Chapter 188: Jealous Megumin, Health Bar Deletion Technique
Axel's Suburban Mansion
"Ka-Kazuma-kun... a-are you done yet?"
"Don't move, it's almost done."
"B-but, I can't hold it in anymore... I-I need to... right now...!"
"W-wait!"
Riiiiiiip—
A mysterious sound rang out.
Amidst Kazuma's frantic movements and Kobayashi's look of relief, a beautifully made piece of clothing was completely torn apart.
"Ahhhh!!! My... my clothes!!!" Kazuma clutched his head, knelt on the ground, and began to cry his heart out. With his despairing expression, you would have thought he had lost his King's Power.
Kobayashi pulled the tatters hanging off his body. Not only did he feel no apology for ruining the clothes that Kazuma had spent five days painstakingly making, but he even complained, "Honestly! Didn't I tell you I couldn't fit into such small clothes? It's fine to use me as a fitting model, but at least make it fit my size!"
"B-but..."
Kazuma was on the verge of tears.
But he couldn't blame him. He had told him from the beginning that he couldn't wear it; he was the one who had forced him to try.
As a result, trying it on meant its demise.
The clothes he had worked so hard on for five days had been destroyed just a few minutes after being put on.
Coincidentally, Aqua and Megumin returned.
"Kazuma?" Aqua saw him kneeling on the floor of the main hall and asked curiously, "What's wrong with him? He has the expression of someone who bought high-grade sparkling liquor but had it all stolen before he could even take a sip."
"Mmm-hmm. It's like he was about to cast an Explosion spell, but was caught." Megumin followed up.
These two... don't tell me they're talking about their own tragic experiences?
With a helpless feeling, he scolded them with a rude look in his eyes. "Can you two stop imagining that everyone is just like you?"
"So? What's wrong with him?" she asked.
"As you can see, the clothes are ruined," he said, pointing at the fragments scattered on the floor. "Kazuma-kun insisted that I try on the clothes he made, but he ignored the size, which caused them to be destroyed just as I put them on."
With that, he picked up his own clothes, which had been draped over the back of the sofa, and put them on.
Megumin, hearing the explanation, unconsciously took a step back. Her expression was not good; she was reminded of her previous experience.
"Oh, so that's what happened," Aqua said, instantly losing interest. She didn't even have the heart to comfort him. No, in fact, she was probably glad that he had suffered a setback so she could watch and laugh.
"Speaking of which..."
He suddenly remembered that he had wanted to have a set of clothes made, the kind that wouldn't attract too much attention in most worlds, no matter the era.
He immediately told Kazuma his requirements.
"Mmm..."
Kazuma began to think. As a "fashion designer," this request shouldn't be too difficult for him.
But unexpectedly, Aqua, on the contrary, became interested.
She rushed over excitedly, threw herself into his arms, and took the initiative to request, "Kobayashi, Kobayashi! Let me design your clothes! I'm a goddess! Whether it's aesthetics or taste, I'm clearly much stronger than this scumbag over here! How about it? Let me design a set of clothes for you that is most representative of the Axis Order!"
It was obvious she had her own selfish motives.
She did have the thought of making clothes for him, but from the phrase "most representative of the Axis Order," it wasn't hard to see what her real purpose was.
Of course, he had no reason to refuse.
Although it might come with some strange elements, with her super-strong buff in aesthetics and taste, he was willing to take the gamble.
"Alright. Since you're asking, then..."
"Wait, wait, wait!"
Before he could agree, Kazuma loudly objected, spraying at her, "What are you, an idiot, doing, causing trouble?! Can you even make clothes? Don't make me laugh! I admit you have a talent for handicrafts like flower arranging and doll making, but when it comes to making clothes, you're definitely not as good as me, a tailor!"
Kazuma, who had always insisted he was a "fashion designer," had actually admitted he was a "tailor" just to one-up her and vent his anger.
He never thought he could be so ruthless.
Aqua was also infuriated and retorted, "What did you say?! You, who's only accomplished a little in handicrafts! Don't think I haven't seen your sneaky little movements in the middle of the night! Don't tell me you're trying to say you're relying on that to improve your clothes-making skills?"
A finishing blow!
The veins on Kazuma's forehead bulged. Ashamed and annoyed, he glared fiercely at her, looking as puffed up as an angry groundhog.
Hiss—
Kobayashi sucked in a breath of cold air.
This was the first time such a fierce confrontation had broken out. He knew it wasn't because of the clothes, but because of the large and small conflicts that had accumulated between the two of them over a long time, and they were just using this opportunity to explode.
Just as he was thinking about how to mediate, Megumin suddenly cut in.
"Since that's the case, then you two should just have a competition."
"...Eh?"
"What did you say, Megumin?"
The two of them turned to look at the loli, who was sitting on the sofa, as if she were an old god.
She proposed, "Since you both think the clothes you make are the best, then you should both just make them. After you're done, let the person who wears them... just let Kobayashi decide which set of clothes is better."
