Konosuba Side Stories

“Aaaaah, okay, fine, I get it! The ban on explosion is rescinded, so
please take part in this quest!”

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101

Part 6 ↲

On the snowy plains, a group of bears let out a loud roar.
And the person facing off against them is the self-proclaimed
strongest archmage of this town.
The other adventurers, me included, got in position behind
Megumin to fend off any stragglers in the unlikely event that any
survived her spell, and looked on.
As we looked on, Megumin started to chant.
After hearing her chant multiple times in the past, I quickly
noticed that this chant appeared far slower than usual.
It’s almost like she’s putting on a show for her new audience.
As she concluded her chant, Megumin proudly raised her staff.
“Behold my power! Explosion!”
A ball of light streaked towards the group of one strike bears and
exploded amongst them.
When the dust cleared, all that remained was a large crater
blasted into the earth.
The adventurers let out a cheer as Megumin collapsed from mana
exhaustion.
“A-Amazing… so this is explosion magic…”

102

Aloerina, the only person present who has yet to see it up close,
said in an impressed tone.
She came along with us to lend a hand if needed, but was
completely blown away by the power of the spell Megumin
unleashed.
Seeing her awestruck reaction, Megumin, as I piggybacked her off
the ground, asked with shining eyes.
“This is my Explosion magic… so, what do you think? Did the
other explosions from the serial explosions case leave such a big
crater?”
Aloerina closed her eyes and slowly shook her head.
“… No, there’s never been such a large crater left at any of the
previous incidents… Megumin-san.”
She looked back to Megumin once more.
“I’m really sorry for suspecting you in this incident. Once again, I
apologize.”
Saying that, she fell into a deep bow.
It seems like this has completely wiped away any lingering
suspicions she has regarding Megumin.
“Haha, as long as you understand. I’m happy enough to be cleared
of suspicion. Plus, I’m in a good mood after taking care of all those
bears, so I’ll forgive you.”

103

Hearing Megumin’s words, Aloerina let out a smile.
“I-I’m, err, I’m sorry for suspecting you too! Yeah, Megumin isn’t
someone who would constantly seek out trouble. I’ll bring some
nice snacks to your house next time as an apology, so…”
“Haha, it’s a small matter. There’s no need to go that far. Yunyun,
you should really learn a little from Kazuma and trust me a little
more. And, Kazuma…”
Megumin sounded somewhat shy as she turned back to me.
“Thank you for believing in me all this time.
As said with a wide smile.
Just as she did.
“– What happened here!? Hey, Kazuma, just what happened while
I was out!?”
Darkness, at the head of a small group of soldiers, emerged from
the mountains and shouted towards me upon seeing the crater.
Those people must be the guards employed by the Dustiness
family.
“Hey, Darkness, where did you go? They put up an emergency
quest after a bunch of one strike bears woke up early from
hibernation. If it weren’t for Megumin, this would’ve turned into a
disaster.”

104

“I-Is that so!? Hmm, they must have been woken up by the serial
explosions. There was one in the forest yesterday too, so they
must woken up around that time.”
Come to think of it, the serial explosions case that we’ve been
chasing all this time hasn’t been resolved yet.
“So this is the fault of that explosion maniac too? I’ll definitely
resolve this incident tomorrow! You’ll all get to see first hand the
high intelligence of the Crimson Demons tomorrow!”
Seeing Megumin, who suddenly got to her feet even though I was
carrying her just moments ago, Darkness let out a smile.
“Ah, that’s… about that incident, Megumin, the culprit has already
been found.
At those words, one of the armoured men besides Darkness
produced a small mushroom from his bag.
“This is called a mine mushroom. Under certain circumstances,
they will violently explode. They are fairly common around the
mountain paths and mountains. We’ll send a few people to gather
them and properly get rid of them. And it seems like there are
quite a few that are growing in the forests too. We’ll send people
to take care of those as well.”
After hearing that, we let out a deep sigh.
“So this is what caused such a ruckus. Why did we even go
through all that hassle in the first place.”

105

“Really, I ended up suspecting a lot of people thanks to this
shrooms. I’ll use my explosion to take care of them all at once.
Darkness, I’ll leave the gathering of them to you, but allow me to
get rid of them once they’re gathered.”

Hearing my and Megumin’s words, Darkness averted her gaze.

“That’s, umm… I really don’t recommend Megumin to be involved
in getting rid of them. We’ll properly take care of that, so…”

Seeing Darkness’s reaction gave me a bad feeling.

“… Hey, you said that these mushrooms will explode under certain
circumstances, right? … So, what are those circumstances?”

After a short period of silence, Darkness said.

“They’ll explode in the presence of strong magic.”

Hearing that, Megumin quickly averted her gaze.

………

“… Wait, so, that means, if someone were to cast Explosion next to
a forest where a bunch of these mushrooms are growing…”

“They will explode.”

“… and if someone casts Explosion near the mountains…”

“Of course, they’ll explode.”

Hey.

106

“… N-No, wait, that’s not…”
Megumin broke out into cold sweat and stuttered.
Just what exactly is she going to say, I wonder.
Aloerina produced a set of handcuffs, and Megumin loudly
shouted.
“Oh, okay, fine, when you think of explosion, you think of me!
When you think of me, you think of explosions! Fine, feel free to
blame it on me if something similar happens in the future! But, if
I may say something, if you are going to suspect someone, you
should first produce evidence-”
“What good does it do to say such things now!? I was a fool to
believe you in the first place!”

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107

KonoSuba BD Short Story 3: Violent Crimson
Stream ↲

TL: Cannongerbil
Editor: Ulti

[Note: This story takes place sometime around season 2, around
volume 3-4 ish, so the status quo is a bit different from the more
recent volumes.]

