I am a god-slayer, not your hero.

Unexpectedly, not only did she not run away, but she even dared to come over and ask me to allow her to delay payment.

Mingxian thought for a moment and then used his wisdom.

I understood it immediately.

"He wants to use his relationships with his creditors and debtors to ensure his safety," Mingxian thought to himself.

It's like someone being targeted by a gang, who, in order to ensure their safety, borrows a large sum of money from various banks to spend.

To ensure that the loan is not voided upon the borrower's death, the bank will do everything possible to keep him alive.

That's roughly the logic.

Naruhiro gave Hayasaka Ai a deep look, marveling at the depth of this woman's scheming.

Hayasaka Ai tilted her head, sensing that the other person had a strange misunderstanding.

Mingxian suddenly said, "Speaking of which, I've never seen you smile before. Can you smile for me?"

Hayasaka Ai: "?"

A sense of doubt arose in my mind: why would this person suddenly make such a request?

Am I making fun of myself?

However, Mingxian's eyes were clear and sincere, without a trace of mockery.

He continued, "If you'd like, give me a smile. I'd like to know what you'll look like when you smile."

Hayasaka's heart stirred. After thinking about the 40 million yen debt, she nodded.

She looked at Mingxian, and suddenly remembered what had happened during this period.

Laughter, tears, setbacks, and perseverance.

Scenes flashed by like those in a movie.

She had originally intended to use her acting skills to control the muscles at the corners of her mouth and present a perfect smile, but at this moment she suddenly realized that those deliberately crafted smiles seemed unnecessary.

Then the corners of her mouth gradually curved up, the curve so natural.

A sincere and warm smile appeared on his face.

So this is what "laughter" feels like...

Relaxed, at ease, and completely unguarded.

As Hayasaka Ai thought this, a warm feeling she had never experienced before welled up in her heart.

click!

The camera clicked, and Naruhiro snapped a picture of Hayasaka Ai's smile before putting it away: "Your payment is settled."

Hayasaka Ai was taken aback at first, then her smile became even brighter.

"What a weirdo."

She said this.

[Target of pursuit: Hayasaka Ai]

[Strategy completion rate reached 100%]

[Rewards include professional-level network skills]

Please keep up the good work, host.

Not Agito: Chapter Thirty-Seven: 48 Hours in Hell, Begins!

"Ugh……"

Mingxian couldn't help but sigh, his voice filled with an indescribable helplessness and exhaustion.

Outside the window, sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling his face, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in his heart.

Inside the Yamabuki Bakery, Yamabuki Saya smiled gently upon seeing this, a smile as warm as the spring sun, gentle yet not glaring.

"If you keep sighing like this, happiness will quietly slip away."

Mingxian gently shook his head, selected his favorite honey bread, placed it on the cashier's counter, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

"I'm just a little annoyed."

Saya Yamabuki expertly gave him change. "Could you tell me what's bothering you?"

Mingxian took the change.

"You might not believe it, but I've been tracking a bird that can transform into a human and fly. I finally managed to severely injure her, but she just flew away again."

Saya Yamabuki had already packed the honey bread, her brows furrowed slightly, clearly having not understood a word.

But she didn't show the slightest confusion or impatience; instead, she began to think about it seriously.

"Will a woman turn into a bird?"

She asked cautiously, as if afraid she might have misunderstood the meaning of the melody.

A hint of surprise flashed in Mingxian's eyes. "You know?"

Saya Yamabuki explained, "I heard from Saya at school that a few days ago, her younger sister, who is the guitarist of Pastel*Palettes, saw a bird being struck by flames in the northeast direction while looking at the stars."

Naruhira immediately grasped Yamabuki Saaya's hands, "Please tell me in detail, this is my lifelong request!"

“There’s no need to be so dramatic.” Yamabuki Saya smiled, took out her phone, said a few words to Hikawa Hina, and then looked at Naruzuru. “She agreed. The meeting place is the baseball field at the University of Tokyo.”

