Chapter 53: I Am Atomic!  

On the weekend, the teacher held a graduation ceremony for Megumin and Yunyun. Zunzun was the only witness in attendance—mainly because he had nothing better to do and volunteered.

He also brought graduation gifts for the two.

Megumin received a red star-shaped hairpin, which made her look even livelier and cuter. Yunyun got a pair of red and black glasses, giving her the appearance of a serious honor student.

Both were pretty ordinary gifts.

Meanwhile, Funifura, Arue, and Dodonko were apparently preparing high-grade magical items as gifts, which meant they didn't bother to show up.

At the ceremony, the teacher delivered a long speech. He praised both girls for their excellence and said they were the best students he'd ever taught.

Zunzun found himself slightly touched. In his past and previous lives, every teacher he'd ever had had always told him, "You're the worst class I've ever taught."

Compared to that, Crimson Demon teachers were downright encouraging.

The teacher even said the two girls were destined for great things.

However—

"I was farming before I learned magic, and I'm still farming after learning magic. Didn't I study for nothing!?"

In the forbidden area, Megumin was loudly venting to Zunzun.

She leaned in with a resentful pout. "I've worked so many jobs! Why can't I hold any of them?! Now, just to avoid being called 'NEET Sister' by Komekko, I'm back to farming?! Zunzun, why?!"

"Don't look at me."

Zunzun pushed her sulking face away.

"This is all because of your poor magic control. You turned tailor-shop fabric into bombs, can't hunt One-Strike Bears with just Explosion Magic, and you blew up your restaurant job after picking a fight with customers."

"Mmmmmm—!"

Megumin pulled at her hair in frustration and screamed, "Why!? I'm a genius! One of the greatest Explosion Magicians in the Crimson Demon Clan! There should be tons of adventuring teams begging for me out there! Why did it turn out like this?!"

Zunzun could understand that frustration. In a past life, he'd been a decent mid-tier salaryman, but still got laid off. He had to survive by renting out his house. Life was rough for talented but "non-essential" people.

Suddenly, Megumin turned toward him with sparkly red eyes.

"Zunzun, I want to ask you a favor."

"…What favor?"

Her voice turned sweet. "Want to go on a date with me?"

"I refuse."

She didn't even finish her sentence before Zunzun coldly shut her down.

"Wha—why?!"

"Don't act innocent. Lately, everyone's been gossiping about a mysterious 'Explosion Demon' who keeps blasting spells in the forbidden area at night. That's you. You're the reason the villagers can't sleep! And now you want me to join you in your crimes!?"

"Nooo! Yunyun refuses to come anymore, so you're my only hope, Zunzun! Pleeease!"

She clung to his leg like a gum wrapper in the wind, no matter how hard he shook.

What is she, a koala?

"Zunzun, aren't we friends?" she sniffled.

"Then we're breaking up."

Zunzun's voice was cold and decisive. Megumin had clearly assumed he'd melt like Yunyun, but no—Zunzun didn't play around.

"This is my one-time, once-in-a-lifetime request!"

"Then your life's pretty cheap!"

Not only did she refuse to let go, she climbed up and clung to him face-to-face.

Ugh, clingy girls are the worst!

He was just about to forcibly pry her off when she suddenly said:

"Don't you want to see Explosion Magic again? You've got tons of skill points—after all, you learned advanced magic the moment you started school! Come on, Zunzun! Let's explore Explosion Magic together!"

"I refuse!"

She was like a cult missionary trying to drag him into the Church of Explosion.

…Wait. Learn Explosion Magic?

Zunzun paused.

He remembered that when he was eight, he thought magic was just spells + magic power. But when he started training, he learned the real secret: you had to understand the flow of magic power.

So in theory… if you could feel and trace that flow…

Could he learn Explosion Magic too?

That might be worth investigating.

"…All right. I'm in."

"Then—then that means we're going on a date? Just this once? Please say yes—wait, what?"

"I said I'll do it."

"Yay!!!" Megumin beamed, but she was clearly celebrating way too early.

Late that night.

To avoid being caught, and because Explosion Magic was very loud, the two sneaked into the forbidden area under cover of darkness. The plan was: cast magic, run.

Currently, Zunzun was standing behind Megumin… with his hands on her chest and back.

"…What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm feeling it."

"FEELING WHAT?!"

Her face was glowing red. Her eyes were glowing red. Her magic was glowing red.

Zunzun ignored it. "Hurry up and cast the spell already. I'll carry you back. Just let me feel the flow."

"S-Stop saying it like that! Feeling what, exactly?!"

Her cheeks were flushed, but Zunzun was too focused on tracing her magical circuits to notice. She hesitated a moment, then puffed out her chest in defiance… only for Zunzun to push it back down flat.

"Don't strain yourself."

"Mmmmmm—!"

Grinding her teeth, Megumin gave up and poured her fury into her chant.

Since she had to use a full three-minute chant, Zunzun used the time to map out the magical flow with his hands.

Then—

"—EXPLOSION!!"

BOOM!

A hillside in the distance erupted in fire and smoke. The blast lit up the entire night. The ground trembled. Dogs barked. Windows shattered.

Megumin collapsed weakly into Zunzun's arms.

Zunzun, meanwhile, was rotating his wrists and memorizing everything he just felt.

After a moment, he smiled. "Megumin, that was awesome."

"What part of this was awesome!?"

She was curled up, red-faced, clutching her chest as angry shouts echoed in the distance. The villagers had noticed.

Without hesitation, Zunzun scooped Megumin up in a bridal carry and sprinted away. Thanks to his speed and knowledge of the terrain, he dodged patrols easily.

Back at her house, he set her down and said, "Tomorrow, I'm coming again. Let me feel it again."

"…Mmm…" Megumin looked down, her face unreadable.

But she must've been happy. Using magic freely with her childhood friend—what more could she want?

After a quick goodbye, Zunzun left.

Komekko came out to greet her sister and immediately said, "Sister, your face is bright red. Are you sick?"

"N-No! Of course not!"

"But it's really hot!"

From then on, Zunzun accompanied Megumin to the forbidden area every night to blast off Explosion Magic.

Eventually, Yunyun couldn't take it anymore and came to scold them. But after learning Zunzun was trying to study Explosion Magic, she gave in—though she insisted on joining.

One month later.

Late at night, the trio stood again in the back mountain of the forbidden zone.

But this time… it was Zunzun standing in the caster's circle.

Explosion Magic.

The ultimate destructive spell. Pure condensed magic power that spreads violently in every direction. In order to explode, you must first compress.

Zunzun was now compressing like his life depended on it.

Arcs of lightning crackled around him. His body trembled. Red light flickered in his eyes.

He had no skills to rely on—everything was self-taught. But his magic control was inhumanly precise.

His magic surged to the breaking point.

"I… am…!"

The ground vibrated. Magic coiled tighter and tighter.

"…Atomic!!!"

BOOOOOOOM!!!

Magic exploded outward from him in a perfect spherical blast. Trees were disintegrated. Rocks were vaporized. Even the air seemed to flee in terror.

A pillar of light erupted upward—thick, cylindrical, 50 meters wide, soaring into the clouds above the Crimson Demon Village.

World Nuclear Peace!!

-End Chapter-

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