On that day.
After having lunch at the tavern attached to the adventurer’s
guild, we were enjoying lazing around when the receptionist lady
came up to us.
“Pardon me, I have a named request for Satou Kazuma-san’s
party…”
Named request.
This is a special sort of quest that’s only issued to adventurers
with a certain amount of skill and renown.
“Named request? Hehe, seems like we’ve earned quite a bit of
fame in this town.”
“Well, of course. With a goddess like me by your side, there’s no
way we wouldn’t become famous.”
It’s quite understandable why Darkness and Aqua would be this
excited. By this point, we can be counted as one of the few
adventuring parties that can be relied upon in a crisis.

108

It’s only a matter of time before a named request or two would
come our way.
“You want to request for us specifically? Well, this is a request
from the onee-san who’ve taken great care of us over the years, so
I wouldn’t mind repaying the favour… but, we are a party with
quite a few Advanced Jobs. Our services won’t come cheap.”
“You were begging them to give you a simple quest not too long
ago, and now you have the gall to put on such airs?”
Aqua is being unnecessarily annoying as always.
The receptionist lady gazed away to the side and hesitantly said.
“No, that’s, umm, to be specific, this request doesn’t call for
Kazuma-san… It’s actually a request for Megumin-san sitting over
there.”
She motioned towards someone sitting behind us, and all of our
attentions were drawn towards Megumin who had been
vigorously digging into her pudding this whole time.

–A large typhoon is currently heading towards Axel.
That is the news that was relayed to Axel from the Weather
Diviners stationed in the Capital.
“A powerful typhoon is heading northwards from the southern
ocean towards Axel. It will enter within range of the town

109

sometime between early morning and noon tomorrow. At this
rate, this town will suffer severe damages!”
As someone from Japan that receives visit from several typhoons
every year, I get the feeling that typhoons would be classified as a
major calamity in this world.
The rivers will overflow, and it might get bad enough to
completely drown out the crops growing in the region. It could
also destroy houses and even cause damage to the town walls.
On top of that, there is also a problem unique to this world.
“When the typhoon draws near, the monsters will get excited and
grow more active. There would be a need to strengthen the
defences in town.”
Darkness muttered darkly, her position as a noble of this town
rearing its head.
Back in Japan, I too knew several people who would get all
worked up upon hearing that a typhoon is coming. It seems like
there exists creatures with a similar disposition in this world too.
“Hey, Kazuma, hearing that a typhoon is coming is making me
really excited.”
And there’s one right here, next to me.
Still, as a goddess of water, I suppose she would be excited at the
prospect of heavy rain.

110

I ignored Aqua who was taking heavy, excited breaths and turned
towards the guild lady.
“So, what exactly does this have to do with Megumin? You’re not
asking her to do something about the typhoon with her Explosion,
are you?”
I asked, but the one who responded is an incredulous sounding
Darkness.
“Kazuma, don’t you know? Typhoons are created by the greater
storm spirits going on a rampage. Whenever the typhoon season
rolls around, we recruit a remarkable adventurer to prevent them
from going crazy.”
This is why this world is…
“… You know, typhoons are a natural phenomenon that occur
across large bodies of water. They have nothing to do with spirits
going crazy or what not. Judging from this, it seems like you’re
unaware of even the basic principles of the water cycle.”
Typhoons are created when relatively cold air meets a warm
ocean.
For the denizens of this world who have nowhere close to the
scientific knowledge of earth, the natural phenomena of rain and
typhoons have all been attributed to the domain of gods and
spirits.
… Though, can you girls please stop looking at me with such
pitying gazes?

111

Aqua pulled on my sleeve and whispered into my ear.
“Kazuma, Kazuma, this isn’t earth. Typhoons really are caused by
great spirits going on a rampage in this world, so if you say
something like that so confidently, people will doubt your sanity.”
This is why this world is… !!!
“— Well, anyway, the enemy this time is a greater storm spirit.
This is precisely the time for Megumin-san’s Explosion magic to
shine!”
The destructive power of Explosion is second to none.
It’s a pure burst of magical energy, with no elemental affinities.
Regardless of if you have a physical body or are a spirit, or even if
you are a divine beast, there’s no way to avoid getting damaged by
it.
Megumin is fairly worthless under normal circumstances, but she
really shines in such situations.
The other adventurers seem to have already heard about the
impending typhoon, and expectantly looked towards Megumin,
but…
“I refuse.”
Everyone in the guild stiffened up upon hearing her words.
“…Hey, what are you trying to pull? Normally you’d start extolling
the virtues of Explosion during a critical time like this, and rush
out to face the typhoon before it even gets close!”

112

“Just what kind of person do you think I am!? Don’t make it
sound like I’m some kind of crazed battle maniac! No, everyone
always treats me like some kind of troublemaker, but the moment
a crisis rolls around, everyone comes crawling to me! That really
rubs me the wrong way! If you want my help, then repent for how
you usually treat me.”
Seeing Megumin turn away with a humph after saying such
troublesome words, the adventurers present all started paling.
“Okay, okay, we were in the wrong, but we really need your help!
Spirits have no physical bodies, so regular weapons won’t be of
any use. Plus, high level spirits have really high magical defence,
so the other mages won’t be able to deal with them either! We can
only rely on you!”
The edges of Megumin’s lips twitched slightly after hearing what
the man wearing an iron visor said.
“Yeah, you always shine the brightest when it comes to situations
like this. It was the same as that time with the undead knight, and
when the Destroyer came knocking too!”
“Yes, this is exactly the time for the strongest magic of the
Crimson Demons to take the stage. Show all those people who
look down at you the true power of Explosion!”
“Really now, do you really need the power of the strongest mage
in Axel, me, so badly?”
After hearing all those adventurers pleading with her, Megumin,
still facing away, confidently said, a smile playing on her lips.

