Shibo

Let’s run down the events of my very ordinary day so far.

To kick things off, I embarked on my usual morning strolls, only to find myself pursued by a Nephilim, which, I must say, I handled like a badass.

After that little escapade, I thought it wise to turn myself in for the bounty, but instead of a warm welcome, I was greeted with the sharp ends of spears and sentenced to the depths of Bushin Prison.

In a bid to lift my spirits, I attempted to write a heartfelt letter to my beloved Guinevere, but as luck would have it, an asteroid crashed into my cell, obliterating my bed in the process!

Alright, perhaps I’m embellishing a tad; it was more like a little girl than an asteroid, but let’s stick with the more dramatic version for effect.

“Hey. Wake up...” I pondered the best way to wake someone from slumber, ultimately deciding that repeatedly patting their forehead was the way to go. “...Wake up, Asteroid.”

“Mmm…Mmm...”

“Oh, her eyes are opening...” The moment she cracked her eyelids, she was met with the sight of a cow’s head looming over her. “...Greetings, human. I am known as-”

“EEK!” In a startled reaction, she screamed and inadvertently collided her head with mine. We both yelped in unison, clutching our throbbing foreheads.

“Why is a child’s forehead so tough?” As I checked to see if she was okay, I noticed her crying out something that sounded like a jumbled mess to my ears. “Did the impact cause more harm than I realized?! Oh no. I’m so sorry. Please forgive-” In an attempt to make amends, I reached out for a comforting hug, only to be met with a swift punch to my nose. What on earth do they feed these kids?

Slamming and sliding down the wall and landed on my backside, I caught a glimpse of her worried expression, reminiscent of travelers who accidentally run over a small animal with their wagon. Once again, she began to cry out in her nonsensical language, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the blow to my head was affecting my understanding.

Slowly managing to sit up, I noticed her hair shifting from a brilliant white back to its original lavender hue.

Slamming against the wall and sliding down my butt, I noticed she had a concerned expression. The expression you’d see on travelers who accidently ran over a small animal with their wagon.

Once again, she started crying out gibberish to me. This time I thought the blow to my head was to blame.

Slowly managing to sit up, I noticed her hair fading from a pure white, back to her original lavender.

That’s when it hit me.

(Wait… white hair? Yeah. I’ve heard about this. They say white hair signifies divinity. Could this little girl actually be a deity? Do they really come in this size…?)

“Are you a god?” My voice came out slightly garbled due to my bruised nose, making me sound like a stereotypical nerd from a school drama.

She tilted her head, a hint of curiosity in her eyes as she responded:

“God?”

That’s when it hit me.

(Wait… White hair…? Yeah, I’ve heard about this. It is said that white hair is a symbol of godhood. Is this little girl a god? Do they really come in this size? Might as well ask.)

“…Are you a god?”

My voice was a little distorted from my dented nose, so I ended up sounding like a cliché school geek.

She tilted her head slightly while asking:

“God?”

(Finally, a word I can understand…)

“Yes. Yooouuuu…” I elongated the word while gesturing toward her. “…God?”

Realizing I couldn’t understand her words, she nodded, signaling a “yes.”

“Ooooh! So, you must be speaking the language of the Gods. That makes a lot of sense… Sorry, but I don’t know that. Then again, it’s not like you can understand me. Hmm… How should we do this… Oh, I know!”

“?”

Pointing at myself, I slowly pronounced, “I Annniiiikii.”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“…”

“…”

“I Annniiiikii”.

“…”

“…”

“Ani…ki?”

“Mm-hm” I nodded.

“Ani..ki. Aniki. Anik!” She clapped her hands with delight, as if she had just mastered a new word.

(Kinda makes me happy to see her so joyful.)

“Yooouuu?”

For a brief moment, she gazed at my finger, then it dawned on her that I was asking for her name. “Kyoko.”

“Kyoko? That’s a weird name.”

“Kyoko? That’s a weird name.” For a second, I wondered if she had developed some extraordinary comprehension and understood my comment. “Why?” you might wonder. Well, aside from her hair shifting back to a brilliant white, her skin darkening, and the sight of two ethereal wings along with a halo that looked like it belonged in a famous painting… nothing. Nothing at all.

