Super God Academy: Kabuto

The New Year has arrived. A thin layer of snow covers the green tiles, and red lanterns under the eaves sway gently in the breeze, bathing the courtyard in a warm glow. Keisha and Hexi sit side by side in rattan chairs on the veranda, while Lin Yu leans against a vermilion doorpost, a white porcelain teacup steaming in his hand. All three of them gaze at that small figure.

Lin Zhaoning, just three years old, was wrapped in a snow-white velvet cloak, looking like a small, moving snowball, tiptoeing as she tried to touch the petals of the winter plum blossoms. She had inherited her mother's silver-white hair, which shimmered with a faint warmth in the lantern light, and when she turned around and smiled, her eyes curved like crescent moons.

"Ningning, slow down," He Xi whispered, her voice tinged with a smile.

Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open. Tsukasa Kadoya, dressed in a dark coat that seemed out of place with the festive atmosphere, carried a box of exquisite wagashi (Japanese sweets). Kirin, standing beside him, smiled broadly upon seeing Ningning, put down the gift, knelt down, and clapped her hands: "Ningning, come to Auntie!"

The little girl ran over excitedly, only to be picked up and spun around by Qilin, her laughter as clear and melodious as bells.

"Shi, you've arrived." Lin Yu stood up and looked at the two who entered. Kadoya Shi nodded, his gaze lingering on Keisha's stomach for a moment, a faint smile playing on his lips. Keisha simply nodded slightly and took a sip of tea.

Qi Lin was already carrying Ning Ning and spinning her around in the courtyard, her laughter like shattered jade falling onto a plate. Kadoya Tsukasa placed the wagashi (Japanese sweets) on the stone table, then suddenly looked up at the courtyard gate: "The real excitement is yet to come."

Qi had just put Ningning down when the entrance became lively again. "Oh, we've finally arrived!" Zhao Xin's loud voice rang out first, his hands full of bags and packages. Angel Zhixin followed beside him, carrying an exquisite cream cake box. "Master~, Happy New Year!" Zhixin quickly stepped forward, gave He Xi a gentle hug, and couldn't resist teasing Ningning's little face, "Ningning has grown taller again."

"Brother Xin, are you carrying New Year's goods or moving?" Lin Yu greeted him with a smile.

"It's all from the heart! Don't you understand the sentiment!" Zhao Xin put the things down under the eaves, put his hands on his hips and took a breath.

The lively atmosphere hadn't subsided when a hearty laugh approached from afar. "Hahaha, looks like we've arrived just in time!" Liu Chuang's signature voice rang out as he strode into the courtyard, carrying a whole case of beer, still carrying a chill from outside. Following behind him, Angel Leng, dressed casually, maintained her usual reserved expression, but her gaze softened slightly as she looked at the people in the courtyard. She nodded slightly to He Xi and Keisha: "Queen Keisha, King Tianji."

"Sister Leng!" Zhi Xin greeted happily.

Liu Chuang put the beer down on the ground and rubbed his hands together: "Brother Lin, Sister-in-law He Xi, Sister-in-law Keisha, Happy New Year! I don't have much good stuff, just some beer, plenty!"

Finally, Ge Xiaolun and Angel Yan arrived. Ge Xiaolun carried a gift box of fruit and nuts, seemingly a little embarrassed, while Angel Yan remained as composed as ever, her red dress swaying, her silver armor gleaming coolly in the winter sunlight. "Something came up on the way," Yan's gaze swept over the people in the courtyard, a faint smile flashing in her eyes, especially when she saw Angel Leng and Zhi Xin. "Everyone's here."

Keisha nodded to Yan as a greeting.

The courtyard became lively. Qi Lin and Zhi Xin took Ning Ning to build a snowman, while Zhao Xin and Liu Chuang loudly "instructed" her, sometimes saying the snowman's head was too big, sometimes saying the carrot's nose was crooked, making Ning Ning giggle. Angel Leng stood a little distance away with her arms crossed, watching with a slight smile on her lips, when Liu Chuang turned around and shouted, "Leng, look, doesn't this look like a soldier!" Leng rolled her eyes, but didn't leave.

