God's Blessing on This Wonderful Academy! - The Goddess, the Childhood Friend, and the Trap of the Disciplinary Committee

Late May. When he opened the window, a damp breeze drifted into the room. The curtains swelled, and the scent of laundry brushed past his nose. Satou Kazuma stood in his kitchen. On the plate before him, a black lump was steaming. Fine ash was scattered along the rim of the dish. "Kazuma! My special bento is complete! Be grateful!" Aqua tossed her long, water-blue hair and puffed out her chest with pride. The small wing pendant at her throat caught the morning light and glittered. "What was this originally? Charcoal? Is it charcoal?" "How rude! This underwent a purification ritual — I removed all the impurities from the ingredients! It's absolutely good for your health!" "Forget impurities — the ingredients themselves have been annihilated! And seriously, do you think you can get away with anything as long as you call it 'purification'?" "But... I just wanted to make you a delicious bento, Kazuma." Aqua's shoulders slumped dejectedly. As she drooped, a few strands of hair fell onto the black lump. (Damn... When she makes that face, I can't stay mad.) "Wait, Kazuma. I'll prepare breakfast." He turned to see Megumin standing in the kitchen doorway, her small frame wrapped in an apron. A single crimson streak ran through her long black hair. Her deep crimson eyes were fixed on Aqua. "M-Megumin?! How long have you been standing there—" "I've been here a while. I've been watching you get dragged into this fake goddess's charcoal cooking this whole time." "Fake goddess?! I am a real goddess! Kazuma, say something to this rude childhood friend of yours!" "You two, don't fight first thing in the morning. You're bothering the neighbors." Megumin ignored Kazuma and opened the refrigerator. She pulled out a pot. Yesterday's curry was crusted along its rim. "There's curry left. I'll heat it up with my Explosion Magic." "Hey, wait. Heating up curry with Explosion Magic — are you insane?" "Of course not. Explosion Magic is the strongest. If I concentrate the heat and impact on a single point, I can bring the curry to the perfect temperature." "If you concentrate heat and impact on curry, the curry will explode! Think about the physics!" "Kazuma... You don't believe in my Explosion Magic?" Megumin's crimson eyes grew moist. She clutched the bandage wrapped around her left wrist. "No, that's not the issue here—" "Kazuma! Then I'll use my Purification Magic to remove the impurities from this curry and make it delicious!" Aqua held her hand over the pot of curry. "Stop! Your Purification Magic only obliterates things!" Before Kazuma could stop her, Aqua's palm emitted a pale blue light. The light enveloped the pot. The next instant, there was a dull sound. Pop. The curry in the pot instantly turned into black charcoal. The stench of burnt food rose from the bottom of the pot. "Oh? How strange. I was supposed to have removed the impurities." "The curry just turned into charcoal! Forget impurities — all the moisture evaporated too!" "Kazuma, don't worry. With my Explosion Magic, I can restore even charcoal curry." "There's no way you can. Explosion Magic is for destroying things. Restoration is impossible." "No, Explosion Magic is the strongest. Beyond destruction lies new creation." "Beyond destruction lies nothing but a bill from the landlord." Megumin scowled at Kazuma's words and gripped the bandage on her left wrist tightly. Beneath the bandage, something pulsed. "Then witness it with your own eyes. The true essence of my Explosion Magic." "Wait wait wait! Don't use magic inside the house!" Kazuma's shout was in vain — the air around Megumin warped and twisted. The air trembled, and a low hum rumbled deep in his ears. BOOOOOM!!! With a dull flash, the kitchen stove blew apart with a spectacular noise. Iron fragments embedded themselves in the wall, and white smoke spewed from the gas pipe. "GYAAAAAAAAH!?" Kazuma grabbed the fire extinguisher on instinct. White powder scattered throughout the kitchen. It got in his eyes, clouding his vision white. "Amazing! Megumin's magic is so impressive!" "This isn't the time to be impressed! Help me put out the fire!" "How was that, Kazuma? This is the power of Explosion Magic." "'How was that' my ass! The stove exploded! What are you going to do if the house catches fire!?" Kazuma screamed inwardly as he sprayed the extinguisher. (What the hell am I doing first thing in the morning...) (Mom, I'm sorry. This house might be done for.) Through the white powder, Aqua coughed and Megumin laughed. Kazuma's hand, still gripping the extinguisher lever, was trembling. --- Somehow, he managed to put out the fire, and Kazuma bolted out of the house at the last possible second before being late. White extinguisher powder still clung to his uniform sleeve. He ran down the school route. Aqua and Megumin ran right beside him, pressed close. Aqua's hair streamed in the wind, and Megumin's footsteps slapped against the asphalt. "Kazuma! After school today, let's prepare for the school festival together!" "No, Kazuma is doing executive committee work with me. As his childhood friend, I'm the one who can help him the most." "What are you saying?! Kazuma's partner is me! As a goddess, I protect Kazuma!" "When you protect him, things get more dangerous. Just the other day in PE, you took a volleyball to the face." "Th-that was... the ball was aiming for my face!" "You two, don't fight while running. You'll trip." Ignoring Kazuma, the two continued running while squabbling loudly. Kazuma felt eyes on his back from across the street. He turned to see a student from their school standing still, staring at them. (Seriously, give me a break...) --- When he arrived at the classroom, the gazes of every classmate stabbed into Kazuma. "Satou's got Aqua and Megumin with him again." "How'd that guy get two girls hanging off him? Something's gonna blow up — in more ways than one." "Anyway, apparently Megumin broke a window again yesterday. Satou was desperately