(Favorite Konosuba character?)

Inside the parties empty mansion, Aqua is trying to grab a hold of Smaug. Smaug has her hands out, keeping the useless blue thing away.

Smaug's tail is sweat dropping at the scene.

"Stay away!" Smaug yells.

"Let me hold you!" Aqua yells back. "You're warm and I'm cold!"

"I'm being violated!" Smaug screams. "The great dragon, Smaug, is being violated!" 

"I'll show you a violation!" Aqua pulls on Smaug's tail.

"AHHHHH!" Smaug screams. "You dare touch the great Smaug's, great tail! Harassment!" 

Suddenly Kazuma screams and the two females look to him.

"What's wrong with you?!" Aqua asks.

"Don't you two get it?!" Kazuma asks. "Darkness went to deal with that lord last night and never came back! She's probably..."

Both Aqua and Smaug's eyes widened in horror.

"My dear Darkness!" Smaug then begins to cry. "Why do bad things happen to me!" Smaug's tail pats her on the back as she cries.

Both Kazuma and Aqua yell as Smaug cries. Suddenly they hear a meow and the three stop and look toward the front door and see Megumin holding a cat.

"Megumin?" Kazuma questions.

Smaug suddenly poofs in a cloud of smoke and her cat features are back. "Kitty, nya!"

"What's with the cat?" Kazuma asks Megumin.

"I doubt she'll cause much trouble, so..." Megumin says.

Aqua, Kazuma, and Smaug walk over to Megumin. 

"You want to keep her?" Kazuma asks and he scratches the cats chin.

"Is that all right?" Megumin asks.

"Yes!" Smaug happily says and she rubs the cat's cheek and both the cat and Smaug purr.

Aqua goes to pet the cat, but it scratches her. "Ow!" She pulls her hand back. "Hey, why'd she only scratch me?!" The cat growls at Aqua. "Unbelievable! Between jet black fur and the imperious attitude, I can sense some sort of malevolent aura!" She hears more growling and sees Smaug, with her cat fur puffed up, also growling at her. "And I sense a narcissistic and gluttonous aura."

Smaug sticks her tongue out at Aqua and she poofs back her dragon features.

Aqua turns back to the cat Megumin's holding. "So, what do you call this demonic beast?"

"Chomusuke." Megumin responds.

Kazuma and Aqua deadpan, while Smaug just gives a happy motherly smile. "Aww, what a cute name." Smaug gushes. 

"What'd you--" Kazuma starts, but Megumin interrupts him.

"She's Chomusuke." Aqua and Kazuma keep deadpanning at her, Smaug just keeps smiling. "Anyway, what were the three of you making a fuss about?"

"How can you be so calm?" Kazuma asks. "As we speak, Darkness might be..."

"There may be unsavory rumors about that lord, but I doubt Darkness could easily be--"

"That's the problem with children!" Kazuma yells at Megumin, causing Smaug to glare at him. "You still don't understand that deviant at all!" Then he starts to mimic Darkness. "'You can do what you want with my body... But don't think you'll have your way with my heart!'" He stops mimicking Darkness and points at Megumin.  "She's sure to say something like that."

Megumin drops Chomusuke. "Wh-Wh-What should we do?! Darkness is in grave danger! What should we do, Kazuma?!"

Kazuma puts a hand over his eyes. "It's too late. Listen up. When she gets back, just be as nice to her as you normally would."

Megumin starts to panic.

"I-I get it!" Aqua says. "So we can't ask Darkness what it was like to climb the stairs to adulthood!"

"So I should hug her tight and grope her breasts?" Smaug asks.

"Satou Kazuma!" Sena slams the doors to the room open. "Is Satou Kazuma here?!"

Smaug throws her hands up. "I didn't do it! I got rid of my drugs!" Everyone looks to Smaug. "Um..." She points to Kazuma. "He's right there!"

----

"Konosuba!" Morgan says.

