Mushoku Tensei: Ragnarök

[3 months later]

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Time really flow fast when you're not paying attention, right now I was having what I'd generously call a "relaxing afternoon."

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Which, in my experience, usually meant something was about to go horribly, spectacularly wrong.

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Kishirika had wandered off about an hour ago, muttering something about "exploring interesting rock formations" - which was her way of saying she was bored and wanted to poke things that might explode.

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I was sitting cross-legged behind some boulders, trying to practice my Observation Haki without giving myself another migraine.

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The key word being "trying."

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"Come on, you stupid sixth sense," I muttered, rubbing my bandaged eyes. "Just... I don't know, sense something that isn't a rock or a vulture for once."

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Of course, the moment I said that, my Haki picked up something.

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Multiple somethings, actually.

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Small presences moving fast through the rocky terrain, heading straight toward me with the desperation of prey being chased by something very, very scary.

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"Oh, wonderful. Visitors with baggage."

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I stood up, stretching to my full seven-meter height, when three small figures burst through the rocks and practically ran face-first into my legs.

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Kids.

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Demon kids, from the looks of it - small horns, pointed ears, and different skin colors that probably meant they were from different tribes or something.

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They were dirty, exhausted, and looked like they'd been running for hours.

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The moment they saw me, they froze like deer in headlights.

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Then started screaming like I was made of spiders and nightmares.

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"MONSTER!"

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"IT'S HUGE!"

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"RUN RUN RUN!"

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"Hey, wait-" I started, but they were already scrambling away, tripping over rocks in their panic like the ground was trying to eat them.

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"I'm not a monster!" I called after them, which probably wasn't very convincing coming from a seven-meter-tall guy in beast pelts with bandaged eyes, two menacing black horns, and wings that screamed 'final boss material.'

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Great social skills, Sigurd. Really winning those hearts and minds.

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That's when my Haki picked up another presence.

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This one was different.

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Faster. Stronger. And moving with the kind of precision that made my spine tingle in the 'oh shit, I'm about to get stabbed' way.

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I barely had time to process that before a figure burst through the rocks, moving so fast he was practically a blur with murderous intent.

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Green hair. Crimson eyes. A trident that looked like it could carve through mountains.

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And he was looking up at me like I'd just kicked a basket of puppies while cackling maniacally.

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Way, way up.

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The guy barely reached my kneecaps.

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"You will not harm those children," he said, his voice carrying the kind of cold authority that made my spine straighten involuntarily despite the comical size difference.

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"What? I wasn't-"

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The trident came at my ankle faster than I could blink, and my brain just went 'NOPE.'

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My Observation Haki screamed danger, and I ignited my back flame just as the weapon connected with my shin.

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The three prongs scraped against my hardened skin with a metallic screech, leaving only slightly red marks where they should have carved me into giant-sized sashimi.

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The green-haired warrior's eyes widened in shock, his face going from grim determination to 'what the actual hell.'

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"What-" he breathed, staring at his trident like it had just told him his mother was disappointed in him.

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"Wait, this is a misunderstanding!" I tried to explain, but he wasn't listening anymore.

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Because apparently, when your legendary demon-slaying weapon fails to work, the logical response is to try harder.

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He darted forward and drove his weapon toward the back of my ankle with even more force, his face twisted in concentration like he was trying to solve the world's most violent math problem.

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I felt the danger through my Haki and flared my back flame again just before impact.

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Another metallic screech. Another set of red scratch marks.

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His crimson eyes were getting wider with each failed attack, confusion and something like desperation creeping into his expression.

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I'd learned this neat trick since I couldn't sustain my back flame for more than a few minutes - rely on my Haki and timing to ignite it the moment an attack was about to connect, then let it fade right after. Energy efficient and dramatic.

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But this was actually perfect.

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A real opponent who could push me, force me to use my Haki to follow his movements. I could feel my observation sharpening with each attack I predicted and defended against.

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But there was something else happening. Something inside me trying to surface every time before I activated my back flame. Like it was being held back by my reliance on my Lunarian near-invulnerability.

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"I wasn't hurting them!" I protested, but he'd entered full 'murder the giant' mode.

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He was running around me in circles now, jabbing at any part of my body he could reach with increasing frustration. At one point I tried to block with my primitive Club and it shattered against his trident into millions of splinters, Each time my Haki warned me of an attack, I'd activate my back flame, and each time his weapon failed to do more than scratch the surface.

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"Impossible," he muttered, leaping up to try for my upper body like some kind of homicidal grasshopper. "You shouldn't be able to..."

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I swatted at him reflexively, but he twisted in mid-air to avoid my hand, landing in a perfect crouch about ten feet away.

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Sweat beaded on his forehead. Not from exhaustion, but from confusion and what looked like professional frustration.

