Chapter 2
MC POV
I don't know how much time had passed. When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the dirt, surrounded by massive trees and thick jungle air.
A quick scan told me one thing: I wasn't on Earth anymore.
"I'm in the middle of the Pacific Ocean… no, wait—" I looked around at the endless greenery. "More specifically, on some island. Even more specifically, dead center in a jungle. Great. Just great."
My body felt lighter. Smaller. I checked my reflection in a puddle. An eight-year-old face stared back at me.
"…Why the hell did that god toss me into a child's body? At least it's not a pirate-infested island, I guess."
I focused. My skills.
{Ego}—active.
{System}—unresponsive.
"Tch. Figures."
Before I could think further—
BOOM!
Something slammed into me from above, knocking me flat. I groaned, vision spinning.
"Ghh—what the—"
It was a girl. Small frame, light-blue hair, dressed in strange clothes. She reeked of divinity, even in her downgraded form. And before I could process it, she started bawling.
???: "Waaahhh! Why meee?!"
I froze. "…Aqua?"
Her head snapped up, eyes brimming with tears. "Y-yes! I'm Aqua, the goddess of water and purification!" She puffed up proudly for a split second, then crumbled back into sobs. "And now I've been reduced to this! A little kid! Waaahhh!"
I rubbed my temples. "Oh, perfect. They nerfed my cheat partner into a crybaby."
{Ego}: "Correction: Subject identified as "Aqua," former goddess entity. Current state: drastically weakened. Divine authority sealed. Physical age regression: approximately eight years."
"Thanks, Ego," I muttered.
{Ego}: "Advisory: Emotional stability required. Immediate action suggested to prevent prolonged auditory disturbance."
I sighed. "In other words, make her shut up."
{Ego}: "Affirmative."
Aqua wailed louder, pounding the ground. "I was living peacefully in my temple! I had worshippers! I had offerings! And then—then—I was just laughing at some mortal's stupid death—he mistook a tractor for a truck, panicked, peed himself, and died! It was hilarious!"
She sniffled dramatically. "And right in the middle of my laughter, this… thing appeared! It called itself RBG, and said I'd been chosen. Before I could even protest, it shoved me out of the heavens, shrank me into this dumb child body, sealed my powers, and dropped me from the sky!"
She flopped on the ground like a fish, kicking her legs. "I lost everything! My beautiful temple! My worshippers! My divine wine! My relaxing goddess life!"
Her voice cracked so badly it made my head ache.
"That's it." I grabbed her shoulders, dragged her to a nearby river, and dunked her head under the water.
"MMMPHHH—!!"
Three minutes later, I pulled her up. She gasped, hair plastered to her face, tears mixing with river water.
"If you don't stop crying," I said coldly, "I'll drown you for real."
She froze, then made a trembling pout. "O-okay… I'll stop."
Her voice was so small, it almost sounded pitiful. Almost.
I let go and stepped back. "Good. Now explain yourself again, but this time without the whining."
She sniffled, then straightened up and flipped her wet hair like she was still in her full goddess form.
Aqua: "Hmph! As I said, I'm Aqua, the most beautiful, radiant, and generous goddess of water and purification! Worshipped by countless followers! Loved across the realms! My miracles could heal, purify, and bless entire nations!"
She puffed her chest, striking a dramatic pose, even though she was dripping wet and stuck in an eight-year-old body.
Aqua: "And now… all of that's gone! My temple abandoned! My worshippers lost! My wine stolen by fate itself! And worst of all, my divine beauty… trapped in this loli form!"
She stomped her foot in outrage. "Do you understand the magnitude of this tragedy?!"
I blinked. "Yeah. Totally tragic."
I couldn't help it — I burst into laughter.
"Ahahaha! You're supposed to be a goddess, and now you're a brat throwing tantrums in the jungle. This is too good."
Aqua puffed her cheeks and pointed at me. "You're making fun of me!"
"I'm not laughing at you," I wheezed. "I'm laughing at the situation. Kazuma's death, you falling out of the sky, RBG screwing us both over… this is a comedy sketch."
She tried to glare at me but cracked a giggle. And then, reluctantly, she laughed too.
For a moment, the jungle echoed with our laughter — ridiculous, mismatched, but strangely comforting.
When we finally caught our breath, I offered my hand. "Name's Sunny. Nice to meet you, Aqua. Since we're stuck here, let's at least work together."
Aqua wiped her face, then flipped her hair again, trying to look dignified. "Hmph! Fine. I suppose I'll allow it. But don't forget—I'm still a goddess. You better treat me properly."
"Sure, sure," I said.
{Ego}: "Prediction: Probability of user treating subject 'Aqua' properly—3%."
I smirked. "Heh. Sounds about right."
And just like that, my journey began — with an AI voice in my head, and a downgraded goddess who acted like a spoiled child.
This was going to be a nightmare.