The wind on the mountain was colder than expected. The higher I climbed, the quieter everything became. No city noise, no birds, no voices—just the sound of the wind brushing against the rocks.

I finally reached the ridge and pulled myself over the last ledge, breathing hard.

Then I saw her.

At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Something huge moved beyond the rocks, far too large to be human. The silhouette slowly rose from behind a cliff, and towering above the mountain stood a colossal kaiju girl—Jiras.

Her massive form cast a shadow across the ridge. Dark green scales and thick white dorsal spikes lined her back, her long tail curling slowly behind her like a resting serpent. Even standing still, she felt impossibly powerful, like the mountain itself had come to life.

I froze.

For a moment I thought this was the end of my climb.

But she didn't attack.

Instead, her large eyes slowly focused on me. Curious. Calm.

Jiras tilted her head slightly, studying the tiny human who somehow made it to the top of her mountain.

"Huh…"

Her voice was deep but not hostile.

"You climbed all the way up here?"

She crouched down a little so she wouldn't tower so far above me. Even then, she was still enormous.

My heart was pounding.

I couldn't tell if I should run, speak, or just stand there.

Jiras watched my nervous expression for a second… then let out a quiet amused huff.

"Relax."

Her giant clawed hand slowly lifted—not in a threatening way, but gently.

She reached toward me.

I flinched slightly when her fingers came close.

But instead of grabbing me…

She softly brushed my hair.

Her claws were careful, moving slowly so they wouldn't hurt me. The gesture was oddly gentle for something so massive.

"Your hair is messy," she murmured.

The wind blew again across the peak, making both my clothes and her long wild hair move in the mountain air.

Jiras leaned on one knee beside the ridge, looking down at me with a strange mixture of curiosity and mild amusement.

"You're either brave… or really stupid," she said casually.

Her tail flicked behind her, scraping lightly against the rocks.

But her expression softened.

"Still… climbing a mountain alone like that takes guts."

She looked out across the horizon for a moment. The clouds were drifting below the peak now.

Then her eyes moved back to me.

"You came all the way up here just to see the view?"

Another small smile appeared on her face.

She gently ruffled my hair one more time.

"Well… congratulations."

She gestured toward the endless mountains stretching into the distance.

"You made it to the top."

For a creature strong enough to destroy cities, there wasn't a single hint of hostility in her voice.

Just quiet curiosity.

And the faintest trace of kindness.