The Crimson Demon Village buzzed with construction, louder than their dramatic spell chants ever were. Under my direction, a main trade road was being carved out of the forest, straight as an arrow and wide enough for caravans. "Forward!" one elder boomed, waving his staff. The ground shook as a dozen Crimson Demons cast Earth Shaping in unison, flattening boulders into a smooth roadbed. Others hurled Fireball into piles of timber, carefully tempered by ice casters to produce cured planks for scaffolding. What would've taken months in my old world was taking mere days here, their magic supercharging every step of the process. Honestly, I was surprised they hadn't thought of this before, but I suppose they were too caught up in their chuuni antics to do anything practical until now.
"This will triple our trade flow," I explained to Yuiyui and Kururu, who were already scheming aloud about new shops, markets, and dowries. "Yes, yes," Kururu said, nodding vigorously. "And with a strong man like you managing things, Yunyun will finally be married." Yuiyui chimed in, "Or Megumin! You'd be perfect for her. Strong, clever, terrifyingly handsome—" I coughed into my fist. "Ladies. One thing at a time." But their plotting only escalated.
That night, with the village celebrating the progress, they plied their daughters with drinks, and—before I could stop it—both Yunyun and Megumin were shoved into a room with me. Emboldened by liquid courage, they approached me, mumbling about outdoing one another. Yunyun, red-faced, pressed her perfectly proportioned breasts against the side of my face as she began to strip. Megumin, already bare, pushed her smaller, perky breasts against my chest, pressing herself against me with surprising intensity. My hands instinctively found her surprisingly plump little bubble butt as Yunyun started unbuttoning my pants. The giggles, the nervous confessions, the warmth of two bodies pressed close… it blurred, it burned, it faded to black.
When I woke up, tangled between them, I sighed. "Well. That happened."
At breakfast the next morning, Aqua raised an eyebrow. "Took you long enough." Luna smirked knowingly. Darkness hid her face behind her teacup, crimson to the ears. Even Wiz giggled nervously, giving me a sidelong glance. The consensus was clear: it was only a matter of time.
Back in Axel
Returning to Axel, Kazuma bragged endlessly about his newly acquired thief skills. "I'm basically the fastest pickpocket in town now. All thanks to Chris."
"Chris, huh?" I said. "Introduce me."
"Sure, I guess…" Kazuma muttered, whining internally. Ethan's probably going to bang my thief teacher… who'll have time to teach me skills now?
As we headed to the guild hall where Kazuma planned to introduce me to this "Chris"—aka Eris, the Goddess—I devised a plan to out her without exposing my foreknowledge. While Aqua was sipping wine, I slipped her a capsule of NZT. As I explained what I'd given her, I saw the telltale signs that the NZT was kicking in. Aqua's pupils briefly dilated, and her dopey smile transformed into a deep, thoughtful expression. Then, her face shifted to one of resigned acceptance.
"Ethan," she said.
"Yes, Aqua?"
"Only now, with the NZT kicking in, do I finally realize… just how dumb I normally am," she admitted, comic tears of defeat sliding down her face.
"It's okay, Aqua," I said, laughing as I gave her a consoling hug. "I can accept both smart Aqua and dumb Aqua. I'll always love you, haha!"
"Let's go. We're meeting this Chris," I chuckled as Kazuma led us into town.
We found her leaning casually against the guild counter, silver hair catching the light, her expression relaxed and friendly. Too relaxed. We moved to a purposefully empty corner of the guild hall for introductions. Kazuma waved. "Chris, this is Ethan."
Chris smiled. "So you're the famous guy I've been hearing about."
The NZT-enhanced Aqua crossed her arms, smirking. "Nice to meet you, Chris—or should I say… Eris?"
Chris froze. "W-What? Don't be ridiculous."
"Don't even try," I said, leaning on the counter. "We know. Aqua put the pieces together."
Aqua puffed out her chest proudly. "That's right! I'm on NZT right now, baby! Brain at full throttle! And I realized you're Eris, the goody-two-shoes goddess. How dumb was I not to notice before?"
Chris's mask cracked. She looked between us, panicked. "NZT? I don't even know what that is… Even if I am, the real question is you, Ethan. I checked the divine lists. You're not supposed to be here. Not reincarnated, not summoned. You're… nowhere."
