chapter 11

[Note: This story takes place sometime around season 2, around volume 3-4 ish, so the status quo is a bit different from the more recent volumes.]

On that day.

After having lunch at the tavern attached to the adventurer’s guild, we were enjoying lazing around when the receptionist lady came up to us.

“Pardon me, I have a named request for Satou Kazuma-san’s party…”

Named request.

This is a special sort of quest that’s only issued to adventurers with a certain amount of skill and renown.

“Named request? Hehe, seems like we’ve earned quite a bit of fame in this town.”

“Well, of course. With a goddess like me by your side, there’s no way we wouldn’t become famous.”

It’s quite understandable why Darkness and Aqua would be this excited. By this point, we can be counted as one of the few adventuring parties that can be relied upon in a crisis.

It’s only a matter of time before a named request or two would come our way.

“You want to request for us specifically? Well, this is a request from the onee-san who’ve taken great care of us over the years, so I wouldn’t mind repaying the favour… but, we are a party with quite a few Advanced Jobs. Our services won’t come cheap.”

“You were begging them to give you a simple quest not too long ago, and now you have the gall to put on such airs?”

Aqua is being unnecessarily annoying as always.

The receptionist lady gazed away to the side and hesitantly said.

“No, that’s, umm, to be specific, this request doesn’t call for Kazuma-san… It’s actually a request for Megumin-san sitting over there.”

She motioned towards someone sitting behind us, and all of our attentions were drawn towards Megumin who had been vigorously digging into her pudding this whole time.

[space]

–A large typhoon is currently heading towards Axel.

That is the news that was relayed to Axel from the Weather Diviners stationed in the Capital.

“A powerful typhoon is heading northwards from the southern ocean towards Axel. It will enter within range of the town sometime between early morning and noon tomorrow. At this rate, this town will suffer severe damages!”

As someone from Japan that receives visit from several typhoons every year, I get the feeling that typhoons would be classified as a major calamity in this world.

The rivers will overflow, and it might get bad enough to completely drown out the crops growing in the region. It could also destroy houses and even cause damage to the town walls.

On top of that, there is also a problem unique to this world.

“When the typhoon draws near, the monsters will get excited and grow more active. There would be a need to strengthen the defences in town.”

Darkness muttered darkly, her position as a noble of this town rearing its head.

Back in Japan, I too knew several people who would get all worked up upon hearing that a typhoon is coming. It seems like there exists creatures with a similar disposition in this world too.

“Hey, Kazuma, hearing that a typhoon is coming is making me really excited.”

And there’s one right here, next to me.

Still, as a goddess of water, I suppose she would be excited at the prospect of heavy rain.

I ignored Aqua who was taking heavy, excited breaths and turned towards the guild lady.

“So, what exactly does this have to do with Megumin? You’re not asking her to do something about the typhoon with her Explosion, are you?”

I asked, but the one who responded is an incredulous sounding Darkness.

“Kazuma, don’t you know? Typhoons are created by the greater storm spirits going on a rampage. Whenever the typhoon season rolls around, we recruit a remarkable adventurer to prevent them from going crazy.”

This is why this world is…

“… You know, typhoons are a natural phenomenon that occur across large bodies of water. They have nothing to do with spirits going crazy or what not. Judging from this, it seems like you’re unaware of even the basic principles of the water cycle.”

Typhoons are created when relatively cold air meets a warm ocean.

For the denizens of this world who have nowhere close to the scientific knowledge of earth, the natural phenomena of rain and typhoons have all been attributed to the domain of gods and spirits.

… Though, can you girls please stop looking at me with such pitying gazes?

Aqua pulled on my sleeve and whispered into my ear.

“Kazuma, Kazuma, this isn’t earth. Typhoons really are caused by great spirits going on a rampage in this world, so if you say something like that so confidently, people will doubt your sanity.”

This is why this world is… !!!

“— Well, anyway, the enemy this time is a greater storm spirit. This is precisely the time for Megumin-san’s Explosion magic to shine!”

