The sun had set and Megumi was making her way home, but due to her house being in the opposite direction of Mai’s house the walk back wasn’t exactly short. By the time she had gotten to her street, it was pretty much nighttime. And as she turned the corner a less than pleasant scene appeared before her eyes. Four (normal) students laid out and sprawled along the pavement, with a fifth one currently being pinned against a wall by none other than the high school delinquent Furyu Mitsukabe.

     “Try to mess with my sis one more time, and there’ll be hell to pay!!” Furyu stared at the battered and bruised student with a menacing glare. Her eyes piercing daggers through the poor boy’s soul. Just seeing how pissed off she was, gave Megumi a pretty good idea of Furyu’s take on family values. And as much as she would like to help break up the fight she remembered what her mother told her when she was little. ‘If you ever see a group of people laid out in a street brawl with one person who looks like they took all of them down single-handedly, you should always turn the other way and act like nothing ever happened.’ Sure, the advice was oddly specific, and irresponsible but right now that most definitely seemed like the best course of action. However, as things were there was no way she was gonna get away without being noticed. 

     “Well, if it isn’t Ms.Committed Student Delinquent.” She looked at her, dropping the now unconscious body of the student to the cold hard pavement. “You’ll keep quiet about this right?” She walked over to Megumi placing her hand on her shoulder.

     “O-Of course!” She laughed nervously. No matter how intimidated she was that intimidation didn’t break her resolve or cause her to think badly of her. She was positive that Furyu was still a good person, and even if what she was seeing contradicted that belief, there was no doubt in her mind that she must have had a valid reason. Wanting to find out that reason, only made Megumi want to recruit her even more. Though, given the current situation now might not have been the best time to formally recruit her.

     “That’s good…” She let out a sigh of relief before suddenly gripping her shoulder with more and more force. “I trust that you ain’t lying but, if you say a single word about anythin’ you heard, I’ll break every bone in your body.” She scowled intensely at her before, roughly letting go of her shoulder. 

     After she left, Megumi took a look at the knocked out students once more and was thoroughly surprised. None of them looked particularly weak, in fact, it seemed that they were above average in terms of physique. Not to mention, that Furyu was up against five of them and came out relatively unscathed. It was kinda scary how much strength was contained within this highschool girl. Whether it was a pure determination or just raw power, Furyu seemed to be one of the most physically exceptional people she knew, though she did know someone who was eerily similar when it came to athletic prowess. But, none of that mattered now because Megumi had some more important business to attend to… Late-night texts with Mai!! Discussing ambitions, hobbies, and interests were always Megumi’s favorite part of making new friends and considering how much she respected Mai she could not be more excited... (Though none of those discussions would make for interesting content so we’ll just skip ahead to the next day…)

     It was a bright and early morning, and despite everything that happened on the first day, Megumi was still excited to continue her daily school life at her new school, however this time, Megumi was fully prepared to face any challenge that may come her way. But, as Furyu’s words lingered in her mind she started to think more and more about what she said, trying to understand why Furyu would be so protective of her sister. Lost in thought, Megumi took her time walking to school, a decision she might end up regretting later down the line…  

     Meanwhile, at school, Rentaro was casually approaching the shoe lockers hoping that he wouldn’t have to deal with another ‘accidental pervert’ incident so early in the morning. And lucky for him, no such thing happened… Instead, something much worse was about to occur.

BANG!!!!!!

     As he got to his locker a loud thunderous bang came from right behind him. The great force of the impact knocking him off his feet and shaking the very earth beneath him. As he turned to face the source of this loud bang he slowly realized that it was someone’s shoe landing scarily close to him. A few more centimeters and he’d be crushed flat like some meaningless insect.

     “Thanks for finding my wallet, bug. I really appreciate it.” Rentaro slowly turned his head up to the shoe’s owner and as their face slowly came into frame his heart sunk. It was the girl who almost killed him during lunch yesterday.

     Feeling an overwhelming sense of fear, he slowly started to back away but no matter how far he backed up, or even if he ran away there was no way he could escape her. The only thing he could do was, do what he did ‘best’ and try to talk himself out of this tricky situation.