113

“Of course! Come on, let us witness the glory of your Explosion
Magic!”
“Explosion is the strongest attack spell known to man! What is a
typhoon compared to that!”
“Explosion~! Explosion~!”
“We’re sorry for calling you girl with a screw loose, we’ll think up
a more appropriate nickname for you in the future!”
The adventurers immediately lavished their praises towards her.
Hearing that, Megumin turned around, a smile on her face, and
dramatically flared her cloak.
“Oh, very well, if you are going to this far, then do improve on how
you look at me in the future! I shall show you the power of
Explosion… Hey! Who is the one who said that last line!?”
Her smug look vanished in an instant.
Seeing her pick a fight with the adventurer made me think of
something
“You should stop spreading such nicknames about me! Otherwise,
a passing explosion demon might just wipe out your house along
with you… What’s the matter, Kazuma? This is important. This is
the perfect chance to stop those stupid nicknames from spreading.
If I don’t make good use of this occasion…”

114

I interrupted Megumin as she grabbed the collar of the adventurer
and smiled towards the guild lady.
“It doesn’t seem like she’s very keen on this matter, and it
wouldn’t seem right to force her to go through with it. I’m sorry,
but it seems like it’ll be best if you find someone else.”
“What!? Even if you say that, finding another mage strong enough
to defeat greater spirits in this town is…”
The lady seems quite troubled by my words.
Megumin, hearing that, immediately let go of the adventurer and
turned towards us.
“It’s fine, Kazuma. Sure, I’m not particularly interested in what
they are asking of me, but if they insist on pleading with me like
this, I won’t mind going together with them. After all, there’s no
other mage in this town that can deal with a greater spirit other
than me, a Crimson Demon.”
“That’s not true. There’s another Crimson Demon living in this
town…”
Saying that, I pointed towards a girl sitting at a corner of the
guild, who had the same crimson eyes that Megumin did.
Yunyun, who was busy building a tower of cards on her table,
seemed to only just notice what is going on around her.
“Eh? Er, um, why is everyone staring at me like that? D-Did I do
something wrong? If my card tower is getting in the way, I’ll clean
it up immediately…”

115

As Yunyun hastily gathered her cards, the adventurers in the guild
broke out into chatter.

“Oh, right, we have Yunyun-san who can use advanced magic!”

“Come to think of it, advanced magic should be able to penetrate
the defences of a greater spirit.”

“Eh?”

Yunyun, startled by the sudden cheer of the adventurers, let out a
small voice of confusion.

After finally understanding the situation from the adventurers
around her, Yunyun, her eyes glowing red, rose from her seat.

“Hehe, leave it to me! This reminds me of the time my friends
asked me to lend them some money back in the village. As long as
it is within my power, you can count on me!”

Yunyun’s declaration was met with cheers from the adventurers.

Looking at this series of events, Darkness seems to have caught on
to what I’m planning.

“Still, sending Yunyun alone makes me feel a little uneasy. If
Megumin really doesn’t want to go, perhaps we could ask Wiz to
help out too? She can not only use Advanced Magic, she can also
use Explosion magic like Megumin. I think she’ll be able to help
out immensely.”

“…Eh?”

116

Megumin said in a daze.
“Oh, right, Wiz is here too! Seems like there won’t be any
problems in chasing the typhoon away!”
“There’s no need to panic with the reliable Crimson Demon
Yunyun-san here. There’s no need to rely on the useless… Hey,
what are you doing!?”
“Just who exactly are you calling useless!? Don’t you think you are
too hasty in saying that!? In terms of Explosion, I’m the one who
is most skilled in its use! I’ll definitely be a great help if you bring
me along!”
Megumin once again grabbed the collar of that adventurer and
started another ruckus.
Seeing her, Aqua patted her on the shoulder and gave her a gentle
smile.
“Isn’t this great, Megumin!? You don’t need to do something you
don’t want to! Just leave the rest to us!”
“Okay fine, I was in the wrong, please take me with you!!”
“A violent typhoon is currently heading towards this town! All
residents, please return to your homes and ensure all the
entrances are shuttered tightly!”
The staff at the adventurer’s guild made that announcement to the
town, while we and the other adventurers headed out towards the
gates.

117

“There’s a lot of things I want to say, but first off, what exactly do
they mean by violent typhoon?”
“A violent typhoon is a violent typhoon. The storm spirits seem to
be in a really bad mood this year.”
I really don’t want to know any more about the phenomena of this
world. All I want to know is,
“So, is there really no choice but to chase the typhoon away?”
“Of course. Can’t you tell by seeing the equipment that everyone’s
preparing?”
Apart from me, all the other adventurers are…
“Why are you all putting on swimsuits!?”
“How silly can you be, Kazuma? What is the point of wearing
armour when fighting a typhoon? The opponent is a greater storm
elf. Their primary methods of attack will be using wind and water.
Wearing armour would just make it easier to drown. This is all
obvious, isn’t it?”
Well, sure that made sense.
That made sense, but…
“Megumin even has a swimming ring in her hands! Are you sure
we are going to fight a typhoon!? It looks like you are all packing
for a day at the beach!”

