God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! - Megumin's If -
After defeating the Demon King, Kazuma and his party live peacefully in Axel. But Megumin, who should have returned to the Crimson Demon Village, is now freeloading at Kazuma's house. She ran away from home, breaking the village's law. She seriously demands Kazuma to marry her. Kazuma refuses, but Megumin keeps blowing up his house with her Explosion magic, claiming it's proof of her love. Darkness understands Megumin's feelings, while Aqua strongly opposes because her drinking money will decrea
God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! - Megumin's If - - Emissary of Crimson Flames - The Little Sister's Declaration of War -
The twilight glow painted Kazuma's newly repaired house in shades of orange.
The cracks in the walls had been patched, and the smell of fresh lumber still lingered in the air. Kazuma stood at the entrance, holding the bill that had just arrived, and heaved a deep sigh.
" Even with the payment plan, the monthly installments are way too steep... That explosion girl, if she blows something up again, I swear I'm kicking her out for real this time."
Kazuma shot a sideways glare at Megumin, who was humming happily as she polished her "Friend of Explosions" beside him.
" Kazuma, listen! I feel like my next Explosion spell could reach even farther. Today's sunset — the air is so clear, and the incantation resonates so beautifully!"
" You never learn, do you! Listen, you are absolutely not casting it today. I had to sign a written pledge for Luna at the guild. If you do it again, my adventurer rank gets frozen!"
" You becoming my monitor... that means you'll always be by my side, doesn't it? I'm so happy."
Megumin narrowed her crimson eyes dreamily and tried to cling to Kazuma's arm. He nimbly dodged.
" The monitor thing isn't for your love. It's for my peace and quiet. Don't get that mixed up."
From inside the house came the presence of Yunyun preparing dinner. Over the past few days, she had become completely comfortable in Kazuma's kitchen. Being the modest type, she was busily helping with chores so as not to be outdone by Megumin.
" Kazuma, Megumin, dinner is ready. Today I grilled some fish I bought at the market."
Yunyun poked her head out, wearing an apron. Her reddish-brown medium hair glowed softly in the sunset. Despite her age, she carried herself with a maturity that was soothing just to look at.
" Yunyun, you're quite something, aren't you. But I'm the one who will capture Kazuma's stomach. Keep that in mind."
" Megumin, you're always saying things like that... I'm just helping because I don't want to be a burden to Kazuma..."
" You two, don't fight before dinner. You'll ruin the food."
When Kazuma scolded them, the two glanced at each other and fell silent with sullen expressions.
Just as they were about to sit down for dinner—
Someone knocked forcefully on the front door. Bang, bang — a rhythmic but unreserved sound.
" Who could that be at this hour?"
Kazuma tilted his head and headed for the door. Megumin and Yunyun followed behind with anxious looks.
When he opened the door, a female knight stood there, her long blonde hair flowing in the evening breeze.
Her back was straight, her blue eyes fixed directly on Kazuma. Her silver-white armor was polished to a shine, and a fine longsword hung at her hip. She looked exactly like a knight out of a painting.
" Kazuma. Sorry I'm late. Starting today, I'll be living here too."
Darkness declared this without any preamble.
Kazuma's mouth fell open.
" Huh? What are you talking about? I thought you went back to your family's estate?"
" I didn't go back. More precisely, I can't go back. An envoy from the Dustiness family has come to Axel to drag me home."
Darkness stated the facts calmly.
" An envoy? Your family are minor nobles in the Kingdom of Belzerg, right? Why would they send someone for something like this?"
" My father intends to use me as a pawn for a political marriage. The other party is some third son of a viscount family in the royal capital. A man I've never even met. I have no intention of giving up being a knight for something like that. So I abandoned my home."
There was no hesitation in Darkness's voice.
Kazuma was left speechless by her resolve.
(She really abandoned her family. A noble's daughter, all by herself...)
" Kazuma, I want to protect you. No — I want you to let me protect you. I know Megumin and Yunyun are here. But I should have the right to protect you too. As a knight, I swear it on this sword."
Darkness placed her hand on the sword at her hip and looked straight at Kazuma.
Her blue eyes were utterly serious.
" H-hey, wait. Protect me? It's not like I'm in a situation where I need someone to protect me..."
As Kazuma started to speak, Megumin burst out from behind him.
" Even you, Darkness! I'm the one who will protect Kazuma! I'll blow away all his enemies at once with Explosion!"
" I want to protect Kazuma too. My advanced magic is still immature, but I can do my best for his sake."
Yunyun also timidly but clearly asserted herself.
" Oh come on, why does it always come to this! My house is already drowning in repair bills! I don't have room for any more people!"
Kazuma clutched his head.
At that moment, another resident emerged sluggishly from the back of the house.
" Hey, Kazuma! You brought in another girl?! My drinking budget is going to shrink again! I absolutely won't allow it!"
Aqua came flying out, her light-blue hair in disarray. She was one of the freeloaders in this house — a self-proclaimed goddess. Today, as always, she had a bottle of alcohol clutched in her hand.
" You, don't make this more complicated! I didn't bring anyone in — she showed up on her own! And your drinking budget comes out of my money anyway, so it can't shrink!"
" Shut up! Measuring a goddess's blessings in money is sacrilege! Anyway, I'm against this! I absolutely won't allow any more women to live in this house!"
" Look who's talking. You're a freeloader and you drink the most out of anyone."
Aqua had no comeback to Kazuma's retort.
Darkness watched the noisy group with a warm smile.
" Hehe, as lively as ever. I want to be part of this noise too. Kazuma, please. Let me stay by your side. Of course, I'll pay rent. I'll help with cooking, cleaning, anything. And... if you want, you can, um, step on me however you like."
At those last words, Darkness's cheeks flushed faintly red.