----

Kill Quest

Defeat the monsters in the vicinity of Axel

In the snowy lands outside of the town of Axel.

"Dragon's raging pillar!" Smaug yells and a bright red pillar made of fire, extends into the sky for a few seconds before disappearing.

"No!" Aqua screams as she runs away from a toad.

Kazuma and Sena are watching the scene from a safe distance. 

'While they were trying to spring me, Megumin had cast her explosion magic all over the place.' Kazuma says in thought.

Smaug is laughing with her fists on fire, while she's being chased by three toads. "I am Smaug! The toad destroyer!"

"Help!" Aqua shrieks as she keeps running from the toad and a bright flash goes off in the distance as Smaug laughing echo is heard.

'Thanks to that, the Giant Toads that had been hibernating woke up early.' Kazuma says in thought. 'So, we're here to clean up her mess, but...'

"HAHA!" Smaug laughs in the distance as another flame pillar burns a toad to a crisp. "I am amazing!"

"I don't wanna be toad food again!" Aqua screams as she runs from a toad. 

"The toads haven't slowed down, despite the cold..." Kazuma observes and another bright flash goes off in the distance. "Aren't they a little too hardy?"

"We will not be outdone!" Megumin states. "We must get much, much stronger in order to survive in this cruel world."

Another bright red flash goes off from the side and Smaug is heard laughing. "Taste the dragon!"

"I'll get you out--" Kazuma starts.

"No, please, help Aqua first." Megumin instructs. "It's cold outside, but it's quite warm inside this toad." She's using her staff to prevent the toad from swallowing her. "Having already cast my explosion magic, all I can do is slow this one down." Another bright red flash goes off.

Kazuma turns around and holds up a bow. "O-Okay, I'll leave you to it."

Another bright flash goes off and Smaug is heard laughing, then after a few seconds she starts coughing, then resumes laughing.

Sena points up to Megumin. "Is that a good idea?!"

"Kazuma-san!" Aqua screams as she continues to run away from a toad. "I can't! I just can't! Hurry and do something!"

Kazuma grabs an arrow and puts it on the bow sting and pulls back. 'Even with Darkness to act as a sturdy wall for our party, none of us had an effective ranged attack. In light of that, I decided to learn a new skill. And it's called...' "Snipe!" Kazuma fires the arrow. 'The Snipe skill has higher accuracy the higher your luck stat is. It's a perfect fit for me!'

The arrow travels through the air and through the ring of Aqua's hair and strikes the toad right on the nose. The toad freezes with it's mouth wide open.

A bright red flash goes off in the distance.

Aqua falls to the ground and looks towards Kazuma. "Hey! The arrow almost messed up the best part of my hair--" She gets cut off by the toad leaning down and closing its mouth around her.

Kazuma, Megumin, and Sena's mouth drop in shock.

The toad lifts up its head to the sky. "Aqua!" Kazuma shouts and he jumps towards the toad with her sword held up.

----

"KONOSUBA!" Kazuma shouts.

----

Aqua is laying on the ground covered in slime and she's crying. The toad is lying on the ground, dead, a few feet away.

Kazuma looks down at his hands. "My skill... My skill..."

"Dragon's Fist of Fire!" Smaug yells off in the distance. 

"A-Are you people always like this?" Sena asks.

"W-Wait a moment!" Megumin yells out. "The toads!" Three toads are hopping towards the group.

A bright flash goes off in the distance. 

"This is bad!" Kazuma yells. "Now there's not enough bai- I mean, enough decoys to keep them occupied!"

Sena, Aqua, and Kazuma run away from the three toads.

"Aqua, you should still be keeping them occupied!" Kazuma yells.

"No way!" Aqua yells back. "You be the decoy this time!"

"Stupid! You don't have enough attack power to beat these toads! If we can beat even one of them, that'd leave just two!"

"Where's that horny dragon!" Aqua yells.