     “I-I’m s-sorry about yesterday. I-It was an accident.” He shifted his gaze left and right trying to see if there was anyone that could help him, but sadly, even if there was someone there was no way they’d even notice what was happening. Looking up at the girl she seemed to be holding some kind of light blue envelope. That caused Rentaro to think more about what she said earlier. What did she mean by ‘thanks for finding my wallet?’ Feeling like he’s seen that letter before Rentaro thought back to yesterday and realized exactly what happened. 

     After classes had ended yesterday, Rentaro faintly saw Megumi stuffing what looked to be the same light blue envelope into her bag. It couldn’t have been a coincidence and it was completely in-character for her to do something like that. ‘You have got to be kidding m-’ His thoughts were cut off as the girl decided to stomp her foot once more.

     “If you went out of your way to leave a love letter in my locker you should probably be showing some more gratitude.” Rentaro listened to her in complete and utter fear. ‘What kind of letter did she write?!?’ He wondered, completely baffled. He couldn’t even understand how someone could misinterpret an apology letter for a love letter, but the fact that she did made Rentaro question exactly what she wrote even more.

     “I-I didn’t...” He was cut off once more as the girl started to tilt her shoe upwards, and slowly lower it onto Rentaro. Pressed up against the sole of her shoe Rentaro was up close and personal with certain demise. Though, for being so close to his death, Rentaro could not feel more alive.

     “Oh! I’ve got an idea! Why don’t you show some gratitude by licking the dirt off my shoes and maybe I might consider your confession.” She said joking about that last part. Hearing those words filled him with an overflowing amount of anticipation. This was a dream situation for him… but something wasn’t right. As much as he wanted to enjoy being belittled his sense of self-preservation was stopping him from completely submitting to her. Every time he’d try to stick out his tongue he found himself instinctively trying to escape from this situation. Seeing how pathetic he was, gave her an even better idea that would inadvertently put Rentaro’s mental fortitude to the test.

     “Or… would you prefer something like this.” She shifted her foot so that it was no longer right above him and slowly started to remove her shoe, playfully dangling it right on top of him. As much as he wanted to see where this was going, Rentaro found himself fruitlessly trying to escape in a fit of self-preservation. Wanting to crush his hopes, she dropped the shoe a few millimeters shy from crushing him. After seeing how close he was from being crushed flat, Rentaro’s heart began to race rapidly, but not for the reason one would assume. The sensation of being at this girl’s feet made Rentaro feel an even larger feeling of confused arousal. This confused feeling was causing an intense internal conflict in his mind. On one hand, he wanted to enjoy this feeling of complete helplessness, but on the other hand, his sense of self-preservation was telling him to turn tail and run. This conflict was so distracting that Rentaro had completely failed to notice that he was currently being picked up by the girl.

     She fastened him tightly between her index finger and thumb, snapping him out of his internal conflict. And as the air was slowly being squeezed from his lungs, the sense of self-preservation took over and Rentaro started to fruitlessly struggle against her grasp all while gasping for air at the same time.

     “What’s wrong? Out of breath? I think I have the perfect place for you, it has plenty of room to breathe, though it might be a bit cramped…” She giggled maniacally, slowly lowering him into her discarded shoe. In an instant, Rentaro went from being very afraid to insanely turned on. Ever since his bad luck manifested, Rentaro had always hoped that he’d end up in some girl’s shoe. This was a dream situation, but it was strange though, as much as Rentaro anticipated this moment, it just wasn’t right. 

     Thinking about it more seriously Rentaro, honestly, did not want to be forced into something like this... No matter how much arousal he may have been feeling at the moment, the hope he had that someone would rescue him, stuck in his mind. And as his white-haired savior, groggily entered the school building Rentaro couldn’t help but smile excitedly (a decision he would soon regret later on in the future). 

     “...” She stared at his smile feeling like she could stare at him for hours on end. Her gaze was so fixated on him that her mind became clouded with thoughts and feelings she just couldn’t explain. Her heart started to beat faster and faster. She felt her face grow hotter and hotter as a flustered expression suddenly appeared.

     It was unreal! For her micros were nothing but insects that were fun to torture, but if that was the case why, all of sudden did she not want to hurt this one specifically. 'It couldn't be…' She thought about it some more. 'could it be…?' As a twisted smile started to appear on her face Rentaro could feel the heat radiating from her body. 