The destructive power of Explosion is second to none.

It’s a pure burst of magical energy, with no elemental affinities. Regardless of if you have a physical body or are a spirit, or even if you are a divine beast, there’s no way to avoid getting damaged by it.

Megumin is fairly worthless under normal circumstances, but she really shines in such situations.

The other adventurers seem to have already heard about the impending typhoon, and expectantly looked towards Megumin, but…

“I refuse.”

Everyone in the guild stiffened up upon hearing her words.

“…Hey, what are you trying to pull? Normally you’d start extolling the virtues of Explosion during a critical time like this, and rush out to face the typhoon before it even gets close!”

“Just what kind of person do you think I am!? Don’t make it sound like I’m some kind of crazed battle maniac! No, everyone always treats me like some kind of troublemaker, but the moment a crisis rolls around, everyone comes crawling to me! That really rubs me the wrong way! If you want my help, then repent for how you usually treat me.”

Seeing Megumin turn away with a humph after saying such troublesome words, the adventurers present all started paling.

“Okay, okay, we were in the wrong, but we really need your help! Spirits have no physical bodies, so regular weapons won’t be of any use. Plus, high level spirits have really high magical defence, so the other mages won’t be able to deal with them either! We can only rely on you!”

The edges of Megumin’s lips twitched slightly after hearing what the man wearing an iron visor said.

“Yeah, you always shine the brightest when it comes to situations like this. It was the same as that time with the undead knight, and when the Destroyer came knocking too!”

“Yes, this is exactly the time for the strongest magic of the Crimson Demons to take the stage. Show all those people who look down at you the true power of Explosion!”

“Really now, do you really need the power of the strongest mage in Axel, me, so badly?”

After hearing all those adventurers pleading with her, Megumin, still facing away, confidently said, a smile playing on her lips.

“Of course! Come on, let us witness the glory of your Explosion Magic!”

“Explosion is the strongest attack spell known to man! What is a typhoon compared to that!”

“Explosion~! Explosion~!”

“We’re sorry for calling you girl with a screw loose, we’ll think up a more appropriate nickname for you in the future!”

The adventurers immediately lavished their praises towards her.

Hearing that, Megumin turned around, a smile on her face, and dramatically flared her cloak.

“Oh, very well, if you are going to this far, then do improve on how you look at me in the future! I shall show you the power of Explosion… Hey! Who is the one who said that last line!?”

Her smug look vanished in an instant.

Seeing her pick a fight with the adventurer made me think of something

“You should stop spreading such nicknames about me! Otherwise, a passing explosion demon might just wipe out your house along with you… What’s the matter, Kazuma? This is important. This is the perfect chance to stop those stupid nicknames from spreading. If I don’t make good use of this occasion…”

I interrupted Megumin as she grabbed the collar of the adventurer and smiled towards the guild lady.

“It doesn’t seem like she’s very keen on this matter, and it wouldn’t seem right to force her to go through with it. I’m sorry, but it seems like it’ll be best if you find someone else.”

“What!? Even if you say that, finding another mage strong enough to defeat greater spirits in this town is…”

The lady seems quite troubled by my words.

Megumin, hearing that, immediately let go of the adventurer and turned towards us.

“It’s fine, Kazuma. Sure, I’m not particularly interested in what they are asking of me, but if they insist on pleading with me like this, I won’t mind going together with them. After all, there’s no other mage in this town that can deal with a greater spirit other than me, a Crimson Demon.”

“That’s not true. There’s another Crimson Demon living in this town…”

Saying that, I pointed towards a girl sitting at a corner of the guild, who had the same crimson eyes that Megumin did.

Yunyun, who was busy building a tower of cards on her table, seemed to only just notice what is going on around her.

“Eh? Er, um, why is everyone staring at me like that? D-Did I do something wrong? If my card tower is getting in the way, I’ll clean it up immediately…”

As Yunyun hastily gathered her cards, the adventurers in the guild broke out into chatter.

“Oh, right, we have Yunyun-san who can use advanced magic!”

