Until I Burn Away - Megumin x Male Reader

Chapter 9: That's One Down

Kazuma: "Whatever it is, we've definitely done it this time."

Y/N: "Have things always been so hectic here? Or did we somehow have this impact on the town?"

Kazuma: "That's an obvious question, seeing as the almost certain doom that we're walking towards right now is entirely your fault."

You grabbed Megumin's shoulder and shook her around.

Y/N: "We're allowed to have some fun every once in a while, aren't we?"

Megumin: "Whatever this is, it definitely won't be fun."

As you walked, a familiar scent began to fill the air. The clouds above were painted a gloomy dark grey, blanketing the grass below in shadow and threatening to rain at any moment. For the second time in a couple days, an overwhelmingly malevolent presence weighed down the atmosphere in front of the gates to Axel. 

The adventurers that had gathered at the front gates once again filled the air with the sound of nervous chatter, trying to make light of the situation ahead of them. The tension was palpable. Every single adventurer here knew what they were up against, and yet they showed up anyway. That was the beauty of humanity.

As your party moved through the packed street, the crowd seemed to part and allow you to pass, before finally breaking out into the open where a front guard had been established. 

Adventurer 1: "Oh, hey! It's you guys. Good thing you showed up."

Adventurer 2: "You came! We were worried...we think we know what's going on here."

Darkness: "It's the undead knight again, isn't it? What could he possibly want from us so soon?"

Kazuma: "I don't get it. Why? Didn't he say he would leave us alone as long as we never exploded his castle again?"

Y/N: "Maybe. But that was before Megumin showed him that the people of this town are too unreasonable to listen to any compromise."

Aqua: "So you're saying he's back for another show of force? To keep us away?"

Adventurer 1: "There would be no point to that. He's already proven to himself that even all of us together would be no match for him."

Adventurer 2: "He knows we don't need another reason to stay away from him. It has to be something else."

Thunder crashed and unholy lightning struck down upon the earth on a nearby hill, causing the grass to wither and die on impact. A tree fell over from the force of the wind. 

Y/N: "Whatever it is, we can't let it happen. It's not going to be good."

Kazuma: "Obviously. But what can we do? What's going to make this time any less of a beatdown?" 

Megumin: "Because this time we have knowledge."

Everyone turned to look at her.

Kazuma: "Like what, exactly? What can knowledge do for us here? We're still going to get crushed like bugs if somebody makes a single wrong step." 

Megumin: "That's not true. If we can-"

Kazuma: "If we can nothing! It's pointless."

She retreated behind you.

Y/N: "No, she's right. If nothing else, we know he's undead now. He revived himself, so the soul is probably the only part of him that takes any damage. I completely destroyed his physical form and he was back within minutes." 

Aqua: "For a goddess like me, dealing with undead is a regular afternoon. They're all pitiful creatures, seeking redemption from a goddess such as myself to bring an end to their sad existence."