The group marched out of the mansion that reeked of decay.
Kōichi and Kazuma Satou walked at the front, their steps so light they were practically dancing, both wearing the same wicked grin, the kind that could make children on the roadside burst into tears.
"Hey, Kōichi, did you see that? The way Sena-san pulled out those handcuffs was seriously badass." Kazuma lowered his voice, his tone brimming with the satisfaction of revenge finally served. "I'm already picturing Dust's face when they drag him off later. That bastard actually dared to screw us over last time, so today I'm going to teach him that payback can come whenever it damn well wants."
"That's what they call karma, though I guess we're villains too," Kōichi said, casually adjusting his collar as he glanced back at Darkness, who was trailing behind them with a flushed face and ragged breathing. "Still, compared to messing with Dust, I'm more worried Darkness might charge straight into the lizard horde and use herself as bait. Kazuma, make sure you brought rope. We may need to tie her to a tree."
When the group pushed open the heavy doors of the Adventurers Guild, the tavern was right at the peak of its afternoon bustle.
"So I'm telling you! I'm the man destined to defeat the Demon King! A monster like the one yesterday? All I needed was one swing. Shing, just like that, and it was split clean in two!"
In the middle of the tavern, Dust stood on top of a table with a huge mug of cheap ale in his hand, bragging to a few rookies so hard he was practically spraying spit.
His blond hair shone obnoxiously in the sunlight, and the arrogance on his face looked ready to spill over.
"Whoa! As expected of Big Brother Dust!" the rookies cried in admiration.
Just as Dust was about to continue bragging about his dragon-slaying exploits, a voice as cold as a polar wind cut him off.
"Dust-san, you seem quite energetic. Since you have so much free time, I'm sure you won't mind making a small contribution to Axel's municipal development, will you?"
Dust's smile froze on his face.
He stiffly turned his head and saw Sena-san standing there with a murderous look, with Kōichi and Kazuma Satou behind her, both smiling at him with unsettling warmth.
"S-Sena-san? What brings you here?" Dust gulped and instinctively tried to jump down from the table and slip away. "I didn't cause any trouble today! I swear, I really wasn't the one who broke the tavern window that time. It was a stray cat passing by!"
"Enough nonsense." Sena-san moved with terrifying efficiency. With a crisp click, a pair of special demon-sealing handcuffs snapped perfectly around Dust's wrists. "Due to your long-term failure to pay fines, your severely negative credit score, and your suspected involvement in multiple cases of defrauding rookies, under Article 44 of the Axel Public Order Regulations, I am now imposing compulsory community labor on you."
"Huh?! W-wait! Compulsory labor?! I'm a free Adventurer! I have the right to refuse."
"If you refuse, you go straight to prison for three months. The meals there are black bread and cold water." Kōichi stepped forward, patted Dust kindly on the shoulder, and smiled like a devil. "Don't worry, Dust. We prepared a job perfectly suited to a strongest warrior like you. Intercepting a herd of Lizard Runners in heat. We'll put you right on the front line so you can show off that shing swordplay to your heart's content."
"L-lizards in heat?!" Dust's face instantly went deathly pale, and his legs started trembling uncontrollably. "Kōichi! Kazuma! You bastards! This is abuse of authority for personal revenge! This is naked retaliation! Help! Murder!"
"Scream all you want, Dust. Even if you scream yourself hoarse, no one is coming to save you." Kazuma Satou gave him a textbook sadistic grin and raised a thumb toward Sena-san. "Excellent work, Sena-san. Please cuff his feet too, so he doesn't end up running faster than the lizards."
Under the gazes of the other adventurers, sympathetic on the surface but mostly gleeful underneath, a dejected Dust was dragged out of the Adventurers Guild by Sena like a dead dog. Meanwhile, Kōichi's party prepared to head for the interception point outside the city under the terrified stares of passersby.
...
On the narrow path leading to the hills outside the city, Kōichi and Kazuma Satou walked side by side, their heads close together as they used a twig to draw in the dirt. The sinister smiles on their faces made the handcuffed Dust shiver.
"Listen up, everyone! After Kazuma and I carried out meticulous logical deduction and strategic analysis, a perfect plan worthy of being recorded in Axel's history has been born!" Kōichi suddenly stood up, pointed the twig toward the distant hills, and announced with great confidence, "First, we need two indestructible and highly attractive baits. Darkness, your proud defensive power and that... ahem, that expression yearning to be ravaged, make you premium bait tailor-made for these lizards in heat!"
"Oh...! Premium bait...! Being targeted by hundreds, even thousands, of rampaging beasts..." Darkness hugged herself tightly, her breathing already completely uneven, her cheeks so red they looked like they might start bleeding. "Kōichi, you really do understand me! Please put me wherever the impact will be fiercest!"
"And then there's Dust!" Kazuma Satou turned a sadistic look on the dejected blond punk beside him. "As Axel's strongest warrior, of course you'll fight side by side with Darkness. We'll tie you to the stake next to her, making sure you don't ruin our perfect encirclement with a tactical retreat. Don't worry. Your screams will definitely make the best bait for luring out the Lizard Princess!"
"Hey! Why do I have to be tied up?! This is basically an execution! A public execution!" Dust thrashed desperately against his handcuffs and let out a hopeless cry. "Kōichi! Kazuma! You two devils! I curse every bottle of fine wine you ever buy to be plain water!"
"Aqua!" Kōichi completely ignored Dust's pleas and turned to the Goddess crouching by the roadside, playing with ants. "Stop playing! Hurry up and cast every buff spell on me, Kazuma, and Megumin! We need to face this righteous battle in peak condition!"
"Tch, I swear, there's no dealing with you people. For the sake of 300,000 Eris, I'll let you witness the power of a Goddess!" Aqua stood up and elegantly waved the folding fan in her hand. Holy light instantly enveloped the three of them. "Speed Boost! Luck Boost! Strength Boost! There, now you could even challenge the Demon King one-on-one!"
"The final step of the plan!" Kōichi looked toward Megumin, who was already rubbing her hands together, a red glow burning in her pupils. "Kazuma will climb that tallest tree and use his [Snipe] skill to locate and kill the leader of the lizard horde, the Lizard Princess, throwing the herd into chaos. I'll move around the entire battlefield and provide support whenever needed. Finally, once all the lizards gather around the bait... Megumin!"
"Leave it to me!" Megumin raised her staff high, her cloak snapping in the wind. "With the most gorgeous, most earth-shaking Explosion, one that will make Dust and Darkness truly feel the threat of death, I shall reduce everything to ash!"
"Wait, why am I getting blown up too?!" Dust's scream of despair rang across the sky.
Kōichi and Kazuma exchanged another glance, both breaking into the wicked smiles of men whose plan had come together perfectly.