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"Okay, that was genuinely cool," I admitted, watching him circle me like a predator looking for an opening that didn't exist.

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But that feeling inside me was getting stronger. Something crawling under my skin, begging to come out and play.

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Maybe... maybe my Lunarian Durability was actually hindering my growth?

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I'd been relying on it as a crutch since I learned to use it, activating it every time danger approached. But what if I trusted my gut and let whatever was building inside me actually surface?

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The warrior sprinted forward again, launching himself right at face level, my Observation Haki sensing his aim - my bandaged eyes.

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This time, instead of activating my Back Flame, I trusted that crawling sensation.

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I let it flow out, whatever it was, and felt it coating my forehead like liquid metal as I tilted my head down to meet his trident head-on.

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The weapon connected with a completely different sound - a sharp clang like steel meeting steel.

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Armament Haki. Finally.

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The warrior stumbled backward, staring in shock at the dark metallic color that had coated my forehead before fading back to normal, leaving a small trail of blood running down.

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I might have unlocked my Armament Haki, but it was still weak as hell. Hardening wasn't even my main goal, but hey, progress was progress.

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"What the hell was that?" he demanded.

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I stared down at him, my heart racing with excitement like a kid who'd just learned to ride a bike.

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"My comeback," I said, feeling a wide grin spread across my face.

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It felt different from my Lunarian Durability. Less absolute, but more... controlled. Like armor I could consciously direct and wear partially, instead of just full-body plot armor.

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"You will not harm those children," the warrior repeated, but his voice carried way less certainty now.

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My excitement died.

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"I WASN'T HARMING THEM!" I shouted back, my temper finally snapping like a rubber band.

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I shrunk down to match his size while grinning like a maniac.

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"What–?!" Before he could finish his shocked question, I punched at him with my hand and forearm coated in that metallic black Armament Haki.

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He responded by trying to pierce my incoming punch with his trident. It worked - he managed to pierce through, blood flowing as my hardening was barely functional and still shit-tier.

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But this was perfect. An actual challenge that was making me grow stronger in real time, like some kind of violent training montage.

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Seeing his attacks finally working, he launched himself at me with renewed vigor. I didn't bother tanking everything anymore - I predicted trajectories with Observation Haki and dodged when I could, coating targeted parts with Armament when I couldn't.

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Meanwhile I kept my arms and legs coated and traded blows with him, even though his attacks were drawing blood and I still couldn't manage to land a solid hit. Largely due to my complete lack of actual combat experience beyond 'hit things until they stop moving.'

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But I could see frustration building in his crimson eyes, mixed with something else.

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Something that looked suspiciously like the smile creeping across his face.

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Battle junkie. I could recognize one because I was apparently becoming one myself.

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"What kind of demon are you?" he demanded, landing gracefully and immediately preparing for another assault.

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"The kind that loves a good fight!" I shot back, coating my fist in hardening and throwing a punch toward where he was standing.

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He blocked it as I predicted, followed by a kick which he avoided by sidestepping.

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Another punch - he avoided it easily, but...

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The punch hit a boulder behind him.

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The boulder exploded into gravel.

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"Oh, this is fun," I said, flexing my hardened fingers like I'd just discovered the world's most violent toy.

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For the first time since the fight started, the warrior actually smiled. Not a pleasant smile - the smile of a predator recognizing worthy prey.

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"Finally," he muttered, and there was genuine approval in his voice. "A real fight."

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He came at me again, but this time his attacks were different. Faster, harder, like he'd been holding back before and just decided to stop being polite.

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I met him move for move, my Observation Haki getting sharper with each exchange, my Armament coating flowing faster and getting denser as I learned to direct it properly.

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My right fist, hardened and eager, shot toward his position.

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He dodged under it, then aimed his trident for my knee.

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I coated that spot just in time, the weapon meeting my knee with another sharp clang that still drew blood.

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But this time, instead of just defending like a punching bag, I grabbed at him with my free hand.

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He twisted away, but not quite fast enough.

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My hardened fingertips caught his shoulder, and I delivered a powerful punch to his gut. I heard him gasp as the force sent him spinning away, landing several meters back.

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He stood up without much difficulty, blood flowing down his chin.

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He wiped it away and grinned like Christmas morning.

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"Better," he said, readying himself again. "Much better!"

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This was incredible. Every exchange was teaching me something new about directing my Haki, about reading movements and reacting, about the difference between fighting and just hitting things really hard.

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I was actually having the time of my life.

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"Come on then!" I called out, coating both fists in Armament Haki. "I can do this all day!"

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His grin grew wider - a fierce expression that promised beautiful violence - and he launched into a flurry of attacks.

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My Observation Haki was getting better by the second, predicting his movements with increasing accuracy while my Armament coating flowed to defend and counter in perfect synchronization.

