The next day… late afternoon… One hour before the wedding…
Okay, I'd be lying if I say that I wasn't nervous at all…
Right now I'm standing in the vast grassy plains outside the city of Axel. There's a large scorch mark as thick as my arm on the ground below my feet. There scorch mark formed a large pattern almost a hundred meters in diameter with four corners.
A large group of adventurers came marching down from the city entrance. Each one of them ready for battle in their adventuring outfit. Leading them all is Yunyun and Darkness fully garbed in their respective adventuring gear and outfit.
After a moment, they've all formed ranks and lined up in front of me.
Yunyun walked off to one corner of the magic circle. At the other three corners stood Wiz, Emperor Liz, and Lady Paradox.
Then, Darkness knelt down in front of me, followed by the rest of adventurers.
I took a deep breath and brandished my sword.
"Stand proud my brethren!"
All at once the adventurers stood up from their positions.
"Adventurers and all who fight for humanity! At dusk, we shall all storm one of the largest demon king military base and make it our own. At dusk, we shall fight back and take back what's ours. At dusk, we shall fight to the end, for the glory of victory!!!"
War cries came from all the adventurers.
I looked up at the sky and saw that it has turned magenta. Then I turned towards Yunyun standing on one edge of the teleportation point. "It is time, Yunyun!"
The Crimson Demon nodded and started her chanting. Wiz, Paradox, and Liz followed her lead and started their chanting. The teleportation pattern below us began to glow and we all closed our eyes as a the light turns blinding.
After a moment, we found ourselves standing in the entrance of a large forest. Numerous signs of powerful enemies came from within.
Suddenly the trees in front of us slowly shifted. It bends like a pair of door, forming a large entrance for us. But it was far from welcoming, rather, it was challenging. Like the forest itself is mocking us and daring us take a step forward.
For the next five minutes, we walked in silence. The forest was quiet, like there are no monsters or animal life in sight. Like it was scared, terrified of disturbing something deep within it. Like the forest itself is nothing more but a mere property to the one that lies within.
Soon, we made it…
An entire army with thousands of lessor demons, monsters, cyclops, goblins, and more. They all stood in front of us, gazing at us with a flat look on their faces. But not a single one of them engaged, they just simply stood there, staring at us.
From within the ranks of monster, a single figure stepped out of it. A beautiful woman in a light green dress with bright red hair. It is one of the most powerful monster that has walked the earth, the strongest of all plant-type monster, the ruler of a forest itself.
An Alraune…
"Stand back, adventurers," I said when some of the adventurers brandished their weapons. I raised my sword and pointed at her with my sword. "Are you here to stop us?"
The Alraune bowed politely. "I am merely here to welcome you, by my mistress's orders," she raised her head and looked at all of us. "Brave adventurers who has forsaken peace for danger, brave adventurers who has forsaken wealth for glory, brave adventurers who has forsaken life for a glorious death…"
"Welcome… to your final destination…"
All at once, the monsters made way for us. A straight path right to the heart of the forest. A straight path that led to a sight to behold.
It is a throne, fitting of the ruler of all monsters themselves. Pitch black and dark red with numerous magic patterns all over it. It stood atop of a mountain of black stones and glowing gems forming a staircase.
But it was in significant when compared to the one sitting on it.
Her silky black hair waved lazily on her shoulder. Her crimson red eyes shone bright, like a window that shows hell to whoever views it. Her body, so lithe yet brimming with untold amount of magical power.
She wore a black dress that put emphasis on her elegance. It hugged her body tightly, like it was a part of her. Her dark red cloak, like a curtain of flame dancing behind her.
We stopped right in front of her. The Alraune stepped up to the throne and position herself by the ruler's side. At the other side is a young girl, garbed in the uniform of rulers and tyrants of a distant world. A pair of black and red wings spread out behind her back and her eyes gazed at us as if we were mere filth in her eyes.
"For mere mortals to make it this far," the girl spoke. "What is your purpose?"
I took a deep breath and raised my sword.
"To defeat you,"
The ruler raised her eyebrow and grinned.
"It's your funeral…"
---
The sound of drums rang echoes through the forest. Shouts and cheer came from monsters and humans alike. The air that was so tense became hot and fiery, like hell itself, just come by to bless the wedding.
Right now, I'm standing in the middle of an arena. It is a large clearing surrounded with a stupidly powerful magic shield. The magic shield itself is being held up by the combined magic of Aqua, Wolbach, Emperor Liz, Wiz, Vanir, Lady Paradox, and the entire Crimson Demon Village.
Hopefully, it's enough…
Megumin held her staff with one hand as she trudged slowly towards me. Her crimson eyes gleamed brightly in the night—her cape flutters in the wind like the gentle flow of water.
"You came all the way here to defeat me," she spoke. "How pitiful, you've brought all these adventurers to their death for an impossible quest."
I smiled confidently. "Well, why don't we do this the old adventurer duel style. The winner can take anything from the loser or the loser has to do anything the winner says, hmm?"
"What a childish term," Megumin chuckled a little. "Well, I shall humor you for once,"
Oh boy, here we go…
I raised my sword and dashed straight to the crimson demon. At the last moment, I lunged to the side and was about to use my default assassination combo when the girl exploded.
The explosion caught me off guard and knocked me a few feet back. I quickly stood up just in time to block a followup strike from her. She narrowed her eyes a little when there's no sign of explosion, but she kept beating me with her staff.
We kept going for a solid five minutes, trading blows after blows. Her movement was quick and extremely powerful. But I'm faster and much more agile than her. So I can probably fend her off for the better part of the fight.
Then, Megumin jumped back, and numerous magic circles formed around her like a freaking machine gun turret.