"Kobayashi?"
"Kobayashi-senpai?"
The two of them turned to look at him.
You've really caused me a lot of trouble, Megumin.
He shot her an exasperated look, but found the loli smiling, as if she had done it on purpose.
But she was right.
It wasn't a solution to just keep arguing. And the conflict between them could also be resolved. Most importantly, he could get two sets of clothes.
Two birds with one stone.
"Alright! Let's do that!" he thought for a moment and agreed. "The time limit will be one week. The judge will, naturally, be me, the customer! And you two will be the tailors who satisfy my needs. When the time comes, I will decide who the final winner is. Is that acceptable?"
"No problem!" x2
The two of them answered at the same time.
Kazuma said, "Just you watch, Aqua. I'll use the vast amount of 21st-century fashion designs stored in my head to defeat you!"
Aqua was not to be outdone and retorted sarcastically, "If it's women's clothing, the lecherous Kazuma does indeed have talent. But men's clothing... hehe!"
"Then just you wait and see!"
"The winner will definitely be me!"
"Hmph!" x2
The two of them returned to their respective rooms.
Leaving him and Megumin in the living room, staring at each other.
"How nice. You'll have two new sets of clothes to wear soon," she said. It was just that her tone was a little... off.
He raised an eyebrow. "If you want, Megumin, I can also have them make a set for you."
"No need. I'm afraid I'll choose Aqua's."
How much of a grudge do you have against him? Did the previous outfit really cause you that much psychological trauma?
"Ah! Speaking of which..."
He slapped his right fist into his left palm and suddenly pulled a set of blue clothes out from under his butt.
Megumin immediately had a bad feeling.
And he had a kind face, and said in a very gentle tone, "Megumin, could I trouble you to try on this set of clothes that Kazuma made?"
"Eh?! Why?!" she said, her little face flushing as she got agitated.
"Because that's what I'm thinking."
"Th-that is, if it's possible, I'd rather not..."
"You'll wear it, won't you?"
"Wh-why do you have that strange smile?"
She, frightened, shrank back into the large sofa, but no matter how she dodged, she definitely couldn't escape his clutches.
Seeing that she was unwilling, he had a wicked smile on his lips.
"Alright! Imagine it!"
"Imagine what?!"
"Of course, what you'd look like wearing this outfit!"
"Huh?! What's the point of doing that!"
She looked very resistant. After all, to be the subject of a delusion... she would subconsciously feel a psychological resistance.
And he nodded and said thoughtfully, "Mmm... I see, I see. Is that how it is?"
"Has it already started?!"
She, frightened, crossed her hands over her flat chest.
He really couldn't understand what she had to hide, seeing as she wasn't endowed at all.
He continued to put on his superb acting. "Ah, Megumin! I wasn't ready! You called me to this place... is there something you want to say to me? Don't tell me... it's a confession?"
"Wait! Please don't fall into a strange scenario!"
"No, no, no, I can't! We can't do that, Megumin! Because... because... my country has a complete set of...!"
"I get it! I'll wear it! I'll wear it, okay! So please, stop this disgusting fantasy immediately!"
"Hey, don't say it's disgusting..."
He protested weakly.
But fortunately, the thin-skinned Megumin finally couldn't stand his antics and was forced to agree.
The loli took the clothes and went back to her room.
After a short wait, she returned to the living room.
Looking at her, his eyes couldn't help but light up.
A dark blue, long-sleeved one-piece dress reached her calves. Under the light, fluttering folds was her fair, smooth skin. On her feet was a pair of sandals tied with thin straw ropes. On her head was a beret of the same color as her outfit, and on it was a pattern of the same style as Chomusuke. Short black hair, slightly red eyes, a cute face... a playful style came blowing in.
He sat on the sofa, staring straight at her, not saying a word.
"Hey! Say something, at least!"
She tugged at her clothes, shy and a little fidgety.
"Sorry. I don't know if I should say you look 'criminal' in this outfit, or that I'm the 'criminal' for having strange thoughts... In any case, it's great, Megumin!" he said, tilting his head up, not daring to look at her anymore, saying words that were completely incomprehensible to her.
But since he said it was great, it should be fine, right?
A smile appeared on the loli's lips.
But then, the corners of her mouth immediately turned down, and her mouth puffed up, making an angry expression.
It seems she's in a bit of a bad mood.
Wait, don't tell me it's because of the effect of the clothes... that her jealousy has become stronger?
Kazuma always added strange magic to his clothes as a "perk," and the magic effect on this set was to increase jealousy.
What a redundant enchantment.
He scratched his head and decided to test her a little.
"I say... Megumin, you're not in a very good mood today," he said, at the same time reaching out a finger to poke her cheek, wanting to let the air out of her puffed-up mouth.
The loli turned her head away first, avoiding him, and said in a muffled voice, "It's your imagination."
"I see. In other words, this annoyed expression is just your normal self."
"...Are you serious?"
