You're Being Summoned, Darkness

by Natsume Akatsuki

“Wait, please hear me out! I only did it because Aqua ordered me to! I am the perpetrator, true, but Aqua is the mastermind!”

  “Megumin, you traitor! I remember you being pretty into the idea when I suggested it! Behold my power or whatever!”

  I kept hold of their collars as things quickly headed south.

  “This isn’t the time for a stupid argument! We’re going to clean up your mess.”

  2

  The whole town was white with snow.

  “Nooo! I don’t want to be eaten by a frog! Not agaaaaiiin!”

  Snow disturbed only by Aqua’s tortured shrieking.

  “I’m surprised the frogs here don’t slow down at all in this cold. They’re as quick as ever. Everything around here is just a bit too hardy—including the vegetables,” I reflected as I watched a Giant Toad chase Aqua all over the winter wonderland.

  “In this merciless world, every living thing struggles at all times to stay alive. We should learn from them. We must get stronger and stronger to survive.” Next to me, Megumin looked completely serious.

  Even though everything below her shoulders was in the mouth of a Giant Toad.

  Perhaps it was her extensive experience in the throats of these frogs that allowed her to remain so calm. She didn’t fight back, just let things take their course.

  She had already used up her Explosion for the day, taking out a number of the pests.

  Notwithstanding the powerless Megumin, the Giant Toad seemed to have had its fill and was completely still. Maybe Megumin’s staff was caught in its mouth.

  “Hang tight. I’ll get you out of there.”

  I hefted my sword and turned toward the creature that was busy digesting my Wizard.

  “It’s all right, I can wait till you’ve taken care of the one chasing Aqua. It’s cold out anyway. This toad is nice and cozy.”

  I had thought Megumin might be normal except for her Explosion mania, but maybe she was worse than I’d realized.

  “Y-you seem awfully calm, given that one of your companions is being eaten by a toad and another is being chased around.”

  Sena sounded a bit miffed. She had come along to keep an eye on us, even as she tried to keep a safe distance.

  Well, she could say what she wanted. This was par for the course for us.

  Instead of rescuing Megumin, I jabbed my sword into the ground and traded it for my newly purchased bow and arrows.

  The golem I’d defeated during our assault on Mobile Fortress Destroyer let me level up twice in one fell swoop. I’d mulled over how to invest the skill points I got and realized that while we had a good, strong tank in Darkness, there was no one in our party who was capable of ranged attacks. We had Megumin, true, but she had only one blast in her, and she was as likely as not to catch Darkness in the area of effect.

  That meant it was my time to shine as an Adventurer—a weak class, but able to learn all kinds of skills.

  Taking advantage of this unique ability, I had asked Keith, the Archer, to teach me Bow Proficiency and Deadeye.

  Bow Proficiency, as the name implied, allowed me to use a bow immediately. And Deadeye increased the range of ranged attacks. It also made you more likely to hit your target the higher your Luck was, so it was perfect for me.

  I drew my bow and used Deadeye to take aim at the frog chasing Aqua.

  “Kazuma! Quick! Quiiick!” Aqua shouted when she saw me.

  You know what? I think I’d rather watch this a while longer.

  When she saw I wasn’t making any move to shoot, Aqua came dashing toward me, so in fear for my life, I shot the toad in the head.

  The bolt brushed Aqua’s hair and drove straight into its target.

  Aqua, almost in tears, continued straight toward me.

  “Okay, Megumin. You next.”

  “Hey, Kazuma, were you waiting for me to get eaten? Were you?! And didn’t I feel that arrow touch my hair? That’s my best feature!”

  I ignored her verbal deluge and pulled my sword out of the ground.

  “Does their fighting style always put them at such risk of their lives? C-could people like this really be in league with the Demon King…?”

  Behind us, Sena was taking notes on the fight and muttering something.

  I was about to fall on the motionless toad and rescue Megumin when—

  “W-wait, please! T-toads—”

  Megumin, still sprouting from the frog’s mouth, suddenly raised a sound of alarm.

  Aqua and I turned around.

