As the distance between Beldia and Eriri's group closed, Megumin, Ilina, and the others finally got a clear look at him.
Seeing him carrying his own head in one hand while riding a headless horse, Ilina and Lilian—who had never witnessed such a sight before—were startled.
"A Headless Knight?" Ilina exclaimed in surprise.
Having watched countless anime, Ilina immediately recognized him. After all, the Headless Knight was a classic archetype.
Noticing Ilina's unease, Eriri gently took her hand and spoke softly:
"Don't worry. It's just a Headless Knight. With your current strength, dealing with him is nothing at all."
Hearing Eriri's reassurance, Ilina let out a breath of relief.
She quickly reminded herself that she was no longer the ordinary high school girl she had been a year ago. Now she wielded great superhuman power.
How could she fear a mere Headless Knight?
Even so, her body instinctively leaned closer behind Eriri.
Darkness, meanwhile, looked at the approaching Headless Knight without the slightest ripple of emotion.
If this had been back when she first joined the chat group, she might have been thrilled at the prospect of facing such an opponent. But after Eriri's long "training," she no longer had any interest in such things.
Eris, on the other hand, watched Beldia with keen curiosity, though she made no comment. She was merely along to slack off.
At the same time, Lilian's livestream chat exploded with new discussion at the sight of the Headless Knight.
[W-w-wait… isn't that the legendary Headless Knight? Who dares say this isn't another world now?!]
[So that's what a Headless Knight looks like. Honestly, not as scary as I imagined.]
[That's only because you're watching safely from a livestream. If you were there in person, you wouldn't be saying that!]
[Confirmed—Kashiwagi Eri-sensei and Princess Lilian really are in another world.]
[Seriously, why do you all keep jumping to the "other world" conclusion? Haven't you considered another possibility?]
[If they really are in another world, how is Princess Lilian livestreaming? Don't tell me the networks there connect to ours.]
[Good point…]
[Anything is possible. Who's to say the Sawamura family hasn't already extended networks into other worlds?]
[Speculation won't get us anywhere. Princess Lilian, just tell us—are you and Eriri-sama really in another world?]
[…]
Reading the barrage of comments, Lilian felt conflicted.
Honestly, she didn't want to hide this from her fans. But she worried that revealing the truth about other worlds might cause problems for Eriri—or even the Sawamura family.
So she once again turned her gaze toward Eriri for guidance.
"Eriri-nee, can I tell the viewers about the other world?"
Since she spoke in the local language of this world, the livestream viewers only heard her speaking without understanding a word.
"Of course. Say whatever you want—don't hold back."
Eriri smiled, patting Lilian's little head reassuringly.
With Eriri's clear answer, joy lit up Lilian's face. But still mindful of her worries, she couldn't help but ask again:
"Are you sure this won't cause any problems?"
"Don't worry. It won't."
Eriri's expression was utterly unconcerned, as if what troubled Lilian was nothing worth mentioning.
As for the idea that exposing the existence of other worlds could somehow harm her or the Sawamura family?
What a joke. With the current standing of the Sawamura family—and her own status—even if all the nations of Earth united, they couldn't possibly pose the slightest threat.
Even if Eriri revealed every other world to the public, it would only extinguish any covetous thoughts others might harbor.
Hearing Eriri's words, Lilian finally relaxed. Switching to English, she addressed the livestream viewers, answering the questions she had been avoiding.
"Citizens, and fans from other countries—there's no need to hide it anymore. Eriri-nee and I are indeed in another world right now."
"And yes, we're speaking the local language of this world. Magic and monsters are real."
...
With every revelation, the livestream chat exploded in chaos.
Meanwhile, the Headless Knight Beldia had already arrived before Eriri and the others.
Yet instead of attacking outright, the Demon King's General politely questioned them.
"I am Beldia, one of the Demon King's Generals, just passing through. From the looks of it, you came from that direction. Do you know anything about the explosion just now?"
Holding his head in his left hand, he turned it toward Eriri's group while pointing behind them with his right index finger.
Because his face was almost completely encased in a helmet, only Eriri could clearly make out his features. The others could see only his glowing crimson eyes.
Just then, Megumin stepped up beside Eriri and whispered:
"Eriri, can you stall this Headless Knight for me?"
Eriri raised a brow in surprise. "You mean… you want to use Explosion Magic on him?"
"That's right! As expected, you understand me!"
Megumin nodded quickly, thrilled at Eriri's immediate comprehension.
"If that's what you want, then go ahead. I'll make sure the Headless Knight doesn't leave your attack range."
Eriri didn't care about Beldia's fate. Though they had no personal grudge, if Megumin wanted to strike him, then he would simply have to serve as her target.
