Mini-Asteria

"Fufu, this is a great plan."

"With this body, no one will ever know that this is me."

As I avoided people's stares and looked around, the world certainly looked bigger. Well, I can say that literally, because I really have become small now.

"Hmm, I rarely used this form in my era. Children often got kidnapped back then. Well, even if I got kidnapped, I could just punch my way out."

Night came as I walked and hummed casually in the crowd of people. I couldn't go back to my apartment, or Kuroi would find me later.

"And there are many things I want to try."

"Oh, that big screen looks even bigger."

Everywhere I looked, everything was shining with screens and lamps, which really made me realize again that this is truly a different era.

Shops lined my right and left. Noticing some selling clothes, I walked over. They were displaying a good dress with many ribbons on it.

"Hmm, the dress quality is sure better, huh? It's also to my taste, and in black."

"Hmm, I wonder what the pric— pfft!"

My eyes bugged out from the price.

"T-that much? Eh? Isn't that expensive?"

Trying to count it with my fingers made me realize even more how absurd the price was.

"With that much, I could buy a hundred cola drinks and a lot more food."

I decided to leave. After all, I could just make one myself or create it with my magic like my current clothes. Wandering around, I found something I had seen on TV.

"That's a truck food!"

I saw them selling something called crepes, and they said it was sweet. As it was my turn in line, I pointed at the strawberry and chocolate ones.

"Oh, I want to try this. Give me one of each."

I could see the staff inside the truck frowning and whispering to each other, looking at me while I was tiptoeing to see over the counter.

"Sure, little miss. One cloudy strawberry and one dark chocolate."

"Oh, for payment, do you accept this plastic?"

As my hand moved to grab the food, I showed them my plastic card that had black and gold colors on it.

"What! Eh, isn't that…"

"Hey, is that one of those ridiculously rich cards like from a movie or anime?"

"M-maybe you're right, but…"

Then they started whispering to each other when I showed it, but after that, they still let me pay using it. Not long after, I got my order and took it.

"Please come again," they said as they bowed a little.

"Sure, payment nowadays is really convenient, huh."

Seeing a park nearby that had a place to sit, I chose to sit there as I opened what I bought. I saw something like snow inside with a strawberry on top. Then, my lips bit into it and munched.

"Oh, this is delicious."

"Hmm, it's sweet and sour at the same time. Hmm, hmm."

After that, I finished both of them and wiped my lips with my thumb as I looked for more food around me.

"Well, everything today feels tasty."

As light shone on my face, I looked up at another big screen, but this one showed an advertisement.

"I-is that me? Eh, isn't that me?!"

Wide-eyed, I looked at the screen, then I looked at another place and saw even more of them, but now talking about dungeons, and there was another one.

"Wait, so… people can see my face every day on the street?!"

.

..

…

"Argh!! What on earth happened? Did I forget something for this to happen?"

"T-that is too embarrassing!!!"

As if I could feel my cheeks turning red, I buried my face in my palms. It was too much for me; my face could be seen plainly by everyone in public on those massive images.

"Ugh, maybe it's time to go back and get scolded rather than be punished like this watching myself."

Dragging myself back to the main street while looking straight ahead, I noticed many people walking while holding hands, and children with their parents.

"Yeah, this is a good era."

"Hmm… what is this feeling?"

Stopping my walk, I looked around me as people looked back at me wondering why I stopped, then…

"Kyaaa!"

From ahead, I could hear someone screaming. Because of my height, I couldn't see, so I moved from the pedestrian path to the side of the road to see what was happening. People were pointing at a pole and what was sitting on it.

"Hmm, is that a demon ape?"

A silhouette of a big, hairy, and burly body with menacing fangs and white and red fur was sitting there in front of the moon.

"Ah, it's coming here."

Maybe because it noticed me as a threat or something, the ape jumped from the pole straight at me.

"Hey, run! It's coming here!"

Seeing that movement, the crowd started panicking and running, scattering everywhere, while the ape, with its fist in front like something I'd seen in a movie, quickly approached me.

The dispersing people made enough space for me as my hand moved forward and caught the ape's fist, not letting it go.

Bam!

"Oh, you are really strong."

Seeming frustrated, it tried to overpower me to release its hand, and with its other hand, it smashed down towards me.

"Oh no, you don't."

I decided to catch the other hand, putting strain on my legs as the road below me began to crack.

"Tch."

It tried to crush me into the ground now, but I decided to release the hand on the far side, breaking its posture and bringing its head near me.

"Eat this."

Launching myself upward, I drove my knee straight into its jaw. Bone cracked on impact. The ape's head snapped back, its eyes rolling white as the massive body collapsed motionless onto the asphalt.

"That was indeed a good job by me."

.

..

…

Clap Clap

"Woah, that little girl beat a monster easily."

"How can she be that strong?"

While I was standing over the ape's body, people started gathering around me, and they started taking out their phones and taking pictures, I think.

"Hey, some of you, call the adventurers or military! This one is still unconscious, not dead."

"W-what?! Someone call them already!"

Seeing them stop taking pictures and start calling, I stepped down from the ape's body and walked away, until…

"Little missy, we have many questions about you, so can you come with us?"

Looking back as I felt a firm hand on my shoulder, I could see two police officers smiling at me.

"They are too close…"

And I felt that despite smiling, they were not actually smiling at me. With that, I nodded and followed them with a dejected face, looking down.

As I arrived at a tiny police box, they started asking me about where my parents were, what I was doing out at this time, why I didn't escape, and other things.

"Do you have a number we can call?"

"Um… here."

I didn't want this to become a problem. After all, they were the police, so I just nodded and gave them Kuroi's card.

As the police took it, I could see from behind the glass that the officers were talking on the phone and sometimes glancing back at me.

"Your guardian will come here. For now, don't go anywhere until they arrive."

Holding my knees in the chair, I just nodded and waited.

.

..

…

Clatter

The police box door opened, and I looked up with a smile at Kuroi. She entered and glared at me, making me reflexively look down again.

"Thank you, police officers."

"No problem at all. We just want to make sure people do not get harmed."

"But still, thank you. Now, let's get going, miss."

Still looking down, I nodded at that and followed Kuroi as we entered the car and sat silently.

"What were you thinking, getting caught by the police?"

"And what is this form? Are you trying to become a child or something?"

"You made Capsaicin wait in your room for hours!"

During the trip, I just stayed quiet and looked down, feeling like I had just gotten lectured by my mother or something.