around to find Darkness—only to realize no one else was looking for her. Her heart sank. They had forgotten her.
No… Not again.
"Puck!" Subaru screamed, snapping herself back to the present. "We need to hit it with everything we've got!"
Puck leapt into action, launching massive icy spikes at the creature's thick, glistening hide. At the same time, Subaru joined in, summoning her own mana to hurl gigantic icicles at the whale.
But no matter how hard they tried, their attacks merely glanced off its skin, leaving nothing but faint scratches.
Rosewall joined them, his spells growing larger and more destructive with every cast. Brilliant bolts of energy exploded against the creature's body, but even his magic seemed useless against the monster's hide.
"This isn't working!" Subaru cried, panic setting in.
And then, Megumin stood up, her staff glowing faintly in the dim light. "Everyone, hold it off for a moment," she said, her voice unnervingly calm.
Subaru's eyes widened as she realized what was happening. "Megumin, wait—"
The girl ignored her, muttering a complex, lengthy incantation under her breath. The air around her seemed to hum with power as the spell built, her words growing louder with each passing second.
"Explooo~sion!"
The sky erupted with a blinding light as Megumin's spell descended from the heavens. The mist vanished, evaporating in the intense heat of the explosion. For the first time, they saw the White Whale fully exposed, its massive body illuminated as the spell hit with devastating force.
Megumin collapsed into Kazuma's arms, utterly drained. "Did I… did I do it?" she murmured weakly.
Ram squinted through the clearing smoke. "Did she…?"
The ground shook violently, and with a tremendous crash, the White Whale fell. Its massive body slammed into the earth, sending debris flying in every direction. A powerful gust of wind knocked them all backward as the forest itself seemed to groan under the weight of the fallen beast.
For a moment, everything was silent.
"We did it…" Subaru whispered, hardly daring to believe it. "We—"
A sudden explosion erupted from the White Whale's body, its roar splitting the air once more.
The shockwave hit them before anyone could react, and in an instant, Subaru was consumed by blinding pain as everything around her was torn apart.
And then—nothing.
Silence.
She had failed. Again.
Û~Û
Author Note:
You can treat them as OCs if you want.
Should I put the story in the crossover section? Nah, bad idea.
Should Team Kazuma be Emilia's official underlings? Tell me.
Coincidentally, my other story: 'Stone-Faced But Friendly' is also in the same arc. Check it out. Dattebayo.
Thanks for reading this chapter. Drop your thoughts in the review section. Your words motivate me to write better, larger and with more depth.
Till next time!