A supporting character in a romance anime? I became a god using a rat talisman.

The light was unlike any real light source; it had no temperature and did not illuminate the surrounding darkness. It simply writhed in a manner that defied the laws of physics, and one could faintly smell a faint, indistinct odor of cheap tobacco.

Qianyu frowned, trying to shake off the ray of light, but it clung firmly to his knuckles like an invisible spider web.

What is this?

"This is destiny," the World Will said in a leisurely tone, as if smacking his lips.

"Why are you here?"

"I sensed something was wrong with the food, so I came to check it out."

The voice of the world's will carried a hint of laughter.

"Did you see that glimmer of light? That's the aura of that woman from before."

“Luck?” Qianyu looked down at the iridescent light threads wrapped around her hand again.

"To put it simply, your fate line has intersected with hers," the World Will explained in a tone as if telling a bedtime story to a child.

"Taking her home, helping her get rid of the harassers—these seemingly insignificant little things are, on the level of causality, anchors of 'destiny entanglement.' Once entanglement is formed, fortune will naturally overflow."

Qianyu stared at that ray of light for several seconds.

"So this is the result of what you call 'deep involvement'?"

“That’s right,” the World Will continued, “faster than I expected. At this rate, it won’t be long before I can devour her little world.”

Qianyu lowered her hand, and the wisp of energy gradually disappeared beneath her skin, like water seeping into sand.

"So, should I continue to make contact with other people?"

Qianyu asked casually.

Since this is a process of completing tasks, it's better to fill all the progress bars as soon as possible to avoid trouble later.

Unexpectedly, the voice of the world's will paused for a moment.

"Need not."

Qianyu raised an eyebrow slightly.

"You think you only started getting entangled with that miniature garden today?"

The voice of the world's will carried a hint of amusement.

"Young man, think back carefully. The fates of the other key figures in that world are already intertwined with yours."

"Yukino Yukinoshita, you two grew up together, your karmic connection runs very deep."

"As for Yui Yuigahama," the World Will continued, "you've already turned that girl's luck lines into a complete mess."

"in other words.

"The entanglement of fates in this world has already been completed for you without your even realizing it; more than 90% of it was already done. Tonight, Hiratsuka Shizuka is simply completing the final piece of the puzzle."

"..."

Qianyu was stunned for a moment.

Then memories flashed through my mind like flipping through a photo album.

Without realizing it, he had indeed deeply interfered in Yukino and the others' lives.

Every action he took before, even if his initial intention was merely to protect himself or for amusement, was altering their original course.

Qianyu looked down at the colorful light swirling around her hand, a slight smile curving her lips.

It was hard to tell whether it was a bitter smile or a cold laugh.

He originally just wanted to survive in this bizarre and fantastical world of anime and manga, and maybe make some money along the way.

Unexpectedly, the few chess pieces I casually placed and the few commotions I casually stirred up became the main course on someone else's dinner table.

"...So what I did before actually helped you a lot." A sneer came from Qianyu's consciousness.

"You're not working for me," the World Will corrected. "Your own actions created the objective causal effect; I'm merely responsible for reaping the rewards."

"What's the difference?"

"The difference is that you no longer need to put in extra effort for this miniature garden."

The voice of the World's Will brightened. "Yukino Yukinoshita, Yui Yuigahama, Hachiman Hikigaya, and just now Shizuka Hiratsuka—all four core destiny lines are deeply intertwined with you. Your framework is already stretched to its limit; I just need to spend some time digesting it."

"How long will it take?"

"It could take a few days, or more than ten days. It depends on the resilience of the barrier."

The World Will answered in the tone of a market vendor weighing goods: "However, this miniature world doesn't have any tough nuts to crack; it should be quick."

"You can just continue at your own pace. As for the other worlds on the list, I'll send you new missions once I've sorted things out here."

A brief silence followed.

"I look forward to your performance, Kazama Chiba."

The sound disappeared.

It was as if someone had gently plucked a string on a musical instrument; the lingering sound echoed in the night sky, and then nothing more.

The streets returned to a quiet state, with only the sound of wind and distant traffic.

Qianyu stood in the glow of the streetlight for a while.

"Are the fates of others already intertwined with mine...?"

He muttered something to himself, then shook his head, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.

Soul swapping, bathing agreement, blizzard rescue, card-exorcising adoption, monster battles... When these things happened, all he could think about was how to get more cards, how to keep the secret, and how to use everyone he could.

There was never a single time it was motivated by any sentimental or affectionate motive.

But these cold, calculating schemes, without him even noticing, twisted his fate and those of others into a deadly knot.

Ironic.

And now, because of his meddling, these people's world is about to be swallowed up by the world's will.

I don't feel guilty.

Qianyu is not the kind of person who would feel guilty about something like this.

But knowing that all my past selfish actions were actually paving the way for someone else's plan to devour me is indeed quite uncomfortable.

It's like you think you're playing a single-player game, but then you find out someone has been recording your screen in the background, and it's even a tutorial video.

Chiyu walked slowly along the deserted street.

There should be no sense of guilt.

He told himself. Those worlds were already dragged into this territory; it was only a matter of time before he stirred things up.

Moreover, the World Will has stated that those people will not disappear after assimilation is complete; they will simply transform from an independent miniature world into a part of a larger worldview.

Just like Gwyn from Dark Souls 1, who is now only ashes and legends in Dark Souls 3, he still exists in the memory of that land.

But Qianyu paused for a moment.

Is it really just that?

He is a traveler.

He knew better than anyone that once a story is crammed into a larger framework, its original narrative weight would be significantly diluted.

In the pure world of "My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU," Hachiman Hikigaya is the absolute protagonist, but once he enters the framework of a crossover anime, he becomes a passerby.

After assimilation, will they still be themselves?

Qianyu shook her head, dismissing the thought.

Leave the sentimentality to Hachiman Hikigaya; he needs to think about more practical issues now.

The world's will may seem honest, but having lived two lives, Chiyu knows all too well that the more honest a partner appears, the more dangerous they are.

Did this guy reveal all his cards to him? Impossible.

The sandbox theory sounds self-consistent, but the world's will didn't mention a word about what impact "devouring fortune" would have on those who were devoured.

Qianyu never lowers her guard just because someone says a few nice words to her.

The world's will seemed to give him a lot of information, but in reality, it was all information that it actively chose to reveal.

The parts it didn't mention are what truly matter.

For example, after assimilation was complete, where did the absorbed fortune go? Did it return to Qianyu? Or was it monopolized by the world's will?

For example, the World Will says it needs Chiba to be a troublemaker, but does it really have no other candidates?

If Qianyu refuses or fails, does it have a backup plan?

For example, why did it appear at this particular time? Was it because Qianyu really "messed up," or because it felt the time was finally right?

Qianyu couldn't figure out the answer; there wasn't enough information.

With his current understanding, he has no way of knowing what an existence at the level of the World Will is thinking.

But he knew someone who might be able to help.

His daughter, Kazama Ichiri.

One mile comes from the future.

On that timeline, this crossover anime world had been operating for more than thirteen years.

If the World Will had made any major moves during those thirteen years, Ichiri and Koko should have known some clues.

If the world's will has a weakness, Ichiri might be the only one who knows the clues.

I can go and talk to Yili tomorrow.

Of course, getting information out of that socially awkward daughter is an extreme challenge in itself.

Last time, it took me twenty minutes just to convince her to muster the courage to go out when I asked her to deal with Homura Akemi.

If the question were a macro-level proposition like "world will," the child would probably be in serious trouble.

Forget it, I can just bribe them with pudding.