Out of nowhere, she grabbed my shoulder, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself in a completely different realm. My heart raced as I thought:

(Crap. Did she just send me to heaven with her divine powers?!)

But as I took in my surroundings, it became clear that I was just outside. The giant red statue of Zhu Bajie was the giveaway. Those were pretty much everywhere you looked in the Kingdom of Bushin.

"Um… I appreciate you for breaking me out, Kyoko, but now that makes you a criminal."

“…….”

A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by a sudden *swoosh of the wind.

"Oh right, you can't understand me"

“I can understand you.”

“The hell-?!” The shock in my voice was palpable, as her tone seemed to warp the very fabric of our surroundings, leaving me unnerved. Honestly, I’m embarrassed to say she scared the living shit out of me. “Wait. Y-You heard me all along?!” Yep. There’s only one thing left to do. “P-Please don’t send me to hell. I’m sorry for talking about your name. I-I didn’t mean it! Believe me!”

“Calm yourself, jellybean. I understand you. But she doesn’t.”

“Eh-? Who’s she?”

“The owner of this body. Actually, why am I even explaining this. Just get out of here.”

“Get out of here? D-Do you hate me now… Are you really sending me to hell?!”

“Ugh. I don’t even know who spread that lie. I promise you aren’t going to hell.”

“Eh-?”

“Just get out of here. Someone is coming and if you stay here, you’ll die.”

“Someone is coming? Who?”

“An old friend of mine. Now hurry. Or you’ll die.”

“I-I will not!”

“What? Why?”

“I promised myself a long time ago; I’ll never run from away from my problems.”

“Huh? Don’t you fear death, human?”

“Of course not. I’ve died more times than you can count. No way am I leaving a kid just because of that.”

“A-A K-Kid?! Do you know who you’re talking to?! I am Nana. One of the Twelve Royal Decks. How dare you?!”

"I have no doubt about your strength..." My voice returned as my nose healed, and as I rose from the ground, I added:

"...But I couldn’t rest easy knowing I left a little girl to fight for me."

The small deity smiled as she moved forward, her voice light and contemplative. “Perhaps humans aren’t as terrible as they seem-”

“!”

“!”

Suddenly, an overwhelming rush of Nephilim surged toward them, a chaotic blend of eager children and aggressive hornets, their intentions unclear yet menacing.

“Just how many are there.”

“For them to be moving like this. Someone must be influencing them. And I know just who.”

“T-They’re charging right at us.”

“No, they’re charging at what’s behind us.”

“Huh…?”

(Does she mean…)

“This kingdom. They want to destroy this kingdom.”

“W-What do we do? Shouldn’t we stop them?”

“As much as I’d love to wipe them all out, with a body so tiny, my powers are limited. It’ll take all I have just to fight him. Dammit. He’s here.”

A sudden chill swept through the air, emanating from my left, as if the very atmosphere had turned hostile. Amidst the chaos of Nephilim, a figure emerged in the distance, shrouded in a heavy fog that seemed to amplify his aura of despair. Clad in a full-length trench coat -which if I’m being completely honest, was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen- but now wasn’t the time for gawking.

Concealing his sharp fangs with a hand, he grinned slyly:

“It’s been ages, dear sister. I’ve missed you dearly.”

His unexpected familiarity caught me off guard; I had anticipated a more sinister presence, perhaps a brooding detective type, not this cheeky, short-haired sass king.

“Still one of Lucifer’s five elite bitches I see.”

“What vulgar language. And in such a cute little body.”

“Hey, jellybean.”

“?”

“I sense a great power in you. I have no doubt you’ll be strong one day. But trust me… This guy is not someone you can beat... So please… run away.”

It was the way she smiled at me that captivated me completely. There was no doubt in my mind; I had never known my mother or any maternal figures, but surely this must be how a mother smiles. It had to be. No other smile could possibly radiate such warmth and gentleness. I was so entranced that I didn’t even notice the tears streaming down my face… And I didn’t realize…

I was already running.

I’m such a damn coward.