Who is Yunyun?
She is the odd one out in the Crimson Demon Clan—a normal person in the eyes of ordinary people!
Innocent by nature and longing for friends, yet her shyness has kept the progress bar of her "make friends" quest perpetually stagnant. Regarded as the rival of Megumin, the Crimson Demon Clan's top prodigy, she has always trailed behind in achievements, earning her the title of eternal second place.
But in reality...
"In reality, from another perspective—" Hayashi crouched by the corner, watching the black-haired girl ahead who was cautiously glancing around like a little rabbit, and said to the two behind him, "She's practically crushed Megumin into dust, leaving her in the dust by eight whole blocks, hasn't she?"
Erina and Hisako simultaneously shifted their gazes to the ample curves hidden beneath Yunyun's black mage robe, then nodded in unison, agreeing with Hayashi's assessment.
"Though I feel this method of comparison is somewhat unfair to Megumin," Hayashi mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "How should I put it? Given Megumin's... physique, any normal girl could easily surpass her. So this kind of comparison would definitely wound her pride."
Hisako facepalmed and said, "Master Hayashi, personally, I think your words are the ones that would truly wound Megumin's pride!"
Erina nodded in deep agreement. "Hayashi, you'd better hope Megumin never hears that, or she'll definitely blast you with an Explosion."
"Gah, speaking of explosions—" Hayashi stood up, leaning against the wall beside him with a contemplative look. "What do you think would happen if Megumin fired an Explosion into the Demon King's Castle's sewage tank? Would it deal catastrophic damage to the Demon King's army?"
"..."
Erina and Hisako simultaneously slapped their hands over their faces—Why does your train of thought always derail into such bizarre directions?!
Fortunately, Hayashi didn't dwell on the topic. Instead, he watched as Yunyun was about to walk away and waved his hand decisively. "Go, Erina, Hisako! Execute the plan as discussed!"
"Understood!" x2
The two saluted and quickly stepped out from behind Hayashi.
...
...
"Ugh, what should I do...?"
Yunyun hesitated at the entrance of the Adventurer's Guild.
She longed to join an adventurer party and make friends of her own, but her overly shy personality made her so nervous when spoken to by strangers that her emotions would flare up, causing her eyes to turn crimson. However, the trait of "eyes turning crimson" was regarded by outsiders as a sign of the "Crimson Demon Clan's rage"—which led to the surrounding adventurers misunderstanding her as a reclusive Crimson Demon who would fly into a rage whenever a stranger spoke to her.
The crucial point was that she was completely unaware of this phenomenon, believing instead that others avoided her because they disliked her—how could she possibly find teammates like this?!
Sniffle... Last time, someone finally invited me to join their party, but I messed it up again—Just thinking about what happened a few days ago made Yunyun want to go back in time and accept the offer in her own stead. But given her personality, even if she did go back, she'd probably still get so nervous that her eyes would turn crimson, doubling the fear she instilled in the other person.
T-two raging Crimson Demons!? Save me!
Just as Yunyun was wallowing in despair, two stunning figures slowly walked past her. Their graceful and enchanting figures were so mesmerizing that even she, a girl herself, couldn't help but stare in awe.
"What should we do, Erina?" Hisako said with a troubled expression. "Our party still hasn't found a suitable mage teammate. At this rate, we won't be able to form a proper adventurer party."
Yunyun's ears perked up: Huh? Recruiting a mage? Me!
"Ah, there's no helping it—" Erina declared proudly. "Our party already has a Martial Artist, a Swordmaster, and a Arch Priest—three advanced classes. Naturally, we need to recruit an exceptionally powerful mage."
Yunyun's ears twitched again: Huh? An exceptionally powerful mage?? Me!!
"But most exceptionally powerful mages already have their own parties—" Hisako let out a bitter laugh, then sighed helplessly. "Is there really a mage in this city who's both incredibly strong and still alone?"
Yunyun's ears perked up a third time: Huh? An exceptionally powerful mage who's still alone??? Me!!!
Hearing Erina and Hisako's conversation, Yunyun was practically itching to raise her hand on the spot and tell them that she was exactly who they were looking for—an exceptionally powerful mage with no party and all alone!
After all, she was the Crimson Demon Clan's much-anticipated genius (though second-best), the clan leader's daughter (though second-best), hailed as a once-in-a-century prodigy (though second-best), and a super mage (though second-best)!
However, her overly shy personality made her blush furiously as she stood at the foot of the stairs, staring intently at Erina and Hisako with her crimson eyes.
In Yunyun's mind: I want to talk to them, but I can't! I really can't!
In everyone else's eyes: Damn, did these two girls accidentally piss off this Crimson Demon? Her eyes are so red—she must be furious!