“Come to think of it, advanced magic should be able to penetrate the defences of a greater spirit.”

“Eh?”

Yunyun, startled by the sudden cheer of the adventurers, let out a small voice of confusion.

After finally understanding the situation from the adventurers around her, Yunyun, her eyes glowing red, rose from her seat.

“Hehe, leave it to me! This reminds me of the time my friends asked me to lend them some money back in the village. As long as it is within my power, you can count on me!”

Yunyun’s declaration was met with cheers from the adventurers.

Looking at this series of events, Darkness seems to have caught on to what I’m planning.

“Still, sending Yunyun alone makes me feel a little uneasy. If Megumin really doesn’t want to go, perhaps we could ask Wiz to help out too? She can not only use Advanced Magic, she can also use Explosion magic like Megumin. I think she’ll be able to help out immensely.”

“…Eh?”

Megumin said in a daze.

“Oh, right, Wiz is here too! Seems like there won’t be any problems in chasing the typhoon away!”

“There’s no need to panic with the reliable Crimson Demon Yunyun-san here. There’s no need to rely on the useless… Hey, what are you doing!?”

“Just who exactly are you calling useless!? Don’t you think you are too hasty in saying that!? In terms of Explosion, I’m the one who is most skilled in its use! I’ll definitely be a great help if you bring me along!”

Megumin once again grabbed the collar of that adventurer and started another ruckus.

Seeing her, Aqua patted her on the shoulder and gave her a gentle smile.

“Isn’t this great, Megumin!? You don’t need to do something you don’t want to! Just leave the rest to us!”

“Okay fine, I was in the wrong, please take me with you!!”

“A violent typhoon is currently heading towards this town! All residents, please return to your homes and ensure all the entrances are shuttered tightly!”

The staff at the adventurer’s guild made that announcement to the town, while we and the other adventurers headed out towards the gates.

“There’s a lot of things I want to say, but first off, what exactly do they mean by violent typhoon?”

“A violent typhoon is a violent typhoon. The storm spirits seem to be in a really bad mood this year.”

I really don’t want to know any more about the phenomena of this world. All I want to know is,

“So, is there really no choice but to chase the typhoon away?”

“Of course. Can’t you tell by seeing the equipment that everyone’s preparing?”

Apart from me, all the other adventurers are…

“Why are you all putting on swimsuits!?”

“How silly can you be, Kazuma? What is the point of wearing armour when fighting a typhoon? The opponent is a greater storm elf. Their primary methods of attack will be using wind and water. Wearing armour would just make it easier to drown. This is all obvious, isn’t it?”

Well, sure that made sense.

That made sense, but…

“Megumin even has a swimming ring in her hands! Are you sure we are going to fight a typhoon!? It looks like you are all packing for a day at the beach!”

“What nonsense are you saying? The location of the decisive battle would most likely be the lake near the town. In order to float on the water and chant her magic, she obviously needs that wooden lifebuoy. Kazuma, stop messing around and treat this seriously, will you? If we don’t do something, Axel will definitely suffer heavy damage.”

The other adventurers nodded along to Aqua’s words.

I was the only one present who came wearing my normal clothes.

Why the hell am I getting lectured to take things seriously by a bunch of people wearing swimsuits and bearing swimming rings?

But, well…

“Well, I get to see Wiz in her swimsuit today, so I won’t push this matter.”

“You are the only people who would dare say such things out loud. I’m really glad I didn’t wear a swimsuit today. Who knows what kind of gaze you would give me if I did.”

Ignoring Aqua who was running her mouth off, I stared at Wiz who was wearing a black bikini.

The loose robe that she usually wears really does a good job of hiding her assets. If she would just wear something that shows off a little more skin, she would most likely a massive increase in her customers…

“Um, Kazuma-san, it’s a little embarrassing if you keep staring at me like that…”

“Don’t mind me.”

“Now is not the time for that! If you can’t help with this battle, then just go somewhere where you won’t get in the way.”