     "L-L-L-L...?!" She stuttered incomprehensibly, confusing Rentaro even more. He had no idea what she was trying to say, and frankly, he didn’t care. All that mattered to him, at that moment, was trying to get Megumi’s attention, though it would seem like he didn’t need to…

      Extremely overwhelmed by these strange feelings, the girl nervously put him back on the ground and sprinted away in embarrassment, hiding her face as she ran.

     "Morning Sekira-" The red-haired girl from before, Alice, tried to greet her but was rudely ignored as she ran to her homeroom class. Thinking nothing of it, Alice joined her three other friends as they went to class together. 

     "Good morning Rentaro~," Megumi said happily walking towards him. "Did something happen you look kinda shaken up..." She laughed hoping that Rentaro was OK. However, since he was still pretty confused he thought it'd be best to just keep it to himself. Instead, he decided to change the subject and confront her about a certain familiar light blue letter. 

     “So would you mind telling me about that ‘apology letter’ from yesterday?” He asked with a suspicious glare.

     "W-Well I thought it'd be a good idea to you know, um… have you make up with her because, uh… it's good too, you know, make… up… with people…?" She said very nervously. It was clear that she had good intentions. And even if she neglected to ask Rentaro if it was OK to apologize on his behalf, it's not like she knew something like this was gonna happen. In fact, if it were anyone else they would, without a doubt, humbly accept the apology. Knowing this, Rentaro decided to forgive her and just forget about what happened.

     “I, honestly, really appreciate the gesture and I’m thankful that you made the effort to try to help me, but that girl doesn’t exactly have the best reputation when it comes to treating micros fairly.” With everything set and done, Megumi apologized to Rentaro once more, and the two of them made their way to class.

     Almost an hour had gone by, and Megumi was hit with a startling realization. At first, she thought she was just playing hooky, but it was clear that it was more than a simple act of truancy for tardiness. With Furyu’s absence came yet another obstacle to stand in the way her and Mai’s plan. Megumi was so confident in her being present, that she didn’t even think of a substitute. ‘This is bad…’ She started to silently panic at her desk. Considering her options, none of the people she knew seemed like worthy candidates. Tsuyme’s misandrist personality wasn’t exactly the best for what they were going for, not to mention, she’d probably be too busy with her duties as a class representative. She couldn’t trust Bunny just yet, considering she was friends with that girl Mai warned her about. As she tried to nervously maintain her composure, it seemed as if one person noticed her distressed state.

     The class had ended and Megumi stared blankly at her desk with a melancholic expression. All the celebration plans she made last night were all for naught and her enthusiasm was washed down the drain along with her optimism. Megumi was so disappointed in herself that she didn’t even have the guts to face Mai in her current state. However, she would not be like that for long as her savior approached her once again.

     “Judging from how depressed you are, I’m guessing you still need one more member before you’re able to officially start your club. If you’re having trouble, I think I know just the person…” Ms.Oshino lightly tapped on her shoulder trying to cheer her up, and after hearing her words Megumi wasn’t just cheered up, she was ecstatic. So ecstatic in fact, that she was quite literally on the brink of tears.

     “Thank you Ms.Oshino!! Thank you! Thank you…” She clung onto her wiping her pouring tears on Ms.Oshino’s blazer. 

     “Wait, a minute you shouldn’t be thanking me just yet!!” She pushed Megumi away. “Just because, I’m willing to introduce you to him doesn’t mean he’ll automatically accept. That part is up to you.” She wrote something on a small sheet of paper and handed it to Megumi.

     “Huh? What’s this…” She respectfully took the paper from her. Written on it was the name of the student and where to find him. ‘Tomoya Utsumi: Second-year student, spends most of his time in the ‘sealed off computer room.’ She didn’t quite understand what she meant by ‘sealed off’ but nonetheless was excited to meet him.

     “Word of advice, he’s a bit of a problem child… You’ll see what I mean once you meet him.” She warned Megumi before, smiling and walking out of the class.

     “Making a good first impression is my specialty. I’m sure It’ll be no problem.” She excitedly pumped herself up before texting Mai about her plans to recruit him. “Let’s go Rentaro!!” She quickly placed him in her shirt pocket and went to go get Mai. Little did she know, recruiting him would be a lot harder than she could ever imagine.

