Kazuma Sato, a second-year high school student, accidentally introduces himself as a hero from another world on his first day at a new school. That night, the naked goddess Aqua falls through his ceiling. She was supposed to take Kazuma to a fantasy world, but due to a paperwork error, both have been reborn as modern Japanese high school students. The next day, Megumin, a chuunibyou girl, and Darkness, a masochistic lady, also turn out to be reincarnated from that same world.
The four are force
Blessings on This Wonderful School Life! - The night of the after-party, when we vow to stay together as five.
The heat of the cultural festival quietly cools.
Passing through the main gate of Hinagi First High School, the wind had grown a little colder. An October evening. The sky had moved past crimson, shifting from the eastern edge into a pale indigo.
Satou Kazuma walked out of the school building with heavy steps. In both hands, cardboard boxes left behind in Class 2-3's classroom. Inside: unsold paper cups, half-used origami paper. And a scrap of the hand-drawn sign that Megumin had absolutely insisted on taking home.
"…Heavy."
A sigh—not white, but dissolving into the autumn air.
The cultural festival had been a day like a miracle. Told it was cancelled, getting on his knees, Eris using her authority to restart it. They'd even won the grand prize. A day like a dream. And yet.
*(Now, in this moment, after the cleanup is done—this exhaustion.)*
Kazuma reached with his left hand to fix his bent school badge. It wouldn't straighten. On his uniform chest, the badge remained, as always, slightly tilted.
"…Guess I'll head home."
Muttering to no one in particular, Kazuma headed toward the bicycle racks.
As he walked, the northeast corner of the schoolyard came into view at the edge of his vision. Over there was the three-meter-wide depression that the custodian, Toda-san, filled back in every morning. Today, surely, there'd be no explosions. Even Megumin, today of all days, seemed busy preparing for the after-party.
The after-party.
Right. Today, from here on, was the after-party. At Kazuma's house. Those four were waiting.
Thinking of that, his steps became just a little lighter.
*(Even though I'm exhausted, there's a part of me that wants to get home.)*
Kazuma smiled, faintly.
He pedaled his bicycle toward Kazuma's home. Hinagi City, Sakuradai 2-chome. An old detached house, twenty years old. In the second-floor ceiling, there was still a one-meter-wide hole that looked ready to leak rain.
On the way.
At the corner of Hinagi-dori Shopping Street, he saw the familiar blue sign. Convenience store Sunbright Hinagi Branch. Open twenty-four hours. The battlefield of debt repayment where Kazuma worked night shifts three times a week.
"…Maybe I'll stop by for a bit."
He stopped his bicycle.
The automatic doors opened. The familiar electronic chime. Inside, an evening news program played quietly.
Kazuma headed straight for the drink shelves. He'd already bought paper cups for the after-party by the box. Aqua was probably bringing snacks, so he figured he'd at least buy some juice. That was the light mood he was in.
On the way to the register.
His phone vibrated in his pocket.
He took it out.
Displayed on the screen was a notification from his memo app. That memo, set to open automatically on the first of every month.
*"Remaining Debt: 396,800 yen"*
"…Ugh."
The sound escaped him.
The elation he'd felt just moments ago from the cultural festival's success crashed straight to the ground.
Three hundred ninety-six thousand, eight hundred yen. The 450,000-yen debt had shrunk just a little. Which meant—this was the result of him working constantly these past few months. Night shifts three times a week. Rubbing sleepy eyes, working the register, stocking shelves. And for all that, finally, just over fifty thousand yen.
Kazuma traced the screen with his finger. The numbers stared back at him from the LCD. The weight of the phone suddenly seemed to bite into his wrist. At the back of his neck, his heart pounded once, hard.
*(It's a long road ahead.)*
Kazuma quietly put his phone away. His fingertips had gone just a little cold.
"…Well, whatever. At least for today, let's forget about it."
He told himself. Today was the cultural festival after-party. The debt—he could think about that again tomorrow.