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This was what real combat felt like.

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Not just overpowering monsters with brute strength, but actually putting skill against skill, technique against technique.

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His trident came at me in a wide arc, and I met it with crossed hardened arms, my counterattacks forcing him to defend with increasing difficulty.

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"Excellent!" he called out, genuine enthusiasm in his voice now. "You're learning as you keep fighting!"

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"First teacher I've ever had!" I replied, throwing a hardened uppercut that he barely avoided - but it scratched his cheek, drawing blood.

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"What in the name of the Demon God's left testicle is going on here?!"

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Kishirika's voice cut through our exchange like a bucket of ice water.

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Both the warrior and I froze mid-attack, turning to see her standing on a boulder with her hands on her hips, looking thoroughly exasperated like a parent who'd found their kids playing with dynamite.

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"Rika!" I called out, the hardening fading from my limbs as my concentration shattered. "We were just-"

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"Fighting," she said flatly, taking in my bloodied form. "This One can see that. The question is why you're fighting someone who could potentially turn you into ground meat instead of running away like a person with functional brain cells."

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"He thought I was threatening some kids," I explained.

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"Were you?"

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"NO! They just crashed into me and started screaming!"

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"Well, did you try NOT looking like a seven-meter-tall monster from a children's nightmare book?"

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"I didn't have time to shrink!"

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"Oh, for the love of- You're barely a year old! How do you keep getting into these ridiculous situations?!"

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The green-haired warrior suddenly went very still, his crimson eyes widening as he stared up at me like I'd just told him I was actually three raccoons in a trench coat.

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"... One year old?" he repeated, his voice losing all its earlier battle enthusiasm.

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"What's wrong with being a year old? Got a problem with that?" I said defensively, then caught the look on his face. "Oh. Oh no."

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"You're... a child?"

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The warrior's expression went through several rapid changes - confusion, horror, embarrassment, and what looked like the beginning of a full-scale existential crisis.

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He actually sat down heavily on a rock, his trident clattering to the ground beside him like his will to live.

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"Well, technically-"

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"Nehehehehe! He's a baby," Kishirika said with obvious evil amusement. "A very large, very annoying baby who keeps picking fights with anything that moves."

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"I AM NOT A BABY!" I shouted, my voice echoing off the rocky walls like a proclamation of wounded pride.

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The warrior slowly looked at me, then at Kishirika, then back at me like he was trying to solve the universe's most disturbing puzzle.

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"I just tried to kill a one-year-old," he said quietly, like he was processing information that broke his understanding of reality.

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"A one-year-old who was in the middle of handing you your ass!" I pointed out proudly.

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"That's... somehow not making this better."

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"Nehahahaha! This One finds this situation absolutely hilarious," Kishirika said, hopping down from her boulder. "The great Ruijerd Superdia, brought low by discovering his opponent was still teething."

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"Ruijerd?" I blinked, the name clicking in my brain from Kishirika's history lessons. "Wait, you're THE Ruijerd Superdia? The legendary-"

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"Yes," he said wearily, putting his face in his hands like he was questioning every life choice that led to this moment. "And you're apparently a very large, very dangerous infant."

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"I don't like being called an infant," I muttered, crossing my arms like the petulant child I apparently was.

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"You are literally one year old!" Kishirika exclaimed.

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"Yeah, but I'm-" I started, then realized I didn't have a good argument for that. "Shut up."

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"The children I was protecting - where are they?" Ruijerd said, pulling himself together with visible effort. "They were being hunted by slavers."

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"Slavers? And you thought I was one of them?"

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"You are a seven-meter-tall demon with wings, unusual abilities, and enough power to level small mountains. It was... a reasonable assumption."

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"... Fair enough," I admitted, then had a thought. "Wait, they're probably still hiding and terrified. Maybe you or Rika should handle the clearing-up-the-misunderstanding part before I traumatize them further."

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"That would be... advisable."

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I was two meters tall now, so they shouldn't be scared anymore, right?

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Right?

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Kishirika went to calm the kids down while Ruijerd retrieved his trident. Even though he'd saved them, they were still scared of him too - apparently being a Superd came with its own reputation problems. Same for me, since I'd recently been a menacing giant straight out of their worst nightmares.

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Kishirika emerged from behind the rocks, followed by three small heads peeking out cautiously.

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When they saw me at human size, their expressions shifted from terror to cautious curiosity.

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"He got smaller!" one boy whispered like he'd witnessed actual magic.

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"How did he do that?" the other boy asked.

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"Magic?" the girl said questioningly, like magic explained everything in this world. Which it probably did.

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They crept closer, still wary but no longer planning to run screaming into the desert.

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"Are you really only a year old?" the girl asked, tilting her head like a confused puppy.