"I have no idea!" Kazuma yells back. "But you and Sena-san can keep them busy together!"

"I'm just here to supervise you all, not to get dragged into--" A large tongue gets wrapped around Sena and she's dragged back. 

Aqua and Kazuma yell in shock. Sena screams as she's flung back into a toad's mouth. Kazuma and Aqua stop and stare back in horror. 

"Kazuma, there's your chance!" Aqua says. "Hurry and get the toa-" A tongue gets wrapped around her and she's flung back into a toads mouth.  

"You guys!" Kazuma yells as he runs away from the last toad.

Megumin is slowly getting swallowed. "Excuse me, but I think I'm slowly being swallowed. Could you rescue me now, please?"

"Aw, damn it! If only Darkness were here!"

Aqua pops out of the toads mouth and she screams.

Sena pops out of the toads mouth and she yells out, and it sounds kinda sexual.

Kazuma falls to the ground and looks back to the toad, it's tongue is swinging back and fourth. "We're doomed!"

"Light of Saber!" Yunyun appears and she casts a spell and a bright yellow light blows up all the toads.

A bright red flash goes off in the far distance as Smaug's laugh echoes throughout the snowy plains. 

----

"Konosuba!" Haru yells cheerfully.

----

Kazuma is giving some of his mana to Megumin through Drain Touch. 'I honestly don't want to touch them...' He stops using drain tough and holds up his slimy hand. "You should be able to walk now." He looks over to Yunyun. "Thanks, Yunyun!"

"I-I wasn't trying to save you." Yunyun states and she looks to the struggling to get up, Megumin. "If my rival had been eaten by a toad, I'd look ridiculous..."

Megumin falls back to the ground.

"Rival?" Kazuma questions. 

Megumin stands up.

"I-It's been a little bit, Megumin!" Yunyun says and she points to Megumin. "Today is the day we finally settle our long-standing score!"

"Who might you be, exactly?" Megumin asks, causing Yunyun to yell in shock. "I mean, it's strange that you never gave your name." Tears start to form in Yunyun's eyes. "This must be one of those 'Hey, it's me!' scams that Mama Smaug described before."

"F-Fine, then! It's embarrassing to do this in front of stangers, but..." Yunyun clears her throat and does a pose. "My name is Yunyun! An arch wizard and master of advanced magic!"

"She who will one day lead the Crimson Demons!" Yunyun finishes.

Megumin looks at Kazuma. "Yunyun is the daughter of the Crimson Demons' leader, and my self-proclaimed rival."

A bright red flash goes off in the distance. 

"So you did remember!" Yunyun yells.

"Interesting." Kazuma says. "Well, thanks for the save Yunyun."

"W-Well, like I said, I didn't do it for you. I did it to save my rival!"

"You're not my rival." Megumin deadpans.

Yunyun throws her hands out. "I'll defeat you and become first among the Crimson Demons!" She points at Megumin. "Now, Megumin, I challenge you to a duel!"

"I'd rather not. It's too cold."

"Why?! Please, fight me!"

"No, thank you."

"Please!"

Kazuma takes a few steps back and he hears Sena clear her throat. Kazuma looks back and Sena along with Aqua are standing a couple meters behind him.

Yunyun keeps begging Megumin to duel her in the background.

"You somehow managed today, but I'm not fully convinced this wasn't just an act to deceive me." Sena says and another bright flash goes off in the distance. "Excuse me." She walks off.

Aqua waves and follows Sena. "Well, I'll make arrangements for the guild to haul the toad meat in."

Kazuma looks back at the two Crimson Demons, with Yunyun still trying to convince Megumin to accept the duel. 'I don't really appreciate being left on my own with these two...'

Megumin sighs. "Very well, then. I can no longer use my magic today, so let's make it a contest in the martial arts that you're supposed to be skilled at."

