Depth of Depravity

Since it's a bit far, we bought, yes, bought our own personal horse and carriage. Though, none of us knows how to ride a horse so we hired a driver. An old guy with plenty of experience leading a caravan, doesn't talk much but pretty nice.

The carriage went through the everlasting glades outside the city. It's been half an hour journey and we've walked past Verdia's old castle. Megumin wanted to try blowing up that place, but I told her that I might need her spell later today.

Right now, I sat beside Megumin on one side of the carriage. Right between our lap is a piece of paper with a sketch of the Cursed Sword Gram. Since Megumin apparently learned this at school, I can actually discuss this with her.

"Upper strength power enchantment?" I asked while looking at an array of circles above the handle. It is basically the first magic pattern unlocked after the encryption. "Well, this sword is massive so I guess that's logical…"

"Why not make it lighter?" Megumin asked.

"If you make it lighter, the sword will be less powerful. I mean, which one hurts more? Getting smacked by a five ton slab of steel or a five kilograms slab of wood?"

Megumin nodded in response. "But my clan used to make an enhancement that… you know, the weapon is still heavy but just lighter in the user's grip." she said. "I mean like, super heavy, the ground shouldn't be able to support it but it could."

Eh? Isn't that the freaking Mj*lnir? Just how advanced is her clan anyway!?

"I'd like that, can you make it?"

"I don't waste my skill points on worthless things such as craft - Ouch! What was that for!" the girl rubbed the back of her head. "If you have problems with my choices in life, then say it to my face! Come on! Let's take this outside!"

God fucking dammit…

I took a deep breath before sighing a little. The amount of potential wasted on her chuunibyou is just baffling. "Let's just continue, what do you think this is," I pointed at an array of circles lining up through the sword's spine.

Megumin furrowed her eyebrows for a bit. "I think this is a bunch of magical battery, like what you bought, but…" she took a closer look at it. "These aren't manatite, these are…" her eyes widened in realization. "Coronite!"

"Coronite?"

"The most powerful magic stone ever made. It even rumored to power the mobile fortress, the Destroyer!" she exclaimed. "No wonder he acts so high and mighty all the time, his sword has literally infinite power!"

Ah… I get it… So Kyoya doesn't need to power up his sword. Instead, the sword is powering him up. Now I'm starting to want a weapon like that, maybe not a sword, but still… Some power enchanting weapon sounds extremely useful!

"Okay, continue, what about this part?" I pointed at the edges of the sword that forms a saw-like looping pattern.

"Sharpness enhancement," Megumin said simply. "The more magic pushed through it, the sharper it becomes. It makes some sort of a magical circuit along the sword like… you know, it revolves?"

"Like a chainsaw?"

"What's chainsaw?"

Yeah it's definitely a chainsaw. So not only is the cursed sword gram is sharp, it also shreds through enemies like a war saw. Forget the Mj*lnir! I want a magic chainsaw!

"Yeah, I want that," I looked at my cheap new sword I just bought before the journey. Logically, with the amount of money I have, I should be able to get myself a badass new sword. But decided that I want to learn as much as I can from the Cursed Sword Gram before making or getting my own sword.

After hours of discussion, the carriage suddenly stopped.

I looked outside the window and found ourselves at the edge of a very dark forest. "We're here, Kazuma sama," the driver said.

"Yosh!" Darkness was the first to leave the carriage. "Come on Kazuma! I can't wait anymore!" she said in excitement.

"Right, right, come on Aqua, Megumin," I stepped out of the carriage and looked at the dark forest in front of us. "Oji san, you can park the carriage somewhere safer now! There's a tent and some rations at the back if we didn't come back until night!"

"Thank you Kazuma sama! I'll be sure to wait for your return,"

With that, Fantastic Dreamer marched into the brave unknown.

---

The formation is simple. Darkness, the toughest one of us lead the way at front. Behind her is Aqua and Megumin, holding each others hand. Behind them is me, guarding the rear and lighting up the way with fire.

"Kazuma! Stop making weird face with the fire!" Megumin exclaimed when I made one of the blue fire surrounding us into a fiery skull.

"Don't be afraid Megumin," Aqua said confidently. "If there's any undead and spirits dare to get in our way, I will send them back to heaven with God Blow," she punched the air in front of her.

"Kazuma, I don't know the way!" Darkness o.

"You're doing great Darkness!"

No, I'm not scared of leading up at front only to turn around and find that everyone else is missing. I'm not scared of that at all.

Soon enough, the dense wood turns sparse. A voice could be heard from a distance away and we found ourselves standing in the middle of a large clearing.

In the middle of the clearing is a large plant the size of giant frog. It has numerous vines forming a shield around it. At the centre is a large flower thing with a bunch of tentacles at the top of it. And at the top of it…

"Who dares to venture deep into my forest!!!"

A beautiful red haired woman, submerged into the flower from waist down. She has light green skin and a pair of bright green eyes. She's basically topless and I could see that she has some amazing assets for a monster. As a healthy teenage boy, there's no bloody way I can stop staring at her.