Saying that, Aqua made shooing motions towards me.

“Hey, the same can be said to you. You have no way of damaging anything apart from Devils and the undead, so you’re just an onlooker like me, aren’t you?”

However, Aqua seemed to become even more prideful after hearing my words.

“You really are foolish, Kazuma. The enemy is a great spirit that can manipulate the wind and rains, you know? This is where I, who can control water, can shine. Water and wind are opposites, aren’t they? I feel a little sorry for Megumin, but just leave it to this goddess to punish that rampaging spirit!”

Just as I was thinking of a way to get this meddlesome girl not to do anything unnecessary.

“Still, it wouldn’t feel good to have men stare at you like that. Megumin, Yunyun, please hide behind me! Wiz too. If you feel embarrassed, then put on my cloak.”

Saying that, Darkness, who was wearing a white dress, stepped in between Megumin and the other adventurers, blocking their line of sight.

Though, even as she said that, Darkness’s face blushed and she stared at the other adventurers with bright, expectant eyes.

Ignoring the naturally perverted Darkness, I leaned towards another adventurer and whispered.

“Say, does this happen every year? That is to say, does this incident that brings all the female adventurers out in their swimsuit take place every year?”

“Yes, this is all thanks to the great storm spirits-sama who do this almost every year… Still, it’s a sight for the eyes now, but it was really troublesome at the start, you know? In order to get the women in their swimsuits in the first place, we men had to wear them and demonstrate their usefulness in battle. That was really stifling, you know?”

These guys really worked hard…

Though I think addressing the storm spirits with -sama is going a little too far.

“Come to think of it, aren’t all three of the magicians taking place this year quite close to you, Kazuma? I hope you can get them to deliver a strong blow this year!”

“Is there really a need to do that? If something does happen to the storm spirit, this won’t happen again next year. If I’d known that, I wouldn’t have deliberately tried to get Megumin on board and just went with Wiz and Yunyun.”

The man leaned over even closer and whispered.

“The storm spirit-sama will pull itself together after a certain period of time. In the meantime, however, there’s a certain phenomenon that will take place which varies in intensity depending on how much damage it has taken.”

“A certain phenomenon?”

“As a counterattack, it will bring up a strong gale. The strength of the gale surpasses even the ones that the great spirit of autumn can create, it is strong enough to blow away everything you’re wearing.”

In that case, wouldn’t it be best not to bring Megumin along?

Almost in response to my unspoken question, the man said.

“That means there’s a high chance that they’ll end up nude.”

Okay, I think I’ll address the storm spirit with -sama too!

[space]

At the lake not far from Axel, a group of swimsuit wearing people approached from the north.

This is a group of adventurers who came out in order to protect the town from the approaching typhoon, and not a gathering of perverts.

It’s not a gathering of perverts, but…

“I fail to find the words to describe this scene.”

“Hey, I didn’t say anything, so you shut up! We might look like a group of crazies to others, but, seriously, what are some of these people wearing?”

“You might as well admitted that you think the same way. The only thing that looks serious about this group is our expressions. They are even bringing swimming rings and queuing up. I really regret not borrowing a magic camera before coming here.”

As I and Aqua were quibbling, Darkness, who was walking behind me, leaned in and said.

“What’s the matter, Kazuma? This is the first time you are taking part in a battle against the storm spirit, right? Do you have any concerns?”

“No, er, well, it just feels like everyone is very motivated.”

Darkness nodded in response.

“Well, if we can’t stop the storm spirit here, the town will suffer a lot of damage. That’s probably why everyone is so motivated.”

Darkness said that in a serious, straightforward way that is befitting that of a noble woman.

If only she wasn’t saying that wearing a swimsuit with a swimming ring under one arm.

“Seriously, how can you have such unsightly protrusions while wearing the traditional water resistant outfit of the Crimson Demons? This dark blue allows us to blend into the water, and the special material raises our resistance to water attacks. Yunyun, you should really lose a little weight!”