Aqua tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Ohhh yeah… come to think of it, that is super suspicious. Normally, I'd just ignore it, but wow, I should've caught this ages ago. Guess that's what happens when your brain's a smooth marble most of the time."
"Thanks for the self-own," I muttered.
Not foreseeing Chris questioning my presence here and not wanting to expose my multiverse traveler abilities to the world and gods—at least until I'd finished my goals—I knew I had to improvise. I didn't need them looking more closely at my origins until I was ready. Before Chris could interrogate further, I activated the Snake Talisman. In a shimmer of shadow, the three of us appeared in my apartment—reality itself. Chris stumbled, wide-eyed at the skyscrapers outside.
"Wh-where are we?!" she gasped.
"My world," I said, pouring a drink. "The real one. And unless you play along, I'll leave you here. No powers, no way back."
Eris scoffed. "I'm not sure how we got here, but nice try, Ethan. I'll just transport myself to the Divine Realm before returning to Axel." She focused, light shimmering around her body—only to fizzle out seconds later. "Wha!? Why isn't divine teleport working!?"
Chuckling in a mock-evil tone, I explained the situation. It took about two hours to calm her down and make her understand, but once she got the picture, I laid out the deal: go along with my terms or stay in reality and work a 9-to-5. I deliberately omitted my ability to stop time, as she didn't need to know that, to her, only seconds would pass while I concluded my Konosuba business.
She paled. "You wouldn't."
"Oh, I would." I produced a magical contract—an unbreakable scroll I'd lifted from another fictional world. "Sign this. You keep my secret. In return, I'll slay the Demon King, bring prosperity, and drag back technology that will end poverty. Refuse… and you can figure out how to survive an office job."
Chris's hands shook. "That's blackmail."
"It's business."
Aqua, in genius mode, sipped from her cup like an intellectual. "He's right. Morally gray, ethically dubious, but undeniably efficient."
Chris finally grabbed the pen and signed, glaring at me the whole time. "Fine. But I'm only agreeing because it's for my people."
"Good girl," I said with a grin. Her blush was instant.
"D-don't say it like that!" she stammered.
Aqua clapped, grinning. "Oh, she's totally falling for you. Even I can see it. And I'm usually too dumb to catch hints like that."
With the contract sealed, I leaned closer to Chris, a smirk tugging at my lips. "You know, you're surprisingly cute when you're flustered. Goddess or not."
She turned her face away. "Y-you're insufferable."
"Maybe. But you're smiling."
Her hands flew to her cheeks as if to hide it. Aqua rolled her eyes. "Ugh, here we go again. Another one for the harem waiting list."
I chuckled, enjoying every second. "Relax, Chris. For now, focus on the Demon King. After that… we'll see where things go."
Chris muttered something about regretting everything, but her ears were still red.
Back in Konosuba
As we returned, I had "Chris" register with the party and gave her a room near mine. With feigned anger, she shut herself in, sulking.
Throughout the week, I flirted with the girls, went on quests, and helped everyone reach the level cap. Finally, it was time for the agreed-upon meeting with Wolbach. Borrowing Chomusuke from Megumin, I carried the purring cat in my arms as I made my way to the lake house on the backside of the property. A hooded figure nervously approached. As she pulled down her hood, a beautiful face with red hair and pointed ears greeted me. She stared in shock at Chomusuke.
"You made it to our secret tryst…" I teased.
Blushing, she glanced at Chomusuke and snapped, "It's not a tryst! Now let's see if you're just talk or if you can actually do what you promised," she shouted nervously.
"Follow me," I said, leading her to the area I had prepared.
The night was still, the lake reflecting silver light as I stood with Wolbach in a clearing. Chomusuke sat curled on a stone nearby, purring as if unaware she was part of something much larger.
"This is madness," Wolbach whispered, her crimson eyes flickering with doubt. "No mortal should meddle with this."
"Good thing I'm not just a mortal," I replied, laying out the talismans in a ring: Tiger for balance, Dog for restoration, Rabbit for energy, and Dragon for fusion. At the center, instead of a scroll or artifact, I placed the crimson glow of a Philosopher's Stone, pulsing with the accumulated energy of countless souls.