  “…Ah.”

  Suddenly we realized there were three new Giant Toads behind us.

  My back had been nice and dry right up till then, but now a cold sweat began to trickle down.

  Oh man. This made four Giant Toads altogether. We didn’t have enough people to be food—I mean, decoys—for all of them.

  If I could just get some distance, I could pick them off one by one…!

  “Aqua, it’s time for a two-pronged strategy. I’m going to put some space between us and try to take one of them out. You go back to being the bait.”

  “No way! I’m sick of these frogs chasing me! You be the bait this time!”

  “You idiot, your attacks aren’t strong enough to stop them! If we can take one out, there will only be two left. Then you and Sena can distract them!”

  “What?! I’m just your observer; I’m not supposed to get inv— Are you suggesting you would use a bystander like me as a decoy?!”

  Somewhere in the middle of Aqua’s crying and Sena’s shouting, I could hear Megumin.

  “Pardon me, but I now seem to be sliding down this frog’s gullet bit by bit. If someone could perhaps rescue me…”

  “Gaaah, I wish Darkness were here! The frogs can’t swallow her and her armor! When the hell is she gonna get back?!”

  I locked eyes with the frog swallowing Megumin and raised my sword—!

  “Light of Saber!!!”

  A clear voice rang out across the snow.

  At the same moment, a beam of light shot toward the frog consuming Megumin.

  The beam passed through the monster’s body. There was a beat, and then it fell clean in half.

  I was pulling Megumin clear of its mouth when—

  “Energy Ignition!”

  The voice came again.

  The three frogs closing in on us spontaneously combusted. The blue-white flames engulfed them as if their bodies had caught fire from the inside.

  As the aroma of grilled frog drifted by, I contemplated how little I wanted to carry the goop-drenched Megumin on my back. Instead, I used Drain Touch to give her my scant MP.

  She managed to stand, albeit with a pronounced wobble.

  Her attention rested on a girl in a black robe, maybe a year or two younger than me.

  I’d never seen her before, but she was staring at Megumin.

  “That was Advanced Magic…! This beginner town has…someone who can use skills like that…?”

  With Sena exclaiming behind me, I bowed to the new girl.

  “I don’t know who you are, but you saved us. Thanks.”

  She glanced at me and blushed just a little. “I didn’t s-save you, all right? I just couldn’t let some toad be the one to finish off my rival. What would I do then?” she murmured, looking at the ground.

  “Ooh, you know Megumin?” Aqua asked, her enthusiasm restored now that the frogs were gone.

  “Yeah, I guess… I mean, we’re rivals… Megumin! It’s been a while. My training is over and I’ve come back, just like I said I would. As you can see, I can even use Advanced Magic now! It’s time for you to fulfill the promise we made! After all this time, everything will be settled today!”

  She jabbed a finger at Megumin, looking genuinely thrilled.

  Man, this was some dramatic twist.

  As for the girl being called out…

  “I’m sorry… Who are you again?”

  “Whaaat?!”

  This dispassionate answer from the goop-covered Megumin provoked a
cry of surprise from the new girl.

  I couldn’t help noticing the newcomer reminded me of our Arch-wizard somehow.

  Her black robe and black mantle looked a lot like the ones Megumin had on.

  She carried a silver wand and wore a dagger at her hip.

  A little taller than Megumin, she was maybe a little better proportioned overall.

  And while she was clearly set on what she wanted, she also appeared to be on the quiet side. Not bad-looking at all.

  If she’d been in Japan, I could easily have pictured her as class rep or president of the student council. She had the look of the classic overachiever.

  Her hair was tied with ribbons, and she had those distinctive red eyes.

  The very same ones as Megumin.

  “I-it’s me! Your classmate from the academy at the Crimson Magic Village! You were number one and I was number two? And—and I said I was going to go learn how to use Advanced Magic?” The Crimson Magic Clan girl pointed to herself, desperately trying to jog Megumin’s memory.

  Wait, what was that she just said? That sounded big.

  “Hang on a second. Did she just say you ranked first at school?”