“Even if you say that, I can’t help it with my development! It’s not like I want to be this conspicuous! If anything, I’d rather have a slender body like you.”

“Alright, let’s have a little warm up before the storm spirit gets here! Bring it on!”

Walking in front of us is Megumin, wearing a swimming ring around her waist like a child walking to the beach, and Yunyun who’s currently being attacked by her.

Speaking off, they might call it traditional water resistant outfit of the Crimson Demons, but it looks just like a school swimsuit to me.

This must be the work of yet another fool who came here from Japan.

I really want to shake his hand.

Just then.

“It’s raining…”

Someone muttered, and just as they said, rain began falling from the skies.

In other words, the great storm spirit or whatever it’s called must be close.

Now that I’m paying attention, the wind seems to be much stronger than before.

Additionally, a cloak of dark clouds could be seen in the distance, from which lightly sparked every so often.

The great spirit that rules the storms.

It must be just ahead.

The rain became much heavier, and the wind suddenly picked up in intensity.

It’s almost like a warning not to move closer. In the face of such an assault by the natural elements, our forward progress slowed down and stopped–

“Kyaa-!?”

One of the female adventurers let out a cry, and everyone turned in her direction.

What I saw was a bikini wearing adventurer crouching down with a very embarrassed look on her face.

She probably had a loose buckle that got unfastened by that gale earlier.

The other adventurers around her hastily brought a cloak and threw it around her.

“Come on, you bastards, don’t tremble in your boots just because of a little wind!”

“Oh!!!!” x10

I don’t know who it was that shouted that, but I joined the other adventurers in their energetic response.

[space]

— After strengthening our defences and pressing on, we finally came across a huge lake.

The surroundings have already been thoroughly battered with high winds, so there’s no need to worry about missing the sights.

Speaking of which, that thing is the center of the lake would be…?

“Kazuma, let this goddess go and talk that spirit down. Tell the other adventurers not to start attacking yet, okay?”

“Hmm, well, that’s fine too, but what exactly is that? Why is there a beautiful girl floating through the sky? Is that the storm spirit everyone’s talking about?”

“Yes. That’s a relative of the water spirits, the great spirit that manipulates the storms. Spirits are naturally formless, their forms are influenced by what people think of them. Storms and water have an unbreakable relationship. It must take this form because people make that association with the gentle, beautiful, intelligent and pure water spirits when they see the storm. That would be why the storm spirit appears like a beautiful girl.”

It feels like Aqua is praising herself while describing that girl, but I can’t be bothered to fight her on that right now.

Still, it feels like there’s something off about her expression.

I heard that the storm spirit was going on a rampage, but she has a very calm expression on her face. That, along with her semi transparent, wavy blue hair, made me think of the wine serving girl.

Upon seeing her, the gathered adventurers surged forwards, and Aqua rushed to the front in order to stop them.

In the midst of the howling winds and falling rains, Aqua placed her hands together in prayer, seemingly beseeching the great spirit hovering in the center of the lake.

This scene feels like it was ripped right out of some fairy tale. It’s a far cry from how Aqua usually behaves…

“Oh, rampaging spirit in the distance… The goddess of water, Aqua, beseeches you, calm your anger… Keep your heart as still as calm water, and suppress your violent urges… now, if you have any respect towards the goddess of water at all, lift the storm…”

After saying such soothing words, Aqua let out a gentle smile–

A sudden gust of wind blew through us.

Aqua was sent flying backwards and slammed face first into the ground.

The storm spirit raised her middle finger towards the blue haired girl.

“… How dare you!? A storm spirit is but an existence even lower than the lowest of water spirits! I’m going to capture you and turn you into a fan!”

Aqua, covered in mud, angrily screamed before stomping off towards the lake.

Normally, I would’ve stopped her, but water is her area of expertise, so I’ll let her do as she wishes this time.

[space]

The rain fell in waves, accompanied by winds strong enough to render most men deaf.

However, the men rushed forward, fearless in the face of nature’s wrath. They formed the front line, fearlessly clearing a path so that the magicians could advance behind them.

