"Hah—
—hah—
Hah—"
"Not happening, really can't anymore...!" Yunyun hunched over, arms hanging limp, panting heavily.
Around her lay the corpses of goblins, green-skinned, some clad in armor, and their scattered weapons.
But all of them had been scorched.
This time, she'd truly exhausted every drop of her mana, not even a drop remaining. If it weren't for the fact she'd experienced the same state just yesterday, she'd probably have collapsed on the ground by now.
"Good work."
Suddenly, Shichen appeared at her side, gently patting her shoulder in praise.
"Shi… Shichen… why… why didn't you help out…?" Yunyun asked weakly, practically out of breath.
"You'll find out in a moment," Shichen replied with a slight smile.
"Huh?"
Yunyun didn't get it.
"Don't mind it," Shichen went on, bending down and scooping Yunyun up by the waist.
"Let's head back."
"W-wait, hold on!"
Suddenly being scooped up princess-style, Yunyun reflexively clung to Shichen's neck, her face turning bright red.
"Shi… Shichen?"
Her voice trembled, too shy to keep steady.
"No need to be polite. This is your well-deserved reward."
"R-reward? That's… that's not necessary…" Yunyun quickly blurted out.
"What's with this formality? We're comrades in arms, aren't we?"
"Comrades…"
"That's right, we're comrades. Go ahead and accept it."
"In that case… I-I understand."
"Hehe~ let's go."
Shichen smiled briefly, carrying Yunyun back toward the carriage. But he didn't put her down.
"Ugh— what are you two doing, flirting at a time like this? Have you even looked around at our situation?"
Megumin was hugging her little black cat, staring at them with annoyance.
"Wh-what flirting…!"
Yunyun curled up in Shichen's arms, protesting quietly.
"You jealous or something?" Shichen shot back.
"Huh? Why would I be jealous?"
"Simple—Yunyun's the MVP here, completely drained her mana, so I'm helping her out. You didn't do anything except stand around, so all you can do is watch enviously."
"Stop spouting nonsense!" Megumin retorted loudly. "I'm simply being prudent in case a stronger foe appears. It's not that I can't handle those weaklings!"
Shichen chuckled but didn't argue further. Just then, a few streaks of purple lightning rained down from the sky, striking the horses drawing the carriage.
"Cursed Lightning!"
"That's…?!"
Everyone followed the sound upward, seeing a woman hovering in midair. Her attire was quite revealing, those long legs especially eye-catching. More strikingly, she had wings of flesh and a slender tail, with bright red hair and a pair of horns.
Her look was reminiscent of a demon, but the air she gave off was more seductively bewitching rather than frightening.
"Hmph, you all seem exhausted. This time I'll definitely snatch Wolbach-sama back!" The woman crossed her arms arrogantly.
"Ah, Arnes!" Yunyun exclaimed her name in surprise.
"Ugh, it's you again. 'Chomusuke' is my cat; you'd better give up," Megumin said calmly.
"Give up? You must be joking! Didn't I already pay a deposit? If you're not handing Wolbach over, then return my money!" Arnes, still floating, glared at Megumin.
"Ugh…" Megumin grew embarrassed. "No way will I be threatened by you! Plus, the Axis cult told me a contract with devils is just like toilet paper… you can break it without any repercussions."
"Whaaa—?!"
Arnes couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Megumin… that's a bit overboard," Yunyun couldn't help but interject.
"And who are you?" Shichen asked knowingly, feigning ignorance.
"Sh-she's probably a subordinate of the Demon King. No idea why she wanted to buy Megumin's pet earlier but got scammed…," Yunyun explained awkwardly.
"Incredible. So typical of Megumin," Shichen said, shaking his head in amusement.
"Seriously…" Yunyun had no rebuttal.
"Hey, don't side with the enemy!" Megumin complained.
"Why'd you scam her then?"
"Tch, the other party's a Demon King's minion—makes sense, no?" Megumin declared brazenly.
Shichen just sighed, "Truly you're something else…"
"You people—dare ignore me so?"
Arnes, still floating overhead, clenched her fists, teeth grinding.
"That's precisely why we demons no longer bother doing wish-granting contracts with humans. After fulfilling your desires in exchange for souls, you turn to ridiculous excuses and refuse to pay! You humans should learn some honesty!" Arnes reprimanded them sternly.
"Being lectured by a demon… what a world," Shichen couldn't help but mutter.
"Ahem." Megumin faked a cough, clearly feeling awkward.
"But enough talk—things have gone too far already." Arnes slowly lowered herself to the ground. "My mission is to retrieve Wolbach-sama, so prepare yourselves!"
"Shichen, put me down," Yunyun requested.
"What do you plan to do?" Shichen set her down gently.
"I have to help Megumin," she answered with some nervousness.
"And you don't think I can help?"
"We're comrades, but… this is between Megumin and that demon. It's… personal?"
Shichen just smiled and said nothing. Megumin, on the other hand, stepped forward.
"What are you up to?" Shichen asked Megumin, suspecting she intended to sacrifice her pet cat.
"Leave this to me! This time, I'll show you all my true power!"
Megumin said so, glaring at Arnes, then grabbed Chomusuke the cat in her arms.
"Arnes, you want it, right? I'll give it to you now!"
With that, Megumin suddenly hurled the cat into the air.
"Meow—yow—!"
"Huh?"
"Megumin, you…!"
They all stared, stunned that she'd do this.
"Wolbach-sama!" Arnes cried out, swiftly flying up to catch the cat. Clutching it, she exhaled in relief—but not for long, for massive fluctuations in mana drew her attention.
Megumin's staff shone brilliantly, magic power surging wildly.
"Pierce the dawn's break—light of earliest day; heed our contract—rend the sorrowful demon of the rose…"
"Wait, wait, stop!" Yunyun suddenly clung to her, interrupting mid-chant.
"What're you doing? I'm about to blow that big-chested devil away!"
"Ink-chan is still there!"
"That's my familiar—sacrificing itself is only right!"
"What's wrong with you? Don't be so coldhearted!"
"Let go of me!"
"No way I'll—uh?"
At that moment, up in the sky, a huge orb of menacing purple energy formed behind Arnes, overshadowing the land. The swirling mana was terrifyingly enormous.
"Ruler of Sloth and Wrath—my dark lord! Cross the seven gates of the abyss; grant me power to scorn the heavens!"
A giant sphere of purple mana kept expanding, blocking out the sky.
Sweat poured down Megumin's face, but she suddenly noticed a golden bracelet on Arnes's wrist.
"Isn't that from my house? Thank you for your patronage!" Megumin even managed a bow of gratitude.
"What… are you talking about??!"
Arnes's mind flashed back to the fiasco in the Crimson Demon village, being chased by those maniacs… all over that bracelet!
At that realization, her fury erupted like never before.
"You humans… you're the daughter of those two maniacs?!"
The mana ball in the sky swelled larger still, darkness blanketing the earth.
"Uh oh," Megumin muttered.
"We're doomed, we're doomed!" Yunyun wailed. "Somebody, please help us! Goddess-sama, Lady Eris, help—! Goddess of Luck, Eris-sama!"
"You're a Crimson Demon! Pray to the Destroyer God, you idiot," Megumin retorted.
"No, we need help from the Aqua Cult!" Shichen joined in the banter.
"Foolish, foul humans, prepare to die— Huh?!"
Swish!
Suddenly, as if in the distance, a voice chanted softly, and a sacred radiance shone from beyond Arnes, bathing the land in brilliant light.
~~~
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