Entwined Paths: Under Megumin's Shadow!

01

Oh my Goddess, what am I doing here?

"Please, I swear on my life, I didn't mean to say that! It was just nerves!" I exclaimed, my heart racing and sweat trickling down my forehead. My eyes flickered between Arue and the old man, a knot tightening in my stomach as time passed without a response.

Arue continued to watch me, her hellfire-colored eyes narrowing as she weighed my words.

A shiver ran down my spine when she spoke, her voice as cold as winter:

"Nerves, huh? Is that what you call it? You're not the first to tell me such a thing." Her voice was sharp, full of disapproval.

The old man, previously seated, now rose from his chair, his face twisted into an expression of disgust. "I know your kind," he growled, approaching the counter, "Seems like a good lad, but a top-notch vagabond. People like you rot in jail."

Arue then shifted her tone, her voice taking on a more dangerous timbre. "Or maybe I should use my advanced magic and solve this problem. It would be a quick matter..."

She pondered, giving me an appraising look that made me shudder.

The air around us seemed to change, to become heavy. I could feel the magical energy filling the room, that same feeling I had with Amatilina earlier was like the air was electrically charged, a soft humming filling my ears.

Genuine panic began to invade my chest. My heart pounded like a wild drum, and my hands were sweaty and trembling. My thoughts were in disarray, racing, but finding no solution to the despair settling within me. Amid this chaos, I felt cornered, like a trapped animal. I struggled to think clearly, the words escaping me.

And then, an idea pierced my desperate mind...

Megumin.

She had disappeared years ago, as that woman had told me. I remembered that Megumin and Arue had studied together and were friends, at least in the Light Novel. Perhaps invoking her name was my only chance to survive this situation.

"M-Megumin!" I shouted, my trembling and desperate voice breaking the suffocating silence. "I'm her f-friend!" The words tumbled out uncontrollably.

Arue stopped.

The expression on her face changed for an instant, a flicker of surprise crossing her crimson eyes:

"What do you know about Megumin?"

The old man seemed confused by Arue's pause, unable to comprehend what had just happened. "Guards, at last! Arrest this man for sexual harassment!" He ordered, his words echoing through the hall with unquestionable authority.

All the commotion in the Registry House had attracted the attention of guards who were patrolling the village.

Before I could protest, two men grabbed my arms with a force that made my muscles complain and dragged me out of the hall, ignoring my desperate protests.

I looked over my shoulder, seeing Arue and the old man left behind, with contrasting expressions.

02

The walk to the jail was a blur. I was led through the streets, the uneven cobblestones under my feet, as people stopped to watch. I could hear the whispers of passersby, their words filled with judgment.

When we finally arrived, the sun was beginning to set, tinting the sky orange. To my surprise, we were at the Red Prison, its towering walls and iron gates appearing much more threatening under the twilight.

But why am I here? Wasn't this just a magic school?

I was thrown into a cold cell, with a bed and a bathroom. The sound of iron on iron echoed as the door was locked behind me. The cell was small, but clean, and comfortable, with a small barred window at the top of the wall.

Within an hour, I'd gone from tourist to criminal. The confusion still hung over me like a stormy cloud. I felt lost, in a state of shock. My heart was racing, and the adrenaline still coursing through my veins made each beat a painful throb in my chest. The words of those people, the threats, and the magical energy, all seemed like a massive blur in my thoughts.

Lying on the cell bed, I could feel despair slowly consuming me as I tried to understand how I had reached this point. Where had I gone wrong? I only wanted to visit my favorite world, not cause trouble. But now, here I was, locked in a cell, accused of a crime I didn't commit, at least not intentionally. It was a nightmare from which I couldn't wake up...

03

The hours dragged on as I remained seated in the cell. Daylight continued to slowly fade, giving way to darkness and leaving only an unsettling silence.

After what felt like an eternity of agony, a guard appeared, his expression indifferent to the cold and darkness. He asked me to recount the entire thing, his pen ready to jot down in his notepad. Nervously, I stumbled through my narrative, but he simply listened and recorded, before nodding and moving away, leaving me alone with the darkness and my restless thoughts.

It wasn't long before the guards returned. Their stern expressions contrasted with the dark silhouettes of the corridor. My heart quickened as they led me out of the cell, through the narrow, shadowy corridors. Each step echoed with a reverberation that grew louder and louder in my ears.

I was taken to a room that seemed devoid of any warmth or comfort. The dim light from the lamp overhead cast long, threatening shadows, accentuating the oppressive atmosphere. They shoved me inside and the iron door slammed shut behind me, its sound ominously reverberating in the silence.

My eyes scanned the surroundings, but focusing on anything in the gloom was hard. The air was charged with palpable tension, and I felt pressure on my chest as if an invisible hand was squeezing me. It felt like the walls were closing in on me, the darkness tightening its grip.

Adjusting to the dim light, I noticed a figure seated across the room. A dark silhouette against the pale circle of light. My hands started to tremble as I approached, each beat of my heart seeming amplified in the room's silence:

The figure in front of me was simultaneously familiar and unknown.

"Yunyun?" I asked, the word slipping out before I could stop it. Now, her face was clear in the light, but she seemed different. Her jet-black hair, once brimming with vitality, now carried an austere seriousness. Her crimson eyes shone intensely, contrasting with the dim light of the room, they seemed colder and deeper. She appeared older, probably already in her twenties, hardened. The timidity that characterized her in the stories had disappeared, replaced by a seriousness I hardly recognized.

There was a tense silence before she finally responded. Her voice resonated with an authority I'd never heard before. "Good to know you recognize me, Vitor," she began, her tone firm, yet with traces of her former timidity. "As you may know, I am the leader of the Crimson Demons, I'll be straightforward, tell me everything you know about Megumin."

?!

Leader of the Crimson Demons? That's not a good sign. It wasn't like this before.

I swallowed hard, trying to maintain composure as I met the eyes of the woman I had known only as a Light Novel character. I was lost, and afraid, and knew my life depended on what I said next:

My voice came out shaky as I tried to explain, my words stumbling over each other. "I... I'm just a friend of hers. I met her in Axel... I only... I just wanted to..."

Words were a struggle, each one seeming to sink me deeper into the pit of despair where I found myself. I didn't know what to say. How could I explain the truth when everything that I come up with would be a lie?

"Please...", I pleaded, my voice barely above a whisper. "Please, you have to believe me. I didn't want... I didn't mean to cause trouble... I just... I just wanted to see them in person."

There was a moment of silence. Yunyun's eyes were fixed on me, unreadable. Then, something shifted in her expression. A spark of suspicion? Doubt, perhaps?

She leaned back, crossed her arms, and studied me with a piercing gaze. Her next words were deliberate and weighed.

"I feel like you don't know Megumin," she finally said, breaking the silence that had formed between us. "Are you going to tell me the truth or keep lying like you did to that old merchant? Who are 'they'?"

!!

Panic. Pure and raw.

Every word, every accusation, every gaze pressed on me, deepening the hole I was in. Sweat began to break out on my forehead, heat rising up my face.

I knew I had no choice but to tell the truth, no matter how absurd it sounded.