Although Kazuma's four-person party was pretty trashy—and either professional troublemakers or outright weirdos—they were all fundamentally decent people, and they'd always gotten along well with the folks in Axel.
Even Luna, who had initially found Kazuma and the others irritating because of Aqua's antics, gradually came to understand through later interactions that this was simply their nature.All things considered, while Kazuma's group were scumbags, perverts, and walking calamities, Axel genuinely couldn't find anyone who truly hated them.
On the surface, they might joke about things like using Explosion Magic to send their own allies to the grave—but in reality, that was something they could never actually bring themselves to do.
And just as they stood there, completely at a loss, a voice suddenly rang out from behind them, telling Megumin to use Explosion Magic without hesitation. As for Mitsurugi Kyoya—he would take care of that.
"So fast! With that speed, he really can pull Kyoya out of the combat zone before Explosion Magic goes off!""Megumin, don't hesitate—start chanting right now!"
The owner of that voice was none other than Ren Kuroda, who had been shamelessly slacking off up until now. Through his earlier observations, he had already gained a rough understanding of this world's combat standards.
The moment Mitsurugi Kyoya was defeated, Ren immediately stopped holding back. With a single slash, he finished off the undead knight who had been locked in fierce combat with him for quite some time. His body then shot forward like a gust of wind.
As he passed by Kazuma's group, even Darkness—the crusader known for her resilience—couldn't help but marvel that Ren's speed had already surpassed what their minds could even comprehend.
At that pace, there was absolutely no problem rescuing someone before the spell was released—so she urged Megumin to begin chanting without delay.
"It seems I truly underestimated this town's adventurers," Berdia remarked coldly."I assumed Axel was merely a beginner city with low-level adventurers.""But I never expected that, besides that Crimson Demon who can use Explosion Magic and that magic-sword wielder… there would be another powerful individual."
"Your speed is indeed impressive," Berdia continued."But to think you could rescue someone right in front of me, as if I weren't even here—are you saying you don't take me, Berdia of the Demon King's Army, seriously at all?!"
Ren's sudden burst of movement was impossible for Berdia to miss. While he was shocked by Ren's speed, what he felt even more strongly was humiliation.
He admitted that Ren's speed was extraordinary—likely the mark of a high-level rogue-type class.But relying on speed alone to snatch someone away right under his nose?
That was nothing short of an insult to a Demon King general.
True, Berdia wasn't at his peak due to his injuries—but he certainly wasn't weak enough to simply watch an enemy be rescued before his eyes.
No matter how fast Ren was, could he really be faster than the sword thrust from Berdia's hand?
"O rumbling carriage of thunder, spinning spindle of light—split and shine, sixfold radiance!""Way of Binding, Number Sixty-One: Six-Rod Light Prison!"
The figure racing forward like the wind chanted rapidly. Almost at the exact instant Berdia thrust his longsword toward Mitsurugi Kyoya, six beams of light shot in from different directions—faster still—converging on Berdia's position from all sides.
Berdia's sword continued its thrust—but then he felt his body bound by a strange force.
When he shattered the light restraints with brute strength, he found that the Mitsurugi Kyoya who had been before him was already gone—swept away by the wind.
"Partner, charge!" Berdia roared."If we allow an enemy to be rescued right before our eyes, it will be a disgrace we bear for the rest of our existence!"
He had already talked himself up—and now Ren really had pulled it off. Feeling his dignity as a Demon King general wounded, Berdia yanked hard on the reins.
"NEEEIIIGH——!"
With Berdia's furious shout, his warhorse snorted violently, white vapor bursting from its nostrils. Amid a thunder of hooves, it surged forward—actually catching up to Ren, who was fleeing like the wind while carrying Kyoya!
A "knight," after all, wasn't just someone skilled with a sword.Only those who could fight as one with their mount—charging across the battlefield in perfect harmony—deserved that title.
Though the headless knight had fallen into undeath, his riding skill and talent as a knight were clearly exceptional.
And as a Demon King general, the warhorse beneath him was no ordinary steed. It was a trusted companion that had ridden with Berdia through countless battles.
As the saying went—two legs could never outrun four.
Even though Ren had activated Swift as the Wind to escape, Berdia's mount let out a shrill neigh as black flames suddenly coiled around its body, its speed surging explosively once more.
The nightmare warhorse galloped with flaming hooves, gradually overtaking Ren, who was burdened with an extra passenger.