A small smile forms on Yunyun's face. "Really? I mean, you barely attended martial arts class at the academy..." She twirls her pointer fingers around. Kazuma stares at Megumin. "And every lunch period, you'd show up like clockwork, challenge me to a duel, and then steal my lunch..."

"Girl..." Kazuma mutters. 

"It was a matter of life and death for me." Megumin glances at Kazuma. "Due to personal circumstances, her lunches were the only thing keeping me alive."

"All right, then that will be how we fight!" Yunyun states. 

"Seriously?" Kazuma asks as he looks back at Yunyun. 

"Very well." Megumin puts her eye-patch over her left eye. "Now then, come at me as you will!"

Yunyun gets in a battle ready stance, Megumin does something similar.

Yunyun takes a few steps forward and she stops as the sun comes out from the clouds and shines down on them. Making the slime on Megumin shine. "M-Megumin... Um, your body's still kind of shiny..."

A bright flash goes off in the distance and Smaug is heard laughing.

"That's right." Megumin says. "What you see clinging to every inch of me are the fluids from inside a toad's stomach." She takes a step forward. "Come! The moment you get close to me, I'll grab you with both arms and put you in a submission hold!"

"N-No way!" Yunyun takes a step back. "You're trying to make me lose my will to fight so I'll give up, aren't you? Right?"

Megumin smiles. "We're friends, aren't we?"

Megumin continues. "And I believe friendship means sharing in each other's suffering." She runs at Yunyun, causing her to scream and run away. "C'mon. C'mon. C'mon."

"NO!" Yunyun screams as she runs away from Megumin. "I'll give up! I'll give up! stay away from me!"

"C'mon!" Megumin tackles Yunyun to the snowy ground. 

"I give up!" Yunyun yells. "I already gave up!"

"I win again!" Megumin says like the goblin she is.

Kazuma looks around. "Where's Smaug?" Kazuma finds a a bunch of toad bodies leading off into the distance.

With Smaug.

"Dragon's Fist of Flame!" Smaug punches a hole through the stomach of a toad. The toad falls backward, dead. Smaug wipes her brow and sighs. "Haaaa, that's the last one, now to go back to the others." Smaug doesn't move. "I can't feel my legs... I used up all my mana."

A loud thud happens behind Smaug and a shadow looms over her. Smaug's tail mimics an exclamation mark. Smaug looks up and sees the mouth of a toad coming down onto her. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the consequences of my actions." The toad eats Smaug.

"Smaug!" Kazuma yells and runs towards Smaug with his sword in the air.

----

"Konosuba." Rumi laughs.

----

Walking down the streets of Axel in the evening we see Megumin, Smaug, and Kazuma. Both females covered in slime. 

"She actually ran off crying." Kazuma says to Megumin.

Megumin holds out a purple crystal ball to Kazuma. "Kazuma. The spoils of war. Sell it to start making your payments."

Smaug's eyes shine with greed. "Looks expensive." Megumin nods.

Kazuma points at the crystal. "Are you sure?"

Megumin's eyes shine. "It is of no use to a grand sorceress such as myself, who operates beyond the bounds of society."

Kazuma sighs. "Do you ever think about learning skills other than explosion ma-"

"Never." Megumin interrupts. 

"Yeah, I figured." Kazuma takes the crystal ball and sighs.

"What is it?"

"I was just thinking that you're prettier than that other girl."

Smaug gasps in shock and hugs Megumin to her chest, tightly. "You dare say that to my precious, Megumin!" Smaug glares at Kazuma, making him deadpan. "She's the prettiest of any person out there, right next to yours truly."

Megumin gets out of Smaug's hug. "As punishment, let me give you a big hug!" She says to Kazuma with her eyes glowing red. 

Kazuma turns away in disgust. "S-Stay away from me!"

"You should be happier. Some people would pay money to have a slimy girl all over them." Megumin runs at Kazuma.

---

"I'm the best!" Smaug shouts.