" Did you just say something weird at the end?! Step on you — who's going to step on you?! You're still casually making those perverted remarks!"
" Kazuma's insults... what a pleasant ring they have. More, more, degrade me. Pierce me with those cold eyes."
Darkness writhed ecstatically.
" Darkness, you really are..."
Yunyun sighed in exasperation.
" Darkness, that's enough with the perverted remarks! I won't allow you to trouble Kazuma!"
Megumin stepped between Darkness and Kazuma.
Kazuma felt a headache coming on at the premonition that this commotion was only going to get bigger.
(Man, where did my peaceful life go...)
Kazuma's inner cry vanished futilely into the twilight sky.
That night, something strange happened in the town of Axel.
The magic stones used as streetlights all began flickering in unison. The air was trembling with a buzzing vibration. It was as if an invisible, enormous power was shaking the entire town.
" W-what the hell is this?! The magic stones are going crazy!"
Kazuma dashed outside.
Screams and confused voices rose from all over town. The sky was stained an eerie purple, and the starlight was on the verge of being blotted out.
" Kazuma! Megumin's gone! She was in her room just a moment ago!"
Yunyun came running up, her face pale.
" What?! That idiot — don't tell me she's practicing Explosion at a time like this!"
Kazuma had a bad feeling.
" Kazuma, I can sense Megumin's magic. Over there. From the empty lot on the edge of town — an incredible amount of magical power is pouring out."
Darkness pointed toward the edge of town with a serious expression.
" Damn it, that stupid girl! Darkness, Yunyun, follow me!"
Kazuma broke into a full sprint.
When they reached the empty lot on the edge of town, an unbelievable sight unfolded before them.
Megumin was holding up her "Friend of Explosions," about to unleash her Explosion spell. But something was clearly wrong. A red-black aura of magic swirled around her like a vortex.
" Kazuma... don't come...! My magic... I can't control it...! My body is burning...! The Explosion is overflowing on its own...!"
Megumin clutched her chest in pain and doubled over.
" Megumin! Hey, are you okay?! Damn it, what is this magic?! The air is so hot it feels like it'll burn!"
Kazuma tried to run to her.
But the magic around her repelled him, blasting him backward.
" Damn it! I can't get close! Megumin, calm down! Take deep breaths! Listen to my voice!"
Kazuma shouted desperately.
" I-I can't...! It won't stop...! Something is overflowing from inside me...! Ah, Kazuma... help me...!"
Tears spilled from Megumin's crimson eyes.
In that instant, a colossal pillar of magic erupted from her body, shooting toward the heavens.
BOOOOOM!!
The air exploded.
Kazuma was blown away by the blast and slammed into the ground.
" Guah! M-Megumin!"
Kazuma scrambled to his feet and searched for Megumin.
She lay on her back in the center of the empty lot. Her "Friend of Explosions" had slipped from her hand and rolled several meters away.
" Megumin! Hey, stay with me!"
This time, Kazuma ran to her side. The barrier of magic had vanished.
Megumin's body was hot as fire, trembling in small spasms. Her face was deathly pale.
" Kazuma... I'm sorry... I caused trouble... again..."
Megumin opened her eyes faintly, looked at Kazuma's face, and smiled weakly.
" Idiot! Now's not the time to apologize! You're having severe mana sickness! Your magic is going berserk inside your body!"
Kazuma lifted Megumin into his arms. An abnormal wave of magical energy radiated from her body.
" Kazuma, Megumin's magic is wrong. It's like something else is forcing her magic out of her..."
Yunyun said, her face pale.
" Kazuma, this trembling in the air isn't just a mana outburst. This must be why the town's magic stones all flickered at once. Something much larger is at work."
Darkness put her hand on the hilt of her sword and kept watch on their surroundings.
That was when it happened.
Megumin's lips moved faintly.
" The Demon King... hasn't been... completely... defeated yet... The seal is... loosening..."
Her words were faint, barely audible.
But they reached Kazuma's ears clearly.
The color drained from Kazuma's face.
" ...Megumin, what did you just say...?"
Kazuma shook Megumin's shoulders hard.
But she had already lost consciousness.
(The Demon King... hasn't been... defeated yet...?)
Kazuma's heart pounded like a drum.
(I know. Back then, I learned that the true Demon King's seal wasn't complete. But that was supposed to be my secret alone. Why does Megumin...)
Kazuma felt cold sweat run down his back.
" Demon King...? Kazuma, what did Megumin say? Wasn't the Demon King defeated long ago?"
Darkness asked Kazuma with a puzzled look.
" Kazuma, you're pale as a ghost. Are you all right?"
Yunyun also peered at Kazuma's face with concern.
" ...No, it's nothing. More importantly, let's carry Megumin home. Darkness, can you piggyback her?"
Kazuma didn't answer their questions and directed them to carry Megumin.
(I can't say anything yet. The truth I know is too heavy. And Megumin's condition is clearly not normal. Those words — were they just delirium, or...)
Kazuma handed Megumin's burning body to Darkness and looked up at the dark sky.
The purple-stained sky looked as if it were announcing the end of the world.
Late at night.
In the living room of Kazuma's house, Megumin lay on a futon.
Her fever had gone down a little, but the disturbance in her magic still hadn't fully settled. Every so often, she moaned in pain.
Kazuma sat at her bedside, holding her hand.
(Megumin's magic instability — this is clearly connected to that magical anomaly. The town's magic stones flickering and Megumin's magic going berserk — it's all the same cause. ...And those words about the Demon King's seal loosening. That's no coincidence.)
Kazuma remembered the truth he had learned during the Demon King subjugation.
The true Demon King had not been completely annihilated — its remnants were sealed away. And that seal was weakening little by little over time.
(If the seal breaks com
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