Journey to Godhood Begins in Frieren

"I'm a General in the Demon King's Army. Not long ago I moved into the castle nearby …"

As he spoke, the head that the Headless Horseman carried under his arm began to quiver.

"Every day—every single day! Some lunatic keeps barging into my castle and casting Explosion Magic! Which idiot is it—who in the world is doing this?!"

The Headless Horseman was clearly at his limit. His shout sounded stifled, as though he were about to explode; the once‑hoarse voice rang out sharp and clear.

"What on earth is he talking about?"

"I don't get it …"

"So that's a General of the Demon King's Army?"

"Terrifying …"

"He really turned up in the Beginners Town!"

"We're doomed, we're doomed!"

"Wait, did he just say 'Explosion Magic'?"

"Huh?"

Everyone buzzed in confusion. Dragged here out of nowhere and told to face a Demon King's Army General, no one had any idea what was going on—except that one word was perfectly clear: Explosion Magic.

Instinctively, all eyes drifted to Megumin, who was standing beside Shichen. Although he always took her out on quests and let her fire her once‑a‑day spell where no one else could see, an explosion that big was impossible to keep secret.

Besides, whenever they turned quests in at the guild, she would strike a pose and announce that she was an Arch‑Wizard who wielded Explosion Magic. Plenty of adventurers had been present; by now the entire town knew who the Explosion Mage was.

"Eh?"

The sudden attention pricked like needles.

Megumin froze, then looked at Shichen.

Everyone else, for no obvious reason, looked at him too.

Why are you staring at me? he thought. That Headless Horseman is talking about Explosion Magic—obviously that means you, right?

"W‑wait, you're the one who takes me out—mmph!"

Before Megumin could finish, Shichen clamped a hand over her mouth, pulled her in front of him, and—while cradling her—gave the crowd an apologetic smile. Then he faced the Headless Horseman.

"That's right. We did it. What of it?"

"Oh, so it was you?" The Headless Horseman's tone settled into an eerie calm. The surrounding adventurers parted, opening a path. Shichen picked Megumin up and stepped out into the square opposite the Knight. Aqua and the others followed close behind.

Surprisingly, Satou Kazuma came too, even though he looked scared stiff. Shichen nodded to him, gratified.

"Don't look down on me, Big Bro!" Kazuma boasted, wiping his nose.

" …All right, I underestimated you."

"Shichen, are we really going to fight that Headless Horseman? He looks terrifying …" Megumin clung to Shichen's neck and whispered.

"What's to fear? A Headless Horseman is just undead. Did you forget we have Aqua?" Shichen patted her pert little backside in reminder.

"Ah!" Megumin's face reddened, but she twisted away shyly. "We're outside!"

"Then shall we go back?"

"That won't help—actually, there's no time that's okay!" she squeaked.

"Sigh, still so bashful."

"Who's bashful …!"

"I say, you two …" the Headless Horseman suddenly cut in. "Are you pretending I'm not here? I can hear you, you know! Could you at least act nervous? I'm a General of the Demon King's Army—a Headless Horseman! Yet you've got time to flirt? And that little girl—isn't she a loli? You, fellow—are you a lolicon?"

The Knight sounded exasperated and contemptuous—obviously at Shichen.

"Who are you calling a loli!"

"And who are you calling a lolicon?!"

Megumin and Shichen yelled back in unison.

"Isn't it true? What do you people think?" the Knight asked the adventurers at the gate.

They looked at one another but gave no answer—perhaps too scared, perhaps simply unsure how to respond.

"Why did you come here in the first place?" Shichen snapped.

"Ah, I nearly forgot the main point." The Headless Horseman turned his helmet toward Megumin and the aura around him surged. "Was it you—the blockhead who comes to my castle every day and blasts me with Explosion Magic? Why do you do it? Are you insane? If you know I'm a General and want a fight, come attack my castle openly! What's with the sneak attacks? If you don't want to fight, just stay holed up in town—no one's going to bother you!"

"Er …"

He rattled on so fast Megumin couldn't squeeze in a response—yet he still wasn't finished.

"Tell me: Why use such underhanded tactics? Too weak? Too cowardly? I know the adventurers here are low level. I figured I could ignore a backwater full of trash, but you—your broken brain shows up every day to fire your Explosion. Bragging, are you? Showing off that a mere human can cast Explosion? Clearly there's something wrong with your head!"

"There is not something wrong with my head!" Megumin thrust out her chin from the circle of Shichen's arms. "I am Megumin, an Arch‑Wizard and master of Explosion Magic!"

"Megumin? What kind of ridiculous name is that—are you lying to me?"

"I'm not! I'm a proud member of the Crimson Demon Clan!"

"Crimson Demon Clan? Ah, that explains it. No wonder you're defective."

"You're the defective one—your head doesn't even stay on your shoulders!"

"I am a Headless Horseman; that's perfectly normal," the Knight retorted smugly. "Anyway, I'll overlook you this once. I'm here on real business, not to waste time on a bit‑part like you. I plan to keep using that castle for a while, so quit showing off your Explosion Magic there, will you?"

"What? No way! Not casting Explosion is the same as telling me to drop dead! A Crimson Demon must discharge Explosion Magic once a day or we die!"

"Hey! How come I've never heard of that? Stop making things up!"

"It's the truth!"

"Like anyone believes that!"

"Truth is truth!"

"Do you think I'm stupid? I don't even have a head and I'm still smarter than you!"

"Humph!"

"Oi—are you mocking me? Think I won't make you suffer?"

"Bring it on—I'm not scared!"

"Blasted little loli!"

"I am not a loli!"

"loli!"

"Am not!"

"li!"

"Not!"

Their bickering blew the tension clean away.

"Big Bro, I suddenly want to watch how this turns out," Kazuma whispered.

"Relax. Haven't you gotten used to this world yet?"

"Maybe I still need some time."

"Keep at it."

Ahem. Ahem.

"I've had enough! You little loli—do you really want to die?" The Headless Horseman shrieked, losing control. "You insist on troubling me? I may have fallen to darkness, but I was once a knight. I don't enjoy cutting down the weak, yet if you keep pestering me, I'll have to teach you a lesson!"

Megumin fired back without flinching: "We're the ones being troubled! Because you're squatting in that castle, we've lost all our work! We were about to buy a house, and now you've ruined everything …"

"Heh. Like I care. Time you had a taste of pain."

The Headless Horseman chuckled coldly, then thrust out his left hand, pointing his index finger at Megumin.

"I pronounce your death. One week from now, you will die!"

A ball of ghost‑purple energy shot toward Megumin—but Darkness jumped between them.

"M‑Megumin, watch ou—eh?!"

Before Darkness could spread her arms to shield her, Shichen yanked her ponytail and pulled her back.

"No need for you to take this one."

Smiling faintly, Shichen released her and reached out. The cursed energy touched his palm—and, like a candle flame in the wind, sputtered and vanished with a weak pop.

"W‑what? What just happened?" The Headless Horseman was aghast. "Who…who are you? Why doesn't my curse work?"

"Who am I? The real person who's been interfering with you, of course."

" …?"

~~~

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