118

“What nonsense are you saying? The location of the decisive battle
would most likely be the lake near the town. In order to float on
the water and chant her magic, she obviously needs that wooden
lifebuoy. Kazuma, stop messing around and treat this seriously,
will you? If we don’t do something, Axel will definitely suffer
heavy damage.”
The other adventurers nodded along to Aqua’s words.
I was the only one present who came wearing my normal clothes.
Why the hell am I getting lectured to take things seriously by a
bunch of people wearing swimsuits and bearing swimming rings?
But, well…
“Well, I get to see Wiz in her swimsuit today, so I won’t push this
matter.”
“You are the only people who would dare say such things out loud.
I’m really glad I didn’t wear a swimsuit today. Who knows what
kind of gaze you would give me if I did.”
Ignoring Aqua who was running her mouth off, I stared at Wiz
who was wearing a black bikini.
The loose robe that she usually wears really does a good job of
hiding her assets. If she would just wear something that shows off
a little more skin, she would most likely a massive increase in her
customers…
“Um, Kazuma-san, it’s a little embarrassing if you keep staring at
me like that…”

119

“Don’t mind me.”
“Now is not the time for that! If you can’t help with this battle,
then just go somewhere where you won’t get in the way.”
Saying that, Aqua made shooing motions towards me.
“Hey, the same can be said to you. You have no way of damaging
anything apart from Devils and the undead, so you’re just an
onlooker like me, aren’t you?”
However, Aqua seemed to become even more prideful after
hearing my words.
“You really are foolish, Kazuma. The enemy is a great spirit that
can manipulate the wind and rains, you know? This is where I,
who can control water, can shine. Water and wind are opposites,
aren’t they? I feel a little sorry for Megumin, but just leave it to
this goddess to punish that rampaging spirit!”
Just as I was thinking of a way to get this meddlesome girl not to
do anything unnecessary.
“Still, it wouldn’t feel good to have men stare at you like that.
Megumin, Yunyun, please hide behind me! Wiz too. If you feel
embarrassed, then put on my cloak.”
Saying that, Darkness, who was wearing a white dress, stepped in
between Megumin and the other adventurers, blocking their line
of sight.

120

Though, even as she said that, Darkness’s face blushed and she
stared at the other adventurers with bright, expectant eyes.
Ignoring the naturally perverted Darkness, I leaned towards
another adventurer and whispered.
“Say, does this happen every year? That is to say, does this
incident that brings all the female adventurers out in their
swimsuit take place every year?”
“Yes, this is all thanks to the great storm spirits-sama who do this
almost every year… Still, it’s a sight for the eyes now, but it was
really troublesome at the start, you know? In order to get the
women in their swimsuits in the first place, we men had to wear
them and demonstrate their usefulness in battle. That was really
stifling, you know?”
These guys really worked hard…
Though I think addressing the storm spirits with -sama is going a
little too far.
“Come to think of it, aren’t all three of the magicians taking place
this year quite close to you, Kazuma? I hope you can get them to
deliver a strong blow this year!”
“Is there really a need to do that? If something does happen to the
storm spirit, this won’t happen again next year. If I’d known that,
I wouldn’t have deliberately tried to get Megumin on board and
just went with Wiz and Yunyun.”
The man leaned over even closer and whispered.

121

“The storm spirit-sama will pull itself together after a certain
period of time. In the meantime, however, there’s a certain
phenomenon that will take place which varies in intensity
depending on how much damage it has taken.”
“A certain phenomenon?”
“As a counterattack, it will bring up a strong gale. The strength of
the gale surpasses even the ones that the great spirit of autumn
can create, it is strong enough to blow away everything you’re
wearing.”
In that case, wouldn’t it be best not to bring Megumin along?
Almost in response to my unspoken question, the man said.
“That means there’s a high chance that they’ll end up nude.”
Okay, I think I’ll address the storm spirit with -sama too!

At the lake not far from Axel, a group of swimsuit wearing people
approached from the north.
This is a group of adventurers who came out in order to protect
the town from the approaching typhoon, and not a gathering of
perverts.
It’s not a gathering of perverts, but…
“I fail to find the words to describe this scene.”

122

“Hey, I didn’t say anything, so you shut up! We might look like a
group of crazies to others, but, seriously, what are some of these
people wearing?”
“You might as well admitted that you think the same way. The
only thing that looks serious about this group is our expressions.
They are even bringing swimming rings and queuing up. I really
regret not borrowing a magic camera before coming here.”
As I and Aqua were quibbling, Darkness, who was walking behind
me, leaned in and said.
“What’s the matter, Kazuma? This is the first time you are taking
part in a battle against the storm spirit, right? Do you have any
concerns?”
“No, er, well, it just feels like everyone is very motivated.”
Darkness nodded in response.
“Well, if we can’t stop the storm spirit here, the town will suffer a
lot of damage. That’s probably why everyone is so motivated.”
Darkness said that in a serious, straightforward way that is
befitting that of a noble woman.
If only she wasn’t saying that wearing a swimsuit with a
swimming ring under one arm.
“Seriously, how can you have such unsightly protrusions while
wearing the traditional water resistant outfit of the Crimson
Demons? This dark blue allows us to blend into the water, and the

123

special material raises our resistance to water attacks. Yunyun,
you should really lose a little weight!”
“Even if you say that, I can’t help it with my development! It’s not
like I want to be this conspicuous! If anything, I’d rather have a
slender body like you.”
“Alright, let’s have a little warm up before the storm spirit gets
here! Bring it on!”
Walking in front of us is Megumin, wearing a swimming ring
around her waist like a child walking to the beach, and Yunyun
who’s currently being attacked by her.
Speaking off, they might call it traditional water resistant outfit of
the Crimson Demons, but it looks just like a school swimsuit to
me.
This must be the work of yet another fool who came here from
Japan.
I really want to shake his hand.
Just then.
“It’s raining…”
Someone muttered, and just as they said, rain began falling from
the skies.
In other words, the great storm spirit or whatever it’s called must
be close.

124

Now that I’m paying attention, the wind seems to be much
stronger than before.
Additionally, a cloak of dark clouds could be seen in the distance,
from which lightly sparked every so often.
The great spirit that rules the storms.
It must be just ahead.
The rain became much heavier, and the wind suddenly picked up
in intensity.
It’s almost like a warning not to move closer. In the face of such
an assault by the natural elements, our forward progress slowed
down and stopped–
“Kyaa-!?”
One of the female adventurers let out a cry, and everyone turned
in her direction.
What I saw was a bikini wearing adventurer crouching down with
a very embarrassed look on her face.
She probably had a loose buckle that got unfastened by that gale
earlier.
The other adventurers around her hastily brought a cloak and
threw it around her.
“Come on, you bastards, don’t tremble in your boots just because
of a little wind!”

