[Josh POV]
.
I was walking casually in the direction while my feathery friends were circling above me in the sky.
.
One thing I noticed is I am growing bigger very fast. Yes, bigger not older, my size is almost comparable to the vultures.
.
I still can't speak yet and I still couldn't fly with my dumb underdeveloped wings yet, plus I still can't lit my back flame yet.
.
I raised my hand repeating my lame training. I willed poison to come out and it did with some difficulty, then I tried to control it and form it into a ball, it was like some sort of wobbly slime blob not a perfect sphere.
.
'Magellan make it look easy, guess that's years of experience for you.' I said casually stretching my hands willing the ball of slime like poison to shot forward, it barely made it for few meters before falling down.
.
'I don't even know how effective this actually is—'
.
I stopped in my track, not because of my words, but because of what I am seeing a bit far. I gotta say that my sight is really good and I can see pretty far enough with these sick eyes of mine, but—
.
'is my eyes playing tricks on me?...-'
.
Right there what looked like a kid, shorter than me, scantily clad? And is running full speed from some big ass lizard monster, I could perfectly hear her yelling some gibberish which I couldn't understand.
.
---
.
[3rd POV]
A small figure barreled forward—purple hair wild, goat horns bobbing.
.
Kishirika bolted across the uneven ground, boots hits the dirt. Her arms flailed as she ran.
.
"TH-THIS ONE DEMANDS YOU STOP IMMEDIATELY!!"
.
A shrill screech tore from her throat—not out of fear, but sheer irritation. Behind her, the massive lizard thundered forward, tail sweeping and jaws gaping wide enough to snap her in two.
.
She glanced back mid-sprint and nearly tripped on a rock.
.
"Haaah—! H-How rude! Do you know who you're chasing!?"
.
Her voice cracked with breathless defiance, even as her short legs pumped with more urgency.
.
Dust kicked up around her feet as she weaved between sparse bushes, eyes darting for any gap, ditch, or boulder she could duck behind.
.
"This One refuses to be lunch for a dumb beast! Go chase a rock!"
.
Her panting grew heavier, yet her mouth never stopped.
.
Yelling sounds Josh couldn't understand. Just noise.
.
She was barely dressed—some tight leather bandeau held by ropes. Thick boots slammed hard on the dry ground.
.
Behind her, the large lizard stomped, claws scraping dirt.
.
She hadn't noticed Josh, not yet at least. Shouting nonsense as she ran straight in his direction.
.
Josh didn't understand a word. but he knows one thing for sure
.
'She sounds so annoying.' he clicked his tongue, clinched his fist. Ready to do whatever necessary to ensure his safety first and foremost.
.
Kishirika's boots skidded against loose gravel as she rounded a cluster of rocks, chest heaving.
.
Her eyes swept frantically across the barren landscape, searching for any escape route—And froze. There, not fifty meters away, stood a figure.
.
Tall, imposing, with dark skin and distinctive horns jutting from his forehead. Wings folded against his back. He was just... standing there.
.
Watching her with those unsettling snake-like eyes.
.
"YOU!" she shrieked, pointing dramatically with one trembling finger while still backing away from the approaching lizard.
.
"THIS ONE COMMANDS YOU TO ASSIST HER IMMEDIATELY!" Her voice cracked with exhaustion, but the imperious tone remained intact.
.
"Do you not see?! This One is being pursued by a mindless beast! As her subject, you are OBLIGATED to—"
.
The lizard's roar cut through her demands. "HURRY UP AND HELP!" she screamed, waving both arms now like she was directing traffic.
.
"This One does not have time for your gawking!"
.
Josh stared at her with the blankest expression imaginable. His head tilted slightly to one side, mouth hanging open just a fraction.
.
The look on his face was pure bewilderment - like he was watching someone have a passionate argument with a rock.
.
He blinked once. Twice. Like he was trying to process whether this tiny person was actually yelling gibberish at him while being chased by a giant lizard.
.
---
.
[Josh POV]
The lizard was gaining on her. Big bastard too - looked like a komodo dragon that hit the gym and never stopped. Its tongue flicked out, tasting the air, probably already savoring its purple-haired snack.
.
'Well, shit. Do I help the loud midget or let nature handle this one?' She stumbled, caught herself, kept running.
.
Still yelling in whatever language that was. I had no clue what she was saying, but her tone made it sound like she was lecturing the damn thing.
.
'She's got balls, I'll give her that. Most people would be screaming, not... whatever the hell this is.'
.
The lizard lunged forward with a snap of its jaws. Missed by inches.
.
Then she spotted me and started pointing and shouting even louder. The tone shifted - now she sounded like she was giving ME orders.
.
Demanding something. Her arms flailed around like she was conducting an orchestra.
.
'What the fuck? Is this brat seriously trying to boss me around while running for her life? The audacity!'
