The Crimson Demon Clan members around him watched Jhin with awestruck eyes — this was the first time they'd seen someone talk a Demon King's Army officer into mental breakdown and self-doubt, purely through conversation.
This kind of rhetoric might not have done much against an ordinary person, but for the Synthetic Beast Sylvia, it was as if it had been custom-crafted to target her specifically.
Just as she seemed about to destroy herself in the war of countless warring consciousnesses, the hatred she still harbored — for having once been beaten to the brink of death and forced to absorb an Orc — united those fractured minds at the critical moment.
Sylvia picked the eyeball up off the ground and shoved it back into her gaping black socket, letting out a deranged roar at Jhin: "As long as I can kill you, I don't care who I really am!"
"Well, guess my talk-fu still isn't quite up to snuff," he said, shrugging in disappointment. The hand he'd kept behind his back slid sideways and sank into a Spatial Displacement.
His movement was so fast it seemed to stop time itself. Before anyone realized it, a spectral dagger — the kind that sent a chill down Sylvia's spine — had already been driven into her waist. Under the astonished gazes of the watching Crimson Demon Clan members, her figure gradually dissolved into nothingness.
"Jhin... what in the world was that terrifying thing you were just holding?" Hyoizaburoo swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he questioned his son-in-law. "Just one glance at it and I broke out in a cold sweat."
"Don't worry, Father-in-law — I'd only ever use that kind of power on an enemy."
"Ah... right, that's... that's good then."
My son-in-law's strength is far more terrifying than I imagined. Maybe I'd better not hand him this funding request list just yet. Quietly tucking the list — meant to fund his own magical research cravings — back into his pocket, Hyoizaburoo decided this could wait, at least until his daughter gave him a granddaughter. Surely then, out of respect for his status as a grandfather, Jhin would be willing to provide him some financial support.
Having reassured his father-in-law, Jhin thanked the rest of the Crimson Demon Clan members and left the shrine via Spatial Displacement.
The moment he got home, he happily scooped Komekko up and spun her around, making his little sister-in-law giggle uncontrollably.
Seeing him so cheerful, Kokkoro asked curiously, "Master, did something good happen?"
"Yeah, I took care of Sylvia. No more need to worry about her ambushing you all or sabotaging the factories."
"You're already strong enough to silently take out a Demon King's Army officer all by yourself?" Kyaru pranced around him with cat-like steps. "It's definitely because of that broken cheat magic, Spatial Displacement."
Jhin bent down and set Komekko back on her feet, sending her off to have some snacks, before finally reaching his devious hand toward that pair of fluffy beast ears. Unfortunately, the owner of those cat ears had no intention of letting him touch them so easily, so he ended up chasing her instead.
The two of them circled the living room several times, until the chase ended when Megumin, annoyed by the racket, stuck out a foot and tripped Kyaru.
Being able to instantly kill Sylvia wasn't just thanks to Spatial Displacement — the time-stopping power of his substitute, The World, deserved just as much credit. Without it, he couldn't have guaranteed landing that small dagger, formed from condensed Inverse Life Force, directly into her.
With the sudden attack by the Demon King's Army officer resolved, the Gourmet Edifice departed the Crimson Demon Village under Yuiyui's reluctant, longing gaze.
Hyoizaburoo gently patted his sobbing wife's shoulder, comforting her softly. "Dear, it's not like Megumin's never coming back. No need to be this upset."
"I'm not crying over that silly daughter of mine! Do you have any idea how well we've been eating this whole time Jhin's been here!?" The thought that today marked the end of feasting at every meal only made Yuiyui cry even harder.
Walking along the road, Pecorine murmured, "Megumin, we can hear your mom crying all the way out here."
Megumin's eyes reddened slightly. Never before had she felt her mother's longing for her so keenly. Fighting the urge to turn around and look back, she pulled her hat brim down low and kept walking forward. "It's not like I'm never coming back. Why's she crying so loud..."
Kokkoro and Kyaru, both blessed with sharp hearing, wore strange expressions — the look of people who wanted to laugh but didn't dare. They decided it was best not to tell Megumin the truth, or else her touched feelings would curdle straight into fury.
This time, leaving the Crimson Demon Village, Jhin planned to head straight back to Landosol. With the protective charm given to him by the goddess Eris and Spatial Displacement at his disposal, he could fully guarantee the girls' safety — and it was about time he went back to settle accounts with What Heads Toward Death.
Of course, they still kept to their usual leisurely pace, admiring the scenery along the way as they headed toward Landosol. On the way here, after all, they'd been so worried about trouble in the Crimson Demon Village that they'd rushed the whole trip without a moment's thought for sightseeing.
What he hadn't anticipated was that the moment they returned to Landosol, the group drew a flood of stares. From passersby, they learned that during the month it had taken them to leisurely make their way back, the Crimson Demon Clan had already dramatized and widely publicized the story of Jhin slaying a Demon King's Army officer.
In their view, if such a feat went uncelebrated, it would be a tragedy for the entire continent.
What had actually been a simple, instant kill was embellished into a tale of the entire guild battling Sylvia for dozens of days, leveling more than a dozen small mountains, and finally — through the power of something called "love" — banding together to slay the wicked Demon King's Army officer.
It was a cliché of a story, yet one everyone readily embraced. Naturally, word soon came from the king, requesting that the Gourmet Edifice come to the royal palace to receive commendation. In honor of their heroic feat, Landosol would hold a grand royal festival in one week's time, celebrating the death of yet another Demon King's Army officer who'd plagued the continent.
Standing in the bedroom of the guild's little house, Pecorine gazed toward the royal palace through the window, her expression grave. Her small hand gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.
I won't run from this anymore. This time... I'm going to take back everything I've lost!
Compared to the heavy atmosphere in her room, the living room outside was much livelier. Megumin sat hugging a metal bucket half her own height, sucking cola through a straw. In the Crimson Demon Clan's embellished version of the story, this Arch Wizard who could only cast Explosion magic had delivered the fatal blow to Sylvia at the critical moment.
The more widely the story spread, the more people would come to know of her heroic figure — it was enough to send her giddy with delight.
"Hic~" Megumin let out a hiccup, looking half-drunk as she giggled foolishly and draped her leg over Jhin. "Do you think my title, the Jet-Black Explosion Mage, is going to be sung about all across the continent?"
"Only you could enjoy such a fake honor with such a clear conscience."
"What's wrong with that... He's my boyfriend, and he doesn't mind, so why shouldn't I accept the honor?"
"I'd have preferred to stay under the radar, honestly — getting famous just means you're already exposed to the enemy." Jhin hadn't expected the Crimson Demon Clan to push him into the spotlight like this, but with more cards up his sleeve than before, he wasn't too worried about it. "We've got to go collect our reward at the palace tomorrow, so let's turn in early. Wouldn't want you making a fool of yourself."
"Don't worry!" Megumin thumped her chest with a resounding smack. "I've got the whole story memorized backward and forward. Nothing's going wrong."
____
🔥 HELP UNLOCK THE NEXT BONUS CHAPTER!
* Comment & Win: For every 5 REVIEWS on this chapter, 1 bonus chapter is released!
* Power Stones: Hit 100 POWER STONES? Bonus chapter unlocked!
* Early Access: Can't wait? Support on P@treon: Walnut-chan to read up to 40 chapters ahead and unlock a library of 60+ stories!
🔥 New history: DanMachi: Inheriting the Legacy of Alternate Versions — posted on The_Mikudayo