---

Back at the mansion the three finally make it home. Kazuma's now covered in slime.

"I never thought an embrace could be so unpleasant..." Kazuma whines.

Chomusuke walks up to Megumin and meows at her.

"Chomusuke!" She kneels down and tries to pet her. "Were you a good--"

Chomusuke freaks out and runs away, not wanting to get slime on herself. Smaug flicks her tail and slime flies off of it. 

Kazuma walks past Megumin. "Well, I'm off to the bath." Megumin grabs his sleeve, stopping him. "What is it?"

"Surely you've heard of 'ladies first'?" Megumin asks. 

"I yearn for true gender equality. I have no patience for one who talks about female privilege when it suits them, and then complains about someone 'not being a man' when it's convenient!" 

Kazuma slaps Megumin's hand away and runs towards the bathroom, with Megumin running after him. Smaug blinks a few times and walks after them.

Kazuma and Megumin reach the bathroom and they struggle against each other to enter it.

"Besides, if you want to be treated like a lady, you should grow into one first!" Kazuma shouts at Megumin.

"You're treating me like a child again, aren't you?!" Megumin yells. "For the record, I'm only three years younger than you!"

Smaug enters the hallway and stares at the two.

"Yet you seem like just a kid to me, so you're wasting your time!" Kazuma yells and he takes his pants off.

"This guy's actually taking his clothes off!" Megumin yells.

'I live with a bunch of crazy people.' Smaug thinks to herself as she walks to the bath door.

"I'm not backing down on this one!" Kazuma yells. "No matter what! Get it?!"

Smaug enters the bathroom without the two noticing and she shuts the door behind her. "This dragon deserves to go first." She smiles to herself and starts undressing. She hears the two still yelling outside the room. "Dear me, can they stop yelling!"

Smaug is now just in her bra and panties and she looks into a mirror and flexes her muscular arms.

Smaug runs a hand over her abs. "I could grind cheese on these." She starts to drool and then she wipes it. "This is a new low, being horny for myself." 

Smaug sighs and stares at her self in the mirror. She touches her pointy horns and then grabs her long red hair with orange tips. "I've really changed." She lets go of her hair. "I've completely changed from before."  She grabs her serious hunkers. 

Smaug takes her bra and panties off and wraps a towel around herself. "I wonder how my parents handled my death." She looks down at her hands and opens and closes them. "I've never really thought about it, but how did my death affect my family and my friends. Aw man, my poor boss, he was super nice and awesome. I feel really bad now. How would my parents react to me being like this!"

Smaug then slaps the sides of her cheeks. "No! Don't think bad thoughts, the great Smaug is too good for that. All that stuff is in the past!"

Smaug walks into the warm bath and sits down and lets out a moan. "So nice!"

The door opens and Smaug looks back to see Megumin and Kazuma, both in towels. 

"Yo!" Smaug holds up a peace sign.

"When did you get in here?!" Megumin and Kazuma both shout at the same time.

---

"I'm a dragon god!" Smaug laughs.

----

The three are in the bath, all wearing towels.

Kazuma leans back against the edge of the bath and releases a satisfied sigh.

On the other side of the bath is Smaug, with her back turned to Kazuma, and in her lap is Megumin, with her head between Smaug's large breasts. 

Chomusuke is in a little bamboo bathtub, filled with warm water.

"Hey." Kazuma speaks up.

"Hai?" Megumin says.

"I thought cats didn't like baths."

"She likes to stay clean."

"Staying clean is good." Smaug says as she washes Megumin's arms.

"Hey..." Kazuma speaks up.

"Hai?" Megumin responds.

"Do you think Yunyun's gonna be okay?"

"I'm sure I'll see her again. She chases after me, claiming to be my rival, after all."

"Man, I'd hate to have a rival, especially one named Dave." Smaug says.

"Yunyun's the same age as you, right?" Kauzma asks Megumin.

