Chapter 106: The Dullahan Comes Knocking
It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon.
Just as Kobayashi was enjoying the warm sunlight on the living room sofa, the party's troublesome, chuunibyou loli from the Crimson Demon Clan came looking for him.
The moment she opened her mouth, she said something world-shocking.
"Kobayashi, come have a shot with me!"
"Eh?"
"Didn't you say that if I had a need, I should just come find you?"
"Ehh—"
Hearing her words, Kobayashi had a look of disgust on his face.
He immediately turned his head to the perverted knight who was lost in her delusions and said, "It's just to cast an Explosion spell! You've definitely misunderstood something!"
Megumin, however, was half-straddling her magic staff and wouldn't let go.
Her delicate body was writhing desperately, her cheek pressed tightly against it, feeling the feedback of mana from time to time.
"Look at this luster! It's so black and tall... I just can't put it down! Haaah— haaah—"
You're talking about the staff. You must be talking about the staff, right?!
He could understand her love for her staff, but the way she was playing with the tip of it was extremely easy to misunderstand. And her utterly depraved, perverted-girl speech made one wonder if she was a complete weirdo.
"So... hurry up, Kobayashi! I can't hold it in anymore!"
"Yes, yes, I know."
Hearing the explosion loli's urging, Kobayashi helplessly got up from RyuZU's soft lap pillow.
There was no helping it. Who told him to promise her?
After a simple greeting, the two of them went out. On the way, Megumin was skipping and hopping, her cheerful mood infecting even him.
He couldn't help but blurt out, "Megumin, you really do love Explosion magic."
Her interest was immediately piqued. She raised the staff in her hand and shouted, "That's right! Explosion magic is my everything! I will dedicate my entire life to it, and no one can stop me!"
"Oh, so full of passion," Kobayashi said, rubbing her small head.
"Wait, did you just treat me like a child, Kobayashi?" She suddenly turned her head, her crimson eyes filled with a dangerous glint.
He blinked and said, puzzled, "Aren't you a minor? You're still a few months short of 14, right?"
"Ah—! That's right, that's right! But it's so strange, I feel so frustrated!"
Megumin held her head in her hands and twisted her body back and forth, as if she were in great pain because he had spoken the truth, which meant she couldn't get angry at him.
"By the way, why did you come to me? Didn't Darkness say to have as little contact with me as possible?"
He hadn't forgotten about being slandered before. And Darkness and Megumin had a good relationship. When the other was free, she should have gone to her... at the very least, there was still Aqua and Kazuma. Why come to him?
"Because I want to give my first time to you!"
"...Eh?"
"The new staff's first Explosion magic!"
"From now on, you are not allowed to leave the most important words for the end of the sentence."
Kobayashi rubbed his temples. Looking at the completely oblivious Megumin, he felt a bit of a headache.
Thankfully she hadn't said that in front of everyone, otherwise it would have surely caused a huge uproar and created unnecessary misunderstandings. Besides, he wasn't interested in lolis in the first place. After all—
A righteous man never crosses the line!
They left the city and came to a small hillside.
Kobayashi looked at the distance and said, "This should be fine, right? Hurry up and release that... 'thing' of yours that's about to overflow."
"No way! If we're not far from the town, the guards will yell at me again!" she retorted excitedly.
You said "again," didn't you?
He suddenly remembered what Kazuma had said, that during the time he was away, Megumin's Explosion magic had destroyed the town's surroundings, forcing them to pay 1,000,000 Eris in compensation.
"You haven't been doing this for a long time, have you?"
"M-mm..." Megumin nodded awkwardly, her cheeks slightly red.
If you know you're in the wrong, then stop casting Explosion magic!
...Although he really wanted to say that, he knew that even if he did, she would still do as she pleased. If she could listen, she wouldn't be Megumin.
"I really can't do anything with you. Let's just go a little deeper."
He led her further up the mountain.
Before long, they arrived at the foot of a cliff, upon which was an abandoned castle.
"This is it!"
