"Not convinced, are you? Just look at what you're doing—getting all cozy, leaning in that boob maniac's arms!"
"Eh? Ah, this is... S-Shichen-san was just..." Yunyun finally noticed she was leaning against Shichen's chest, and as she spoke, she grew increasingly flustered.
Her waist was being held by his arm, and it made her heart race a bit.
"You see?! You're blushing!" Megumin cut in mercilessly, exposing her current mood.
"Ugh... I-I'm not!" Yunyun tried weakly to deny it.
"Hmph, you traitor, swooning at the sight of him..."
"Alright, enough out of you," Shichen interjected just in time to stop Megumin's rants.
"Why should I shut up? Why do I have to listen to you? You're a jerk who likes bullying minors, and a boob maniac— I refuse to get along with you!"
"Oh really? Then I guess I'll just burn this staff of yours."
As Shichen spoke, he ignited a golden flame in his hand, which then spread across the entirety of Megumin's staff.
"Eeek!!" Megumin turned pale in an instant.
"S-sorry! Sorry! I'm sorry! Please don't burn my staff!"
Megumin bent forward repeatedly, the arrogance draining from her face.
Seeing her forced submission, Shichen gave a crooked smile. Young as she was, she'd acted so wild that a bit of a scare was warranted. That said, since he already knew her nature by heart, he wasn't genuinely upset with her.
"Truly sorry?"
"Yes, truly sorry! I won't pick a fight with you again, so please, spare my staff!"
"Shichen-san, please don't burn Megumin's staff!" Yunyun also turned around, looking up at Shichen and pleading for Megumin.
Shichen, taking in her glance— from that angle, he couldn't help but glimpse her ample figure but kept his composure.
"Relax, I was only teasing her." With that, he withdrew the flame and handed the staff back to Megumin.
"My... my staff! Thank goodness."
Megumin cradled her staff, relieved to find it unscathed, then rubbed her cheek against it like some cherished possession.
"Alright, let's go meet up with the others," Shichen said, supporting Yunyun and heading toward the carriage.
"A-about that... Shichen-san, I... I can walk by myself..." Yunyun stammered, feeling shy.
"No can do. You used up most of your mana— you must be exhausted. Let me help. I promise I'm not trying to take advantage."
"Umm... I never thought that..." Yunyun lowered her head, her face reddening again.
With a soft laugh, Shichen said, "Go ahead and call me Shichen. I'm not that much older than you, and we fought side by side—we're comrades in arms now."
"Comrades... Understood, Shichen." Yunyun repeated, pursing her lips in excitement.
"Megumin, keep up."
"O-okay..."
Once they returned to the carriage, as expected, Yunyun was showered with applause and compliments for her heroic display of magic.
Most of the conversation revolved around her firepower and near singlehanded defeat of the giant digging worms.
Shichen, for his part, had also earned a lot of respect for his barrier magic and "teleportation," which people accepted as proof he was truly a powerful mage.
No one criticized or questioned them for briefly leaving the fight to move back to the carriage. They were all simple, cheerful folks. Perhaps they were just glad everyone had made it through safely.
That evening, the group halted travel, arranged their wagons in a circle, and lit a bonfire to celebrate their victory. Shichen sat together with Yunyun and Megumin, enjoying the food as one big group—though Megumin, in particular, seemed to just mooch food off them.
They chatted merrily about the day's battle, recounting how Yunyun's magic practically saved them all. Shichen didn't bother chiming in about his own deeds. Meanwhile, Megumin caught an occasional side-eye from others for not having done anything, but it didn't seem to bother her.
By nighttime, they decided Yunyun would stand guard. Since Shichen wasn't especially close to anyone else and didn't feel like sleeping, he stayed up to keep her company.
"Thank you for keeping watch with me, Shichen," Yunyun said gratefully.
"No need to thank me. We're teammates," Shichen replied calmly.
"Teammates... yes!" Yunyun nodded vigorously, smiling sweetly.
"Hah, what's the real reason you're staying up, Shichen?" Megumin's sarcastic voice cut in as she approached, carrying her black cat.
Shichen scowled at her. "Didn't I tell you to behave? Or are you itching for another lesson?"
"Why should I behave? You keep picking on minors, you boob maniac—I can't possibly get along with you!"
"I'm not a boob maniac!"
"Then why the blatant favoritism—kissing up to Yunyun and tormenting me?"
"Because you're the one who called me a boob maniac in the first place."
"Hmph! You started paying special attention to Yunyun first."
"I saw potential in her, so I gave her a chance. What's wrong with that?"
"She has no potential!"
"Didn't you see those giant worms she blew away with a single Fireball?"
"Those were nothing but small fry! If I got serious, I'd blow them all away in one shot!" Megumin declared huffily.
"I'm not buying it."
"Why, you—!" Megumin glared at him. "Boob. Maniac."
"You... washboard." Shichen retorted coldly.
"What?!" Megumin's eyes flashed with fury.
"Ha, I see. You're just jealous of Yunyun's bigger chest—makes sense you'd lash out."
"Wh-who cares about those lumps of flesh!"
"Sure, sure..." Shichen shrugged, side-eyeing her.
"Aah, that's it! I'm gonna fight you!" Megumin exploded, setting down her cat to charge at Shichen with her small fists.
Effortlessly, Shichen caught her wrist and held her at bay. "Come on, quit it."
"I will not quit! This is a humiliation—I need revenge!"
Shichen was about to lecture her further, but then his expression turned serious. "Wait. Monsters are coming."
"Where, where?!" Yunyun asked, looking around nervously.
"Lies! Don't try to sidetrack me!" Megumin continued struggling, refusing to believe him.
"Look for yourself."
Shichen released her wrist, turned her body around so she could see above in the night sky.
"Eeeek!"
Right as she turned, Megumin spotted a gigantic bat swooping down. Many more trailed behind it, swarming as they flapped through the air.
"Meow~"
An abrupt catlike cry rang out. Following the sound, they watched as an enormous bat snatched Megumin's little black cat in its talons and soared away into the darkness.
~~~
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