As far as Jhin was concerned, since both magicians in the Gourmet Edifice loved smacking people around with their magical staffs, they might as well just change classes into one of those Crusader-types who plant a cross in the ground and pound people with blue light blazing from both hands — say what you will, but those guys at least have proper, vicious real-person PK chops.
After Megumin had chased Jhin for several thousand meters, this stubborn chuuni girl — whose body had been running entirely on rage as its fuel — finally couldn't hold out any longer. Her legs gave way and her whole self pitched forward toward the ground. Just as she had accepted the fact that she was about to kiss Mother Earth, a hand caught her around the waist and lifted her up horizontally.
"You actually dared come back?"
"What, am I supposed to just stand there and watch you eat dirt?"
"Hmph! I, Megumin, even if I fall to the ground — even if I get smashed down from this height — I don't need your help to save me!"
"Really? Then I'll let go."
Once she felt her body genuinely starting to drop, Megumin quickly changed her tune: "I was wrong! I'm sorry, falling really does hurt — please, have mercy and don't drop me!"
"With a mouth that stubborn, sooner or later you're going to land yourself in trouble." Jhin secured her firmly under his arm and, while he was at it, snatched up the witch's hat about to fall from her head and plopped it onto his own. "Chasing me this far — you've got a real treat waiting for you tomorrow."
"Quit lying! I just ran out of strength for a moment, that's all. Once I've recovered, I will absolutely make you understand the might of a great mage!"
"Then I'll look forward to the expression on your face tomorrow."
A frail-bodied magician like Megumin — the muscle soreness that came after such intense exercise was probably going to be the death of her. There was every likelihood that when she woke up tomorrow he'd be treated to the sound of her bawling for mommy and daddy.
And if, on top of that, tomorrow I were to throw in a classic Thai-style massage for her — wouldn't that be the killing blow?
Jhin's clearly-up-to-no-good gaze swept across Megumin. She shivered, like a sharp-eared rabbit, and abruptly snapped her head around, glaring at him with those red eyes of hers: "You were just thinking about something unwholesome, weren't you? I'm warning you — we're outside right now, and I have no intention of letting you touch my feet!"
Do I really look that sexually frustrated to you? And besides — does that mean you would let me, if we weren't outside?
This profoundly suggestive line from Megumin set his imagination running wild.
"Jhin! You two, slow down a bit—!" Pecorine and the other two finally caught up at this point. "Really now, this isn't a main highway. If we ran into some kind of monster along the way, wouldn't that be dangerous?"
"Sorry to make you worry. I've successfully apprehended the chief culprit, so let's take it slow on the road from here."
"Who's the chief culprit, you bastard?!" Megumin could do nothing else right now, so she could only fire off curses with her mouth: "Watch yourself — tonight I might sneak a few rats into your bedding!"
"You sure you want to threaten me with that?"
Once again, that pucker-inducing creepy look swept over her. Megumin hurriedly called out to the others for help: "Someone come over and prop me up for a stretch, please! If I stay in his hands any longer I'm afraid I won't be seeing tomorrow's sun!"
Not waiting for any of them to give an answer, Jhin kept walking forward, his captive still tucked under his arm: "You can scream until your throat gives out, it won't do you any good. They aren't going to help you. Best to get a grip on reality sooner rather than later."
The night gradually deepened, and Jhin and the others picked a spot by a lake to settle down, planning to rest here through to the next day.
They tossed down a Capsule House, and the group filed one after another into the villa. Megumin had originally felt that using something like this out in the wild violated the very spirit of an outdoor adventure — but after experiencing sitting watch on the cold, hard ground all night, she shamelessly opted for the soft bedding.
On every front other than Explosion magic, she always caved with remarkable speed — you could say she possessed no stubborn convictions whatsoever.
At the entranceway, the long umbrella stand had been repurposed to hold their weapons. Jhin, taking advantage of the fact that Pecorine had gone off to the kitchen to make dinner, brought up that curious notch on her weapon with the rest of them: "That bite-mark-shaped notch on Pecorine's greatsword — have you guys noticed it?"
"Isn't that just a bite mark?" Megumin felt he was talking utter nonsense. If it wasn't a bite mark, what else could it possibly be? Surely the weapon smith hadn't designed it that way from the very start, right?
"What kind of creature could possibly leave a bite mark on that indestructible greatsword?"
"A great dragon or something?"
"There's no way that's it, by any reckoning. Could an ordinary person meet a great dragon and live to tell about it?"
The girls fell into a heated debate, but Jhin suddenly tossed out a line that made them stop arguing on the spot: "I'm just saying — is there a possibility that Pecorine got hungry and bit it out herself?"
"Huh?" x3
They were thunderstruck by this deduction. They started to rebut him — but recalling how, the majority of the time, Pecorine was crying out that she was starving, they suddenly felt that this might genuinely be a possibility, whereupon a certain scene immediately took shape in their minds.
Midway through an adventure, her stomach growling, Pecorine sets down her weapon, gathers a bit of firewood from the surroundings and gets a bonfire going. She rummages through her flat-empty pack — all the food inside had long since been polished off by her — and within the short reach of her location, there is no suitable food to be found.
"I'm sooo hungry~~"
After loudly griping to the heavens, Pecorine turns her famished eyes toward her own weapon. Lit by the flames, the blue blade gives off a tempting, dessert-like sheen. With a "gulp" she swallows her saliva, then stretches out a sinful hand toward the greatsword, draws it from its scabbard, and lays it over the bonfire to grill.
When it's just about cooked through, she lifts the greatsword and chomps down. The sound of metal striking metal rings out, mingling with the sparks that fly up where blade meets teeth. Those rock-hard, pearly little teeth — teeth that seem capable of gnawing through anything in this world — leave a neatly even, smoothly arced bite mark in the greatsword without the slightest effort.
"Mm~ I never expected grilled greatsword to be this tasty!" Pecorine, the picture of satisfaction, cups her cheeks in her hands, the teeth-grating crunch of crushed shards emerging from her mouth.
"Dinner's ready~!"
The lively voice yanked everyone in unison back to reality. Watching Pecorine come out of the kitchen carrying the dishes, their hearts were, for that moment, filled with awe of her. Even Megumin — who without fail fought Jhin for a seat before every single meal — this time made no fuss whatsoever and simply picked a random spot to sit down.
"Oh~ It's rare for everyone to be this quiet. You must all be hungry — let's dig in then!"
After Pecorine had only had a few bites, she noticed everyone watching her eat, and her pretty cheeks went faintly pink: "What are you all staring at me for? Could today's food not suit everyone's taste?"
"Nothing of the sort. We just enjoy watching you eat — please, carry on." Jhin broke the silent, uncanny atmosphere and led off into the meal.
Even so, the others still couldn't help but unconsciously cast their gazes toward Pecorine's white, perfectly aligned teeth. After dinner, unable to keep her curiosity at bay any longer, Megumin asked her what that notch in the blade was actually all about.
"That notch was designed so the sword could be carried conveniently even without a scabbard. Hm? Why are you all looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?"
Everyone shook their heads in unison, then stared off into the distance.
So it really had been designed that way from the very beginning. That weapon smith — they had a pretty sharp eye for sizing up the customer.
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