The guild hall was buzzing that morning, packed to the brim with adventurers swapping stories, collecting rewards, and drinking far too early in the day. My party sat together at one of the long tables, Megumin practically bouncing in her seat with her usual flair for dramatics. She had just returned from registering her most recent Explosion spell and was now engaged in her favorite hobby: taunting Yunyun.
The crimson-eyed brunette stood across from us, wringing her hands nervously. "I-I'm telling you, Megumin, I'll surpass you someday! You'll see!"
Megumin smirked, cape fluttering despite there being no wind indoors. "Oh please, Yunyun. Surpass me? You're barely even keeping up as is. My Explosion magic is the pinnacle of destructive art. Yours is… well, barely serviceable."
Yunyun puffed her cheeks. "T-That's not true!"
I sipped my beer, watching the back-and-forth like it was theater. Aqua was already giggling. Darkness leaned in with a strange blush on her face, as if verbal sparring was doing things to her.
Then Megumin went a little too far. She smirked, leaned back, and in a sing-song voice said, "Face it, Yunyun—you're destined to always be behind me. You don't even have a party or friends."
The hall went quiet for a heartbeat.
Yunyun's face paled. She blinked rapidly, as if fighting tears, then turned on her heel and bolted out of the guild.
The laughter died on Aqua's lips. Darkness frowned. I set my mug down with a soft thud and turned to Megumin.
"Megumin," I said, voice calm but firm. "That was a little too far."
Her smug expression faltered. "W-What? I was just… we always do this. It's how we always argue..."
I raised an eyebrow. "There's playful rivalry, and then there's twisting the knife. You hit her where it hurts."
Megumin's shoulders slumped. She fiddled with the brim of her hat. "I… didn't mean to. I just… I get carried away. Yunyun always challenges me, and it feels good to win, but… I didn't want to actually hurt her."
Her voice cracked at the end. She really did regret it.
I sighed, pushing back from the table. "I'll go talk to her."
I found Yunyun at the town's fountain, her small frame hunched forward on the stone edge, knees drawn up slightly. The late afternoon light made the water shimmer, but it couldn't hide the tears streaming down her face.
For a moment, I just stood there, watching the ripples she absentmindedly stirred with her fingertip. She looked so alone. So fragile.
"Hey," I said softly, walking closer.
She startled, wiping at her cheeks quickly. "Y-You're Ethan, right?! I—uh—I wasn't crying! I just—something flew in my eye!"
I sat beside her, letting the silence stretch a moment. "It's okay if you were. I won't think any less of you. I see you by yourself often and I always thought it would be nice to talk to you. If you've got worries, you can tell me. I'll listen."
That coaxed a weak sigh out of her, though she quickly turned her face away. "It's just… Megumin. She always… she always wins. No matter what I do, I'm just the loser. The boring one. Everyone likes her more. She has friends, a party, adventures… and me? I don't have anyone."
Her voice trembled, and the words tumbled out faster, as if years of frustration had finally cracked open. "I try so hard, Ethan. I study, I train, I do everything right… and it never matters. I go home to an empty house. I eat alone. I'm… so tired of being lonely."
The tears came again, hot and silent.
I let her cry, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "You know… Megumin regrets what she said. She didn't mean it. She gets too into the back-and-forth, but she cares about you. She really does."
Yunyun sniffled. "Then why does she always make fun of me?"
"Because she's Megumin. And because, in her own twisted way, she sees you as her rival. She'd never admit it, but she only goes all out like that with you because you're the only one she thinks is worth it."
Yunyun blinked at me, eyes watery but searching. "…Really?"
"Really. And for what it's worth? I think you're incredible. Smart, powerful, beautiful… and way too hard on yourself."
Her cheeks flushed pink. "B-Beautiful? Don't just say stuff like that out of nowhere…"
I smirked. "Would you rather I lied?"
That earned me the faintest giggle, shaky but real.
"Tell you what," I continued. "I know a way you can win any argument with Megumin."
Her head tilted curiously. "H-How?"
"Simple. If she ever corners you, if you feel like you're losing… just tell her your breasts are bigger than hers. No matter what comeback she makes, just shut it down with that. It'll eat at her much more than you think."
There was silence. Then Yunyun's face went crimson. "E-Ethan!"
But then she actually laughed. Loud, genuine, unguarded laughter that rang through the square. She covered her mouth, but it was too late. The gloom had cracked.
"See?" I teased. "Works every time."
Yunyun shook her head, still laughing softly. "You're ridiculous."
"Maybe. But I'm also serious about this: Yunyun, why don't you join us? Be part of my party. You don't have to be alone anymore."
Her eyes widened. "M-Me? Join you? But… you already have Megumin, and Aqua, and Darkness—"
"And now we'll have Yunyun. Another brilliant Arch Wizard, and a good friend. What do you say?"
Her hands fidgeted in her lap. Then, slowly, she nodded, cheeks still flushed. "O-Okay. I'd like that."
"Great. Then come back with me," I said, grasping her hand and leading her back to the adventurers hall.