He Xi looked at Keisha's belly, her fingers tracing the slightly protruding tummy, occasionally glancing at the playing children. Lin Yu, Kadoya Tsukasa, and Ge Xiaolun sat at the tea table, the tea now replaced with beer brought by Liu Chuang. Kadoya Tsukasa remained quiet, but listening to Zhao Xin and Liu Chuang bickering, with Ge Xiaolun trying to smooth things over, he unusually relaxed. Qi Lin and Zhi Xin played with Xiao Ning'er, while Leng Heyan stood side by side under the blooming wintersweet tree, seemingly detached from the hustle and bustle, yet truly immersed in it all.

"Hey, it's rare for so many of us to get together like this, shouldn't we take a picture to commemorate it?" Zhao Xin suddenly suggested, wiping the snow off his nose.

"That's a good suggestion," Qi Lin agreed with a smile, having already picked Ning Ning up.

"Come on, everyone, come over here!" Liu Chuang waved his hand and began to arrange the positions.

Everyone gathered, laughing, under the plum tree that was in its best bloom. Lin Yu stood in the middle, holding Ning Ning, with He Xi beside her and Keisha on Lin Yu's other side, both elegantly poised. Qi Lin stood next to He Xi, pulling Kadoya Shi along. Kadoya Shi's expression softened for a moment when Qi Lin leaned closer. Zhi Xin linked arms with Zhao Xin, whose other hand rested on Liu Chuang's shoulder. Liu Chuang turned to Angel Leng beside him and said something, earning a slight glare in return, but he didn't move his feet. Ge Xiaolun and Angel Yan stood next to Keisha. Yan's hand casually rested on Xiaolun's shoulder. Xiaolun stood ramrod straight, a slightly nervous yet happy smile on his face.

"Ningning, look here, smile." Qilin said softly.

Ningning stared curiously at the floating recorder in front of her with her big, round eyes. In the instant everyone's smiles blossomed, she suddenly raised her little hand and called out in a clear, crisp voice:

"eggplant--!"

"Hahahaha!" Everyone was amused, and the laughter dispelled the winter chill.

Just as everyone was laughing, something unexpected happened. Without warning, a ring of colorful, distorted ripples, like the static on an old-fashioned television, spread across the space above the courtyard!

"Huh?!" Everyone present, except for Xiao Zhaoning and Qi Lin, instantly became alert. The angels' eyes narrowed, Ge Xiaolun and Zhao Xin subconsciously went on guard, and Kadoya Tsukasa's hand had already reached for the card box at his waist.

"Clang—clang—snap!"

Accompanied by familiar onomatopoeia and metallic friction sounds, a red figure tumbled headfirst out of the ripples, landing with a "plop" next to the snow rabbit that Xiao Zhaoning hadn't finished building, kicking up a cloud of snow powder.

"Cough cough...Ptooey ptooey ptooey! Ryotaro! Your driving skills are still so bad!" Momotaros shook his head and pulled his upper body out of the snow, his red horns still covered with snow.

Immediately afterwards, the colorful spacetime curtain steadily expanded, and the distinctive front of the Den-Liner slowly "peeked out," as if the train was traveling on invisible tracks. The doors opened, and Ryotaro, looking apologetic and helpless, led HANA (Naomi) down, followed by Urataros (turtle type) shaking his head and sighing but still maintaining his composure, Kintaros (bear type) carrying an axe and looking around, and Ryutaros (dragon type) blowing smoke that wasn't actually on the muzzle of his gun and striking a pose.

"Uh, I'm so sorry! Happy New Year, everyone!" Ryotaro bowed hurriedly as soon as he got out of the car. "Momotaros insisted on coming to wish us a Happy New Year... saying it was some kind of 'Imagine God's etiquette,' and then he messed up the teleportation coordinates again..."

"Yo! Everyone's here!" Momotaros jumped up, brushing the snow off his clothes. Seeing the yard full of people, he became excited. "Happy New Year! This great one has come to wish you a Happy New Year! Did you prepare some pudding? And, wanna fight? The first fight of the New Year is very auspicious!"

Everyone: "..."