“If you can’t swim, just grab onto something that can float! Just remember not to stand too close to each other! Protect the magicians with your lives!”

One of the adventurers, standing at the head of the party with his arms crossed, bellowed across the winds.

Ah, right.

“You guys can await a great showing this year! After all, the counter attack this year will be fueled by two explosions and advanced magic! If these three magicians attack at the same time, it would most likely be the strongest blow in living memory!”

The people here really are true men, who are willing to throw away even their lives for the hope of that one moment!

Still, I understand them very well.

“The succubus service might be great, but I want to see the real thing from time to time too! Plus, Wiz is wearing a bikini today too! You can say that there is a high probably of that happening today!”

As the only one present who was clothed, I shouted encouragement to the other adventurers while also doing my best to get out of my clothes as fast as possible.

Clad in only my underwear, I rushed towards the raging lake, and, with the aid of a swimming ring, paddled over to Megumin.

The spirit is floating right in the center of the lake, so no spell fired from land would reach it.

In order to attack it, we have no choice but to swim like this…

“Hey, Megumin, I’ll try and get the spirit’s attention, so stand by on the shores!”

“I-I understand! But the opponent is a greater spirit! How are you going to get its attention when you can’t harm it?”

Without answering Megumin, I abandoned the swimming ring and swam towards the spirit…!

“Ah, Kazuma, you came at just the right time! Sorry, but can you give me a hand!?”

As I swam over, I came across Darkness who was clinging onto a swimming ring with a death grip.

“Oh, can’t you make yourself useful for once? This is precisely the time for a crusader like you to shine! Why is it that every time we fight a boss you become useless!?”

“D-Don’t say it so harshly! I haven’t had the chance to swim for a while, and in such rough seas…!”

Guess there’s no choice. I dragged Darkness who was clinging onto the swimming ring with all her might towards the shore.

Just then, I noticed that there is something strange in the flow of the battle.

“Hey, doesn’t it feel like the great spirit-sama is far more violent this year than the last…?”

One of the adventurers taking cover on land, perhaps uncertain of his skills at swimming, uncertainly said to himself.

Looking back, the surroundings have been completely covered by the typhoon, turning the center of the lake into a giant whirlpool.

Speaking off, the great spirit seemed a little weird too.

It blew away any male adventurers who got close, but did nothing to defend herself against a magical attack launched by someone else.

Spirits are immune to damage from any source other than enchanted weapons and magical spells.

In that case, why is it simply floating there and eating those magical attacks without resistance?

I looked at the scene, racking my brains for any method to draw the spirit’s attention towards me.

Just then

The adventurers who were at the center of the lake suddenly started swimming towards land.

Within the crowd, I saw the figure of Yunyun and Wiz.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Why is everyone running?”

“Ah, Kazuma-san. Aqua-san, who’s at the center of the lake, seemed to have started some kind of quarrel with the storm spirit… after that, conditions worsened to the point that no one else could draw close to it…”

Why does that idiot always does such unnecessary things!?

“I’ll go bring that idiot back, so you guys make your preparations here! I’ll also bring the spirit this way!”

“I-I understand! Good luck!”

Leaving Wiz behind, I swam towards the center in breaststroke–

[space]

“Oh, come on, listen to me already! Why don’t you listen to a word I say!?”

“ββγ，∑βαα!”

“What!? I dare you to say that again!”

“ββγ，∑βαα!”

“How dare you!? I’ll bring down divine punishment on you!”

At the center of the lake, the great storm spirit and Aqua, whose head is bobbing at the surface of the water, were engaged in a furious argument.

“Ah, Kazuma! Listen to me! This child is really too much! There’s a limit as to how defiant you can be!”

“Ω∑ΩΩβαβα…”

“Waaaaah! I’ll never forgive you!!”

Just what did the spirit say?

As Aqua started scolding the spirit, a thought occurred to me.

“Say, Aqua, you can communicate with the great spirit-sama, right?”