Megumin looks back at Kazuma. "Why don't you just come out and say what you were thinking when you looked at me just now?"

Kazuma smugly smiles. "I was thinking how everybody matures at their own pace--" Megumin stands up and starts to cast Explosion. "Hey, cut that out!" 

Smaug and Chomusuke both panic.

"Not in the bath!" Smaug screams.

"It's bad for my heart!" Kazuma shouts.

Megumin stops casting her magic, making Smaug and Chomusuke calm down. She glares at Kazuma. "I'm sure that in another year or two, I'll have a body like Mama Smaug, making Yunyun cry for forgiveness..."

Kazuma puts a hand on his chin and stares at Megumin.

Megumin turns around and covers her chest. "I would appreciate it if you'd stop staring so intently!"

Kazuma keeps staring then, a blush forms on his face. "Why are we all in the bath together?"

Megumin gains a blush as she looks back at Kazuma. "Why bring that up now?" Smaug sighs and sweat drops. "Why would you suddenly come to your senses?!"

Kazuma starts to slide away from the two female, while Megumin tries to hide by sitting back down on Smaug's lap.

"Well, I mean, anyone seeing this would probably react--" Kazuma gets cut off by Aqua announcing she's back.

"I'm back!"

Both Megumin and Kazuma freak out. Smaug just blinks a few times. 

"The useless blue thing's back." Smaug groans.

"Hey, I got the cash for the toad meat!" Aqua yells.

"Is it locked?!" Kazuma asks Megumin. "Did you lock the door to the bath?!"

"I-I didn't!" Megumin runs her hair. "Wh-Wh-What do we do?!"

"You two are children." Smaug says.

"Kazuma? Smaug? Megumin? I'm back!" Aqua yells. "It'd be nice if someone would say something! Huh? The bath!"

Kazuma runs out of the bath and opens the door to the hallway. "Freeze!" Ice starts to form on the door at the end of the hall.

Megumin and Smaug peek out the door. 

"Either I'm doomed, or my magic holds out!" Kazuma yells.

"Anyone there?" Aqua yells through the door.

"Hold out, magic power of mine! If Aqua sees me with Megumin, it'll mean getting called 'Pedo-NEET' and 'Lolimaniac'  and other disgraceful nicknames!" His mana runs out and he falls to the ground.

"Megumin, Smaug, when you two get out of the bath, let's have lunch." Aqua calls through the door. "Actually, get out of there already. I'm all slimy myself, y'know!"

The three stare at the completely frozen door, Megumin and Kazuma sigh.

"That was a close one." Megumin says. "If things had gone on much longer..."

"I almost got branded a lolicon." Kazuma exclaims and Megumin gasps. "Hey. one you two. Sorry to ask, but I can't move, so could you dry me off?"

"Hey." Megumin says and Kazuma looks up to see her cracking her knuckles. "Why don't you explain exactly why getting into the bath with me makes you a lolicon?"

"Hey, wait, stop it! What are you trying to do?! You'll be branded a female pervert! Hey, A-Aqua! Aqua! The little girl is bullying me!"

Smaug sighs and holds her hand up to the door. "Flame." Flames spew out of her hands and melt the ice off the door. 

Later at the guild.

Aqua, Megumin, and Smaug sit on one side of a table as Kazuma sits on the other side.

Smaug's plate is full of frog legs and she has two pints of beer next to her.

Aqua stops eating and glares at Kazuma. "Pedo-NEET."

"Eep!" 

Today's Results

28 Giant Toads Killed

One day later.

Smaug, Megumin, Kazuma, and Aqua are at Wiz's shop. Kazuma is holding up the purple crystal ball and Chomusuke is laying on his head.

"Hey!" Kazuma calls out. "I'm looking to sell this."

The group sees Yunyun and she looks back at the group in shock.

"She's here to--" Wiz motions to Yunyun.