Xiao Zhaoning looked at the suddenly appearing red "strange uncle" and the magical car. Instead of being afraid, she opened her sapphire-like eyes wide with curiosity and pointed to Momotaros's horns: "Mommy, they're red, horns, and asymmetrical." In her young aesthetic sense, which had been influenced by He Xi, the angles of the two horns seemed to be slightly different.

He Xi sighed and earnestly explained to her daughter, "Those are biological characteristics, not creations. Natural differences are allowed."

Looking at this unexpected group of "visitors" with such different styles, and then at Lin Yu and Kadoya Tsukasa, who both had expressions of "I knew this would happen," Keisha suddenly realized that this New Year was probably not going to be peaceful.

Urtalus stepped forward gracefully, ignoring the eager Momotaros, and gave a slight bow to the crowd: "I am Urtalus, wishing you a Happy New Year. I heard there is a gathering to celebrate the New Year in this world, so I have come to disturb you, hoping to share in the joy." As he spoke, his gaze politely and quickly swept over Yan, Zhixin, and the other angels, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes, "Ah, what beautiful ladies, as radiant as stars."

Kintaros put down his axe and nodded憨厚ly, "I am Kintaros. New Year, very good. Momentum is very important." His gaze fell on Ge Xiaolun and Zhao Xin, as if sensing the considerable power within them.

Rontaros, bouncing around, exclaimed in a rhythmic tone, "Hey! Come on! How can a New Year's party be complete without me, Rontaros?! Music! Dance! And... wait?" He noticed the angels' wings, his eyes lighting up. "Cool wings! How fast can they fly? As fast as my Climax Form?"

Angel Yan crossed her arms and watched the group of lively characters with great interest. She whispered to Ge Xiaolun beside her, "Is this the 'unstable friendly unit from another timeline' that you mentioned in your last report? It is indeed... quite unique."

Ge Xiaolun scratched his head: "The report said that the destructive power is considerable, but the character is not bad... it's just that they are quite troublesome."

Zhao Xin then leaned close to Zhi Xin's ear and said, "Wife, look at that guy with the axe, he'll definitely get along well with Chuangzi (Liu Chuang)!"

Zhi Xin, however, had already entered research mode and whispered to He Xi, "Teacher, their appearance is accompanied by unconventional changes in spacetime curvature, but their stability far exceeds that of ordinary wormholes. That train... seems to be a carrier of some kind of solidified spacetime channel? If we could analyze its structural principles..."

Tsurugi nodded, looking at Ryotaro with a smile that sent a chill down the latter's spine: "Mr. Nogami Ryotaro, and all the Immortals, Happy New Year. Since you're here, you're a guest. Please sit down and try our 'dumplings.' Also, I'm quite interested in Den-Liner's time anchoring system; would it be convenient to discuss it after the meal?"

Ryotaro looked at the stunningly beautiful silver-haired angel before him, who exuded a powerful aura and a thirst for knowledge. He then glanced at his own group of other demons, who were already talking to Angel Yan (Putaros), trying to outdo Ge Xiaolun (Kintaros), and circling Zhixin asking about the principles of wings (Ryutaros), as well as Momotaros, who was trying to teach Xiao Zhaoning to strike his strange pose...

He gave a smile that was a mixture of apology, helplessness, and a touch of warmth.

"Okay, okay... I'm sorry to trouble you. And everyone... Happy New Year!"

On the snow, beside the snow rabbit that had been half-collapsed by Momotaros, Xiao Zhaoning, with Qi Lin's help, began to rebuild it. In the courtyard, angels, super soldiers, Kamen Riders, Imagin, passengers of the Time Train... these beings who should have had no connection, gathered together in this New Year under the warm winter sun because of various strange threads of fate.

Tsukasa Kadoya had somehow pulled out his magenta camera again and pressed the shutter on this chaotic yet inexplicably harmonious scene.

"Click."

This time, the photo wasn't distorted. In the picture, the sunlight was perfect, the snow reflected on smiling faces, red lanterns swayed gently, and the Den-Liner's front end gleamed with a strange metallic sheen in the background. A one-of-a-kind New Year's family photo (just kidding!) that transcends worlds and dimensions was thus captured.

In the distance, the faint sound of New Year's bells seemed to drift in, intertwining with the ethereal whistle of the Den-Liner, carrying far and wide.

(New Year's Edition - End)