Konosuba: Axels Fencer

Masochist Crusader (Chapter 7)

As Sapphire made his way to the guild, she spotted a familiar face across the street. She called out, "Hey, Megumin!" The mage jumped slightly and turned to look at him. When Megumin realized it was just Sapphire, she walked over and playfully punched him in the shoulder, saying, "Sapphire! Don't scare me like that!" Sapphire chuckled awkwardly and replied, "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I'm heading back to the Guild; you're welcome to join me if you want." Megumin smiled happily, "I'd love to!" Sapphire smiled back.

After finding a comfortable spot and enjoying a satisfying meal, Sapphire and Megumin delved into an animated discussion about their respective interests. Meanwhile, the Guild's ambiance became electrified with Aqua's entrance, as she dazzled everyone with her Party trick mastery, much to the delight of the gathered patrons.

In due course, Kazuma arrived, greeted by the enthusiastic applause spurred by Aqua's display of skills. Basking in the admiration, Aqua turned to Kazuma, eagerly seeking his appraisal of her abilities, proudly claiming them to befit her status as a water goddess.

However, Kazuma, with an air of indifference, made his way towards Sapphire and the others. With a curious glint in his eyes and his Adventurer Card at the ready, he inquired about the intricacies of acquiring new skills, prompting Megumin to elucidate the process.

"Intriguing," Sapphire pondered aloud, contemplating the idea of learning Explosion Magic. Megumin, visibly excited by his interest, eagerly seized his shoulders, her crimson eyes gleaming with enthusiasm. "Precisely! That's the spirit, Sapphire! If delving into Explosion Magic enthralls you, I'll gladly serve as your mentor! Are there any other skills worth pursuing? None that hold a candle to this, I assure you!"

Megumin leaned in intimately, her face mere inches from Sapphire's, her eyes gleaming with unwavering resolve. "Join me on the explosive journey," she urged passionately. Sapphire felt a surge of bashfulness, his cheeks flushing with warmth at her closeness. Across the room, Eryn was engrossed in a conversation with Aqua, oblivious to Sapphire's moment of embarrassment.

With a gentle touch on Megumin's shoulder, Sapphire gently pushed her back, his words slightly faltering. "Calm down a bit, please. I do want to learn Explosion Magic someday, but Eryn is helping me develop my own explosion spell. Plus, I still need to earn the necessary skill points to even consider learning yours."

Megumin stepped away, a mixture of sadness and disappointment clouding her features momentarily. Not wanting to see her discouraged, Sapphire hastened to reassure her, "But I promise I'll work towards it and walk that path with you someday." Her expression brightened, a wide smile returning to her face as she eagerly inquired, "Really? Do you mean it?" Sapphire nodded firmly, his voice determined. "Absolutely, and if not yours I'll learn my version."

Megumin nodded in agreement, her expression signaling acceptance, before warmly embracing Sapphire's arm in gratitude, eliciting a subtle blush from him. Just then, a familiar voice chimed in, "Oh, am I interrupting something?"

Sapphire turned to find the blonde female knight from the previous day, her gaze shifting between Kazuma and the group. "Shall we continue our conversation from yesterday?" she proposed. Arching an eyebrow, Sapphire replied, "I don't recall catching your name yesterday, but I was quite fatigued." Taking a seat beside him but opposite Megumin, she leaned forward to address everyone, "Apologies, my name is Darkness."

Refocusing on Kazuma, Darkness asked, "May I join your par─" Before she could finish, Kazuma interjected firmly, "It's not happening, forget about it." Darkness seemed strangely intrigued by his blunt response, remarking, "Such a hasty decision!"

A new voice interjected from behind them, "That won't do, Darkness." Sapphire felt a hand placed on his shoulder, prompting him to turn around. Politely, he inquired, "I'm sorry, and you are..?" She introduced herself as Chris, adopting a formal stance with a salute. "My calling is that of a thief," she declared. With a friendly tone, she continued, "I happened to overhear that you're seeking new skills, am I right?"

Sapphire gestured towards Kazuma and remarked, "That was mostly Kazuma, to be honest." Chris nodded in understanding and suggested, "Oh! How about learning a thief skill then? It can prove useful most of the time, and if you act now, I'll teach you for the cost of a drink."

Kazuma exclaimed, "That's cheap!" He quickly got up and hailed a waitress, signaling with his hand, "Excuse me, one drink for this nice lady over here!" The waitress acknowledged and walked away. Chris continued, "This offer extends to you as well, you know."

Sapphire let out a sigh, contemplating the offer.

Sapphire spoke with a sense of admiration as he gestured towards Eryn, who was peacefully napping in his hood. "My partner has bestowed upon me exceptional abilities," he remarked, his eyes reflecting a desire to master those skills first. "I'll stay here with Megumin," Sapphire asserted, ordering additional food for himself and Megumin as Kazuma departed with Chris.

Carefully lifting Eryn from his hood, Sapphire gently placed her on the table. Megumin, intrigued, inquired, "How did you two come to be partners?"

Sapphire summoned his sword, his expression reflecting a mix of reverence and affection. "She became my companion when I liberated this sword from its resting place," he explained. "Her presence has gifted me with unique skills, and during my initial days here, her companionship was invaluable. She's like a sister to me, bringing joy to my life." His words carried a genuine tone, unaware that Eryn had awakened, tears streaming down her face touched by his heartfelt sentiments.

Sapphire lowered his sword as Kazuma entered the room, bringing along a visibly distressed Chris. "What's the matter?" Sapphire inquired with genuine concern, his voice laced with worry. Kazuma paused for a moment, his expression hesitant, before beginning to explain, "Well, it's a rather convoluted situation..."

"Ah, she's just feeling down after teaching Kazuma some Thief skills, which he used to pilfer her panties and all the money she had," Darkness explained, her voice tinged with frustration. As she finished her explanation, Kazuma shot her a horrified glare, his eyes wide with guilt and embarrassment.

The group exchanged looks of disbelief, their faces contorted with a mix of disgust and horror at Kazuma's actions.

"He said that returning his coin pouch wouldn't be enough, so I said I'd pay any price if he'd just return my panties. And then he asked me to decide how much they'd be worth to sell!" Chris explained through quiet sobs, her distress palpable in the room. Now the eyes of every female adventurer were fixed on Kazuma, their expressions mirroring the shock and disapproval of the three present.

"Wait, hold on! I mean, that's essentially what I said, but still! Hold on!" Kazuma attempted to defend himself, his voice tinged with desperation.

Kazuma then tried to use his skill on Megumin, but it resulted in him holding her panties in his hands. "What are the chances this skill is supposed to be random?" Kazuma muttered, his confusion evident, until he felt the room temperature rise. With his newfound skill, Sapphire transformed his sword into a giant axe, his eyes narrowing with determination. "This is the part where you give Megumin her panties back, and I don't have to take more drastic measures." Sapphire's glare was enough to make Darkness blush and Kazuma quickly return the stolen item.

The tension in the room eased as Kazuma handed back the panties, a sheepish expression on his face, realizing the gravity of his actions.