  Megumin only chuckled.

  “Why so shocked? When I first met you, did I not tell you that I was first among the spell-casters of the Crimson Magic Clan? It is your fault for not believing me. But now that we have known each other all this time, surely you understand.”

  “Yeah, that’s…a pretty hard story to buy when you’re standing there covered in frog spit.”

  “Wh-what?!”

  “Hold it, you two!” The new girl broke into our argument. “Megumin, it’s me! Do you really not remember?! How I would always challenge you on tests and everything at school, and you would always say that if there was going to be a duel, there had to be a prize, and make me wager my lunch? I can’t count the number of lunches you stole from me that way.”

  Wow. Megumin did that?

  I stared at her, and she glanced away.

  “Hey, if you guys are going to be a while, mind if I go ahead to the Guild? I want to get them to take care of these frogs before the meat goes bad.” Aqua indicated the cooked monsters.

  Frankly, I wasn’t thrilled that she was leaving me alone in this situation. But at the moment, we needed every bit of spare change we could get, and it would be better to let Aqua handle things. Anyway, this meant Megumin and I could head straight back home, and she could wash off the amphibian stink that much sooner.

  “Hmm. It looks like there’s a lot going on. I’ll call it a day for now, as well… Kazuma Satou, I admit you looked like an Adventurer today, but I haven’t dismissed the possibility that this was all an act to throw me off. I don’t trust you yet.”

  And with that, Sena fixed one final glare on me, then headed to town with Aqua.

  3

  Left to handle things myself in the snowy field, I turned again to Megumin.

  “So, this girl says she knows you, and you…don’t know her? She seems pretty familiar with you. You sure you aren’t acquainted?”

  “I do not, and she has not even told us her name, which is most strange. She must be one of those ‘sharks’ you told Aqua not to get involved with no matter how badly we needed money. We should avoid her.”

  She took my hand and tried to lead me away.

  Seeing the two of us about to go, the girl said in a panic, “H-hold it right there! F-fine! I hate to do this in front of a stranger, but I’ll give you my name! …I’m Yunyun. An Arch-wizard, wielder of Advanced Magic. And future leader of the Crimson Magic Clan…!”

  Blushing furiously as she said all this, Yunyun flung out her mantle with a dramatic fwap.

  Apparently, there was some rule that Crimson Magic Clan members had to act overly dramatic when they announced themselves.

  Observing all this, Megumin said to me, “So, you see? She’s Yunyun. Daughter of the current leader of the Crimson Magic Clan and next in line for the succession. Also, my self-proclaimed rival when we were in school.”

  “I see. I’m Megumin’s party member, Kazuma. Nice to meet you, Yunyun.”

  “S-so you do remember! W-wait, what? Kazu…Mr. Kazuma…? You aren’t going to laugh at my name?” Yunyun asked timidly, taken aback.

  “So your name’s a little odd. That doesn’t say anything about you. I even happen to know of someone who’s notoriously known as the crazy explosion girl, even though she’s already got the weirdest name you ever heard.”

  “Me? Are you talking about me? I have not heard that nickname! When did I get that nickname?”

  A strange but clearly surprised look came over Yunyun’s face. “I see. I should have expected it, Megumin. You found some good friends. Nothing less from my rival.”

  Something seemed to have improved her opinion of me.

  “Say, if we’re going to chat together, how about we do it somewhere else? You don’t just want to stand here, do you?”

  At my suggestion, Yunyun’s eyes went wide, and she took a step back from Megumin and me.

  “Oh yeah! I almost forgot after Megumin tried so hard to pretend she didn’t know me! Megumin, I came here to settle things with you! I’m going to be the leader of the Crimson Magic Clan someday. How can I sit confidently on that throne if I can’t win against you? And above all—”

  Yunyun stood, jabbing a finger in Megumin’s direction.

  “I’ve learned Advanced Magic, just like I promised. All I have to do now is beat you and claim the right to call myself first among the spell-casters of the Crimson Magic Clan. Then no one will be able to object when I become leader. No one will be able to say I didn’t earn it! Now, Megumin. Duel me!”

