KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! — What If Aqua Was Actually Useless? - The Explosion Mage and the Fading Goddess's Light

The streets of Axel were noisy as ever, even this early in the morning. Footsteps on cobblestone, street vendors hawking their wares, the clatter of carriage wheels. All of it blended together into the distinctive bustle of this trade city. Satou Kazuma walked through the chaos with a sigh. Beside him, Aqua's long light-blue hair swayed as she looked around, eyes darting everywhere. "Hey, Kazuma! Why don't we grab breakfast at that stall over there? Those skewers looked *so* good!" "You're eating meat first thing in the morning? And more importantly, do you have any idea how many copper coins we have left?" "But... I'm hungry..." Aqua looked up at him with those deep blue eyes, glistening. Kazuma turned his face away, fighting back something in his chest. (Damn it, that face is cheating.) "...Fine. One skewer. Just one." "Yay! Kazuma, I love you!" "Shut up. Come on, let's go." Aqua bounced over to the stall like an excited puppy. Her light-blue hair caught the morning sun, sparkling. (Does she even care about what happened yesterday?) Kazuma thought back to last night. It was yesterday evening when Luna at the reception desk told him that Aqua's registered name was on a surveillance list belonging to an organization called Nox Legacy. A secret society that claimed goddesses' powers should be "properly managed." People who considered a goddess dwelling within a human to be "divine corruption." (In other words, Aqua's being targeted.) But the person in question was as carefree as ever this morning. Kazuma felt that gap sometimes made him wonder if something was off. (Well, no point thinking about it. I just have to deal with what's in front of me.) Kazuma told himself that and followed after Aqua. —— The Adventurer's Guild was bustling with adventurers as usual. Some were scanning the request board covering the wall, others chatting with comrades, others lining up at the reception counter. Rough male laughter echoed through the high-ceilinged stone building. "Alright, Kazuma! Let's find ourselves a quest today with gusto!" Aqua stood at the entrance with her hands on her hips, declaring loudly. Several adventurers turned around. "Hey, isn't that the goddess from before?" "Oh yeah, the miracle of one cup." "How many cups is she gonna give us today?" Low snickers came from all around. Kazuma ground his back teeth. (Damn it, not again.) "Excuse me, you lot! Do you have any idea who I am? I'm a genuine goddess!" Aqua puffed out her cheeks and confronted the mockers. "Why's a goddess hanging around an E-rank guild?" "And her healing magic just wets your hair—that's pretty novel, huh." "Hahaha, right? That was hilarious!" The laughter grew louder. Aqua's face turned redder by the second. "W-what?! I can do it if I try!" "Yeah, yeah, 'if you try.' So what're you gonna do for us today? Show us the one-cup miracle again?" One adventurer held out an empty cup, grinning. "...Fine. I'll show you. Watch closely!" Aqua took the cup, drew a deep breath. "Water, come forth!" Her palm glowed faintly. But the next instant— *Splash.* Water overflowed from the cup, creating a large puddle on the floor. "...Oh." "It came out! The one-cup miracle! No, today it's a floor-full flood!" "Ahahaha! She's the best, this goddess!" The laughter around them exploded. Aqua hung her head, face crimson. Her long light-blue hair fell forward, hiding her expression. Kazuma silently took the cup from her hand, grabbed a nearby rag, and started wiping the floor. "...Oi, let's go." "...Kazuma." "Hurry up. Nothing good comes from staying here." Kazuma grabbed Aqua's arm and walked quickly through the crowd. Laughter still echoed behind them. (Bastards.) Kazuma cursed inwardly. (Why do I have to put up with this humiliation?) But more than that, seeing Aqua made a laughingstock tightened something in his chest. —— Behind the guild, in a deserted back alley. Kazuma released Aqua's arm and let out a deep sigh. "...You know, every single time, you manage to screw up in the most spectacular way possible." "B-but...! I'm trying...! But my power just won't come out...!" Tears spilled from Aqua's big eyes. She covered her face with both hands and started sobbing. "Waaah...! I hate this...! I'm a goddess, and I can't even produce water...!" (Oh great, she's crying.) Kazuma stood in silence for a while, listening to her weep. There was no one else in the alley. Only the distant noise of the market filtered in faintly. "...Hey, Aqua." "W-what...!" "Just do better next time." At his words, Aqua raised her tear-streaked face. "...Huh?" "I said next time. No point dragging today's failure around forever. I had a hell of a time killing a single goblin yesterday. But that's fine. You just keep adding to what you can do, bit by bit." As he spoke, Kazuma placed his hand gently on Aqua's head. "...Kazuma." Aqua's eyes welled up again. But these weren't the tears of sorrow from before. "I was born to protect you, Kazuma. So I'll definitely prove useful to you." Aqua wiped her tears and smiled brightly. That smile was so radiant it was hard to believe she'd been crying moments ago. Kazuma couldn't help but look away. (There's something behind that smile.) That thought crossed his mind. "Protect." Aqua said that word over and over. As if trying to convince herself. (Protect from what?) He didn't have the answer yet. But Kazuma could sense something like a firm "resolve" behind Aqua's smile. —— When they returned to the guild, a silver-haired woman was smiling quietly from behind the counter. Luna, the receptionist. "Welcome back. Kazuma, Aqua." "Ah, Luna. Thanks." Kazuma gave a slight bow. Luna was the one who'd told him about Nox Legacy yesterday. She had a gentle demeanor, but apparently she was a former B-rank adventurer. "What brings you here today? Are you looking for a quest?" "No, not particularly yet. Just thought I'd check today's request board." "I see. Well, if anything comes up, please let me