With that thought, he placed the bottle of juice on the counter.
"Oh my, Satou-kun. Aren't you on the night shift today?"
At the register stood the store manager, Fukuda Miki. Thirty-five years old. A reliable woman who always moved briskly.
"No, today was the school cultural festival. We're having the after-party now."
"Oh, it was the cultural festival. Good work. …Satou-kun, have you lost a little weight lately? Are you eating properly?"
"Huh? Well, more or less."
"Don't push yourself too hard. …Ah, here, if you'd like. These are today's expired onigiri. We're just going to throw them away."
Fukuda-san held out two onigiri with markdown stickers on them from beside the register.
"Eh, are you sure?"
"It's fine, it's fine. You always work so diligently. This is store manager's authority."
Saying that, Fukuda-san smiled mischievously.
"…Thank you very much."
He accepted the onigiri. They were warm. Expired, but warm.
Through the wrapping, warmth slowly spread into his palm. Unconsciously, his fingertips gripped the edge of the film tightly.
That, strangely, made him really happy.
He left the convenience store. The sky was already quite dark. The remnants of the sunset lingered in the western sky like a thin line.
He got on his bicycle. In the front basket: juice and onigiri.
He pushed the pedals.
Wind passed by his ears. The air was cold, as if the daytime heat had been a lie.
Five more minutes until he reached the Satou household.
*(I wonder what those idiots are going to pull today.)*
That prediction, sadly, turned out to be right on the mark.
The moment he opened the front door.
"KAZUMA—!! You're late! I'm already starving to death, you know!"
Bursting out of the living room was the former water goddess, her waist-length light-blue hair flying wildly. Amano Aqua. Sixteen years old. Today too, the tips of her hair were slightly damp, reflecting the fluorescent light. The water-drop pendant at her chest swayed.
"…I'm home."
"Welcome back! Kazuma! Look, look! I did so much preparation!"
Aqua grabbed Kazuma's arm and dragged him into the living room.
On the living room table.
"…What the hell is this."
Three bags of potato chips. Five boxes of chocolate snacks. Cookies, gummies, rice crackers. And three two-liter bottles of carbonated drinks. On top of that, paper cups piled up like a mountain. The table was a castle of snacks.
"Amazing, right! For an after-party, the more snacks the better—it's definitely more fun that way!"
Aqua puffed out her chest and stood tall. Full of confidence. Her blue eyes sparkled.
"…You—how much did all this cost?"
Kazuma's voice dropped low.
"Huh? Um, let's see, all together, about four thousand… no, five thousand yen? Ah, but it's fine! Today, I properly paid for it myself, you know!"
"…Excuse me?"
Kazuma stared hard at Aqua.
"I bought all these snacks. With my allowance."
Aqua put both hands on her hips and puffed out her chest.
"…You—you had an allowance?"
"Of course I do! I'm a goddess, after all! …Well, not exactly an allowance—I saved up the money Kazuma gave me from time to time."
"…That's just my money."
"N-no it's not! Once Kazuma gives it to me, it becomes my money! That's basic economics!"
"Don't lecture me about economics, goddess. …Wait, you actually saved money? You?"
Kazuma was surprised.
That Aqua—the walking mass of spending habits. That Aqua who would go into raptures just smelling high-class liquor. She'd saved money, and moreover, spent it for his sake.
"…Even I can step up once in a while, you know. …I know Kazuma's always working late into the night."
Aqua's voice suddenly went quiet.
She lowered her face slightly, looking embarrassed. With her right index finger, she traced small circles over her pendant.
"…Huh."
Kazuma couldn't say anything more.
*(She's grown up.)*
Deep in his chest, warmth spread slowly.
"…It's not like I want your gratitude or anything. This was just because I wanted to enjoy the after-party."
Aqua added quickly. The tips of her ears were red.
"…I see. Thanks, Aqua."
When Kazuma said it honestly, Aqua's face lit up instantly with a beaming smile.