Yunyun throws her arms out. "M-My name is Yunyun! What a coincidence! What a quirk of fate! To think that we would have an encounter here!" She points at Megumin. "You truly are my lifelong rival!"

"She heard that you all visit my store regularly." Wiz states. "And has been waiting all morning."

Yunyun waves her arms around and she turns to Wiz. "Wh-What are you saying, shopkeep?! I just came by to buy some magic items... U-Um, I'd like this!" She holds up a jar full of colorful stars.

---

"KONOSUBA!" Yunyun shouts.

---

Aqua is eating some snacks and drinking some tea at a small table. Megumin and Kazuma are talking to Yunyun.

Smaug is over with Wiz, rubbing her cheek against Wiz's neck with a massive smile on her face, as she hugs her tightly. Wiz has a blush on her face as she pats Smaug on the head. (Sometimes I wish I could draw, so I can give you readers these scenes.)

Chomusuke meows and her head pops out from between the two's breasts that are pushing against each other.

"I see." Kazuma says. "You could've just come by the mansion instead of doing all this."

"But I can't just visit someone's home unannounced..." Yunyun states.

"It's always half-measures with you." Megumin glares at Yunyun. "That's why you can't make friends."

"Is that true?" Aqua asks.

"Yunyun is the rare Crimson Demon who's embarrassed by her name. She would usually eat lunch alone at the academy. And whenever I would cross her line of sight, she'd gleefully challenge me over and over."

"I-It wasn't that bad!" Yunyun stutters. "I did have some friends."

"I can hardly believe what I'm hearing." Megumin doubts Yunyun. "You had friends, Yunyun?"

"Of course! Even I had friends!" She puts a hand on her chest. "there was Funifura-san and Dodonko-san, who would always say, 'We're freinds, right?' and I would treat them to lunch..."

"Hey, stop!" Kazuma shouts. "I don't want to hear any more!"

"Well, since I can only use explosion magic, I would rather avoid magic duels." Megumin says.

"Would you learn some other magic already?" Yunyun asks. "You're bound to have unused skill points, right?"

"Yes, I do. And I intend to put them all into 'Explosion Magic Power Boost' and 'High-Speed Casting.'"

"Stupid! Why are you so obsessed with explosion magic?!" Yunyun asks and Megumin looks away.

"That's right, you tell her!" Kazuma encourages Yunyun. 

Aqua gets up and starts to walk around. "All this talk of duels... For classmates, you guys sure are vicious." She stops at a magic ball. "Hey, hey." She gets the group's attention and she points at the ball. "Maybe this would be good? 'The friendship crystal.' 

Wiz walks over, with her and Smaug holding hands."Oh, only a seasoned magic user can use that effectively." 

"If you can use it well, can you make friends?" Yunyun asks.

"Well, yes. I know! Why not try it?"

"I hardly see the need to make friends..." Megumin says.

"Come on, Megumin, try it." Smaug says.

"Yeah, you should Megumin." Yunyun says. "Or have you lost your nerve?"

"In other words, being able to use this more effectively is proof of greater spell casting skill!" Yunyun states.

---

"I love Yuri!" Smaug shouts.

----

Now the Friendship crystal sits on a pedestal in the middle of the shop with Yunyun and Megumin on either side of it.

"If you insist, then I will demonstrate for you the power of a true magic user!" Megumin states.

"Today is the day we settle this score!" Yunyun says with excitement. 

The two pour magic into the crystal ball and it shines a bright purple. The others stare on with amazement. 

"Just what I'd expect from Crimson Demons." Wiz says.

"Now, crystal, demonstrate your power!" Yunyun orders. 

The crystal glows brighter.

"The crystal's power is activating!" Wiz states. Suddenly the room goes dark and a bunch of magic projections appear. "It's never projected this much before! They both have incredible magic!"

"What... is this?!" Kazuma asks.

"So shiny." Smaug says as she looks at the screens.

One of the screens show Megumin sneaking into a kitchen and stealing some bread crusts. Megumin is in shock.