The woman glared at us and the vines began to move.

"Wait, wait! We don't know if it's your forest!" I stepped forward and waved my hand. "My name is Kazuma, this is Darkness, this is Megumin, and this is Aqua," I bowed politely. "We are Fantastic Dreamer, a group of adventurer from the city of Axel."

The vines stopped moving for a bit and the woman folded her arms in front of her chest. "I am Elena Voliare, the ruler of the Devil's Keep Forest… What business do you have in my forest?"

Okay, how do I diffuse the situation?

"Kazuma's looking for your seed!"

Aqua, one more word and I am going to ditch you here…

Elena's face turned greener and she gasped a little. "M-my seed? Y-you shameless fiend!" she leaned back and started covering herself up with her vines. "Ho-how can you demand something so audacious from the ruler of the forest!? You creep!"

Well then, guess this plant girl counts as beautiful girl.

"Wait, it's not like that! We didn't know you're…" I ducked and jumped back when a sharp vine almost beheaded me. "Please, you misunderstood!"

"Stay away from me you pervert!"

Well, fight it is then. I brandished my sword and a hot plume of fire engulfed it. "Listen, I really don't want to hurt you but," a vine went straight towards me, but I swiftly cut it off with my flaming sword. "But you're being unreasonable!"

"The only thing unreasonable here is your demands, scumbag!"

"Darkness!"

Numerous vines soared after me, but I was much quicker than that. I dodged the vines, created a dusty earth, before using wind breath to kick up a cloud of dust. Then I used hide to disappear from her vision.

I tip toed behind the plant lady. It seems that the vines aren't automatic defense so they're stationary right now. But I am willing to bet that the moment I touch these vines, she will know where I am.

At the other side of the plant, Darkness is engaging in a match. More or less…

"Just what is this thing made off!?" Elena exclaimed.

"Yes, more, more!"

"What do you mean more!? What is wrong with… What is wrong with ALL OF YOU!?" Elena yelled in frustration. "Is all adventurers from Axel perverts!? Is that it? Is it a town full of depraved individual who…"

I don't know what happened there, but judging the sound that Darkness is making, Elena managed to break through Darkness's armor.

"Did you just… Did you just… AAAH Enough! Just get out of here you disgusting pervert! Leave me alone!!!"

The vines that were in my way rushed forward and I jumped straight up. I landed on the largest petal behind Elena and quickly held her neck at sword point.

"Aah! Let me go!"

A bunch of vines caught me from behind, but I quickly grabbed the plant girl in a bear hug. Yes, I'm hugging my first naked girl, during a fight, while trying to kill each other. Her green skin glistened with nectar and her expression is that of genuine fear.

Fuck it, I'm already known as Kazuma the brute and the second coming of Demon King…

"Haha! I am a mighty adventurer who has slain one of the demon king's general!" I yelled. "And I shall slay you down if you don't stop… struggling!" I let my sword burst into flame in front of her face and the struggling stopped.

"Hyaa! I-I'm sorry! P-please don't hurt me!" the girl shied away from my flaming sword. "C-can we talk about this, ne? Ka-Kazuma sama?!"

At this point, tears started streaming down her face. She has both hands clasp together in front of her chest as she begged for her life. The vines stopped trashing and attacking altogether so I assume that we've safely diffuse the situation.

"Alright, let's talk about this," I sat down on the petal beside her. "By the way, I think we went off to a wrong start, why don't we start at the beginning, my name is Satou Kazuma, what's yours?" I held out my hand in front of her.

Elena wiped some tears off her face. "E-Elena," she said before shaking my hand. It's a little bit sticky and I can only assume that it's nectar. I was about to try it out when I realized that it will only creep her out even more.

"Alright Elena, my purpose here is NOT to have your seed," I pointed at Megumin and Aqua standing a distance away from the giant plant. "See that girl with blue hair? That's Aqua, she's very stupid, don't listen to her."

"I heard that!!"

The plant girl nodded a little, though her body still trembles in fear. "Th-then, why are you here, Kazuma?"

"I am a man of wisdom and I've been looking for ways that I harness the power of nature," I explained. "That's why I'm on a journey to find and cultivate the most powerful plant ever."

"I, I see…" Elena gulped a little. "So you're looking for a way to grow your own battle rose?"

"Battle Rose? What's that? Sounds awesome!"

"W-well… It's this giant flower I'm having symbiotic relationship with," she pulled herself out of the flower and I am not averting my gaze. I mean, since she's not wearing anything, I can only assume that she doesn't mind being stared at, right?

And before you ask, yes, apparently she has the human female reproductive organ.

"Wh-where are you staring?" the girl stuttered before finally trying to cover herself up.

"Serves you right for not wearing any clothes," I leaned back on the battle rose petal. "So yeah, the battle rose is awesome, but it's a little bit too big for my needs, do you have any smaller battle flower?"