"How could I be?! If you're in a bad mood about something, just say it. If you keep holding it in, your mood will only get worse."
He was consoling her, and at the same time, inwardly cursing Kazuma for making the enchantment so strong.
The loli's "evil tsundere" attribute was about to manifest.
She lowered her eyebrows and said with a slight questioning tone, "Kobayashi, you were out for a walk with a girl yesterday, weren't you?"
Yesterday? With a girl? A walk?
Did that happen?
No, no, no, this must be the outfit's enchantment. That's why she has this strange setting, right?
That idiot Kazuma-kun.
He cursed inwardly again.
She continued to question, "Who was... that person?"
"Eh?" he blinked, puzzled. "Wait, in other words, the reason you're angry is..."
"Mmph—"
She let out an angry, muffled huff.
It's here! The jealousy is here!! But the effect is too strong, Kazuma-kun!!!
She turned her head away and said in a tsundere way, "Hmph. I don't want to see your face ever again!"
Pfft—
He muffled a sound.
So cute! This is too cute!
In that instant, his health bar was almost emptied!
No! Calm down! I must calm down!
He cleared his throat and said with feigned calmness, "Indeed. I was with a girl last night. But what of it?"
"Don't tell me... you've forgotten that promise?" she said with a trace of resentment.
"That promise?"
"Didn't you say it, Kobayashi? You said you would always, always watch over me. And despite that, you were still happily chatting with another girl... what's with that? That happy expression is disgusting."
...
Are these... lines from a continuous drama?
He remembered the time when she had worn the cheerleader uniform and cheered for him.
This is bad~ The feeling of being envied... is great!
"Hmph. Anyway, for you, that kind of promise doesn't matter, right?" The condemnation in her tone had increased considerably.
He subconsciously tried to remedy the situation. "That's not true! That promise is also very important to me!"
"R-really?!"
Her smile returned.
He added, "But, in my life, it's unreasonable to say I can't talk to any girl other than you."
"Of course I know that. But, but..." the loli was a little disappointed.
Mmm, comforting her now would be simple. But the opportunity was rare, so he would just have to tease her a little more.
He held back the wicked smile on his lips and said, "Besides, RyuZU is my attendant. Whether it's for quests or daily life, she's always by my side. Even at night, she accompanies me. That's right. It's a joy that you can't give me."
"Heh..."
The loli's eyebrows lowered, her expression unfriendly.
And he, as if he hadn't seen it, said, "Yesterday, too. Even if I said, 'No, I can't go on!' RyuZU still forcefully pressed me down on the bed and did this and that to me. That's something you can't do, Megumin... no, you've never even thought of doing it, have you?"
"Be that as it may..."
She became even more resentful.
And he continued to provoke her, deliberately making her jealous. "And that's not all! Besides RyuZU, there's also Darkness! That's right, that perverted knight has also done things that make my heart pound. It's a feeling I can't get from you at all! So I especially cherish those opportunities!"
Her mouth puffed out even more. "That's enough! I don't want to hear that!"
"Oh my, Megumin! Why are you puffing out your cheeks?" he said, poking her cheek.
"It's nothing special!"
"But to me, it looks like you're sulking."
This time, the loli didn't dodge, but her angry little eyes kept glaring at him.
"Mmph...! What is this? The anger that's boiling in my stomach... it feels like it's about to explode!"
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. By the way, how about you calm down?"
"Aren't you the one who made me angry?"
"If it were normal, you wouldn't be pouting like this, right?"
"That's because... it didn't have anything to do with other girls... " she said, her eyes shifting slightly, with a hint of complaint.
He grinned. "As I thought, you're jealous."
"Mmmph~~~~~"
Her cheeks, which had just deflated, puffed up again.
"Sorry, sorry. Since that's the case, what do you want me to do to make you feel better?"
"There's nothing I want you to do..."
"Come on, just say it. As long as it's something I can do."
Just consider it compensation for teasing her.
He also hadn't expected the effect of the clothes to be so strong. If he didn't compensate her now, the loli, in her shame and annoyance, would really cast an Explosion on him!
"Something I want you to do... I didn't have anything special I wanted you to do... but if you're going to say that, I'll think about it seriously!"
"Please do think about it seriously."
Under his probing, she thought seriously for a while.
Just as he was getting a little impatient, the loli said, fidgeting, "Th-that is... I... want."
"What did you say?"
Her voice was too soft; it was a little hard to hear.
He unconsciously leaned his head closer.
She held back her shyness and said, a little louder, "S-so... I want you to only look at me!"
"Hmm?"
He was slightly stunned.
At this moment, she also realized how shameful the words she had just said were. Her face turned bright red, and she shouted, "A-actually, there's nothing I want you to do right now! Please pretend you didn't hear what I just said!"
Then, she turned and fled.
"She actually ran away... But... mmm, the feeling of being envied... is great!"
He lay back on the sofa, a strange smile on his face.
His health bar was empty.
(End of Chapter)