"Isn't that Yunyun? Our village's hero!"
"Megumin, you're our hero too!"
The day after they took down the Demon King's General, Shichen walked through the village with Megumin and Yunyun. Everywhere they went, villagers gazed at the two girls with open admiration, showering them with praise.
News of yesterday's subjugation had already spread. To the chūnibyō-leaning Crimson Demons, this kind of feat was basically the dream scenario of "looking cool in front of everyone."
So much swag!
Especially compared to everyone else—just imagining the moment when the others were powerless while Megumin and Yunyun turned the tide… If it were you, that would feel amazing.
"No, no, just routine work."
"Mhm, it was all thanks to everyone's perseverance."
Megumin and Yunyun couldn't hide their pride—beaming smiles, cheeks flushed. Pure, unfiltered happiness.
Today's little "victory lap" around town was Megumin's idea. Yunyun, while a pretty normal girl, couldn't resist the experience of walking down the street basking in everyone's adoration. She used to be treated as an oddball, after all.
Now she'd learned advanced magic, become a village hero, and grown more confident—all because she met Shichen. Thinking of that, she looked at him, her affection nearly spilling over. Her heart thumped extra hard, like that night when she was wrapped around "Shichen-kun."
She wanted a repeat—just not right now.
Aqua and the others hadn't come along—only Shichen, Megumin, and Yunyun. Since they hadn't contributed to the fight, there wouldn't be much praise for them anyway. Better to stay home and play games.
"Megumin, Yunyun—do you know that person?"
Up ahead stood a girl dressed a lot like they used to dress, sporting an eyepatch. The chūnibyō aura was strong… but she was pretty. The Crimson Demon men were hit-or-miss, but the women were all gorgeous.
"Isn't that Arue?" Megumin said. "It's her…" Yunyun's face soured.
She was the novelist whose book had sent Yunyun into a panic and prompted their trip back to the village.
Arue noticed them looking and waved excitedly.
"Shichen, what do we do?"
"Let's go say hi."
"You're not interested in her, are you?" Megumin eyed him suspiciously.
"Cut it out." Shichen flicked her on the head.
"Mm…"
Pouting and rubbing her head, Megumin walked over to Arue.
"Long time no see, Arue."
"Megumin, long time no see! Perfect timing—can you look at this? I just finished Chapter 2 of my Chronicles of the Crimson Demon Heroes. I think the scene of Crimson Village engulfed in flames is especially brilliant—sure to be a masterpiece."
"Is that so? Then let me savor it… like hell!"
Megumin took the stack of pages—and immediately slammed them to the ground.
"Eh? My manuscript! Megumin, what are you doing?!" Arue scrambled to pick up the pages.
"Hmph! If not for you, would we have rushed back? And you even wrote that Yunyun and Shichen have a kid in the future! You've got the nerve to write a second chapter—and Crimson Village in flames? How badly do you want our village destroyed!" Arms crossed, Megumin planted a foot on one of the pages.
"Ahhh! M-my masterpiece… a week of sleepless nights…" Arue stared blankly at the trodden page, as if her spirit had left her. The characters were smeared under Megumin's boot print.
"Oh? The unflappable Arue actually looks depressed. First time I've seen it." Megumin felt zero guilt—she even piled on.
Arue just stared at the page. Soft-and-hearted Yunyun, who had scolded her before, couldn't help patting her shoulder to comfort her.
"M-Megumin, we finally meet again—how did you get so rude? How could you treat me like this…" Arue asked, hurt.
"Hmph~ You brought it on yourself. Writing clumsy trash is one thing, but writing that Shichen and Yunyun have a kid—why don't I get one?"
"C-clumsy trash?!" Arue reeled. "Clumsy trash." "Why are you like this…"
"Megumin, don't. She's really upset," Yunyun said.
"Why are you taking her side? She duped you! Don't tell me just because she wrote you and Shichen having a kid, you've forgiven her?"
"N-no…" Yunyun protested, embarrassed. "Knew it." Megumin rolled her eyes.
"Okay, okay—Yunyun, don't bully Arue. You're all friends. Take it down a notch, yeah? Since you're reunited, let's not fight," Shichen stepped in to mediate.
"Why are you siding with an outsider? Don't tell me you are into her?" Megumin glared.
"As if." Shichen karate-chopped her head.
"Ow! You hit me for an outsider."
"Zip it." He scooped Megumin up into his arms and gave her pert backside a pat.
"Mm…" Megumin immediately curled up obediently.
"Um, Arue, you okay?" Shichen asked at last.
"I—I'm fine…" She shook her head, then looked up at Shichen—and froze. It was her first time seeing a man this handsome, as if he glowed—not like a mere mortal. She wouldn't dare write someone like him into a novel.
"Hey! How long are you going to stare at Shichen?" Megumin snapped.
"Eh? Ah! S-sorry…" Arue tore her gaze away, blushing, but couldn't help sneaking glances.
"Megumin's just messing with you. Don't mind her," Shichen smiled.
"It's okay, it's only one page," she said quickly, cheeks red, hugging her manuscript. "Good."
"Are you the Shichen Megumin always talks about?" Arue asked.
"That's me."
"I see…" She looked at Megumin, happily nestled in Shichen's arms, and understood. No wonder Megumin was mad.
But hadn't Yunyun praised that baby scene earlier? What was going on?
"Isn't that Megumin and Yunyun? Why's Arue here too?"
Two girls around their age waved as they walked over.
"It's Funifura and Dodonko," Yunyun named them.
Shichen's face tightened. Megumin and Yunyun's names were tolerable, but these two… Only in Crimson Village.
They reached Megumin, gave Shichen a quick dazzled once-over, then looked away shyly and turned to the girl in his arms. "Long time no see, Gag Mage— Megumin."
"Who's a Gag Mage?!" Megumin glared.
"Don't be mad~ We were just teasing. It's been a while."
"Yeah, and…" One girl smiled.
"You two were so cool yesterday."
Then she looked away again, blushing.
"Honestly, you really changed my mind about you," the other said. "You two were so scatterbrained before, I used to worry about how you'd turn out."
"Right, right—Megumin's a bit childish, and Yunyun seemed like she'd fall for the wrong guy way too easily… But seeing how well you're both doing now, I'm relieved." The first girl turned back, smiling.
"Funifura, Dodonko, you…" Yunyun looked moved.
"Hmph~ We don't need your concern," Megumin answered tsundere-style. Then, proudly: "Let me introduce him. This is Shichen, our party member and a-also…"
"H-hello…" The two girls bowed shyly to Shichen before Megumin could finish.
"Nice to meet you. Thanks for looking after Megumin and Yunyun," Shichen smiled.
"N-no, they used to look after us…" they protested, faces red.
"Hey! What are you two getting all shy about?" Megumin suddenly barked—and dropped a bomb. "I know you haven't had much romance, but don't you dare set your sights on my man!"
"Eh?"
The two girls, and Arue, froze.
"Megumin, you—?" Yunyun stared at her.
"Y-your… your man? The Megumin whose heart holds only magic has a man? T-that can't be real—you're messing with us, right?"
"Right! Megumin who doesn't care about fashion at all suddenly has a m-man? No way… Right, Arue?"
"Uh… Yunyun, is Shichen really Megumin's man?" Arue asked.
"Th-that…" Yunyun looked at Megumin curled in Shichen's arms, then mustered her courage and shouted, "Shichen is my man too!"
"Eeeeh—?!"