『One-Hit Killer Quest』

A normal person would go out the front door, Jack was not normal.

With the job approved by the Guild Receptionist, Jack began his walk towards the restroom door of the women's room, his arms dangling at his sides lazily as he did so.

"The front door is this way, now is no time to take a purge of your inner-self!" Megumin shouted as she followed after him, noticing he had been going in the opposite direction as her. Considering she had been walking off towards the front doors of the Guild Hall.

The Blonde Receptionist, however, raised a brow seeing the direction he was going in. "Isn't that the girl's bathroom?" She asked herself as she leaned on the counter, watching him curiously.

Jack didn't seem at all hindered by the fact that it was indeed the women's room. Though he didn't just enter the door. When he finally made it to the closed entrance, he waved his hand over the knob and suddenly the energy of the door seemed to shift. No one in the entire guild even noticed this, however, as none of them were specialized in such magic.

He had used a Yin Magic spell known as "Door Crossing" which is essentially a cheaper iteration of Arcane Gate. Using an existing doorway as a portal to a secondary location, it was something he learned in his first known life.

"Jack! What are you doing in front of the girl's bathroom? Have you suddenly gained the urge to peep on the--" Megumin immediately stopped talking as Jack pinched her nose before actually looking over at her, "How rude, you don't go grabbing the greatest...!" She stopped once more as he squeezed her nose a little harder. "Stop! Stop! Stop! What is it?!"

Staring at her for a few seconds, before shoving the door open with his foot, her eyes immediately widened. Rather than the women's bathroom, it was none other than the bedroom he had taken her to at the Inn.

"Is that..." She was truly amazed with bright red eyes that seemed to be filled with stars, accompanied by an almost mystical red glow. It almost reminded Jack of a gaseous nebula.

"Our room? Yes, yes it is..." Jack released her nose, letting her take a few steps in front of him before smacking her on the posterior causing her to suddenly yelp out in alarm.

Megumin was looking at him teary-eyed, rubbing her bum, "What was that for!?"

"Trying to make me sound like a pervert," Jack uttered, "Do you want me to be a pervert?"

Megumin smiled up at him as if to throw him off, her eyes glowing red once more, as she would then hold out two hands as if to answer him with a negative. "Uh... No, Please. Maybe Later."

"Thought so... Wait what!?" Jack ushered her in through the door and then closed it behind them. As soon as the room was sealed, they were nowhere near the guildhall anymore and it wasn't a restroom door either. There was no doubt they were at the Inn.

"Eh? I don't know what you're so uppity about, Jack," Megumin stated triumphantly as she padded on over to the bed, one hand on her rear. It was clear it still hurt from the amount of force he had put behind the hit. Putting her hand into her hat as she stood by the bed, she pulled out an eyepatch and held it into the air. "Now! TO SEAL MY POWER BEFORE IT CAN DESTROY THE WORLD SO I CAN UNLEASH IT UPON OUR TARGET AND SHOW IT MY TRUE CAPABILITIES!"

Centering his gaze on her as she was fashioning a kit-shield shaped eyepatch, with gold trim and white cross in the center, over her eye he raised a brow. "Hm, now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational Battle Station..."

He was clearly enabling her. Jack was indeed tempted to take the idiculous item away from her, but the cold thought of it driving her away stopped him.

Megumin placed her demonic black wizard hat unto her head and turned on her heel, facing him with a single red glowing eye. "So you know the true marvel of my power!?"

"It felt like you released several petra-tons of TNT when you shook Axel with the last one." Jack lightly adjusted the hat on her head, then went on to do the same with her black and gold cloak.

Smiling wide up at him, if not smugly, her eyes seemed to shine with a strange luster as she leaned just a bit closer to him. "Jack! Walk the Path of Explosions with me! Then there will be no doubt that we could destroy the Demon King together with the most powerful Magics of the Crimson Demon Clan! We shall claim his title and be the Dynamic Duo of Demon Kings!"