-5 Minutes Later-

     Arriving at the computer room they were met with a very interesting and confusing letter stapled to the outside of the door.

     “Be warned! The seal that has been laid upon this door has been the culmination of every barrier spell in the library of nocturnitis. If you think a cretin like you could ever hope to break this unholy seal you’re surely mistaken, and if you’re brazen and idiotic enough to force your way in you’ll be personally acquainted with me, a remnant of the shadow worlds greatest mage union! Otherwise known, as The Dark Flame of Annihilation. With the black flare that burns deep inside my heart, coursing its accursed embers throughout every vein in my body I will laugh at your pathetic soul as it crumbles into ashes under my demonic flames!” Megumi read out enthusiastically. It would be quite an intimidating warning… If this was some kind of fantasy world!! Both Rentaro, and Mai stared at the letter in absolute contempt. Thinking it was just the ramblings of some edgy chuunibyou, the two decided that it’d probably best to just ignore the letter completely and enter the room, but under closer inspection, that task appeared to be easier said than done. 

     “Huh?” Megumi tried to open the door only to find it locked. Though, it wasn’t your average lock. It was an electronic lock, complete with a keypad and everything. Whoever this Tomoya guy was, he definitely didn’t seem like the most social person. However, after thinking about his letter more Megumi had the perfect plan to get him to unlock the door. Lightly placing Mai, and Rentaro in front of the door Megumi was finally ready to commence her plan.

     “Aaahh!” Megumi let out an exaggerated scream of pain before collapsing onto one knee. “These memories! Aghh! I r-remember!!” She grabbed her arm like she was trying to resist some kind of invisible power,

     “Megumi? Are you ok?” Rentaro looked at her with a worried expression.

     “Megumi? Oh, that must be the name of the person who originally inhabited this body... Well, you two seem to be her trusted companions, therefore, I believe introductions are in order.” She bowed her head in a knightly fashion. “Stricken down from the heavens, forced to do the bidding of the holy church. My name is Megami Shirou! The fallen goddess and the sole possessor of heaven’s blade. You can call me The White Goddess and for the time being, I’ll be sharing bodies with this girl..." She examined her own body up and down as if it completely new to her. "This seal must have awakened my dormant memories and judging by the color of this girl’s hair I believe she’s an ancestor of mine. How fortunate.” She placed her hand upon the door sensing the 'accursed magic.' Mai and Rentaro were not having it. Magic didn't exist, this wasn't a fantasy world and it was extremely obvious that she was faking it.

     “Huh...?” The two of them looked at her with utter confusion in their eyes.

     (Note: For those unaware what Megumi is doing right now is a common trope that’s often used in Japanese anime, and media. Chūnibyō, otherwise known as, “eighth-grader syndrome” is a Japanese colloquial term that is typically used to describe early teens who have delusions of grandeur, who so desperately want to stand out that they have convinced themselves they have hidden knowledge or secret powers.)

END SCENE:

     As the disheartened sighs of Megumi’s old classmates echoed throughout the room, Shuichi was trying to figure out why she wasn’t responding to any of his messages. Staring at his phone with a sullen expression, his mind was flooded with extremely pessimistic thoughts.

     “What if she forgot about me-”

     “You can be a real idiot sometimes, ya know that.” Said one of the normal girls sitting behind Shuichi. 

     “Why don’t you shut it, Fujo! If you can’t tell, I’m internally grieving right now.” He glared at her, watching as she casually played with her waist-length green hair. “You probably wouldn’t understand because she’s probably texting you every day or something…”

     “Are you sure about that…” She turned her phone towards Shuichi revealing a nearly empty chatroom. Looking at the last message she sent Shuichi realized that she too was facing the same thing as him, it wasn’t just the two of them either. For whatever reason, Megumi just stopped messaging every single one of her old classmates as soon as she moved to her new school. The reason as to why was unclear to everyone but, Fujo.

     “I’ve known that dense idiot for almost 10 years so I’m pretty sure she’s not the type of person to just forget about her friends. I’m also pretty sure I know exactly what she’s doing.” Fujo chuckled and put her phone away. “Though, to confirm my suspicions, I might have to transfer there as well…” She said with a cunning tone.

     “Yeah, as if…” He snarked, only to remember that Fujo wasn’t exactly the most comedic person. “Wait, you are joking right.”