“Why are you addressing such a foul mouthed and vicious child with -sama!? Well, for the most part, I can understand what it’s saying.”

“Αααα…”

“What did you say!!!”

I didn’t know exactly what the spirit said to her, but I beckoned to Aqua to come closer.

Then, in a voice soft enough that only Aqua could hear, I said.

“Say, is there a way to draw it over land? Megumin and the others already have their magic at the ready over there. If you can draw it over land…”

“I see, so you intend to drive this vexing spirit into the next life!”

Who the hell said anything like that!?

“I get it. I lost a little in our argument earlier, but this time…!”

Did this girl really lose an argument against a rampaging spirit?

No, this won’t do. I can’t see anything other than a future of defeat.

“Say, Aqua, if you want to argue with it, you should say…”

After listening to my whispers, Aqua nodded.

“You know, this man said that you look like one of those women who hang around seedy bars to drink with the customers. Not only that, but you look like one of those washed up aunties who–”

[space]

–As I held onto Aqua who was swimming rapidly through the rough waters, I turned to look back.

“Hey, can’t you go faster!? Great spirit-sama is catching up!”

“I’m already going at full speed! Still, this is really like you, Kazuma! I don’t think anyone else could bring a girl to tears so easily!”

“Hey, don’t put it like that! It’s going to spawn a few more bad rumours about me!”

Thanks to Aqua who cut through the water like a tuna, there’s only a short distance between us and the shore.

Standing right there is Megumin and the others, brimming with magic and ready to unleash their spells.

Clinging onto Aqua’s back with a death grip, I shouted towards the shore.

“Hey, Megumin! Are you ready!? Cheer up, your long awaited finale is finally here! Yunyun goes first, then Wiz, then you! Make sure to cast your spells in this order!”

Then all I have to do is await my rewards.

“That’s fine, but I heard that any magic attack the rampaging spirit suffers, it would return in kind! Instead of firing in sequence, wouldn’t it be better to unleash our spells all at once!?”

Just who the hell told her that?

“You idiot! How can you call yourself an adventurer if you tremble in fear because of some nebulous counterattack!?”

I instinctively shouted back.

After finally reaching the shore, I released my grip from Aqua, only for Megumin to rush over.

“But I heard that the storm spirit-sama goes on a rampage every year! In that case, it falls to us to bring an end to its destruction right here! We can’t leave it to continue wrecking its destruction every year…!”

“Kazuma…! … No, even though I agreed with you just now, but if this is the case, can’t we let Yunyun bring it back to normal, before I vanquish it with my sure kill spell…?”

Just then.

“I really misjudged you, explosion girl! I thought that you of all people would most definitely take that challenge head on!”

After listening to our conversation, a certain adventurer interjected.

His voice is joined by the others.

“Ah, and here I thought you feared nothing and bowed before nothing, the most fearless adventurer in Axel! To think that you would shy away just because you’re afraid of the enemy’s counterattack! What a disappointment!”

“W-What!? Fine, if you’re going to go that far, I’ll take it down right here for all to see!”

The provocations of the adventurers caused Megumin’s eyes to glow bright red as she walked towards the spirit.

Yunyun quickly followed behind her.

Looking at the two Crimson Demons, I gave a thumbs up towards the other adventurers.

Then, I caught Darkness who was wandering around.

“Darkness, now is the time for you to shine! If Megumin and Yunyun aren’t able to defeat the storm spirit, they will be the recipient of the strongest counterattack in history. In that case, it’s up to you to shield them from damage!”

“Leave it to me! I won’t let it be said that I become useless whenever we fight a boss!”

That’s the spirit!

… Just as I watched Darkness move to the front, I suddenly noticed something.

The swimsuit she’s wearing, isn’t that a gown?

That means that no matter how strong a gust of wind she receives, it won’t be blown away.

If anything, having her stand in front just means she’d be shielding the rest.

“Hey, wait, Darkness, hold on a –”

Just as I called out.

Yunyun, her wand glittering in her hand, raised it before her.