"I suppose I'll learn Explosion Magic after this Quest if I level up." Jack gave the side of her face a playful poke as to briefly distort the excited blush across her face, "But it'll--" For the first time he was cut off by her sudden action of throwing her arms around him and pulling him into a hug as he was leaning down to her level.

"Let us vanquish our foes in glorious crimson flames! Hah!" Megumin was becoming overly excited, though Jack didn't seem to punish or stand against it this time around. If anything, her embracing him made him grow silent as a silent simper was painted across his lips.

When was the last time he was actually hugged by someone before? Other than his past life's parents and the ones before that, an embrace like this was a foreign thing after childhood.

His mind had become stagnant after his first death, and it felt like it probably would stay that way. He was sure that the life of a human was going to fade into his previous memories... He could feel it as they were slowly vanishing. Perhaps instead of writing about his first life, he should have written about his second one.

Jack began to let out a sigh, raising one hand to stare at it as his head rested on Megumin's shoulder. The more his second life was overshadowed by his first as well as his present, the more loneliness became familiar and it was at an accelerated rate.

"Are you going to hug me forever?" He muttered by her ear.

"Eh?!" Megumin threw her arms in the air, in a brief panic, "You bewitched me, fiend! But I forgive you for your transgressions," she held out a hand as if nothing had happened. "To future Demon Kings!"

The Oni couldn't help but separate his lips partially so, at her actions, before reaching out and lightly grasping her hand with his own. "To future Demon Kings," though he didn't sound as enthusiastic as her... He wouldn't mind being a King, even if it meant standing over demons. The question was, did she really want to be a Demon King? This question in the back of his mind seemed to amuse him.

His eyes followed the girl as she released her grasp on his hand and waddled on over to his bag, pulling her stave free from it. Her eyes were affectionately caressing the staff along with her hands.

"You have everything?" Jack asked as he walked over and grasped his jacket and wore it over his kimono robe-like top.

Megumin jumped to face him, "Yes! Shall we go?"

"Indeed," approaching the exit of the room, he waved a hand over the knob once more. He had remembered the doors within Axel, mostly the ones outside of the Town. If he wanted to avoid being seen immediately, he wanted to use the door at the guard post by the outer gate.

As she lined up behind him, Jack opened the door and stepped outside, waiting for her to follow him out. Her visible red eye seemed to shine brighter as she waltzed through the portal, just before he closed it.

"Where did you come from?" One of the Guards of Axel had turned to see the two of them exit through the door, from a room that clearly didn't belong to the post. "How did you do that...?"

Jack simply looked over the guard for a moment, "It's portal magic. Should try it sometime," he wiggled his fingers in dismissal before walking away with Megumin in tow.

"Seriously?" The Guard just watched as the two of them were walking along the dirt trail towards the forest off in the distance. "I thought this town was for beginners..."

Grinning to himself as he could hear the Guard's monologue despite their distance, Jack glanced over towards Megumin who was walking beside him at a casual rate of pace. "So, considering the handsome sum, what will you spend the bounty on?"

"New Clothes!" She flipped her demon black cloak with gold trim out to the side, before grasping the rim of her hat.

"Oooooh~? I rather like your asymmetrical patchwork dress."

"Hah! I meant other clothes..." Her hand slowly left her hat, as if she was suddenly becoming anxious, "Maybe some leggings like you said before... Or shorts..." Megumin's hand subconsciously grasped at the edge of her short-skirted dress-like magic robe to push it down slightly. Her mind had gone back to when they had the first became acquainted. How a man had tried to violate her and Jack had gone out of his way to outright save her, even before she made the ridiculous wager.

Jack's eyes trailed over her for a few seconds before he shrugged, "If the bear's pelt survives, perhaps I'll make something for you. Since it's autumn, winter isn't that far off."

"A magic item?" A satisfied smirk formed over her lips as he seemed to nod at the question.

"Considering your inclination to overuse your mana, perhaps a bear hood poncho that stores some to avoid your collapse?" If she had a Poncho that essentially stored Mana and supplied it to her as she needed it, she would be even more capable of using her magic without going limp.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Then I'd be able to use the explosion more than once!"