know." Luna smiled warmly. That was when it happened. "—Are you Satou Kazuma?" Suddenly, from behind him, a voice rang out like a bell—yet with an unmistakable edge of intimidation. He turned to find a girl standing there. Red hair. Crimson eyes. Small frame. A star-shaped pattern in her left eye. And in her hand, a black staff taller than she was. "Megumin, Arch Wizard of the Crimson Demon Clan. I have something I need to ask you." The girl introduced herself and fixed her crimson gaze directly on Kazuma. —— "Huh? Crimson Demon Clan? Arch Wizard?" Kazuma stared at the girl before him. Red twin-tails. Crimson eyes. Small frame. Star-shaped pattern in her left eye. (So this is a Crimson Demon? She's the one I saw at the dungeon entrance.) Kazuma remembered yesterday. On the way back from the shallow layers of the Abyss Dungeon, a red-eyed girl had been watching him intently at the entrance. "You showed off some strange light in the dungeon the other day. What was that?" Megumin stepped right up to him. "Strange light... ah, that." Kazuma recalled the moment Aqua's body had glowed. "That wasn't ordinary magic power. I've never seen light like that. What *are* you?" Megumin's crimson eyes blazed with curiosity. Under that pressure, Kazuma instinctively took a step back. "I mean, 'what am I'... I'm just an E-rank adventurer. Satou Kazuma. This is Aqua." "Aqua? Same name as the water goddess. How unusual." "Oh, I *am* the real goddess, you know?" Aqua said proudly, chest puffed out. Megumin looked her up and down. "Oh, the real goddess. ...So why were you crying after spilling water all over the floor just now?" "Wha—?! You saw that?!" "I saw it. 'The one-cup miracle,' was it? That was quite entertaining." Megumin giggled. Aqua turned bright red, trembling with indignation. "Hey, Kazuma! Isn't this girl rude?!" "I mean, it's true." "Even you, Kazuma...!" Aqua teared up again. Kazuma ignored her and turned back to Megumin. "So, what do you want? An Arch Wizard of the Crimson Demon Clan, coming to an E-rank like me." "I already told you. I want to know what that light was. And one more thing." Megumin paused, her crimson eyes shining even brighter. "I want to cast Explosion Magic. Just for one day—I want to unleash a real Explosion with my own hands." —— "Explosion Magic?" Kazuma tilted his head. "Yes! The highest-tier offensive magic passed down through the Crimson Demon Clan! About thirty seconds to chant, mana cost three times that of an average wizard's entire reserve! Its power completely annihilates everything within a five-hundred-meter radius—truly the supreme magic!" Megumin rattled it all off rapid-fire. Her demeanor had completely shifted from the intimidating aura earlier—she looked like a child begging for a toy. "...And what does that have to do with us?" "...I don't have enough mana. Explosion Magic consumes an enormous amount, so I can't cast it on my own." Megumin's shoulders slumped. "So I left the Crimson Demon Village looking for a way to replenish my mana. And then I saw that light. That wasn't ordinary magic power. I thought maybe it could raise my mana to the level needed to cast Explosion." "...I see." As he listened, something occurred to Kazuma. (Explosion Magic. Aqua's healing magic. What if you combined them?) Kazuma looked at his own palm. In that moment when Aqua's body had glowed, something inside him had definitely resonated. (The goddess's magatama inside me. If that's connected to Aqua's power...) "...Hey, Megumin." "What?" "Your Explosion Magic—combined with Aqua's healing magic, it might work." At his words, Megumin's face lit up. "Really?! How?!" "I don't fully understand the mechanics yet. But it's worth trying. ...However, the location has to be inside the dungeon. If you set off an Explosion here, the whole city gets blown away." "Yes, yes! Of course! I'll go anywhere! Ah, finally, my dream...!" Megumin hopped up and down with joy. Her red twin-tails bounced. "Hey, Kazuma! What do you mean, combine with my healing magic? I haven't heard anything about this!" Aqua cut in, looking displeased. "You can use healing magic? And you're not just borrowing the water goddess's name?" Megumin studied Aqua with interest. "I'm not borrowing anything! I'm the real thing! ...Well, the healing magic part is still, um, a work in progress." "A work in progress, huh. Healing magic that just wets your hair. That's impressive in its own way." "Wha—! Ugh! Kazuma! What is *with* this girl?!" "Calm down, both of you. ...Anyway, the three of us should head to the third layer of the Abyss Dungeon. We can test things there." Kazuma stepped between them and made the declaration. "The Abyss Dungeon! Wonderful! I've only been to the shallow layers since I came to this city!" "...The third layer, huh. I'm kind of scared..." "What's a goddess afraid of? Don't worry, I'll protect you. ...Actually, I'd like to say that, but protecting you two is *your* job. I'll be focusing every ounce of my concentration on casting Explosion." Megumin said this with a fearless smile. Kazuma looked at her and muttered inwardly. (She's awfully confident. Well, let's just hope she doesn't drag us down.) —— The entrance to the Abyss Dungeon was on the outskirts of Axel, by the banks of the Great River of Tears. A massive rock face with a gaping black cave mouth. Cold air drifted out from within. "So this is the Abyss Dungeon...! Ah, no matter how many times I come, my heart races...!" Megumin's crimson eyes sparkled at the cave entrance. "...Kazuma, are we really going in? I have a bad feeling about this..." Aqua peered into the depths, hiding behind Kazuma's back. "Why are you saying that now? We're going. ...Here, you grip your staff tight too." Kazuma checked the cheap sword he'd bought yesterday, still at his hip. (The third layer, huh. Not exactly a place for beginners like us

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Episode 3

Name: KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! — What If Aqua Was Actually Useless?
Author: Novelia

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