Wolbach stiffened. "That's—impossible. Those stones don't exist in this world…"
"They do if you're me," I said with a grin.
As the ritual began, Chomusuke's tiny body shimmered, her essence pulled taut like a thread. Wolbach gasped as half her soul strained toward her, tearing across the gap. For a moment, it seemed inevitable that either Wolbach would consume Chomusuke, or Chomusuke would shatter like glass. That's when I pressed my hand against the Philosopher's Stone. Red light surged into the ritual, stabilizing both sides. Energy flooded the cocoon of merging souls, enough to support Wolbach's full divine presence while preserving Chomusuke as her own being.
"Don't fight it," I told her. "Accept it. Become whole."
The air screamed with pressure—then burst. When the light faded, Wolbach stood renewed: her red hair a darker shade, eyes radiant with dark divinity, her aura spilling into the night like shadowfire. Her voice trembled as she spoke: "I… I'm whole. After all this time… I've returned to my true self."
She looked at Chomusuke, still a little cat, still alive. Her lips trembled into a smile. "And she still lives. You… actually saved us both."
I smirked. "Told you I could. Welcome back, Goddess of Violence and Sloth. Hmm, violence and sloth—does that mean you're a lazy girl quick to anger?" I teased.
Red-faced with embarrassment but grateful nonetheless, and having already signed my contract, she slowly fell to one knee, her loyalty sealed. "My power is yours, Ethan Cross. My life, my loyalty, my wrath. Command me, and I will obey."
Walking to her and lifting her face with my hand, I looked into her eyes dangerously and whispered, "You can count on it…"
The Strategic Council
Later that night, we retired to a secluded chamber I'd set up for war councils. A map of the Demon King's lands stretched across the table, markers placed for each general still at large.
"Hans," I said, tapping the swamp. "The slime. Dangerous, but arrogant. Easy to bait into overextending."
"White Coat," Wolbach added, pointing to the snowy mountains. "His name isn't even known among mortals, but his sorcery is… inconvenient. He will not surrender easily."
"Which is why we won't give him the option," I said. I outlined the plan: Hans would be isolated with help from Sylvia, who still held sway over some of his underlings. A false alliance would lure him into overconfidence. Then Wiz and Wolbach together would annihilate his core with overwhelming magical output, while my talismans ensured containment. White Coat would be harder. We'd rally the Crimson Demons, exploiting their love of theatrical, overwhelming firepower. With Wolbach's shadows and Megumin's explosions, we'd bury him under enough magical artillery to make retreat impossible.
Wolbach smirked. "Efficient. Cruel. I like it."
"And after?" she asked.
I tapped the Demon King's castle. "Then comes the blitzkrieg. All generals loyal to me, all allies, strike at once using the teleport markers I had everyone secretly place. The Demon King's daughter will be our first target—captured alive. With her as a hostage, the political landscape collapses in our favor. No rebellion, no unrest."
Aqua—still temporarily sharp thanks to NZT, though the effects were nearly worn off—nodded sagely, still trying to appear smart. "Yes, yes, political leverage. Capture the pawn to control the board. Very shrewd."
Everyone snickered at her attempt as her face grew red from embarrassment.
"Yes… anyway, once she's secured," I continued, hiding my own smirk, "we erect a new barrier around the castle. One keyed to my party, my allies, and no one else. That way, when I face the Demon King himself, it's uninterrupted. No reinforcements, no interference."
Wolbach leaned back, arms crossed under her ample chest, smirking. "You truly mean to usurp him, don't you?"
"I don't just mean to," I said. "I will."
For a moment, silence hung heavy in the chamber, broken only by the purr of Chomusuke on the map table. Then Wolbach chuckled. "Very well, Ethan-sama. Let us bring the Demon King to his knees."
As I stood on the balcony that night, watching the stars over Axel, Wolbach appeared beside me, now wrapped in a cloak of shadow and silk. "You're dangerous, Ethan," she said softly. "More dangerous than the Demon King himself."
"Good," I replied. "Because when I'm done, there won't be room for him anymore."
Her smile was sharp and dark as she sidled closer to me. "Then let us make history together."
And with the Demon King's downfall closer than ever, my empire-building path was set in stone.
The dominos were all falling into place the time to make my final moves here almost ready.