125

“Oh!!!!” x10
I don’t know who it was that shouted that, but I joined the other
adventurers in their energetic response.

— After strengthening our defences and pressing on, we finally
came across a huge lake.
The surroundings have already been thoroughly battered with
high winds, so there’s no need to worry about missing the sights.
Speaking of which, that thing is the center of the lake would be…?
“Kazuma, let this goddess go and talk that spirit down. Tell the
other adventurers not to start attacking yet, okay?”
“Hmm, well, that’s fine too, but what exactly is that? Why is there
a beautiful girl floating through the sky? Is that the storm spirit
everyone’s talking about?”
“Yes. That’s a relative of the water spirits, the great spirit that
manipulates the storms. Spirits are naturally formless, their forms
are influenced by what people think of them. Storms and water
have an unbreakable relationship. It must take this form because
people make that association with the gentle, beautiful, intelligent
and pure water spirits when they see the storm. That would be
why the storm spirit appears like a beautiful girl.”
It feels like Aqua is praising herself while describing that girl, but
I can’t be bothered to fight her on that right now.

126

Still, it feels like there’s something off about her expression.
I heard that the storm spirit was going on a rampage, but she has
a very calm expression on her face. That, along with her semi
transparent, wavy blue hair, made me think of the wine serving
girl.
Upon seeing her, the gathered adventurers surged forwards, and
Aqua rushed to the front in order to stop them.
In the midst of the howling winds and falling rains, Aqua placed
her hands together in prayer, seemingly beseeching the great
spirit hovering in the center of the lake.
This scene feels like it was ripped right out of some fairy tale. It’s a
far cry from how Aqua usually behaves…
“Oh, rampaging spirit in the distance… The goddess of water,
Aqua, beseeches you, calm your anger… Keep your heart as still as
calm water, and suppress your violent urges… now, if you have
any respect towards the goddess of water at all, lift the storm…”
After saying such soothing words, Aqua let out a gentle smile–
A sudden gust of wind blew through us.
Aqua was sent flying backwards and slammed face first into the
ground.
The storm spirit raised her middle finger towards the blue haired
girl.

127

“… How dare you!? A storm spirit is but an existence even lower
than the lowest of water spirits! I’m going to capture you and turn
you into a fan!”
Aqua, covered in mud, angrily screamed before stomping off
towards the lake.
Normally, I would’ve stopped her, but water is her area of
expertise, so I’ll let her do as she wishes this time.

The rain fell in waves, accompanied by winds strong enough to
render most men deaf.
However, the men rushed forward, fearless in the face of nature’s
wrath. They formed the front line, fearlessly clearing a path so
that the magicians could advance behind them.
“If you can’t swim, just grab onto something that can float! Just
remember not to stand too close to each other! Protect the
magicians with your lives!”
One of the adventurers, standing at the head of the party with his
arms crossed, bellowed across the winds.
Ah, right.
“You guys can await a great showing this year! After all, the
counter attack this year will be fueled by two explosions and
advanced magic! If these three magicians attack at the same time,
it would most likely be the strongest blow in living memory!”

128

The people here really are true men, who are willing to throw
away even their lives for the hope of that one moment!
Still, I understand them very well.
“The succubus service might be great, but I want to see the real
thing from time to time too! Plus, Wiz is wearing a bikini today
too! You can say that there is a high probably of that happening
today!”
As the only one present who was clothed, I shouted
encouragement to the other adventurers while also doing my best
to get out of my clothes as fast as possible.
Clad in only my underwear, I rushed towards the raging lake, and,
with the aid of a swimming ring, paddled over to Megumin.
The spirit is floating right in the center of the lake, so no spell
fired from land would reach it.
In order to attack it, we have no choice but to swim like this…
“Hey, Megumin, I’ll try and get the spirit’s attention, so stand by
on the shores!”
“I-I understand! But the opponent is a greater spirit! How are you
going to get its attention when you can’t harm it?”
Without answering Megumin, I abandoned the swimming ring
and swam towards the spirit…!
“Ah, Kazuma, you came at just the right time! Sorry, but can you
give me a hand!?”

129

As I swam over, I came across Darkness who was clinging onto a
swimming ring with a death grip.
“Oh, can’t you make yourself useful for once? This is precisely the
time for a crusader like you to shine! Why is it that every time we
fight a boss you become useless!?”
“D-Don’t say it so harshly! I haven’t had the chance to swim for a
while, and in such rough seas…!”
Guess there’s no choice. I dragged Darkness who was clinging
onto the swimming ring with all her might towards the shore.
Just then, I noticed that there is something strange in the flow of
the battle.
“Hey, doesn’t it feel like the great spirit-sama is far more violent
this year than the last…?”
One of the adventurers taking cover on land, perhaps uncertain of
his skills at swimming, uncertainly said to himself.
Looking back, the surroundings have been completely covered by
the typhoon, turning the center of the lake into a giant whirlpool.
Speaking off, the great spirit seemed a little weird too.
It blew away any male adventurers who got close, but did nothing
to defend herself against a magical attack launched by someone
else.