Right in front of her is the great storm spirit bearing down on us.

“Father, Mother…! This is the first time I’m glad to be born a Crimson Demon! Everyone’s counting on me! Lighting Strike!”

That one spell of hers probably had all her mana within it.

The bolt of lightning struck the storm spirit, causing its body to shake.

Its body also became slightly more translucent.

Wiz, supporting the suddenly limp Yunyun with one hand, pointed her other arm towards the spirit.

“Leave the next step to me! I can’t let the citizens of Axel continue to suffer like this! Explosion!”

The explosion that Wiz unleashed blew apart even the winds of the typhoon, causing the winds to blow in a different direction for just a brief moment, and creating a large wave in the lake.

But, without even confirming the status of the storm spirit, Megumin raised her staff and said…

“Behold my power! In the name of the Crimson Demons, I shall bring an end to this rampaging spirit! Have a taste of my crimson wrath! Explosion!!”

Perhaps it’s because this is the third act in this series of spells, but it feels like Megumin’s explosion is even stronger than usual.

… To be honest, I’m starting to get a little worried.

Is the great storm spirit-sama really going to be fine?

No, I’ve heard that even a spirit as strong as the winter shogun won’t be defeated even if it is hit by an explosion, so a great storm spirit would also probably be fine…

“It… should be fine… right?”

Just then, the great wave of mist and smoke created by the two explosions slowly began to clear…

“Oh, it survived! The great spirit-sama survived!!”

Floating right there was the storm spirit, mostly faded away, her angry expression a moment ago replaced with a placid one.

After confirming that, I let out a cheer along with the other adventurers.

Seeing that, Wiz, who was looking after Yunyun, had an uneasy expression on her face.

“Um, the last attack clearly didn’t vanquish the storm spirit, so why is everyone so happy?”

Megumin, lying face first on the ground, said in an annoyed tone.

Come to think of it, why does Darkness seem so happy too?

She must be eagerly anticipating the counterattack.

However, now is not the time to be caring about such trivialities. The real show is what comes next!

If I don’t find a way to drag Darkness away…

“The great spirit-sama is smiling?”

I don’t know who said that, but that line brought it to our attention.

The great spirit lowered its head towards us.

The typhoon has been replaced by a gentle drizzle, and there is a smile on the spirit’s face.

“That child absorbed too much magic on the seas and became unable to control itself. The life force of a spirit is mana. If it is damaged, it has to use mana in order to heal itself.”

Aqua said.

This explains why the spirit didn’t do anything to avoid the magical spells thrown at it earlier.

That spirit must have come here in order to bleed away the excess magic it picked up over the year.

“Γ∑γα？α，△βαγ！”

The greater spirit, it’s face a picture of calm, spoke to us in a language that we couldn’t understand.

“Eh? A reward as thanks for helping you digest all that excess mana? There’s no need for that. It’s not like we did anything major… though, if you insist, I guess we wouldn’t mind.”

Thanks to Aqua’s translation, I now know exactly what is going on.

Gift.

The strong gust that is thought of as a counter attack is actually its way of rewarding us every year.

The great spirit raised its hand towards us.

That reward is–

“Sacred Break Spell!”

Just as the great spirit released its gust, Aqua immediately cancelled it.

The gift of the great spirit was completely nullified by Aqua before it could even reach us.

“Hey, what kind of gift is that!? You just tried to unleash a tremendous gust of wind, didn’t you!?”

“β，β∑Ωβ.”

“Hey, who are you calling an idiot!? You said you wanted to give us a gift, only to unleash an attack! What are you trying to pull!?”

Watching the idiotic Aqua get up to her antics, the male adventurers stood around in a daze.

“Αααα…”

“Hey, why do you all look so down? I just protected you from a magical attack. Shouldn’t you all be much more grateful?”

That’s only to be expected after having our hopes be dashed so abruptly.

“βΩ，γγγ…”

“Ah, this child is saying that she’ll be counting on you all next year too.”

That’s our line. We’ll be waiting on your appearance next year too!