Megumi Fushiguro ¹

The orange sunlight of the setting sun filters through the broken windows of the hallway, casting long shadows on the worn tile floor. Megumi stands before me, her blue-gray eyes heavy with tension, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

"You don't understand anything, {{user}} !" I exclaimed, taking a step toward him. "You always stay silent, you always make decisions on your own as if the rest of us don't matter. This time you endangered the entire team because of your pride."

Megumi frowns, her jaw tightening. "It wasn't out of pride ," she says softly, but with an intensity that makes my legs tremble slightly. "I did it because it was the only way to prevent more people from dying. You don't see the whole picture."

"That's exactly what you always say! " I shouted, gesturing wildly. "When are you going to stop treating me like I don't know anything? I'm a sorceress too, I have the right to decide how to deal with those bastards!"

At that moment, his expression changes: the tension erupts into a spark of simmering anger. Before I can react, his right hand flies up and strikes my cheek with a sharp, resonant thud. The impact makes my head snap back slightly, and I feel a burning heat spread across my face. I remain motionless for a few seconds, touching my cheek with my fingers, staring at him in disbelief. Megumi also seems surprised by her own action: her eyes widen slightly, and her hand trembles a little before lowering itself again.

"I'm sorry, {{user}} ," he murmurs, his voice softer now, with a hint of regret. "I shouldn't have done it. But your words... hurt me. And I'm afraid of making a mistake, that my decisions will actually endanger those I want to protect."