"Fufun! As expected of me! For a Kazuma, words of gratitude actually suit you, don't they? Praise me, praise me!"
"…Don't get carried away."
But it didn't feel bad.
"Kazuma. Welcome home."
From the kitchen, Darkness appeared in an apron. Her wavy blonde hair was tied back into a single ponytail. Commonly known as Darkness. Real name, Kirishima Lalatina. Eighteen years old. Former knight of Verdina.
"Senpai, what are you doing?"
"Preparing for the after-party. I'm in the middle of making tea for everyone. …Ah, and also, I finished weeding the garden a little while ago. Just a bit of exercise."
"…Ah, thanks."
This young lady, whenever she had free time, would take it upon herself to do odd jobs around Kazuma's house. It was both appreciated and guilt-inducing.
"By the way, Kazuma. The afterglow of today's cultural festival still lingers in my body. …I—that stage, at the grand prize ceremony, that brilliant, that… that applause from everyone, just remembering it… haah."
Darkness's cheeks flushed faintly.
"…Senpai, why are you swooning right now?"
"No, I mean, that—the gaze of that huge audience. …The tension of wondering what if I failed. …It was all magnificent. …Haah."
"Please don't have weird flashbacks. We're starting the after-party."
"Oh, that's right. Megumin-san! Kazuma has returned!"
Darkness called out toward the second floor.
"…Where's Megumin?"
"She seems to be in her room, copying out some kind of poem. She said, 'I shall show you the culmination of my Explosion Way.'"
"…Great, the annoying stuff's starting."
Just as Kazuma sighed—
Footsteps came down the stairs from the second floor.
"…Kazuma. You have done well. You must be tired, yes? I thought I would come greet you personally."
Appearing was a girl with shoulder-length black hair and a red inner mesh. Crimson eyes. The black eyepatch she always wore. With every step, her black cape billowed. Kurenai Megumin. Fourteen years old. Self-proclaimed genius Explosion magic user of the Crimson Demon Clan.
"…I'm home. Also, you don't need the cape inside the house."
"What are you saying. It is my everyday attire. …More importantly, Kazuma, let us begin the after-party at once. For this special day, I have prepared a very special 'Explosion Poem.'"
"…Explosion Poem?"
"Indeed. On this night, with the excitement of the cultural festival still burning, I have poured all my feelings toward Explosion into verse."
Megumin held up a folded piece of paper in her right hand.
"…Ah—um, I'll listen to that later, slowly."
"Truly! It is a promise, Kazuma! There is no one I place more trust in as a comrade of the Explosion Way than you!"
Megumin's crimson eyes shone with anticipation.
Kazuma placed the juice he'd bought on the table. Darkness carried in the tea. Aqua opened snack bags one after another. Megumin fidgeted with her poem paper in front of her chest.
"…Hey, where's Eris?"
Kazuma asked.
"Eris-san said, 'I'm stepping out for a bit of shopping,' and left a short while ago. I believe she'll be back soon."
"I see."
"…Kazuma. Pay a little attention to me too. I worked really hard today. …Look, the number of these paper cups! Artistic, right?"
Aqua pointed at the mountain of paper cups on the table.
"…Yeah, amazing, amazing. …Wait, we bought those cups by the box and there were that many, and you've already used this many? How many are you planning to use?"
"All of them! Today is a party! I, the goddess Aqua, will also show off my signature party trick!"
"Ah, no, that's fine, really."
"Why not! Right now, the only people in the world who can see my party trick are you guys!? Show more gratitude!"
"…I get that you want to show off, but what exactly is this party trick?"
"It's obvious! This!"
Saying that, Aqua placed an unopened bottle of carbonated juice on the table.
"…What about the juice?"
Aqua held her hands over it, as if wrapping around it.
"…'Aqua Illumination.'"
From her palms, a faint, light-blue glow overflowed.
Purification magic. The power of the water goddess from the other world, Ve
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