.
I just stood there, staring at her like she'd grown a second head.
.
She kept yelling - urgent, imperious gibberish that somehow managed to sound both panicked and entitled at the same time.
.
'I don't understand a single word you're saying, you crazy midget. But your tone is pissing me off.'
.
The lizard took another swipe. Close enough to ruffle her hair.
.
'Fuck it. I'm not watching a kid get eaten, even if she is the most annoying person I've never been able to understand.'
.
Poison formed sluggishly in Josh's hand - not the perfect sphere he wanted, but a wobbling mass of toxic purple.
.
The lizard thundered toward him, mouth stretched wide in a roar.
.
Josh drew his arm back and launched the poison ball directly into the creature's gaping maw. It splattered against the back of its throat like a water balloon.
.
The lizard's roar cut off abruptly. It stumbled mid-charge, eyes widening in confusion.
.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then its stomach let out a deep, violent GRUMBLE that echoed across the desert.
.
The beast's eyes bulged. It doubled over, claws scraping frantically at its own belly as agonized roars tore from its throat.
.
Its massive body writhed on the ground, tail thrashing wildly as waves of cramping pain seized its gut.
.
GRRRROWWWWLLL! GRUMBLE! GRRRR!
.
Its stomach churned audibly, like a washing machine full of rocks. The lizard rolled onto its side, legs kicking helplessly as it clutched its swollen belly with both front claws.
.
Purple drool began seeping from its mouth, but it was very much alive - just utterly incapacitated by what seemed to be the worst stomach pain imaginable.
.
Josh backed away as the creature continued to writhe and moan, clearly no longer a threat but far from dead.
.
Kishirika stood frozen. Mouth wide open, staring between the suffering lizard and the tall figure who had just saved her life with some kind of brutal stomach poisoning.
.
---
.
[3rd POV]
Kishirika straightened her leather bandeau and brushed dust from her hair, trying to regain some semblance of dignity after being saved. She cleared her throat and struck a regal pose, one hand on her hip.
.
"Ahem! This One is Kishirika Kishirisu, the Great Demon Empress!" She proclaimed with renewed authority, gesturing grandly at herself. "You have done well to assist This One in her time of need!"
.
Josh stared at her blankly, still processing what had just happened with the lizard.
.
Kishirika waited for a response. When none came, she frowned slightly. "This One expects proper acknowledgment when she introduces herself!"
.
Still nothing. Josh's expression remained confused.
.
"Are you perhaps... stunned by This One's majesty?" she tried, though uncertainty crept into her voice. "Speak! Tell This One your name!"
.
Josh opened his mouth, then closed it. He made a few unintelligible baby sounds before giving up with a frustrated grunt.
.
Kishirika's frown deepened. "You... cannot speak the Demon God Tongue?" She tilted her head. "Perhaps you are not of the Demon Race after all, despite your appearance..."
.
She gestured with her hands, making exaggerated pointing motions between herself and him. "Can you understand signs? Gestures?"
.
Josh watched her hand movements with growing confusion, clearly not getting whatever message she was trying to convey.
.
"Human God Tongue then?" she said, switching languages. Still nothing. "Beast God Tongue?" Another language change. "Sky God Tongue?"
.
Each attempt was met with the same bewildered stare.
.
Kishirika stood there, genuinely perplexed. This tall figure with demon-like features and wings had just saved her life with some kind of poison ability, yet seemed completely unable to communicate in any known language.
.
Her eyes lit up with sudden inspiration. "Ah! This One has an idea!"
.
Her left eye began to glow with a faint crimson light as she activated the Demon Eye of Telepathic Communication. The power reached across the five-meter gap between them.
.
'Can you understand This One now?' her voice echoed directly in Josh's mind.
.
Josh's eyes went wide, his whole body tensing. His hand shot to his head as if trying to locate the source of the voice.
.
'Do not be alarmed!' Kishirika's mental voice continued quickly. 'This One is using a Demon Eye that allows thoughts to be transmitted directly from mind to mind. Since no words are spoken, intent is understood regardless of language barriers.'
.
Josh stared at her, mouth slightly agape. 'I... what the hell? You're in my head?'
.
'Excellent! You can understand!' Kishirika's mental voice carried obvious relief. 'This One is Kishirika Kishirisu, the Great Demon Empress. What is your name?'
.
Josh was quiet for a long moment, clearly thinking. 'Jo–... no, wait.' A pause. 'If I'm really in this world, I should have a name that fits.' Another pause. 'Sigurd. Sigurd Ragnarök.'
.
{A/N: look at him, couldn't resist being chunni, tsk tsk tsk}
.
'Sigurd Ragnarök?' Kishirika's eyebrow raised. 'That is a... peculiar name for a demon. It sounds almost... ancient.'
.
'It's Norse,' Sigurd replied absently, then caught himself. 'I mean, it's from... far away.'
.
'Hmm.' Kishirika studied his tall form with new interest. 'You appear young despite your impressive height. How old are you, Sigurd?'
.
Sigurd hesitated. 'Five days old.'
.
Kishirika's eye twitched, blinking a few times confused. 'Five... days? This One thinks she misheard. Surely you meant five years? Or perhaps even five decades?'
.
'No. Five days.' Sigurd's mental voice was matter-of-fact. 'I was born five days ago.'
.
Kishirika stared at him in complete silence, her mind trying to process this information. A five-day-old boy who was nearly two meters tall, could walk, fight, and use some kind of poison ability?
.
'That is... impossible,' she finally managed.
.
'Congrats, you're now part of the circus — I'm the main clown.' Sigurd replied dryly.
.
'Five days old and you can think with such clarity!?!' Kishirika's mental voice carried genuine bewilderment ignoring his weird comment. 'That should be impossible! Even the most gifted children cannot form coherent thoughts until at least—'
.
'Apparently, I skipped the whole "baby phase" everyone else gets.' Sigurd remarked sarcastically. 'been fully conscious from day one.'
.
Kishirika's eyes widened further. 'You... you were aware from... birth? Are you perhaps a Miko? A blessed child with insight?'
.
Sigurd shrugged mentally. '"No clue what that means. Sounds fancy though.'
.
'Interesting...' Kishirika studied him with renewed interest. 'And that ability you used against the monster—what was that? Some form of magic?'
.
'It's poison.'
.
'Poison magic...' she mused. 'This One has never seen such an application. Was it some kind of new meld magic? A fusion of water and earth magic perhaps?'
.
'No, it's not magic,' Sigurd replied. 'It's one of my innate abilities.'
.
'Innate abilities?' Kishirika's mental voice grew more intrigued. 'How peculiar. Well, regardless—' Her tone shifted to something more formal. 'This One owes you a debt for saving her life. How would you have This One repay such a service?'
.
Sigurd considered this. 'Well since you're offering, I'd be grateful if you could teach me the language. I can't exactly communicate with anyone else like this.'
.
Kishirika let out a small, childish laugh that somehow carried through the mental link. 'Wahahaha! Language? This One can easily impart that knowledge to you directly!'
.
'What do you mean?'
.
Without warning, Kishirika stepped closer and pressed two fingers against Josh's forehead.
.
A torrent of information suddenly crashed into his mind—informations about various languages—all flooding his consciousness at once like a dam had burst. Knowledge of the Human God Tongue, Demon God Tongue, and Beast God Tongue poured into his brain simultaneously.
.
Sigurd's eyes went wide before he clutched his head with both hands, a splitting headache tearing through his skull. He dropped to his knees, groaning in pain.
.
"Bear with it for just a few moments," Kishirika said aloud, no longer using telepathy. "The knowledge integration always causes temporary discomfort."
.
Sigurd gritted his teeth, his vision blurring as the languages sorted themselves in his mind. After what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few seconds, the pain began to subside.
.
"Do you understand me now?" Kishirika asked, speaking in what he recognizes as the Demon God Tongue.
.
Sigurd looked up at her, blinking in surprise. The words made perfect sense. He nodded slowly.
.
"Excellent!" Kishirika beamed. "This One's debt is—"
.
GRUMBLE!
.
Her stomach let out a loud, demanding growl that echoed across the desert. Kishirika's cheeks flushed slightly as she pressed a hand to her midsection.
.
"Ah... This One may have worked up an appetite during that chase... And considering how long it has been since This One has eaten anything"
.
Sigurd got her attention by patting her shoulder. When she turned to look at him, he bent down and picked up several baseball-sized rocks from the ground.
.
Kishirika watched curiously as he held them in his hands, concentrating. Within moments, the rocks began to shift and change, transforming into perfectly ordinary-looking burgers and sandwiches.
.
Kishirika's eyes bulged out of her head, her mouth dropping open in shock.
.
"WHAT KIND OF MAGIC DID YOU USE?!" she shrieked, pointing at the food. "Did you conjure those? Or transform them? Like how did you turn rocks into—"
.
Sigurd shrugged and pointed to his mouth, then shook his head—indicating he still couldn't speak properly yet.
.
Kishirika's eye glowed crimson again as she activated her telepathy. 'What was that?! How did you create food from stones?!'
.
'Another innate ability,' Sigurd replied dismissively, offering her one of the burgers.
.
'Another—' Kishirika stared at him in complete disbelief. 'Just how many "innate abilities" do you possess?!'
.
Sigurd's mental voice dismissively. 'Hell if I know. I'm just winging it with confidence.'
.
---
END OF CHAPTER
---
.
.
.
• Author Note:
What did you guys think? I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
I'll be updating every two days — so expect 3 to 4 chapters each week. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!