The strange atmosphere made Hisako and Erina "puzzled" as they turned around, immediately spotting Yunyun standing at the base of the stairs behind them, glaring at them with her crimson eyes. If this had been any ordinary resident of this world, they would've shuddered in fear and wondered what they'd done to provoke her.
But...
"Red eyes and black hair..." Hisako thoughtfully examined Yunyun, then turned to Erina and said, "Erina, she seems to be from the Crimson Demon Clan."
"The Crimson Demon Clan?" Erina feigned surprise, then raised an eyebrow and said, "Hisako, if I recall correctly, mages from the Crimson Demon Clan are incredibly powerful, right?"
Hisako immediately nodded in agreement. "That's right! Mages from the Crimson Demon Clan are exceptionally formidable!"
"Then she's exactly what we need!" Erina clapped her hands lightly and walked up to Yunyun with a smile. Standing before the "crimson-eyed, aura-flaring" Yunyun, she said, "Hello, I'm Erina Nakiri! Our team is currently recruiting a highly skilled mage to join us. Would you be interested?"
The surrounding adventurers—
'B-Brave!'
'She's not even slightly intimidated by that aura—what a terrifying woman!'
'Facing a Crimson Demon at the peak of fury without backing down—this woman is something else!'
'Hmph, you've caught my attention. Interesting woman!'
Compared to these imaginative bystanders, Yunyun was so overwhelmed with excitement she nearly fainted on the spot—Sh-she talked to me!? She didn't just glance at me and walk away (or rather, run away in fear)? She actually spoke to me!?
If not for the situation and her timid nature, Yunyun might have broken into an electric dance to express her joy. But no matter how thrilled she was inside, her shy and self-conscious personality left her utterly speechless, only fueling her internal panic—the more flustered she became, the brighter the red glow in her eyes grew, and the more the surrounding adventurers trembled in fear.
'Holy crap, that glow is almost on par with the Demon King's True Eye! Is she about to unleash a "True Hero's Gaze of Death" and obliterate all of Axel in one shot?' mused an imaginative passerby.
Hisako: 'She seems really nervous—'
Erina: 'She feels so soft-spoken… I kinda want to tease her.'
Thus, in the eyes of the onlookers, the entrance of the adventurer's guild had become the stage for an epic showdown: "The Crimson Demon Arch Wizard, Furious at Being Approached and Ready to Destroy the World" versus "The Peerless, Fierce Warrior Who Fears No Arch Wizard and Stands Her Ground." The oppressive atmosphere (non-existent), terrifying aura (non-existent), and suffocating tension (non-existent) made the surrounding adventurers hold their breaths, afraid to draw the attention of these three.
Seemingly sensing the mood around her, Yunyun desperately wanted to nod in agreement, but no words would come out. Her face flushed red from the effort.
Bystander A: 'Whoa, that Crimson Demon's face is turning red with rage!'
Bystander B: 'Yabai, super yabai!'
Bystander C: 'Mom, I wanna go home—'
Just as the tension reached its peak, Hayashi made his entrance—right on script.
"What's everyone standing around for?" Hayashi looked curiously at the "standoff" between the three and suggested, "This is still the entrance to the adventurer's guild, you know. Blocking it isn't great. How about we head inside, find a seat, and talk properly?"
Blocked at the entrance, the adventurers who had been too intimidated by the atmosphere to approach were now moved to tears, gazing at Hayashi with heartfelt gratitude, inwardly exclaiming, 'Our savior!!'
...
...
Adventurer's Guild, rest area, corner.
Due to the oppressive aura (though not actually present) lingering here, not a single soul dared to come within ten meters, turning this small corner into a peculiar no-go zone.
"Ahem." Hayashi cleared his throat, then looked at the bowing Yunyun before him and said, "Hello, mage of the Crimson Demon Clan! I've already heard about the situation from Erina and Hisako. Would you be interested in joining our party?"
Having moved from the crowded guild entrance to this deserted corner, Yunyun's nervousness eased significantly without so many eyes on her.
She lowered her head timidly and asked, "C-can I really join?"
Erina tilted her head in confusion. "Huh? Why not? Are you weak or something?"
"N-no, I'm not!" Yunyun quickly raised her head, glanced at Erina, then immediately lowered it again, speaking softly but firmly, "I'm going to become the leader of the Crimson Demon Clan!"
This declaration shouldn't be underestimated. The Crimson Demon Clan was infamous for picnicking near the Demon King's Castle every four years, bombarding its barrier with spells, then teleporting back to their village the moment the Demon King's army returned—yet they remained unharmed. The Demon King's army had tried repeatedly to destroy them but failed each time because these troublemakers were just too strong.
So, becoming the leader of the Crimson Demon Clan? That required serious skill!
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