Chapter 5: Picture for Reference Only
On the plains outside the town of Axel.
Megumin raised her staff high, aiming at a Giant Toad in the distance. Her expression was focused as she chanted an incantation that was both esoteric and off the charts in its chuunibyou intensity.
"Darkness blacker than black and darker than dark, I beseech thee, combine with my deep crimson!1
The time of awakening cometh. Justice, fallen upon the infallible boundary, appear now as an intangible distor2tion!3
Dance! Dance! Dance!4
I desire for my torrent of power a destructive force, a destructive force without equal! Retu5rn all creation to cinders, and come forth from the abyss!
Behold!
This is humanity's most powerful means of attack, the ultimate offensive magic!
Explosion——————!"
A sudden gale kicked up, sending sand and stones flying as the sky darkened. A terrifying ball of light brewed in the heavens. A massive amount of magic erupted from Megumin's body, followed by a bolt of lightning that descended from the sky.
A blindingly intense light, a shockwave that shook the air, and a deafening roar. The fierce blast pushed the party members back several meters.
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!
In the distance, the crimson ball of light exploded, kicking up a cloud of smoke and dust that blotted out the sun. Endless sand and wind, mixed with the pulverized flesh and blood of the Giant Toad, scattered in all directions, leaving behind only a massive crater. The edges of the giant pit had even crystallized from the intense heat, and a terrifying, oppressive heat still radiated from it.
"S-so strong... Is this really a level of power a human can achieve?"
Satou Kazuma's legs went weak, and he let out a pathetic groan.
So this is what a human-shaped self-propelled nuclear bomb looks like! (Tactical lean back)
Words alone could not describe this level of shock. Only by seeing it with one's own eyes could one understand just how terrifyingly powerful Megumin's Explosion magic was. If that had landed on his head, he would have been blown to smithereens.
His previous decision was correct. If he wanted to live comfortably from now on, he had to get on the good side of this chuunibyou loli.
Thud!
After casting her spell, Megumin fell forward, stiff as a board.
"Eh?"
Satou Kazuma was startled. "Megumin, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, just out of energy," Megumin said weakly.
Aqua had a moment of realization. "I remember now! Explosion is the ultimate magic that drains all of the caster's mana and stamina. A reaction like this is normal."
"Oh, so that's what it is."
Satou Kazuma breathed a sigh of relief. "Megumin, your magic is certainly strong, but it can easily cause friendly fire and puts a huge burden on your body. It's best if you try not to use it in the future. If you want to contribute to the party, just use other magic."
"I can't."
Megumin's reply was blunt.
"...What did you say?"
"I said, I can't. I only know Explosion magic. I don't know any other spells."
"Really?"
"Really."
Satou Kazuma was dumbfounded. He had thought Megumin was just trying to show off her Explosion magic. He never imagined that it wasn't that she wouldn't use other spells, but that she couldn't.
Are you kidding me?! An Archwizard who only knows Explosion magic actually exists?!
"Then you should learn—"
"Don't even think about making me learn other magic!"
"But learning other spells would make adventuring easier."
"I don't want to, not even if I die! I only learn Explosion magic! I was born for Explosion magic, and I'll die before I learn any other spell! I love only Explosion! Even if I can only cast it once a day, I will be an Explosion mage!"
Megumin's declaration was deafening, striking a chord in their hearts. The rest of the party was stunned.
What incredible stubbornness and obstinacy! She had such great natural talent and could easily make a name for herself as an Archwizard, yet this chuunibyou loli stubbornly refused. Seeing how resolute her tone was, it would probably be impossible to convince her to change her mind.
Aqua and Darkness, on the other hand, greatly admired Megumin's persistence, especially Darkness, who had a strong sense of resonance from having painstakingly trained her own body to be as hard as metal.
"That's great! A wonderful idea!"
"That's right, Megumin, I have high hopes for you!"
It's over!
Satou Kazuma sensed trouble. If this continued, they would form their own united front, and the party's problems would multiply accordingly. He quickly looked over at Kobayashi.
"What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Kobayashi-senpai, didn't you say Megumin's magic was strong?"
"Is it not strong?" Kobayashi lifted his chin, gesturing for him to look at the terrain that had just been altered by Explosion magic.
"It is strong, it's very strong, that's true!" Satou Kazuma didn't quite know how to describe it, saying anxiously, "But don't you think there's something wrong here? Her strength is very problematic!"