With Eriri's assurance, Megumin no longer hesitated. She strode a few steps forward, standing at the front.
Seeing her step up, Beldia looked puzzled, his crimson eyes narrowing.
"Are you the one chosen to speak for them?"
Megumin ignored his question, instead striking what she thought was her coolest chuunibyou pose.
"I am Megumin! My profession is Archwizard, wielder of the strongest attack magic—Explosion!"
"What's a 'Megumin'? Are you mocking me?"
Beldia gave her a look as if she were a fool.
Hearing this, Megumin nearly tripped over herself, her pose faltering.
"I am not!"
She shouted loudly, quickly correcting herself and striking her pose again.
"I am of the Crimson Demon Clan, one of my village's foremost mages! Today I will use my Explosion Magic to destroy you, General of the Demon King's Army!"
"I don't have time to play children's games. Just tell me what happened over there."
His complete dismissal of her words left Megumin fuming.
Without another word, she raised her staff high and began chanting her Explosion incantation.
With each verse, the air trembled. The spectacle was even more dazzling than before.
Seeing this, Beldia finally realized the Crimson Demon girl wasn't bluffing—she really could cast Explosion Magic.
His expression hardened, his tone growing serious.
"I don't usually waste time bullying the weak, but since you insist on starting a fight, don't blame me for being merciless."
With that, he drew the greatsword strapped to his horse's back and spurred his mount forward, charging at Megumin to interrupt her spell.
Watching the Headless Knight bearing down on her, Megumin's heart pounded with fear. But her faith in Eriri kept her steady. She continued chanting without faltering.
Just as Beldia closed in, he suddenly realized that both he and his warhorse had been returned to their original position. He froze in shock, utterly bewildered.
At that exact moment, Megumin's chant reached its climax.
"Explosion!"
With a thunderous roar, brilliant flames erupted over Beldia's body, sending a towering mushroom cloud into the sky.
Once again, Megumin collapsed, drained of both mana and stamina.
But Eriri was already at her side, catching her around the waist before she could hit the ground.
Resting in Eriri's arms, Megumin lifted her lips into a faint smile.
"So, how was that? Did my Explosion Magic improve this time?"
Eriri smiled back, nodding.
"Not bad. The power went up a little. But it's still just a bit short of finishing off the Headless Knight."
As she spoke, she restored Megumin's mana and stamina once more.
Megumin, too focused to check her adventurer card, immediately turned her gaze toward Beldia.
When the dust cleared, a massive crater was revealed. At its center, Beldia knelt on one knee. His warhorse, however, had been blown back to the underworld by the blast.
"He's really still alive? Looks like my firepower isn't enough yet. I can't hold back—I need to fire again!"
Without hesitation, Megumin raised her staff once more and began chanting.
Seeing this, Beldia grew uneasy. Though he could withstand one Explosion, being hit repeatedly would overwhelm even an undead like him.
"Wait, wait! Crimson Demon girl, we have no grudge between us, do we? How about we call it even? Let me leave, and I won't ask you any more questions."
Clutching his head, Beldia waved frantically with his free hand.
"Spare me your words. As a general of the Demon King's Army, you must be vanquished."
"Explosion!"
Megumin ignored his plea, unleashing another devastating blast.
When the smoke dispersed, Beldia's figure reappeared. The crater, once two or three meters deep, had sunk another meter or two. Though restored by Eriri once again, Megumin now looked at the battered knight in shock.
"You're really that tough? Two Explosions and you're still standing… I guess that just makes you the perfect training dummy for my magic!"
Her lips curled into a wicked grin, her crimson eyes glowing brightly.
Hearing her words and seeing that smile, Beldia's hidden face twisted in horror. For a moment, he felt as if she were the Demon King's General, and he the hapless adventurer.
Even Ilina and Lilian were stunned, unable to believe such words came from Megumin.
Eriri, Darkness, and Eris, however, weren't surprised. They knew Megumin's nature all too well.
And so, the Headless Knight's suffering began.
One Explosion after another rained down. Each was stronger than the last. His armor went from slightly damaged, to cracked, to utterly destroyed.
During this ordeal, he tried every method he could think of—casting Death Curse at Megumin and Eriri, summoning undead knights—but nothing worked. Each time, he was pulled back into the blast zone, unable to escape.
At last, he gave up entirely. No longer thinking of escape, he only wished for the endless bombardment to end so he could rest in the underworld.
Meanwhile, Lilian's livestream chat filled with sympathetic comments for the pitiful Headless Knight.
Though he was clearly a villainous monster, his suffering was too tragic to ignore. Many even began to pity him.
And in their eyes, Megumin was no longer a cute little girl—she had become a true Explosion Demon King.
—
—
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven