BTS Chronicles: The Totally Serious Production of Shyam vs. Sagar™
Part 1 — Budget Cuts, Broken Props, and Too Much Dramatic Posing
> [The scene opens backstage. Shyam is sitting cross-legged, munching on roasted nuts. Raitha is pacing with a script in her hand. Sagar is trying to look intimidating, but he's sipping from a coconut with a tiny umbrella in it. The crew — i.e., confused NPC villagers — are scrambling around like unpaid interns.]
Director's voice (from off-screen):
"Alright, people! Chapter 48 — emotional buildup! We want tension, foreshadowing, and the illusion that this is life-or-death. Try not to trip over your own dialogue this time."
Shyam (mouth full):
"Wait… emotional buildup? I thought we were just gonna fight."
Raitha (groaning):
"Bro, you think people read 48 chapters just to see you swing a sword? No, they came here for DRAMA. Cue the backstory, the mysterious glances, and those awkward silences where readers think you're deep, but actually you're just hungry."
Sagar (raising his coconut):
"Hear hear. Also, can someone bring me a refill? Preferably mango flavor? Being the 'tragic misunderstood villain' is thirsty work."
> [A villager intern trips and spills water all over the fake "mana stones" lying in crates. They start glowing blue and sparking like they're about to explode.]
Director:
"DAMMIT! Who plugged the props into actual mana lines again?!"
Prop Master:
"…In my defense, the budget only allowed us to rent real mana stones. Plastic is expensive these days."
Raitha (snickering):
"So basically, if we step wrong, we're all gonna blow up before Shyam even swings once?"
Shyam:
"Sounds about right. At least it'll be a flashy start."
---
Scene Prep: Chapter 48
Before the fight, Shyam is supposed to make a cool entrance.
Problem? He doesn't have a cool entrance.
Director:
"Okay, Shyam, when I give the signal, you burst through that misty doorway like a hero. Sword raised, aura glowing, eyes fierce. Got it?"
Shyam:
"…What if I just… walk in?"
Director (screaming):
"NO. WALKING IS FOR FARMERS. YOU ARE THE PROTAGONIST."
> [They try the scene three times. First time, Shyam trips on his own shadow (literally, because the Shadow Soul got bored and tried to prank him). Second time, he sneezes mid-entrance, breaking the mood. Third time, he walks in calmly, but the fog machine overloads and fills the entire arena with smoke. Audience can't see anything.]
Sagar (coughing in the smoke):
"Bruh, is this a battle or a barbecue? I can't even find where my sword is."
Raitha (facepalming):
"I swear, we're supposed to be an epic fantasy, but it's giving village theater troupe."
---
Scene Prep: Chapter 49
This is where Sagar flexes his water powers, showing off like an anime villain.
Except…
Sagar:
"Do I really have to say the line 'Tremble before the tides'? It sounds like a shampoo commercial."
Director:
"YES. WE PAID GOOD MONEY FOR THAT LINE."
Shyam (snickering):
"Bro, you're basically selling conditioner: 'Now with 30% more mana flow!'"
Sagar (rolling eyes):
"Keep laughing, farm boy. Let's see how you handle getting slapped around by Aqua Jet v2."
> [They try rehearsing the fight choreography. The water constructs keep collapsing into puddles because some intern accidentally filled the channel with drinking water instead of mana-infused liquid. One shadow slips on it and faceplants.]
Raitha:
"…This is supposed to be the most intense fight in the volume, and it currently looks like two toddlers splashing each other in a bathtub."
Shyam (serious face, raising his sword):
"Not true. It's more like three toddlers. Don't forget the shadows."
Shadow Soul #2 (from the ground, muffled):
"…I regret signing this contract."
---
Technical Malfunctions
The director wanted "dynamic camera angles." Translation: villagers holding mirrors, climbing trees, and hoping no one falls.
> [One unlucky villager drops the mirror mid-shot, and it smashes near Shyam's foot.]
Shyam (deadpan):
"Bad omen."
Sagar:
"Nah, perfect omen. It foreshadows your defeat."
Raitha:
"Foreshadows?? Bro, we're literally surrounded by shadows. Pick another pun."
---
End of Part 1 Recap
So far, after 2 whole chapters of prep, the highlights are:
Shyam choking on fog.
Sagar refusing to say cheesy lines.
Raitha carrying the entire production on her sarcasm.
Shadows unionizing for better working conditions.
The guild interns probably committing accidental manslaughter with unstable mana props.
And the fight hasn't even started yet.
BTS Chronicles: The Totally Serious Production of Shyam vs. Sagar™
Part 2 — When the Script Meets Reality (and Reality Files a Complaint)
> [The scene opens mid-prep for Chapter 50. Shyam is stretching like a retired yoga instructor, Raitha is off-camera bribing shadows with cookies, and Sagar is adjusting his hair because "a tragic villain deserves cinematic lighting." The director looks like he hasn't slept since Chapter 12.]
Director (clapping hands):
"Alright, people! This is it — the MONEY fight. Chapter 50! The clash! The spectacle! The blood, sweat, and probably broken stage equipment!"
Shyam (raising hand):
"Uh, question. If this is the 'money fight,' why are we all unpaid?"
Director (ignoring him):
"Places! Cue the tension soundtrack!"
> [An intern hits play. Instead of epic orchestra, the speaker blasts upbeat tavern music. Nobody stops it. Now the entire fight has a comedic jig in the background.]
---
The First Strike
Sagar (dramatic):
"At last… the farm boy faces the flood."
Shyam (squinting):
"Bro, are you quoting yourself? That wasn't even in the script."
Sagar (shrugging):
"Improvisation. Makes me look cooler."
> [He summons a massive water construct — except it collapses again, splashing everyone like a bucket prank.]
Raitha (shaking water out of her hair):
"Epic. Truly terrifying. I can feel the shampoo sponsorship coming."
Shadow Soul #1 (hissing):
"Bruh, I'm soaked. My intimidation factor is gone."
Shyam (drawing sword, slipping slightly):
"Fine. If the water wants to play cheap tricks, then I'll give it steel."
Director:
"CUT CUT CUT! You can't say 'steel' every fight. Do you know how cliché that is?"
Shyam (shrugging):
"Okay. Fine. If the water wants to play cheap tricks, then I'll give it… uh… discount metal."
Raitha (snorts):
"Wow, terrifying. Truly the chosen hero."
---
The Choreography Disaster
> [The fight was supposed to be a perfectly timed clash: Shyam dashing left, shadows circling, Sagar unleashing a tidal wave. Instead, Shyam trips on a puddle, Shadow Soul #2 crashes into Sagar, and the "tidal wave" ends up drenching the audience bleachers instead of Shyam.]
Audience Villager (soaked):
"Refund! I wanted blood, not laundry service!"
Sagar (sputtering):
"Who—who put a slip hazard in my battle arena?!"
Raitha:
"You mean… the water you summoned?"
Sagar (freezes):
"…Oh."
---
Chapter 51 — The Turning Point
Director:
"Okay, okay. We can salvage this. Big dramatic moment now! Sagar, you taunt. Shyam, you grit your teeth and look determined. Raitha, give commentary like a sports announcer."
Raitha (into imaginary mic):
"Welcome back, folks! In today's match, Farm Boy vs. Discount Poseidon! Odds currently favor the puddle!"
Shyam (gritting teeth, posing):
"I won't… back… down."
> [A shadow sneezes in the background. The whole line loses its impact.]
Sagar (rolling eyes):
"Wow. Real inspiring."
> [He lunges forward with water blades. Shyam blocks — sparks flying. It looks awesome… until the sparks catch one of the mana crates. Tiny explosions go off like fireworks.]
Director (screaming):
"WHO AUTHORIZED PYROTECHNICS?!"
Shadow Soul #3 (ducking flames):
"…We're literally in hell right now."
---
Mid-Fight Banter (Totally Not Stalling)
Shyam (panting):
"You fight well… but you lack heart."
Sagar (offended):
"Bruh, I have a heart. It's just broken, tragic, and brooding. That's my whole character arc!"
Raitha (yelling from sidelines):
"More like lactose-intolerant arc, you're crying over spilled milk."
Sagar:
"…That line hurt more than the sword did."
---
End of Part 2 Recap
By the end of ch-51 BTS, what do we have?
A battlefield that looks more like a flooded carnival.
Shadows considering union strikes.
Raitha becoming the true MVP as roast-master general.
Shyam accidentally setting off illegal fireworks.
Sagar suffering from script rejection and shampoo jokes.
And somehow… this is still supposed to climax in Chapter 52.
The Vyomsetu Battle Podcast 🎙️
(Recorded "live" after Chapter 52, with the cast)
*[Intro music plays — very dramatic at first, then suddenly replaced by tavern flute because the budget ran out.]
Writer (Host):
"Welcome back, everyone, to the 'Behind the Quills' podcast. Today, I've invited the key 'actors' of the Shyam vs. Sagar arc. They've fought, they've bled, they've cried… and they also forgot half their lines, but hey, that's showbiz. Please welcome Shyam, Ravina, Arohanik, Tithira, Soktomanus, and of course… the recently deceased, Sagar."
*[Audience claps. Sagar enters with a ghost mic.]
---
Segment 1: On the Fight
Writer:
"Shyam, let's start with you. How did it really feel, pulling off the Unda Serpenta at 0.3% mana?"
Shyam (rubbing his temples):
"Like trying to stream anime with 2G internet. I swear, my brain buffered harder than the spell did. If Ravina and the others hadn't shown up, I'd be dead in a puddle somewhere."
Ravina (grinning faintly):
"Yeah, but I nearly killed myself with that 'Love Technique.' Still waiting on hazard pay, by the way."
Writer:
"Hazard pay? You literally said the line: 'I love you, but as a friend.' How do you even weaponize rejection?"
Ravina:
"Pain is pain. Doesn't matter if it's from swords or the friendzone."
[Crowd laughs.]
---
Segment 2: The Mayor's Big Moment
Writer:
"Arohanik, how was it, smashing Sagar's head? You kinda stole the finale there."
Arohanik (proud):
"Felt good, not gonna lie. I was born for that hammer swing. If it weren't for the six failed takes, I'd call it flawless."
Sagar (snapping):
"You caved in my head six times, man!"
Arohanik (shrugs):
"Method acting."
---
Segment 3: The Support Squad
Writer:
"Tithira, Soktomanus — you both had roles keeping the chaos in check. Thoughts?"
Tithira (serious tone):
"I gave speeches until my lungs collapsed. Honestly, I thought my role was motivational background noise."
Soktomanus (laughing):
"Yeah, well, I was supposed to chop beasts, but somehow I became the comedy relief. Not sure if I signed up for that."
Writer:
"You did yell 'What the fuck is that thing?!' during a supposed serious scene."
Soktomanus (shrugs):
"It was authentic."
---
Segment 4: The Villain's Perspective
Writer:
"And now, the big man himself. Sagar. How did it feel to die so… epically?"
Sagar (crossing ghostly arms):
"First of all, y'all dragged my death across five reshoots. Second, Shyam stabbed me like he was cutting butter. Third, if anyone remembers me, I want it on record that I was right. The guild is trash."
Writer:
"Fair point. But about your last words — 'You did nothing wrong, adventurer' — was that scripted?"
Sagar:
"Half-scripted. The 'villain in someone's story' bit was mine. Improvised. Eat your heart out, Shakespeare."
[Audience claps.]
---
Segment 5: Final Reflections
Writer:
"Alright, before we wrap up, one last question: if you could redo the arc, what would you change?"
Shyam:
"Less mana drain. Maybe a nap mid-battle."
Ravina:
"A stronger sword. And a healing plan that doesn't involve spitting blood every 10 minutes."
Arohanik:
"More hammer time."
Tithira:
"More screen time. I was basically wallpaper."
Soktomanus:
"A catchphrase. Something like 'Beast meat for dinner!' — y'know, branding."
Sagar (sighing):
"I'd… actually not die. Maybe become a recurring anti-hero instead of ghost guest star."
Writer:
"Sorry, buddy. You're booked for three chapters of backstory flashbacks and then poof."
Sagar (groaning):
"Damn it."
---
[Outro music — again, tavern flute because still no budget.]
Writer:
"That's all for today's 'Behind the Quills'. Tune in next time when we discuss how the beast horde unionized and demanded better working conditions. Until then — keep your grimoires open and your hammers steady."
[Applause. Podcast ends.]
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Ch-53 ( fillers are also counted as chapters, for me. As it will help me stay organized. Don't worry though, the chapter count at the end of the chapters aren't important for your readers! )