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"Rika! Was it necessary to mention my damned age?!" I snapped at the pint-sized Empress, then turned to the girl and added defensively, "What about it? I'm very mature for my age."

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"That's impossible," the horned boy said with the brutal honesty of children everywhere. "You're bigger than my dad, and he's really old."

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"I grow fast."

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"My baby brother is two years old," the scaled girl said thoughtfully, "and he can barely walk. You're fighting grown-ups!"

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"Your baby brother is older than me?" I asked, suddenly feeling extremely weird about that revelation.

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"Yep! He's super little and cute and can barely talk."

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I looked at Kishirika, who was barely containing her laughter like this was the best entertainment she'd had in centuries.

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"This One thinks this is the best conversation This One has ever witnessed," she said gleefully.

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"I'm never living this down, am I?" I sighed like a man accepting his fate.

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"Nothing wrong with being a child," Ruijerd said, and there was something almost fond in his voice now. "Though I must admit, your combat instincts are remarkable for someone so... young."

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"Thanks?" I wasn't sure if that was a compliment or just made things worse.

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"Well, since we're apparently not trying to murder each other anymore," I said, "proper introductions are probably overdue. I'm Sigurd. Sigurd Ragnarök. And this is—"

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"This One is the Great Demon Empress Kishirika Kishirisu!" Kishirika interrupted, striking a dramatic pose with her arms spread wide. "You can bow your head in reverence!"

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Ruijerd blinked slowly, looking from the tiny girl posing dramatically to me with a confused expression.

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I caught his look and discretely made a circular motion with my finger next to my head, jokingly mouthing 'she's got issues.'

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Ruijerd nodded with understanding, clearly thinking the little girl was just playing pretend.

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"This One detects a lack of proper reverence!" Kishirika declared indignantly.

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"I'm Ruijerd," he said simply, ignoring her dramatics. "Ruijerd Superdia." After him the kids also introduced themselves.

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"That ability you used - turning your body metallic black during combat - it's extremely useful," he continued. "Almost like Battle Aura."

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"Actually, I achieved that during our fight," I said. "I had near-invulnerability before, but it seemed to be dulling my instincts, so I decided to turn it off and gain some much-needed experience."

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"Invulnerability?" His eyebrows rose like I'd just casually mentioned owning a pet dragon. "Is that what made my attacks useless at first?"

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"It's... complicated."

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"I imagine it is." He studied me with those crimson eyes, and I could see him making some kind of decision. "The children need to be escorted back to their village. Would you... be willing to help?"

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"Got nothing better to do. Don't see why not."

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"And perhaps..." He paused, looking almost embarrassed. "Perhaps you would be interested in some training. Your power is considerable, but your technique is... negligible."

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"Are you offering to teach me?"

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"I am. It would be... penance. For attacking a child, regardless of the circumstances."

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"I'm not-" I started, then caught the looks from everyone present. "Fine. Yes, I'm apparently a child. A very large, very dangerous child who would like to learn how to fight properly instead of just punching things until they break. Happy now?"

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"Then we have an arrangement."

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The girl tugged on my pants leg. "Are you going to get bigger again?"

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"Probably not. But if I do, I'll try to warn you first so you don't have heart attacks."

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"Cool! Can you teach me how to become big?" one of the boys jumped in eagerly.

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"It... doesn't works that way."

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"Aww."

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Ruijerd gathered the children, and we started walking toward their village, me staying at human size to avoid causing more widespread panic.

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But I couldn't stop thinking about that moment during the fight when my Armament Haki had awakened. That feeling of something clicking into place, of power flowing exactly where I needed it.

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For the first time since arriving in this world, I'd experienced real combat. Not just overpowering things, but actual technique meeting technique.."Hey, Ruijerd?" I called out.

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"Yes?"

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"Thanks for the fight. I learned more in those few minutes than I have in months."

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He actually smiled at that - a genuine expression that transformed his entire face. "You're welcome. Though next time, perhaps I should confirm the situation before attempting murder."

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"Yeah, you should totally do that. Asking questions first, stabbing second. Revolutionary concept."

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"This One still thinks this whole situation is ridiculous," Kishirika chimed in. "But This One admits it was entertaining to watch."

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"So glad my life could provide you with amusement," I said sarcastically.

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As we walked toward the village, I realized this felt like the beginning of something important. My real journey, maybe. Something that would actually help me get stronger instead of just relying on cheat abilities.

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And if I had to deal with being called a baby for a while... well, I'd survived worse embarrassments.

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Hell, most of those had happened in my first day in this life.

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END OF CHAPTER

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• Author Note:

Here's another chapter! Hope you continue enjoy this humble work of mine. I hope to live up to your expectations and make this book enjoyable and successful.