"That wouldn't be the point of giving you the poncho... It'd just make you less vulnerable."

She paused hearing his words and slowly nodded, as she was quick to realize this. If she had something like that before, she wouldn't have been assaulted, she could've just moved onto the next party if anyone would even bother taking her. Her eyes traveled to the ground as she sulked against his side as they walked.

"I could probably enhance your current robes, perhaps when we get back? It'll take a few hours," Jack draped his hand on her shoulder opposite from himself.

"I'll need to get some clothes to change into first," her face flushed a light tinge of pink as she glanced away from him while remaining close.

Rubbing her shoulder lightly in an act of comfort, he kept his gaze ahead now. A one-hit bear was something he never thought of actually fighting. Though he had the perfect spells for holding it still or at least blinding it in some form or another.

As they entered the forest after some time of walking in prevailing silence, their eyes were to the trees and their surroundings. If the information on the board post was right, the territory of the bear was close by, thanks to the urgency.

"When we find the beast, I am going to cast a spell in order to keep it in one place, that is when you start doing your explosion magic," Jack instructed as he called upon his horns, emerald glowing protrusions coming out of his forehead, filling him with strength and physical enhancements thanks to his Oni heritage.

Nodding, Megumin stared up at his horns in awe seeing them once more. To her, they were an incredible sight, further inspiring her ambitions to include him into becoming the next Demon Kings.

Though wouldn't that make her his Queen? She wanted to know him better before then, before anything. All she knew of him was that he saved her and that he cared, and that he didn't outwardly see her as useless or ostracize her. Not only that but even after taking her into his party, he wanted to protect her. Though he did seem quick to lay a hand on her, she felt he didn't really try to hurt her. Her free hand subliminally tended to her buttocks as the other continued to hold the stave at her side.

"Uh... You know my... Eyepatch is a lie, right? It's just a normal item."

"Yes, I'm not an idiot." Jack briefly glanced over at her as he was using his enhanced senses to take in the area around them. There were a number of bears about and various other predators along with smaller critters.

Squinting her eye at him as he had said he had known the entire time, "Really?"

"Who knows, maybe one day it will be used to seal away your powers," Jack grinned down at her teasingly before he began walking towards the direction of what smelled like a Dire Wolf. There was the smell of blood, and a substantially larger foreign odor comparable to the bears in the area. It smelled like death and he could sense that there were definitely bodies around here too.

"Is it time to teach the beast who is more powerful?" Megumin posed her stave out in front of her with a smug grin across her lips. Watching as he continued walking on, before following behind him quickly.

"There is a Dire Wolf fighting it... Or running from it seems injured," Jack spoke quieter as he pushed a thorned branch out of his way, continuing on without wincing.

"Dire Wolf?" Pursing her lips, she followed close beside him as to avoid walking into or being whacked by recoiling branches.

"It's smaller than the ones I killed earlier, it's probably a cub or a little older," Jack observed from the scent alone as he heard a loud heaving followed by an impressive roar that surpassed that of a regular bear. It made the leaves and trees around him quiver in fear.

Megumin's eyes widened, even the one covered by the eyepatch.

"Hm... Stay behind me, get ready to run should I fail to hold it at bay."

Entering between what appeared to be an exhausted Dire Wolf Cub, laying against the roots of a large evergreen tree covered in cuts and bruises, and a massive bear with light brown fur and golden glowing eyes. Its claws were clearly monstrous, classified as deadly just by the sight of them.

"It seems we've found it," Jack's eyes were not leaving the cub though as he stated this. His eyes then shifted towards the bear a few moments later as it let out a hostile growl. They were standing in the way of it obtaining its prey.

Balling up his fists Jack pressed them together while simultaneously beginning to generate Yin energy by spending his mana at an increasing rate. He was like a bottomless pit of power.

His eyes settled on the bear.