I throw a few seeds on the ground in front of her, forcing her to jump away. But the magic circle didn't move. It merely aimed at me and started shooting mini-explosions.
I ran through the perimeter of the battleground, a trail of deadly explosions followed me from behind. But the wake of explosions was faster, and I was forced to roll on the ground to dodge it, kicking up dust and smoke in the air.
I cast hide on myself and teleported right behind Megumin. I grinned a little at her defensive back and was about to knock her out with one blow when she suddenly turned around and delivered a roundhouse straight at me.
I jumped fast enough and struck her with a downward strike with my sword. It struck true to her shoulders, and she yelped in pain. It kept digging through her shoulder until it just barely cut her arms off.
Megumin retaliated by punching me straight at the chest. An explosion enhanced punch that can break through the adamantite armor like a piece of cardboard. It felt like my organs just got ripped apart from the inside.
I lay sprawled on the ground a distance away from her. Megumin stood in front of me, grabbing her shoulder in pain with her free hand and a murderous glare on her eyes. The sky above me began to fill with magic patterns, and the air started to shudder.
There is no dodging this ultimate move…
I grabbed my adamantite crystal battery and bite it down. Then I grabbed a ring from my pocket and used it. The ring that converts hp damage to mp damage at the cost of the user unable to use magic.
After that, I charged at her. Through the world breaking rain of destruction that shook the forest itself. I charged in like a mad man with a death wish. I ignored all the explosion that blasted through my entire body and simply ride on with the wings of magic.
'Clang'
Even with only an arm, she was far from crippled. With her staff, she blocked my unrelenting blow and began concentrating her firepower straight at me. But I ignored it, intent on finishing this off before I ran out of mana.
My back started to burn as the explosion spell shot me relentlessly during the struggle. I can feel my strength faltering as one by one, I depleted my magical battery. I can feel my legs turning to jelly underneath her relentless strike.
But I know Megumin isn't better off than me. She's losing blood and is draining her own mp to keep up the explosion. Her strike gets weaker every second, but her eyes somehow glow even brighter than before.
I'm down on my last crystal. The explosions that are hitting me started to hurt as much as the real thing. It's only a matter of endurance, which one of us is more efficient at using their mp?
Then, Megumin struck my ring, and it shattered in my hands. A victorious smirk appeared on her face.
I teleported away on instinct just in time to dodge another explosion. At this point, I'm down to my natural mana reserves. But I managed to drop a few seeds on where she's right now, and if I can just catch her, it'll be game over for her.
Vines burst out of the ground around her only to get exploded into bits by the girl. She then charged towards me, but the first vines were a bait.
One last vine burst out of the ground and caught her from behind. It quickly absorbed her precious mana, and she started cursing to herself. She managed to broke free in the last moment, but numerous vines kept shooting out of the ground.
Then, she jumped, a full-on explosion enhanced jumped straight to the air. A gigantic magic circle formed above her as she floated in the air far longer than she should. Her crimson red eyes illuminated the area around me.
I was about to dodge when I realized that it's precisely what she wants. For me to try and avoid, and for her to shoot me down from the air.
I grinned at her and raised my sword.
She plummeted down to the ground with force ten times stronger than the one she used to break solid adamantite. A pillar of light burst forth from the heavens and struck me like the wrath of god. Her staff met my sword, and I cannot even breathe for a moment there.
This is the full power of Megumin, the Unstoppable force of the Fantastic Dreamer.
You can't stop an unstoppable force. All I could do was slow her down and poured all my mana in strengthening my winter shogun sword and my own strength. At this point, I have to resort to what I do best and talk my way to victory.
"What do you think, Megumin chan? One heck of a wedding now, isn't it?"
"It's adequate," Megumin replied calmly.
"Don't worry, losing to you isn't going to change anything,"
"Really now? Doesn't the loser has to do anything the winner says?"
"Pray tell, what will you make me do?"
Megumin chuckled, and the pressure increased.
"That's for me to plan and for you to worry about…"
"Well, as for me, I'm going to abuse my win for our honeymoon,"
The girl smirked, and the pressure began to shake the earth.
"Really now? Because I'm thinking the same thing."
"Ah, so this is a fight for who's going to be the top and who's going to be the bottom then?"
"You could say… that…"
"What is it Megumin chan? Getting tired? Too bad you can't really feel your right arm eh?"
Megumin glanced at her right arm, and her eyes widened. A bunch of vines has caught on to her and has sapped away some of her power. But even then, it's not enough to stop her from making a followup explosion to beat me.
So I blast her with the full power of my succubus charm skill.
"You…" the girl bit her lip, and she started to shudder a little. "Cheater…"
The pressure turned from unstoppable force into just barely stoppable but still pretty much impossible. I dared myself to let go of one hand and gently stroke her cheek.
"Ne, Megumin chan… You were holding back, weren't you?"
"Sh-shut up! I'm not holding back!"
"Really now? Aren't you curious about what would happen if I were to win?"
"It's probably some perverted stuff!"
"That's a broad definition Megumin chan, perverted stuff can mean a lot you know? For example…"
The vines slowly slithered down to her nether region. Her eyes widened, and the spell stopped in an instant.
"Stupid! In, in front of this many…"
I dashed towards her and brought my mouth to her ears.
"You said you wanted to have an… exhibition play… right?"
"No… that stupid Archdevil is…" the girl began panting, and she fell into my grasp. "You bastard… taking advantage on…"
"Drain Touch!"
I pulled her face into a deep kiss, and she began to moan slightly. I kept going for the next two minutes, draining her magic through our kiss until she fell unconscious in my embrace.
"Satou Kazuma is the winner!!!"