Kazuma Sato 1

The sealed contracts rest beneath the guild seal on the records table. The receptionist places a fresh mission notice beside them, its edges marked with a black, claw-like insignia.

Aqua sweeps the notice up before the ink is fully dry, raising it like a royal decree. The receptionist calmly retrieves a second copy from beneath the counter.

The receptionist records the mission under Aqua's newly registered party. No member stays behind: Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness remain with Kazuma in the interview room, awaiting his response.

Kazuma Sato leaves Guild interview room behind and arrives at eastern supply road.

The eastern supply road cuts through tawny grass beneath a pale afternoon sky. Wagon ruts glisten with recent rain, and a cold wind carries the smell of trampled herbs.

Ahead, a toppled mile marker lies beside the road. Beyond it, three black-clawed insignias are painted across a merchant wagon, while its frightened draft horses stamp nearby.

A young adult goblin scout steps from the tall grass, short and wiry beneath a patched black cloak. One yellow eye is hidden by a leather strap, and a hooked knife hangs at his belt.

Kazuma crosses the narrow stone bridge with Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness close behind. The goblin scout leads them toward a torchlit camp beyond the eastern bank.

At the camp's center stands a middle-aged goblin captain, lean and broad-shouldered beneath a red-trimmed black coat. His gray mane is braided with brass rings, and a curved saber hangs at his side.

Kazuma advances to the captain's fire and faces him directly, making the confrontation unmistakable. The goblin scout retreats several paces, watching him with renewed suspicion.

A gust snuffs two camp torches as the captain's scouts raise their bows. Kazuma's boots scrape loudly on the stones, exposing the party's exact position before the opposing camp.

Blue light coils around Darkness and Megumin, forming a translucent shell that catches the scouts’ first arrows in bright sparks. Darkness advances beneath it.

Kazuma raises his bow, finds the nearest bowman through the wavering firelight, and releases before the goblin can nock another arrow.

The shot strikes the bowman, a young adult male goblin with a narrow face, ochre skin, and a patched brown vest over dark trousers cleanly, dropping him behind the camp’s stacked crates. His weapon clatters across the stones as the remaining scouts recoil.

Kazuma draws the damp air inward with elemental magic. A dense white fog spills across the camp, swallowing the firelight, crates, and his position in seconds.

The remaining goblins loose no shots. Their silhouettes blur behind the fog, while Darkness continues her advance and Aqua's barrier glimmers around her and Megumin.

The captain's saber flashes uselessly through the white veil as he backs toward the stacked crates. His scouts cluster tightly, unable to locate Kazuma or coordinate their defense.

Kazuma’s voice cuts through the fog from an unseen position. The threat rolls across the camp, magnified by the concealed flames and the waiting spellcaster.

Bows thud into the wet grass, followed by knives and short swords. The goblins raise their empty hands as Darkness stops before the crates.