"What do we do now?!""Didn't he say earlier that everything would be fine?!""My Explosion Magic is almost fully chanted! I can't stop it anymore—if they don't get out of range, they'll both get caught in it!"
As Berdia closed in atop his nightmare steed, Megumin's Explosion Magic reached completion.
A massive fireball gathered at the tip of her staff—but she couldn't bring herself to release it.
There was no other reason.
Ren and the headless knight were simply too close.
If she fired now, not only would Mitsurugi Kyoya fail to be saved—even Ren would be swallowed up as well.
"Megumin, hang in there!" Kazuma shouted desperately."Ren's on our side—he's the only guy who actually seems reliable right now!"
"I—I can't hold it much longer!" Megumin cried."If I can't maintain Explosion Magic, it'll detonate on the spot!""Then we are the ones who'll get blown up!""What do I do?! (╯﹏╰) Should I throw it—or should I just blow myself up?!"
The crimson Explosion Magic radiated a terrifying aura.Its damage—enough to instantly kill most monsters—could flatten everything in the surrounding area.
Kazuma, Aqua, and even the adventurers of Axel—who had been cheering Megumin on just moments earlier—quietly and discreetly increased the distance between themselves and her the moment they heard the spell was on the verge of spontaneous detonation.
"Do your best, Megumin! We believe in you!""You're the most talented genius of the Crimson Demons!"
Rather than feeling comforted, Megumin's eye twitched violently.
"When you say that, could you not do it from that far away—like you're avoiding the plague?!"
As the Explosion Magic before her reached its absolute limit, Megumin was on the verge of tears.
She couldn't bring herself to throw the spell at her allies.But if she didn't release it, the consequences would be just as catastrophic.
"I was the one who told you to use Explosion Magic without hesitation," Ren's voice rang out once more across the battlefield."So now that it's come to this, it's only right that I take responsibility."
"Stop hesitating," he shouted."Throw the Explosion Magic here!"
"…But—"
"There's no time for 'buts'!" Ren snapped."Do you want your Explosion Magic to take out even more adventurers around you?"
Because he was still carrying Mitsurugi Kyoya earlier, Ren hadn't been able to reach his top speed. Berdia, riding hard, quickly caught up and pulled alongside him.
"I am Berdia!""I will never allow an enemy to escape before my eyes!"
Relying on the momentum of his charging steed, Berdia raised his knightly greatsword high and brought it crashing down toward Ren.
"Is that so?" Ren replied calmly."I, Ren Kuroda, will not relinquish those I choose to save—even if the King of the Underworld himself comes for them!"
With the skill Mind's Eye, Ren had already anticipated the attack the instant Berdia's sword descended.
In the moment he turned back, veins bulged along his left arm as he violently hurled Mitsurugi Kyoya out of the combat zone.
Almost simultaneously, his right hand drew the Nichirin Blade Divine Protection from his waist.
CLANG——!
Greatsword and katana collided midair, the resulting shockwave tearing outward in all directions. Ren's feet sank straight into the ground as he blocked the blow.
It couldn't be helped—Berdia had charged in on horseback, while Ren was defending head-on. Being pushed back was only natural.
"I'm sorry… I really can't hold it anymore…"
Just as Ren flung Kyoya clear and turned to block Berdia's strike, Megumin's Explosion Magic finally exceeded its limit. Losing all control, it hurtled toward Ren and Berdia.
The sphere of power—radiating terrifying heat and pressure—dropped straight down toward their heads.
Having just clashed head-on, both were locked in place, with no room to evade.
BOOOOOOM——!
A thunderous explosion shook the heavens.
The earth trembled violently as a massive mushroom cloud rose before everyone's eyes.
Explosion Magic was already the strongest offensive spell in existence—and Megumin, a Crimson Demon with exceptional magical talent, had obsessively invested all her skill points into it, to the point where she could only cast it once per day.
With her immense mana pool, the power of that single daily Explosion was beyond imagination.
After casting it, Megumin collapsed to the ground as usual, completely drained.
But this time, there was no familiar sense of satisfaction.
Her eyes brimmed with tears.
Though it had been unavoidable, her Explosion Magic had just killed a comrade who had been fighting alongside them.
For a girl who loved Explosion Magic, who lived for the moment of unleashing it—
The guilt crushed her, plunging her into deep self-blame…and even making her question whether her long-held devotion had been right at all.