"I'll leave now!"

Mingxian rushed out of the bakery and disappeared into the street like a gust of wind.

As Yamabuki Saya watched Naruzuru's departing figure, a gentle smile appeared on her lips.

She glanced at the bread on the counter and said softly, "I forgot to take the bread."

……

We arrived at the baseball field at the University of Tokyo.

Next to it is a field of farmland belonging to the earthquake research institute and the agricultural college.

Hikawa Hina stood in front of the baseball field. She was a girl with blue hair and green eyes, like an elf emerging from the morning sun. Her short blue hair, like tender leaves in early spring, gently fell on her soft shoulders, with a small braid tied on each side, like a green vine wrapped around the girl's neck.

She wore a pristine white shirt over a blue plaid coat, the color of which seemed like a dreamlike blend of the ocean and the sky. Her lower body was clad in slim-fit jeans, which accentuated her long, slender legs.

"Here, here!"

She waved gently at Mingxian, her whole demeanor lively and cheerful.

Mingxian walked over, and the two exchanged a few pleasantries.

Afterwards, Hina Hikawa said, "Actually, I've been looking for a UFO. That one before, hovering in the sky, it must have been a UFO. Just one look at it gives you goosebumps!"

Her voice was clear and melodious, flowing like a mountain stream or a melodious tune drifting in the morning breeze, instantly uplifting the soul.

However, Mingxian had already lost interest.

According to Hina Hikawa's account, the birdman who was shot down was not Toshihiko Shina, but someone else entirely.

First of all, the direction is wrong.

Secondly, there was no accompanying strong wind; instead, golden flames could be seen.

Hina Hikawa believed that they were feathered, bird-like aliens.

What does it mean to be struck by flames?

Is it to play the string or to ask a question?

With her hands clasped in front of her, looking excited, she even closed her eyes as if savoring the memory: "A pillar of fire suddenly rose from the ground and knocked that golden alien down."

A pillar of fire rising from the ground.

Was it caused by Ōyama Tsumi using the Kagutsuchi sword?

Mingxian's heart stirred slightly, and he pieced together the truth of the matter.

Kagutsuchi's sword is likely a divine artifact used by psychics in Japan. It was stolen during a battle with Oyama Tsumi, after which Oyama Tsumi used some kind of magic or method to infuse Kagutsuchi's divine power into the sword, strengthening its own power.

Unfortunately, Ōyama Tsumi still couldn't beat himself.

Even the sword of Kagutsuchi was devoured and refined into the [Flame Saber].

"This is a battle between aliens and subterranean people!" said Hina Hikawa cheerfully.

Mingxian: "..."

Not a single word was guessed correctly!

“No, that pillar of fire is actually a deity, and the one flying in the sky is probably an Onmyoji,” Mingxian explained.

Hina Hikawa looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Mingxian held a business card between his index and middle fingers and handed it to Hikawa Hina, saying, "Trust me, I'm a professional."

After glancing at the business card, Hikawa Hina's eyes lit up instantly.

"Wow! Wow! Wow! Huh? He's up!"

What is "噜"?

Hina Hikawa grabbed Naruzuru's hand and excitedly pointed to the forest and hills next to the baseball field, "Okay, let's rush to the shrine and catch the Onmyoji!"

Mingxian: "..."

Is this person a bit too oblivious?

Wait a moment.

Hikawa Hina, isn't she the president of Haneoka's Astronomy Club?

He's just a former president of some shady business who wants to become human.

Without time to think, Mingxian ran to Nezu Shrine with the girl's help.

Nezu Shrine, an ancient shrine said to have been founded by Yamato Takeru 1,900 years ago.

Its main hall is a wooden building meticulously constructed by the fifth shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, in 1706. The main hall, the offering hall, the worship hall, the Karamon gate, the through hall, and the tower gate all reveal the vicissitudes and weight of history, and it has been designated as an important national cultural property by the Japanese government.