130

Spirits are immune to damage from any source other than
enchanted weapons and magical spells.
In that case, why is it simply floating there and eating those
magical attacks without resistance?
I looked at the scene, racking my brains for any method to draw
the spirit’s attention towards me.
Just then
The adventurers who were at the center of the lake suddenly
started swimming towards land.
Within the crowd, I saw the figure of Yunyun and Wiz.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Why is everyone running?”
“Ah, Kazuma-san. Aqua-san, who’s at the center of the lake,
seemed to have started some kind of quarrel with the storm
spirit… after that, conditions worsened to the point that no one
else could draw close to it…”
Why does that idiot always does such unnecessary things!?
“I’ll go bring that idiot back, so you guys make your preparations
here! I’ll also bring the spirit this way!”
“I-I understand! Good luck!”
Leaving Wiz behind, I swam towards the center in breaststroke–

131

“Oh, come on, listen to me already! Why don’t you listen to a word
I say!?”
“ββγ，∑βαα!”
“What!? I dare you to say that again!”
“ββγ，∑βαα!”
“How dare you!? I’ll bring down divine punishment on you!”
At the center of the lake, the great storm spirit and Aqua, whose
head is bobbing at the surface of the water, were engaged in a
furious argument.
“Ah, Kazuma! Listen to me! This child is really too much! There’s
a limit as to how defiant you can be!”
“Ω∑ΩΩβαβα…”
“Waaaaah! I’ll never forgive you!!”
Just what did the spirit say?
As Aqua started scolding the spirit, a thought occurred to me.
“Say, Aqua, you can communicate with the great spirit-sama,
right?”

132

“Why are you addressing such a foul mouthed and vicious child
with -sama!? Well, for the most part, I can understand what it’s
saying.”
“Αααα…”
“What did you say!!!”
I didn’t know exactly what the spirit said to her, but I beckoned to
Aqua to come closer.
Then, in a voice soft enough that only Aqua could hear, I said.
“Say, is there a way to draw it over land? Megumin and the others
already have their magic at the ready over there. If you can draw it
over land…”
“I see, so you intend to drive this vexing spirit into the next life!”
Who the hell said anything like that!?
“I get it. I lost a little in our argument earlier, but this time…!”
Did this girl really lose an argument against a rampaging spirit?
No, this won’t do. I can’t see anything other than a future of
defeat.
“Say, Aqua, if you want to argue with it, you should say…”
After listening to my whispers, Aqua nodded.

133

“You know, this man said that you look like one of those women
who hang around seedy bars to drink with the customers. Not
only that, but you look like one of those washed up aunties who–”

–As I held onto Aqua who was swimming rapidly through the
rough waters, I turned to look back.
“Hey, can’t you go faster!? Great spirit-sama is catching up!”
“I’m already going at full speed! Still, this is really like you,
Kazuma! I don’t think anyone else could bring a girl to tears so
easily!”
“Hey, don’t put it like that! It’s going to spawn a few more bad
rumours about me!”
Thanks to Aqua who cut through the water like a tuna, there’s
only a short distance between us and the shore.
Standing right there is Megumin and the others, brimming with
magic and ready to unleash their spells.
Clinging onto Aqua’s back with a death grip, I shouted towards
the shore.
“Hey, Megumin! Are you ready!? Cheer up, your long awaited
finale is finally here! Yunyun goes first, then Wiz, then you! Make
sure to cast your spells in this order!”
Then all I have to do is await my rewards.

134

“That’s fine, but I heard that any magic attack the rampaging
spirit suffers, it would return in kind! Instead of firing in
sequence, wouldn’t it be better to unleash our spells all at once!?”
Just who the hell told her that?
“You idiot! How can you call yourself an adventurer if you tremble
in fear because of some nebulous counterattack!?”
I instinctively shouted back.
After finally reaching the shore, I released my grip from Aqua,
only for Megumin to rush over.
“But I heard that the storm spirit-sama goes on a rampage every
year! In that case, it falls to us to bring an end to its destruction
right here! We can’t leave it to continue wrecking its destruction
every year…!”
“Kazuma…! … No, even though I agreed with you just now, but if
this is the case, can’t we let Yunyun bring it back to normal, before
I vanquish it with my sure kill spell…?”
Just then.
“I really misjudged you, explosion girl! I thought that you of all
people would most definitely take that challenge head on!”
After listening to our conversation, a certain adventurer
interjected.
His voice is joined by the others.

135

“Ah, and here I thought you feared nothing and bowed before
nothing, the most fearless adventurer in Axel! To think that you
would shy away just because you’re afraid of the enemy’s
counterattack! What a disappointment!”
“W-What!? Fine, if you’re going to go that far, I’ll take it down
right here for all to see!”
The provocations of the adventurers caused Megumin’s eyes to
glow bright red as she walked towards the spirit.
Yunyun quickly followed behind her.
Looking at the two Crimson Demons, I gave a thumbs up towards
the other adventurers.
Then, I caught Darkness who was wandering around.
“Darkness, now is the time for you to shine! If Megumin and
Yunyun aren’t able to defeat the storm spirit, they will be the
recipient of the strongest counterattack in history. In that case, it’s
up to you to shield them from damage!”
“Leave it to me! I won’t let it be said that I become useless
whenever we fight a boss!”
That’s the spirit!
… Just as I watched Darkness move to the front, I suddenly
noticed something.
The swimsuit she’s wearing, isn’t that a gown?

136

That means that no matter how strong a gust of wind she receives,
it won’t be blown away.
If anything, having her stand in front just means she’d be
shielding the rest.
“Hey, wait, Darkness, hold on a –”
Just as I called out.
Yunyun, her wand glittering in her hand, raised it before her.
Right in front of her is the great storm spirit bearing down on us.
“Father, Mother…! This is the first time I’m glad to be born a
Crimson Demon! Everyone’s counting on me! Lighting Strike!”
That one spell of hers probably had all her mana within it.
The bolt of lightning struck the storm spirit, causing its body to
shake.
Its body also became slightly more translucent.
Wiz, supporting the suddenly limp Yunyun with one hand,
pointed her other arm towards the spirit.
“Leave the next step to me! I can’t let the citizens of Axel continue
to suffer like this! Explosion!”
The explosion that Wiz unleashed blew apart even the winds of
the typhoon, causing the winds to blow in a different direction for
just a brief moment, and creating a large wave in the lake.