Elena bit her lip and looked down in deep thought, as if afraid of getting killed if she couldn't answer this question. "There is one but… to get the seed, you have to…" she looked at everyone else standing below her. "You have to give it directly to a fertile seedbed…"

Huh, looks like we're going to have a doujin development.

"Never mind, there's no way you'd…"

"Darkness, you're up!"

"Yes, thank you Kazuma!"

Elena looked between us with wide eyes. "W-wait, hold on, what do you mean she's up? Are you that hungry for power that you'd let your own teammate…" she blushes a little. "Y-you perverted brute!"

I ignored her and jumped back down. "So which way Elena?"

Surprisingly, the girl climbed out of the battle flower and willed some vines to lower herself down to our level. She took her time, taking a closer look at all of us. Mainly Megumin and Aqua.

"Are you, going to join her too?"

Megumin shook her head furiously. "No, we're not like that, no,"

"Y-yeah, just Darkness is fine," Aqua added.

Elena nodded and looked at Darkness. She instinctively took a step back at the look on her face. "Just, what is wrong with you!?"

Darkness simply moaned in response.

"Ne-never mind... Follow me," she said before leading her deeper into the forest.

"Ka-Kazuma sama… Selling my own purity in his quest of power…" Darkness panted heavily as she disappeared into the distance. "Tru-truly, I didn't pick the wrong person…"

With that, I found myself alone with Aqua and Megumin in the middle of a dark forest. "What? You know that this is the type of thing she's into, right?"

Stare…

"If you have thoughts about how I should be treating her, then speak up."

They both averted their gaze and didn't say anything.

"As I thought," I said finality.

After that, I crouched on to the ground and used my limited control over earth to smooth and harden the forest floor below me. The result is a pretty cool patch of stone floor on this forest floor. Then I sat down on to it, followed by Aqua and Megumin.

I dropped myself on the stone floor and used my hand as a pillow. I'm tempted to see if I can ask Aqua for a lap pillow, but I don't think this is the right situation.

"Ne, Kazuma," Megumin said suddenly. "Do you have no plan to cure Darkness from her, you know, condition?"

"I know a lost cause when I see one," I replied simply. "Doesn't mean it's a bad thing, I mean, if she likes to be treated like that, then who am I to judge?"

"Oh…" Megumin looked down a little. "And you don't think I'm a lost cause?"

"Nope, cuz you're still a kid, ouch!" the kid smacked my head with her staff. "What was that for?"

Megumin puffed her cheeks and looked away from me.

With that, I turned to Aqua who seems a little lost in thought. "Something on your mind Aqua?"

The goddess shook her head a little. "Nothing, just what you told me the other day…"

"Which one?"

"When you ask me if I could sing, you're… You're thinking about me being an idol aren't you?" her cheeks reddens a little. "Y-you think I could become an idol?"

"Aqua, you're amazing at performing in public, you're loved by all people here in Axel, and you're a masted of party tricks," I told her. "Yes, of course I think you have a potential."

"Th-thank you…"

Megumin pulled my shirt a little. "Kazuma, what's an idol?"

I grinned in response. "You'd just have to wait and see Megumin, because Aqua is going to be an idol!"

---

After a few hours, Darkness and Elena finally returns. The former doesn't look all different, garbed in her armor with no signs of damage. But one look at her face tells you that something happened back there. The latter on the other hand, looks like she's rather be somewhere else, refusing to meet our gaze as she walked towards us.

"I have retrieved all the seeds…" Elena muttered before taking out a pouch made out of large leaves. "H-here you go…"

I grabbed the pouch and opened it. Inside it is a bunch of round seeds resembling pearls. About a dozen or so. "Thanks for the help Elena."

"It, it's okay…"

"So uhh, are you just going to stay here?"

"Better here lonely than being near perverts like you…" she muttered halfheartedly.

I am definitely going back here the moment I break my curse…

With that, I bid Elena farewell and made our way out of the forest. Since we've came across one of the potentially most dangerous thing in the forest, we didn't walk in any sort of formation.

"So, I know it's a bit late to ask this, but… Do you have any regrets?" I asked our crusader.

Darkness looked at me and tilted her head. She's already calmed down now and went back into that cool and composed crusader. "What are you talking about Kazuma sama? I've served my purpose as your personal tool. Why would I have regrets?"

As I thought, she's a lost cause…

"But Darkness," Megumin said suddenly. "Don't you wish for… you know, your first time to be… Literally anything else?"

Darkness smiled and shook her head. "My first time was everything I've ever hoped for. It lasted for a few hours, but it was heaven while it lasted," she cast a longing look to the sky above. "Ah… Thank you, goddess Eris, for letting experience that…"

Aqua stopped in her tracks and turned to Darkness. "Hold on, you're praying to Eris during… That?"

"Of course! I have to say my gratitude to the goddess who has given everything to me."

"I think you should apologize for traumatizing my junior…" Aqua whispered to herself.