The Next Morning
The mansion dining hall was chaos. Aqua was loudly complaining about too little jam on her toast. Darkness was in a heated debate with Kazuma about whether getting hit by arrows counted as "tanking effectively." Megumin and Yunyun were on opposite sides of the table, glaring, though Megumin seemed genuinely chastised this time. Wiz nervously sipped tea, while Luna had already broken out a ledger, muttering about supply chains.
I cleared my throat, silencing the room. "Listen up. I've made a decision. Today, I'm going to challenge the Dullahan. Alone."
The silence shattered instantly.
"Are you insane?!" Kazuma shouted.
"Ethan!" Aqua's eyes went wide. "That's a general of the Demon King! He'll curse you six ways to Sunday!"
Darkness slammed her fist on the table, nearly knocking over her tea. "If you fight him, then I demand to go with you! I want to be struck down by his cursed blade and feel the torment on my supple flesh!"
"No," I said firmly. "This is my test. I want to measure myself. My strength, my strategies. I won't risk any of you for that."
Megumin's fists clenched. "But—"
I raised a hand. "I'll be back. Trust me."
Reluctantly, they fell silent. Even Yunyun looked stricken, though I caught a flicker of admiration in her eyes.
The Dullahan's Castle
Every monster was fuel. Each battle sharpened my edge, leveled me further. By the time I breached the outer gates, I'd unlocked new spear forms, including one that allowed me to sprout bones from any surface within ten meters—walls, floors, even my own body—while hardening my defenses. It was brutal and efficient, the kind of weapon you could build entire strategies around.
As I finished harvesting the last remnants of the army—a skeleton death knight dissolving into black mist—I approached the final floor.
The gates loomed ahead, iron twisted into cruel shapes. I stormed through, scattering guards, until finally… I stood before him.
The Dullahan.
Head tucked under one arm, black armor gleaming with cursed runes. His single visible eye flared with unholy light as his deep voice filled the hall.
"Finally. Someone dares approach me directly. Speak, mortal—why have you come?"
I leveled my spear at him. "I came to challenge myself. To test the strength I've gained. I don't need armies, or traps. Just you and me."
A pause. Then a booming laugh. "At last! A worthy challenger! Too long have I languished, fighting weaklings. Come, then. Let us duel!"
Duel of Resolve
We clashed in the center of the hall, steel ringing like thunder. His blade swung heavy and precise, my spear flashing to meet it. Sparks lit the gloom.
He was strong. Faster than I expected. Every strike rattled my arms, every counter forced me back. For the first time in weeks, I felt pushed.
Then he unleashed his curses. Dark energy coiled from his blade, striking like serpents. I sidestepped, rolled, deflected with mana-shields as my talismans hummed, replenishing what I spent.
"You're formidable," he growled. "But soon, you'll fall!"
I smirked. I hadn't gone all out. This was my test, and I was only using half my strength. "You're strong. But strength alone isn't enough."
Because while we fought, I'd been analyzing. Predicting. Every feint, every strike, every curse—patterns emerged. My NZT-enhanced mind pieced it together like clockwork.
And then the trap snapped shut.
I baited his cursed strike, feigning weakness. He lunged, overcommitting. My spear flashed, embedding a talisman on his armor—one I'd slapped there during a deflection earlier. The Horse Talisman. Its vitality overloaded his curse, disrupting it. For the first time, his stance faltered.
"Now," I whispered.
I switched grips, channeling energy into my Frog Spear. The weapon thrummed with that familiar pull, a surge of force latching onto him. With a snap, the magic yanked the Dullahan forward, dragging his massive body across the stone floor before he could recover. He slammed into the pillar I'd positioned myself beside—stone cracked, dust rained down, and his armor dented with a deafening clang.
I pressed immediately, spear a blur of motion. Every strike was calculated to the inch. His sword went flying, disarmed in a single twist, and with a final thrust I drove him to one knee, the tip of my spear at his throat.
"It was a good fight," I said evenly. "But it's over."
His eye dimmed. Slowly, he chuckled. "So… this is defeat. Well fought, mortal. Well fought."
And then he collapsed, vanishing into dark mist.
When I returned to Axel, bounty papers in hand, the guild exploded into cheers. Drinks were raised, songs improvised, and for once, even Aqua didn't need to shout for attention—everyone was shouting my name already.
"Ethan! Ethan Cross, the Hero of Axel!"
The title stuck.
By dawn, my head was pounding with the aftereffects of too much beer and too many congratulations. And then, as if the day hadn't been surreal enough already, she appeared.
Sena. The royal prosecutor. Sharp eyes, long dark hair, a posture that screamed authority.
"Ethan Cross," she declared before the whole guild. "By royal decree, you are hereby granted the title of Baron, in recognition of your service in slaying a general of the Demon King."
A noble title. Cheers roared again.
I bowed, accepting the scroll. Outwardly gracious. Inwardly?
A baron title. A symbol. Nothing more. But symbols have power. Connections. Influence. This will help me expand Cross Pharmaceuticals into noble circles. It'll open doors.
I raised the scroll high as the adventurers cheered once more. Aqua was crying, Darkness was swooning, Megumin was plotting her next Explosion-worthy brag, and Yunyun was watching me with wide, admiring eyes.
For them, for my growing empire, and for myself… this was only the beginning.