137

But, without even confirming the status of the storm spirit,
Megumin raised her staff and said…
“Behold my power! In the name of the Crimson Demons, I shall
bring an end to this rampaging spirit! Have a taste of my crimson
wrath! Explosion!!”
Perhaps it’s because this is the third act in this series of spells, but
it feels like Megumin’s explosion is even stronger than usual.
… To be honest, I’m starting to get a little worried.
Is the great storm spirit-sama really going to be fine?
No, I’ve heard that even a spirit as strong as the winter shogun
won’t be defeated even if it is hit by an explosion, so a great storm
spirit would also probably be fine…
“It… should be fine… right?”
Just then, the great wave of mist and smoke created by the two
explosions slowly began to clear…
“Oh, it survived! The great spirit-sama survived!!”
Floating right there was the storm spirit, mostly faded away, her
angry expression a moment ago replaced with a placid one.
After confirming that, I let out a cheer along with the other
adventurers.

138

Seeing that, Wiz, who was looking after Yunyun, had an uneasy
expression on her face.
“Um, the last attack clearly didn’t vanquish the storm spirit, so
why is everyone so happy?”
Megumin, lying face first on the ground, said in an annoyed tone.
Come to think of it, why does Darkness seem so happy too?
She must be eagerly anticipating the counterattack.
However, now is not the time to be caring about such trivialities.
The real show is what comes next!
If I don’t find a way to drag Darkness away…
“The great spirit-sama is smiling?”
I don’t know who said that, but that line brought it to our
attention.
The great spirit lowered its head towards us.
The typhoon has been replaced by a gentle drizzle, and there is a
smile on the spirit’s face.
“That child absorbed too much magic on the seas and became
unable to control itself. The life force of a spirit is mana. If it is
damaged, it has to use mana in order to heal itself.”
Aqua said.

139

This explains why the spirit didn’t do anything to avoid the
magical spells thrown at it earlier.
That spirit must have come here in order to bleed away the excess
magic it picked up over the year.
“Γ∑γα？α，△βαγ！”
The greater spirit, it’s face a picture of calm, spoke to us in a
language that we couldn’t understand.
“Eh? A reward as thanks for helping you digest all that excess
mana? There’s no need for that. It’s not like we did anything
major… though, if you insist, I guess we wouldn’t mind.”
Thanks to Aqua’s translation, I now know exactly what is going
on.
Gift.
The strong gust that is thought of as a counter attack is actually its
way of rewarding us every year.
The great spirit raised its hand towards us.
That reward is–
“Sacred Break Spell!”
Just as the great spirit released its gust, Aqua immediately
cancelled it.

140

The gift of the great spirit was completely nullified by Aqua before
it could even reach us.
“Hey, what kind of gift is that!? You just tried to unleash a
tremendous gust of wind, didn’t you!?”
“β，β∑Ωβ.”
“Hey, who are you calling an idiot!? You said you wanted to give
us a gift, only to unleash an attack! What are you trying to pull!?”
Watching the idiotic Aqua get up to her antics, the male
adventurers stood around in a daze.
“Αααα…”
“Hey, why do you all look so down? I just protected you from a
magical attack. Shouldn’t you all be much more grateful?”
That’s only to be expected after having our hopes be dashed so
abruptly.
“βΩ，γγγ…”
“Ah, this child is saying that she’ll be counting on you all next year
too.”
That’s our line. We’ll be waiting on your appearance next year too!

↲

141

KonoSuba BD Short Story 4: Beware of Knockoffs
Part 1 ↲

TL: Cannongerbil
Editor: Striker

[Note: This story takes place sometime around season 2, around
volume 3-4 ish, so the status quo is a bit different from the more
recent volumes.]
It was sometime after lunch but not yet time for dinner.
On that day, I was wandering around the town of Axel to kill time
when I started to feel a little peckish.
Ducking into a roadside stall, I ordered a couple of meat skewers
and was happily chowing down on them when an adventurer
called out to me.
“Hey, young man over there.”
Judging from the way he addressed me, he’s most likely from out
of town.
Maybe I should ignore him.
“… Ah, sorry for interrupting your meal.”
As I chewed on a skewer, I scrutinized the adventurer.
He was about a head or so taller than me, and was wearing a black
breastplate underneath a black cloak.

142

At first glance, he looks hardened and rugged, but at the same
time he also has the air of a pretty boy.

From the many and varied notches on his armour and the pair of
swords hanging from his waist indicate that he is a veteran
adventurer.

His blood red hair and steely gaze are telling me that he isn’t
someone who fools around.

— There’s no mistaking it, he’s an adventurer who far outclasses
me in both skill and experience.

“You don’t have to stop eating, just hear me out. You see, I’m
looking for a person. My name is Kozuma. Zatou Kozuma. I’ve
heard that there is a man named Satou Kazuma living in this
town. He’s quite famous around the area, as I’ve been led to
believe. Do you know where I might find this person?”

I involuntarily spat out the skewer I was eating.

“–Are you alright? I’ve conjured up some water, so drink up. It
should help.”

Kozuma handed a cup of water over to me.

“You name was Kozuma, was it? Thanks… Um, you’re an
adventurer, right? What business do you have with this Satou
Kazuma fellow?”

I said between sips of water.

Our names are just way too similar.

143

What, don’t tell me, is he going to demand that I change my name
because it’s too similar to his, or pay him a fee if I want to
continue using it, or the like?

This is the name my parents gave to me, so there’s no reason to
pick a fight over it.

Still, if a veteran adventurer were to threaten me over that, I’ll
probably end up getting killed.

“You see, his name is very similar to mine, but he seems to have a
pretty poor reputation. Thanks to him, I’m always met with
distrust wherever I go. So I need to have a few words with him…
Well, there are some other reasons too, but…”

Kozuma scratched his head and smiled.