"Is she gathering bread crusts?" Kazuma asks.

"Wait a minute..." Aqua sweat drops at a screen.

On the screen Aqua's watching shows Yunyun celebrating her birthday by herself.

Yunyun is in shock.

"Is she... by herself?" Wiz asks.

Smaug looks at the screens in horror. "What evil magic is this?"

Another screen shows Megumin stealing vegetables from a farmer and eating some with her younger sister.

Another screen shows Yunyun playing chess by herself. 

Then we see Megumin catching lobsters and cooking them with her younger sister.

Then we see Yunyun trying to make friends with a dog, but it runs away from her. Then she tries to smell a flower, but it grows legs and runs away.

Then we see Megumin cooking some bugs with her younger sister.

Then we see Yunyun trying to summon a devil, but it's not working.

The group stares at the screens in horror. 

"She's working odd jobs to take her 'friends' out to eat?!" Kazuma asks.

"Wait, why is she..." Aqua starts. "Eating a bug?"

"Even the flow grew legs and ran." Smaug says.

Both Megumin and Yunyun scream in panic.

"What is this?!" Megumin shouts.

"Shopkeep, you said this crystal would create friendship, right?!" Yunyun asks Wiz.

"This is a valued item that deepens feelings of friendship and love by exposing past embarrassment... actually..." Wiz states. 

Yunyun starts to cry and she turns to Megumin. "Megumin! Hey, Megumin! Is this going to make us friends?!"

Megumin grabs the crystal and she lifts it up into the air, while yelling. Then she throws it on the ground, where it smashes apart. 

The screens and dark room disappear and the group is back in the shop.

Aqua, Kazuma, and Smaug scream while they look at the crystal. 

----

"KONOSUBA!" Lucoa says.

----

Smaug is behind the counter with Aqua and Wiz. Chomusuke is on top of Smaug's head. 

Wiz has the remains of the crystal in a cloth and she wraps it up. "I'll just put that on your tab, Kazuma-san."

Megumin stands next to Kazuma.

"Hang on." Kazuma says. "Megumin was the one who broke it. And she's Smaug's responsibility." 

"Yunyun was the one who wanted to use it." Megumin says. "And don't speak ill of the Mama Dragon." Then she points to the side, where Yunyun is sulking. "She'll pay."

"My duel..." Yunyun mutters. "I finally got her to duel, and..."

"How long are you going to mope?"

Yunyun lunges at Megumin and grabs her shirt. "But how do we know who won?" She lets go of Megumin's shirt. "Can we call it a draw?"

"I don't mind." Megumin says. "I'm not childish enough to be competitive over games anymore."

Yunyun smiles. "Come to think of it, didn't we used to compete to see who would grow faster? if you think you're not childish anymore, do you want to do that again?"

Megumin shakes her head. "That's not what I mean when I talk about being childish. After all, I'm..." She then motions to Kazuma. "In the kind of relationship with Kazuma here where we bathe tother."

"ACK!" Smaug falls over onto the ground and Chomusuke hops onto the counter. Smaug's tail twitches.

"Hey!" Kazuma yells at Megumin.

"Oh, my!" Wiz blushes.

Yunyun blushes and yells out in shock.

Kazuma grabs Megumin's cheeks and stretches them. "Don't joke about that! Is this mouth trying to make my reputation even worse?!"

Smaug stands up and slams her hands onto the counter. "Don't make it sound like you're both dating!" She yells. "No one can date my daughter!"

Yunyun flails her arms up and down, causing Kazuma and Megumin to look at her. "I'll admit that I lost today!"  She runs out of the store crying.

"Come again!" Wiz calls out.

"She's a lively girl." Megumin says.

"You are, too." Kazuma says to Megumin.

"I feel bad." Smaug says.

Megumin pulls out a notebook and writes something in it. "I win again!"

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01-07-2023

5559 words