trying to cover it up." Kazuma ground his back teeth at the deliberately audible whispers. The taste of iron spread behind his molars. (It's not like that. I'm not keeping them around — they just follow me on their own...) "Everyone, please listen." Suddenly, Aqua stood in front of the teacher's podium. "Hey, Aqua. What are you doing?" "I am Kazuma's partner! I protect Kazuma! So anyone who messes with Kazuma, I will purify!" The classroom fell silent for a moment. Someone's chair scraping echoed unnaturally loud. "Purify... you mean the thing that kills plants?" "That's terrifying. What happens if she does that to a person...?" "Wait, Aqua. The one who protects Kazuma is me, his childhood friend. The bond of childhood friends is the strongest." Megumin stood beside Aqua. "M-Megumin too...?" "Kazuma. I will protect you. So you don't need to listen to anything this fake goddess says." "I keep telling you, I'm not a fake goddess!" "I merely stated a fact. You can't even control your own power." "Your Explosion Magic always blows up everything around you too!" "Explosion Magic is the strongest, so a certain amount of collateral damage is unavoidable." "If it's the strongest, then defeat enemies without causing damage." Their argument continued until the chime for class began. Kazuma slumped face-down onto his desk. The cold surface pressed against his cheek. (Where did my peaceful school life go...?) --- After school. Kazuma had been summoned by Megumin and was now behind the school building. The setting sun cast shadows from the school walls. The air still held the heat of the day. "Kazuma. There's something I want to ask you." Megumin stared at Kazuma with her crimson eyes. Her small frame trembled slightly with tension. "What is it, so formal?" "...Why did you forget our promise?" "A promise?" "When we met again after five years, you had forgotten me. But that's not all. Why are you living with that fake goddess?" "I told you, stop calling her a fake goddess. Aqua saved my life." At Kazuma's words, Megumin's expression clouded over. The setting sun dyed half her face red. "...She saved your life. I see. So that's why you live together." "Well, a lot happened. She didn't have a place to stay, so she just moved in on her own." "Then what was I?!" The sudden shout. Kazuma stepped back. His heel crunched on a small stone. "M-Megumin...?" "I waited all this time. For you to come for me. For you to remember our promise. But you forgot. It's like I never existed to you from the start." "Megumin, that's..." "What were my five years for?! I trained in Explosion Magic, got stronger, so I could stand beside you — I worked so hard, all this time!" Tears spilled from Megumin's eyes. They traced down her chin and fell to the ground. In that instant, the bandage on her left wrist emitted light from within. White light leaked from between the bandage's folds. "Megumin, calm down! Your emotions are making your magic go out of control!" Kazuma's voice was drowned out by a roar. CRAAAAASH!!! Every window in the school building shattered from the inside, reduced to fragments. One, two, three — countless shards of glass danced through the air like snow, reflecting the setting sun. A shard grazed Kazuma's cheek, leaving a hot sting. Desks were blown apart by the blast. Window frames warped, and cracks ran through the walls. "GYAAAAAAAAH!?" "What?! An explosion!?" "Run! Glass is falling!" The students' screams echoed throughout the school building. Glass shards hit the ground with a fine tinkling sound. "Megumin! What are you doing!?" Aqua came running from somewhere. She was out of breath, her face pale. Megumin collapsed on the spot. Her knees hit the ground, and the hem of her skirt stained with dirt. She stared at her own hands, trembling uncontrollably. "...I did it again... I caused trouble for Kazuma..." Kazuma stood in front of Megumin without hesitation. He spread his arms wide, blocking the teachers who came rushing over. Glass shards were scattered at his feet. "I couldn't stop her. The responsibility is mine." --- The Disciplinary Committee interview room. Cold air filled the room. There were no windows, and the white fluorescent light reflected off the floor. Kazuma and Megumin were seated on hard chairs. Megumin hung her head, her face pale. The bandage on her wrist had been replaced with a new one. Across from them sat a girl with flowing silver hair, legs crossed. The Disciplinary Committee Chairwoman, Wiz. "Unauthorized use of Truth Magic. Destruction of school property. Endangering other students. Under school regulations, this warrants expulsion or memory processing." Wiz's voice was cold as ice. Not a shred of emotion could be felt in it. Her gaze fixed on the sweat on Kazuma's forehead. "W-wait, please! I did it! Kazuma had nothing to do with it!" Megumin shouted in a trembling voice. She tried to rise from her chair and lost her balance. "He is a Special Audit Subject. His responsibility is heavy." Wiz stared at Kazuma. Her eyes were like a snake appraising its prey. Kazuma took a deep breath. The cold air filled his lungs. (Don't run. I have to do this.) "Megumin cast that magic because I broke our childhood promise. It's all my fault. I'll take responsibility. Please, don't expel Megumin." Kazuma bowed deeply. His forehead touched the cold surface of the desk. "Kazuma...!" Megumin's crimson eyes wavered wildly. (Why... Why would you go that far...) (I'm the one who's entirely at fault...) Outside the interview room. Aqua had her ear pressed to the door. Her cheek was against the cold surface. "That's just the kind of person Kazuma is..." Aqua smiled softly. Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes. Wiz slowly curled her lips. "Then I shall give you a chance to redeem yourselves. Serve as the school festival executive committee. Succeed, and all is forgiven. Fail, and all o

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Episode 5

Name: God's Blessing on This Wonderful Academy!
Author: Novelia

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