"I said it before, didn't I? As far as Explosion magic goes, I'm willing to call her the strongest. But other than that..."
Kobayashi didn't continue, but Satou Kazuma understood.
"You mean she's worse than a normal person?!"
"Without a doubt. A complete burden."
"You've got to be kidding me..."
→
Watching Megumin being poked with a small stick by Aqua, Satou Kazuma had already labeled her as a useless problem child.
Kobayashi picked up the limp and powerless Megumin from the ground and said to the female knight beside him, "Alright, Darkness, you're next."
"Eh? M-me..." Darkness's cheeks flushed, and she stammered.
Aqua patted her on the shoulder. "Don't be nervous. Just show us your specialty and your strength. You can do it, Darkness."
"I'm not nervous."
"...Hmm?"
"Darkness, you..."
Even without a test, everyone clearly realized that in terms of personality, Darkness was a problem child on par with Aqua and Megumin.
Of course, Kobayashi wasn't going to let the perverted knight get her way. He had come prepared.
"Darkness, in order to let you display your full strength, I have specially selected an opponent of equal standing for you."
"An opponent of equal standing?"
As soon as he said this, the curiosity of the party was piqued. Although Darkness might have a perverted personality, her armor and the stats on her adventurer card didn't lie. Everyone had high expectations for just how strong an opponent of her equal would be.
...
The farmlands west of the town.
Satou Kazuma covered his forehead with his right hand and said with disappointment, "And here I was, so full of anticipation, thinking it would be some incredible monster. Isn't this just a wild boar?!"
"Correction, it's a frenzied wild boar," Kobayashi retorted.
In the nearby farmland, Darkness was facing off against a raging wild boar with bloodshot eyes.
The angry, frustrated snorts of the boar stood in stark contrast to the flushed, excited panting of the blonde female knight.
"Oink oink oink oink oink~~~"
"Haa—haa—haa—haa—"
Darkness grabbed the boar's thick tusks with both hands, getting whipped back and forth as the boar shook its head. But no matter how much it thrashed, it couldn't shake off Darkness's powerful hands.
Her grip was astonishing!
Incidentally, this situation had already been going on for two hours. The fact that she could be locked in a stalemate with a frenzied wild boar was a testament to how terrifying her stamina was.
Satou Kazuma, however, was getting impatient.
He shouted loudly, "Darkness, stop messing around and finish it off already!"
"I can't, I can't do it!"
A reply just like someone else's.
Kazuma was furious. "All you have to do is stab it with your longsword! What do you mean you can't do it?!"
But what he didn't know was that Darkness had a fatal flaw.
She could never hit her target.
"I have confidence in my stamina and defense, but my limbs are clumsy! I can never hit the enemy! So, I can't do it!"
"Are you kidding me! What kind of knight is that?!"
No wonder his internal danger detector had gone off when they first met. It turned out that Darkness, just like Megumin and Aqua, was a hopeless problem child in both personality and performance!
Just then, the situation in the field changed.
The boar suddenly and cunningly bent its front legs, causing the force pushing against it to vanish. Darkness lost her balance and subconsciously took a step forward. Seizing the opportunity, the boar abruptly thrust upwards, and Darkness was instantly flung into the sky.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
"Darkness!"
"Dangerous! Quick, help!"
"I can't, I can't use magic anymore!"
The party was thrown into a panic, but they couldn't think of what to do.
"Oink oink oink oink oink~~~"
The boar held its head high, oinking triumphantly like a victor.
However—
What it didn't expect was the sheer impact force of a fully-armored girl falling from the sky.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
THUD!
Amidst Darkness's cries, she landed squarely on the boar's back, crushing it to death instantly.
Yes, it was just that dramatic.
They thought the blonde knight who fell from the sky would be seriously injured, but she just patted her butt and staggered to her feet as if nothing had happened.
Satou Kazuma was utterly speechless.
"Kobayashi-senpai..."
"You saw it too. Darkness's physical hardness can indeed be compared to the world's hardest adamantite ore. I wasn't lying, you know."
"Is this really a matter of lying or not?!"
Satou Kazuma couldn't accept it. It was like buying a product that was beautifully packaged with an incredibly enticing description, only to find that it was completely different from what was advertised, sometimes vastly so.
"Kazuma-kun, there's a saying in my country."
"What is it?"
"The picture is for reference only. Please refer to the actual product."
"...Isn't that just fraud!!!"
Unable to accept it, Satou Kazuma roared at the heavens.
(End of Chapter)