  The resolve in her eyes was unmistakable.

  “I don’t wanna. It’s cold out and I’m freezing.”

  Megumin made this sound like a perfectly ordinary response.

  “Wha—?” Yunyun stiffened.

  “Are you? Let’s go home, then. I’ll heat the bath. You can go first. Then let’s all have a nice meal.”

  I made to leave with Megumin, but…

  “W-w-w-wait a second! How can you do this to me? It’s been so long—how can you be so cold? Megumin, duel me! I’m begging you!”

  Yunyun was panicked, beseeching.

  Finally, Megumin sighed.

  “But I’m out of magic for today. I used up all my MP. Do you intend to challenge me by magic anyway? Heh-heh-heh, I think you’ll find you’re underestimating me. Just now, my power vaporized eight of these foolish frogs in a single blow. Can you match that, Yunyun?”

  As Megumin growled this delusionary nonsense, Yunyun looked at me in surprise. She probably wanted some sign whether it was true.

  “I guess that’s true, more or less.”

  Though conveniently putting aside her total inability to move afterward.

  Yunyun lowered her eyes to the ground and swallowed, a little paler than before.

  “You have been away and probably don’t know, but…have you heard? How day after day of my magic so frightened the general of the Demon King that he emerged from his castle, and how I then slew him? Or how my Explosion obliterated the invincible Mobile Fortress Destroyer?”

  Yunyun’s head swiveled back and forth between Megumin and me, looking more and more anxious.

  Well, I guess she isn’t technically lying.

  “It is true that the Demon King’s general emerged because of Megumin’s magic, and that she struck the final blow on Destroyer.”

  It’s all in how you spin it, as they say.

  I wasn’t sure Yunyun’s face could get any whiter.

  “E-e-e-e-even so, I will have a duel! I must…! Even if I have no chance of winning, I will fight you again and again!”

  Despite the tears glistening in her eyes and the note of fear in her voice, Yunyun was clearly not going to change her mind.

  Megumin heaved another deep sigh.

  “…I can see I have no choice. I’ll tell you what w
e’ll do. I can’t use any more magic today. So how about martial arts? You were always better at that anyway. You seem to be something of an adventurer now yourself. I assume a written test won’t be enough for you anymore. We will use no weapons. Victory and defeat will be determined by who gives in first. How does that sound?”

  Yunyun wore an expression of open surprise.

  “Are you sure? I mean, at school you hardly ever came to martial arts class… Surely you’re not trying to make this easy for me? I mean, you would show up as soon as lunch break started and make a big show of walking in front of me so I would challenge you and you could take my lunch…”

  “…So you were pretty terrible, huh, Megumin?”

  “It was a matter of life and death for me. Because of my home situation, her lunches were my lifeline. If I had challenged her myself, would it not have been little more than extortion?”

  Yunyun closed her eyes.

  She took a deep breath, then put on a lovely smile.

  “Fine. I accept those terms. And someone once told me that a proper duel needs a prize! I’ll wager this manatite crystal. It’s very pure, a top-class item! Any mage would fall all over themselves to have it!”

  Yunyun brought out a small jewel.

  Judging by the name, it must be full of MP.

  Megumin nodded in satisfaction.

  “Very well, I accept! Come at me, then, any way you like!”

  Megumin spread her arms threateningly.

  Yunyun, for her part, dropped into a low stance and made a fist.

  Physically speaking, Yunyun looked like the clear favorite. She was ahead in height and physique, plus she had a well-balanced proportion of muscles on her slim arms and legs. In contrast, Megumin didn’t seem likely to be good at hand-to-hand combat by any stretch of the imagination. Honestly, she looked like a completely average girl and a less-than-average Wizard.

  Yunyun slid forward, closing up space.

  Megumin continued to stand with her hands raised, as if she might give her rival a hug at any time.

  “…Hey, Megumin. Hang on a second. Your body looks kind of…shiny. Is that…”

  “Yes. This is frog spit!”

  Megumin was quick to answer the hesitant question.