Standing below, she pointed at the castle on the cliff and said to him, "That castle should be uninhabited. I've cast Explosion magic here many times before."
With that, she flicked the cape behind her.
"Alright! I'm going to cast Explosion magic now!"
"Wait, Megumin."
"What is it?"
"You said you've been here many times, right?"
"That's right!"
She puffed out her small, flat chest, mistakenly thinking he was afraid of getting into trouble, and comforted him, "Rest assured, I've cast it many times before. There's absolutely no problem!"
"Haah..."
The corner of his mouth couldn't help but twitch. No wonder he felt something was off. It wasn't just that guy Dust squatting in the guild drinking all day; the guild had also become quite deserted recently.
"Alright! I'm going to cast Explosion magic now!"
"Wait, Megumin."
"...What is it now?"
"Have there been rumors recently that a general of the Demon King's army has come to this town?"
"Yes, there have been such rumors."
She thought for a moment, tilted her head, and said, "But I haven't seen any sign of a general. It's probably just a baseless rumor."
She didn't care about such trivial matters at all. Besides, why would a general of the Demon King's army come to a remote beginner's town?
"Alright! I'm going to cast Explosion magic now!"
"Wait, Megumin!"
"So what in the world do you want, Kobayashi?! You keep stopping me every single time! Are you deliberately trying to pick a fight?!"
Megumin puffed out her cheeks and pounced, baring her fangs and brandishing her claws.
However, he simply held a hand on top of her head, preventing her from touching him at all.
"Megumin, if I told you that a general of the Demon King's army lives in this abandoned castle, what would you think?"
"...Eh?"
"Have you never thought about it? That abandoned castle has withstood so many of your explosions and still hasn't been destroyed. Someone must be constantly repairing it, right? But since no one lives there, who would be doing that?"
"N-no way...?!"
Even she had figured it out.
The power of Explosion magic was unquestionable. But after so many days, the abandoned castle was still standing on the cliff. That alone was enough to say a lot.
Her pupils rapidly contracted and dilated. It seemed this news was a huge shock to her.
"So, are you still going to do it?"
"..."
She was silent.
He leaned in close to her and stimulated her with a whisper in her ear. "It can't be helped. Even if you choose another target, it's fine. After all, there are some things that even Explosion magic can't do. Mmm, it's a helpless situation."
"...I'm going to cast it."
"What did you say?"
"I'm going to cast it!"
Megumin puffed out her chest and said with confidence, "I am Megumin! An Archwizard by trade, wielder of the strongest of attack magics—Explosion! I am the one who will ultimately master Explosion! A mere general of the Demon King's army is nothing to me!"
Her voice was resonant and full of confidence.
"Mmm, that's the great Archwizard—the [Fledgling Phoenix] Megumin—who wields the strongest Explosion magic that I have my eye on."
Kobayashi rubbed her small head encouragingly.
Just a Dullahan. Although the other party is very strong, and even I am not confident I can easily defeat him right now, there's no reason to be afraid after knowing his weakness. Though I feel very sorry, you will become my bounty.
"Alright! I'm going to cast Explosion magic now!"
She shouted, as if to cheer herself on. He also gave her a thumbs up in encouragement.
She raised her staff and chanted loudly.
"O, crimson king who has been branded upon the myriad worlds!
Let the laws of heaven and earth become wind and flame!
Let the principles of all creation be in my hands!
The other name for collapse and destruction!
Let the hammer of eternity descend upon me!
—Explosion!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM—!
A huge roar echoed in the distance. The shockwave from the explosion was bone-jarring. The subsequent vibration in the air was like a caress on the skin. Even from hundreds of meters away, you could feel the heat of the oncoming breeze.
The Explosion, far more powerful than usual, instantly blew the entire abandoned castle to smithereens.
And it was precisely because of this—
"Every day, every day, every day, every day! Every day some idiot casts Explosion magic on my castle! Which brain-damaged idiot is it!!!"
The Dullahan had come knocking.
(End of Chapter)