Well, he doesn’t seem to be a bad person at heart, at least.

Mostly it seems like he’s troubled by my reputation. Well, I am
aware that most of the rumours surrounding me aren’t exactly
stellar.

He doesn’t seem like the rash sort, so he’d probably understand if
I explain things to him.

“… Listen to me and don’t get angry, okay? The truth is-”

Just when I made it that far.

“Kozuma! Seriously, how did you run this far in such a short
time!? Anyway, did you find that scumbag Kazuma!?”

144

A woman’s voice called out to us.
Three female adventurers came walking towards us.
“Hey, Kozuma, you look really scary right now. Didn’t we agree to
leave the information gathering to us? You look like you’re
shaking down an innocent citizen right now, you know?”
Saying that, the black haired mage gave me an apologetic look.
“I’m really sorry, our Kozuma must have caused you so much
trouble…”
The blue haired priest bowed and apologized.
And then..
“Young man, I’m really sorry. This man isn’t a bad person, so
please don’t be afraid. Aah, I’m…”
The blonde knight gave me a bow and said.
“I’m a crusader, Larkness. May I have your name, young man?”
“My name is Tanaka.”
I decided to give them a false name after all.

↲

145

Part 2 ↲

“Apologies for the wait! Here is the deep fried frog’s tongue you
ordered!”

“Ah, that’s the one. This is a local delicacy. It’s really delicious.
You can’t visit this town without giving it a try.”

We moved over to another restaurant and talked while having a
meal.

The mage girl regarded the plate in front of me with an intense
frown.

“F-Frog? Ahh, no, no, no, I can’t eat this. Aren’t there any running
hawk kite or snowbird meat I could order instead?”

It seems like it’s the first time they laid eyes on frog meat.

“This is the town of beginnings, you know? The meat of the
weakest monster, the giant frog, is a staple in this town. Not many
people are willing to hunt stronger creatures that live around
here.The skewers that the roadside stall was selling is delicious,
but the owner stubbornly refuses to tell anyone what meat he
uses. That’s why we call his skewers mystery skewers.”

“I-I can’t believe you are brave enough to eat meat with such
unclear origins. You must really be quite something.”

Of course, I hold the weakest class, but there’s no reason to tell
them that.

“So, did you find that scumbag Kazuma!?”

146

“We already asked Tanaka-san earlier. Don’t hold back and dig in.
Treat this meal as our thanks for talking with us.”
The priest lady said with a smile.
Her name seems to be Akua.
“Hey, aren’t you going to eat? Hurry up and tell us what a frog
tastes like!”
The mage girl looked at me with a gaze of anxious anticipation,
seemingly treating me like taste tester.
The other people in her party have names that are very similar to
the ones in my party, but this girl in particular…
“Megumi, we are treating this man to a meal as thanks for
information. Don’t pester him, let him eat on his own time.”
“Oh, fine… But I really want to know what eating frog meat feels
like…”
Megumi said, gazing down but stealthily shooting me gazes of
anticipation…
Yes, her name is Megumi.
There are many things I want to say to her, but I kept it to myself
and ate a piece of frog meat with my fork…
*Crunch*

147

“It sounds like you are a regular here. I’m sure there are some
other more palatable food you can recommend, right?”

Megumi immediately said, cutting me off before I could describe
the taste.

If I went to a place I usually hang out, there’s a chance I could run
into someone I know. That’s why I went to this out of the way
tavern and pretended like I was a regular here.

“Say, Megumi… san, was it? You have a unique name.”

“What’s with that pause? But yes, people do ask about my name a
lot. Umm, well… My grandfather gave me this name. It’s said that
it means to be blessed.”

I see. So this girl isn’t from Japan, but rather the granddaughter
of someone who was.

“So, Tanaka-dono, can you tell us anything about that Kazuma
person?”

Larkness asked sternly as I bit into another chunk of frog meat.

I simply continued chewing my food…

“Tanaka-dono? T-Tanaka-dono? What are you looking at?”

Oh right, I’m supposed to be Tanaka right now.

“… Tanaka-san, was it?”

“Yes, Tanaka-san here.”

148

Akua asked, and I responded after wiping my mouth.
“Right then, let me tell you everything I know about Kazuma.”
And with that, I recounted the events that happened so far–

“—Sniff… What a pitiful person, this Kazuma-san…”
Megumi said between tears after hearing my story.
“Even though he clearly saved the town, he still got saddled with
huge debts… And not just once, but twice… unforgivable…!”
Larkness slammed her fist on the table.
To the two of them I smiled and said.
“But those huge debts are nothing to him. Using his sharp mind,
he constantly develops new products, and by now he has already
paid off his debts and bought a mansion. I’m sure he’s enjoying
his happiness somewhere in this town right now…”
It might be somewhat exaggerated, but what I said is by no means
a lie.
When I got halfway through, Akua closed her eyes and brought
her hands together in prayer.
And then…

149

“He truly is an impressive man.”
Kozuma let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair, gazing at the
ceiling.
It might not have been addressed directly at me, but getting such
praise made me blush a little.
“It’s really great… It’s really great that Kazuma-san managed to
save himself…”
Megumi was already crying tears of sympathy earlier, and now
she’s crying tears of joy.
What a sentimental child. And she was so aggressive when we first
met too.
Well, being able to clear things up is certainly a relief.
“So, the much beloved Kazuma-san is quite busy every day. If
possible, it’s best not to bother him.”
“Well, if that’s the case… I do have some things to say to him, but
very well. We’ll head out tomorrow.”
Larkness said with a wry smile.
Just as I felt relief over resolving this matter, Kozuma suddenly
looked towards me
“I must thank you, Tanaka. It’s only thanks to you that we could
hear such a moving tale.”

150