After the Night Ends
Morning came quietly to Axel, as if the town itself was tired. The streets were still damaged from Beldia's assault. Broken stone lay stacked near the road, scorch marks stained the outer walls, and several shops remained closed while carpenters worked in silence.
Adventurers passed by with lowered voices, no longer bragging about quests or rewards. The victory had been real, but it hadn't been clean. Ruko sat on the edge of the inn's bed, staring at his hands. They were steady now. Too steady.
His body still ached in places Aqua's healing magic couldn't reach properly. Not pain exactly—more like a reminder. Every time he breathed too deeply or shifted his weight, it came back, dull and stubborn. Proof that he had pushed himself past what he should have.
A knock came at the door. "You awake?" Kazuma's voice followed, casual but quieter than usual. "Yeah," Ruko answered. "Come in."
Kazuma entered with two wooden mugs, setting one down before sitting on the chair backward, arms resting on the backrest. He didn't joke. That alone told Ruko this wasn't a normal conversation.
They sat in silence for a few seconds, a little steam rising from the mugs. "…You scared me," Kazuma said finally. Ruko blinked and looked up. "What?" Kazuma scratched the back of his head, eyes avoiding Ruko's. "Last morning. When you stepped forward alone. When you told Beldia to focus on you." His voice tightened. "That wasn't bravery. That was reckless."
Ruko didn't respond right away. Kazuma continued. "I've seen people do that back on Earth. Guys who think they have to carry everything themselves. Heroes, martyrs, idiots—pick one." He let out a breath. "They don't last."
Ruko wrapped his hands around the mug. "I didn't plan to die." "Doesn't matter," Kazuma said sharply, then softened. "Intent doesn't stop consequences." That hit harder than any blow from Beldia.
Ruko stared at the steam rising from the mug. "I don't really know what I'm doing here," he admitted. "Not just in Axel. In this world. Everyone else feels like they fit. Even you complain, but you belong."
Kazuma snorted quietly. "That's the nicest insult I've gotten today." "I'm serious," Ruko said. "I fight because something tells me I have to. Because if I don't, things go wrong. People get hurt." His fingers tightened. "But every time I step forward, it costs something. And I don't know when that cost is going to be too high."
Kazuma studied him carefully now. "You know what scares me?" he asked. "You don't talk like someone chasing glory. You talk like someone afraid to stop." Ruko looked up at him.
Kazuma leaned back, gaze drifting to the window. "Back home, I kept moving because if I stopped, I had to think. About failure. About wasted time. About everything I didn't fix." He laughed weakly. "This world gave me another chance. A stupid and dangerous one at that. But still a chance."
He looked back at Ruko. "You don't need to prove anything. Not to Axel. Not to me. And definitely not to whatever voice in your head keeps telling you to run toward danger." Ruko swallowed. "…I didn't know I was worrying you."
Kazuma stood up and grabbed his mug. "Yeah, well. Don't make it a habit. And remember ..be yourself." The moment didn't last long. It never did. Later that day, the guild was crowded again.
Adventurers gathered near the counter, arguing loudly over rewards and rumors. Talk of Demon Generals spread fast, exaggerated and twisted by every retelling. Ruko stood slightly behind Kazuma's group, listening.
"Did you hear?" one adventurer said. "Apparently the Demon General's head rolled clean off!" "That's not how it works," another replied. "He's undead!"
Ruko tuned them out when the guild receptionist called Kazuma forward.
"Due to your party's contribution in defeating the Demon General," she announced, "a special reward has been approved." Kazuma's eyes sparkled.
Gold was handed over. A lot of it.
Ruko noticed something immediately. None of it was directed toward him.
The receptionist continued, "Additionally, funds have been allocated for damages caused during the incident, medical treatment, and… administrative adjustments."
Kazuma glanced sideways at Ruko.
Later, outside the guild, Kazuma explained it plainly. "Part of the reward went into covering your registration issues. Citizenship and Paperwork. The stuff that makes Axel stop asking questions."
Ruko exhaled slowly. "So I don't exist illegally anymore." "Congrats," Kazuma said dryly. "You're officially broke and legitimate like me, Hmph." Gives a thumbs-up. Ruko laughed once, quietly. He didn't mind. Not really. If anything, it felt grounding.
That night, as the town slowly returned to routine, Ruko stood alone on a balcony overlooking Axel. Lanterns glowed below. Voices drifted upward. Life continued. For the first time since arriving in this world, he didn't feel like he was being pushed forward.
He felt like he was standing still—and choosing where to go next. Whatever Sealer had brought him to Konosuba's world, whatever waited ahead—Demon Generals, relics, systems he barely understood—he knew one thing now.
He couldn't do it alone. And for once, that didn't feel like weakness.