The beast kicked off the ground and began to charge, its clawed appendages digging into the dirt with every bound. It was clear, one-hit was not just some crazy assumption. Those claws held enough power to cleave one's head off with the force behind the blow alone.

"Jack! Jack! Jack! What do I do!?" Megumin beamed in excitement, holding her stave in the air, one hand on her hat to keep it on her head.

Without looking over at her, he barked, "Back off and get in position!"

Megumin went running off towards a nearby small clearing, "Prepare to feel the wrath of this fully armed and operational Battle Station, One-Hit Bear! For my explosion magic shall destroy your source of power!"

"Did you really just... Nevermind," Jack shook his head as she had taken what he had said earlier and used it as her own line. It didn't really matter though, considering she'd never get the reference.

Taking in a deep breath, he kept concentrating on the build-up of Yin energy, prepping for the rather powerful spell. Frosty air began to form around him, natural light began to dim.

Closing his eyes he could feel the movement of the bear, closing in. It was still several meters away, well out of immediate striking range. Then he opened his eyes, it was twenty away. With another sharp deep breath, he recited the spell in the form of a shout, "EL SHAMAK!"

A massive shadow of darkness cast horizontally along the ground in front of him, and once it reached twenty meters, it engulfed the bear. The creature smashed face-first into the soft undergrowth, skidding to a stop.

It couldn't feel its surroundings, it couldn't see, and it couldn't smell and for the most part, it could no longer control its own movements outside of its body. Fear filled the creature for it had been deprived of its natural sense of life.

"Megumin, now!"

"Hah!" Holding her stave out in front of her in both hands, she was smiling deviously. As energy began to build up around her, she began chanting, painting the forest in a hue of blues and reds.

Her hair moved venomously, showing off its sleek radiance.

"Darkness blacker than black and darker than dark, I beseech thee, combine with my deep crimson..." She breathed in through her nose as her power became even more potent. She was pouring all her reserves into this. "The time of awakening cometh. Justice, fallen upon the infallible boundary, appears now as an intangible distortion!" She raised her stave higher, small starry explosions appearing within the vigor she emitted. "Dance, Dance, Dance! I desire for my torrent of power a destructive force: a destructive force without equal! Return all creation to cinders, and come from the abyss!" In one final deep breath, she recited the true name of her spell, "EXPLOSION!"

A great crimson magic circle appeared beneath the bear and near instantaneously, an eruption of explosive energies engulfed it. Without further Adieu it was wiped out with a number of trees that surrounded it followed by a powerful shockwave sending debris in all directions.

Jack was sent several feet back due to his closer proximity to the blast, tumbling along on the ground as the dirt kicked up and smoke drifted along the floor of the forest.

"Ow..." He uttered under his breath as he laid there, sprawled out on the ground. Scrapes on his face and arms could be visibly seen, but he wasn't necessarily hurt all that bad. As he sat up, he squeezes his eyes shut before opening them again.

He could hear the bear still breathing, albeit only insignificantly. The creature was going to die. His eyes rested on the massive mass that rested within the silhouette cast within the smoke.

"Megumin... You alright?" Turning his head, he raised a brow as he looked over just in time to see her face plant on the ground.

"Hah... Crimson fire is the best..." She lifted her head from the ground weakly, looking to the bear as the smoke cleared. "Eh?! How is it not dead!? Is it some sort of monstrous creature in service of the Demon King? Blessed with the Power of Immortality!? Impossible! It couldn't have survived!"

"It's dying, Megumin..." Jack slowly rose from the dirty forest floor, dusting himself off. He quickly noticed his clothes were lightly shredded with small holes, but not enough to be too damaging. If anything he looked to be battle-worn.

A small chuckle escaped from his lips as he noticed her let out a pout, a small murmur. When he finally heard it stop breathing, and its heart coming to a stop, he found it had departed seconds later.

"Seems like you got the killing blow," Jack checked the Dire Wolf Cub as the smoke was still clearing, then gazed over to the bear. It was clearly dead... It was time to skin the bear, but what was he going to do with the cub? His eyes shifted back to the small pup.