Zongman: The post-2D era

Feng Feng took a deep breath, gently held Yumi's shoulders, and said in a gentle but firm voice: "Yumi, I know you want to atone for your sins, but I want to give you a different future. Believe me, you will like it."

The hot pot restaurant was full of people, and on one side, Yatoshin was fighting with Yukine for the meat in the pot.

At the door, the magical girl Madoka walked into the store, sat down, and picked up the menu.

Hoshino Yumie raised her head and was about to say something, but was thrown out of the store by Oshino Meme and Hoshino Ai.

Outside the hot pot restaurant, Yumie Hoshino looked back at the closed door, sniffed, and tears fell like rain!

Inside the hot pot restaurant, everyone sat down and started eating hot pot, and the sound of glass shattering could be heard from time to time.

"The little princess is finally back!"

The atmosphere in the store became a little more relaxed due to Yato's words. Yukine glared at him and muttered, "You always make the atmosphere so serious." However, there was a hint of smile in his words.

Yatoshin picked up a piece of tender beef and put it into the boiling hot pot. The meat rolled in the red oil, emitting an alluring aroma. His eyes were deep, as if he had traveled through time and space and returned to the ancient times full of mystery and legends.

"In ancient China, there was a hell of torture called walking on a mountain of knives and diving into a sea of ​​fire," he said softly, with a hint of nostalgia and awe in his tone, "Aren't we walking on a mountain of knives and diving into a sea of ​​fire now?"

"The little princess cannot be a human sacrifice. She is not fit to be a corpse under the pillars of a shrine."

Magical girl Madoka ordered a Buffy and while eating, she looked at Feng Feng and said, "Hoshino Yumi is my disciple, I will not let her be a human sacrifice."

Feng Feng was slightly stunned. He didn't expect that the magical girl Madoka would intervene in this matter so directly. He put down the chopsticks in his hand, and his eyes met with the magical girl Madoka, with a hint of determination and complexity in his eyes.

"Xiao Yuan, you know that my decision is not something that can be easily changed." Feng Feng's voice was calm and deep, as if carrying the heavy past and future expectations, "But, I also cherish my friendship with you."

Madoka smiled softly as she took a bite of parfait, the sweet cream melting on her tongue but unable to dispel the seriousness in her heart.

She looked at Feng Feng, with a determined light in her eyes: "Feng Feng, the friendship between you and me is important, but Hoshino Yumi is also a disciple I cherish. She has her own dreams and pursuits, and we should not deprive her of the right to choose."

The atmosphere in the hot pot restaurant suddenly became solemn. Oshino Mee and Hoshino Ai sat opposite Feng Feng, their expressions serious and earnest.

"We've discussed it," Oshino Meme's voice was deep and powerful, as if every word carried a heavy responsibility, "The four Root Eggs have been gathered, and the chance of success has gone from one in ten thousand to thirty percent."

Feng Feng frowned upon hearing this. He knew what this meant. The increase in success rate meant they were one step closer to lifting the curse, but it also meant the risk was increasing.

He looked at Madoka, and there was a firm light in her eyes, as if she had already made a decision.

"We can't give up any possibility," Xiaoyuan's voice was firm and resolute, "Yumi is also one of our hopes."

Feng Feng was eating hot pot seriously. He glanced at Ye Dou and said, "In China, there is a legend that the soul returns to the underworld after death. What about Japan?"

"In the Noragami anime, you said more than once: There is no cure for suicidal souls, and the same is true for gods."

As Feng Feng finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hot pot restaurant suddenly became a little mysterious.

Yatoshin put down his chopsticks, his eyes flashing with thought. He looked up at Fengfeng, a meaningful smile on his face. "Japan also has similar legends about the underworld,"

He spoke slowly, his voice low and magnetic, "People believe that the souls of the dead will go to another world, a place called 'Yellow Spring'."

"But, people who commit suicide will turn into monsters in the underworld, and then... they will never have a good end in their lives!"

As Yatoshin spoke, the lights in the hot pot restaurant seemed to become a little dim, as if they had traveled through a tunnel of time and space and arrived in a mysterious and dark world.

A picture emerged before everyone's eyes: a deep forest spread out on the vast land, and the leaves swayed gently in the breeze, making rustling sounds.

Deep in the forest, an ancient shrine can be vaguely seen. White lanterns are placed in front of the shrine, emitting a faint and mysterious light.

The wails of countless souls filled the forest.

"Souls shouldn't be treated like this!"

Feng Feng's words suddenly made the atmosphere in the hot pot restaurant solemn. He picked up a piece of golden potato and gently put it into the boiling hot pot. The potato rolled in the red oil and gradually became stained with a layer of bright colors.

His gaze was deep, as if it penetrated time and space and reached the doomsday world destroyed by Hoshino Aqua.

"The doomsday world destroyed by Hoshino Aqua," Feng Feng's voice was low and powerful, as if every word carried the heavy past and future expectations, "that is the destination of the soul of a suicide."

"The souls of those who committed suicide will struggle to survive in that world and eventually restore the pride and self-esteem of the human soul."

As he finished speaking, the lights in the hot pot restaurant suddenly became dim and hazy, as if they had traveled through a tunnel of time and space and arrived in that mysterious and dark world.

A picture emerged before everyone's eyes: on the vast land, towering stone tablets stood in rows, each engraved with a name. Those were the lives that had once disappeared from this world.

Thick fog filled the air, as if swallowing up all life. In this dead world, only those white lanterns emitted a faint and mysterious light, illuminating those lost souls.

"It's scary to eat with you guys."

After Oshino Meme finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hot pot restaurant suddenly became a little heavy. He picked up the wine glass and drank it all, as if to dispel the haze in his heart.

He put down his glass, looked at everyone, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face. "Birth, aging, illness and death are the laws of nature." He spoke slowly, his voice low and magnetic, "But the appearance of the Doomsday Egg has changed many things."

As he finished speaking, the lights in the hot pot restaurant suddenly became dim and mysterious. A picture appeared in front of everyone's eyes: on the vast land, towering stone tablets stood in rows, with names engraved on them, which were the lives that had once disappeared from this world.

But at this moment, these stone tablets began to flicker with a faint light, as if some power was awakening. The surrounding fog also began to roll and surge, gradually forming vague figures, which were lost souls, looking for a home.

Magical Girl Madoka finished the last bite of Buffy, her eyes firm and bright, as if she had made up her mind.

She stood up and walked to the center of the hot pot restaurant. Her voice was clear and powerful, as if it could penetrate everyone's heart. "No matter what you plan to do," she said slowly, her eyes sweeping across everyone's face, "I will save Xingye."

Hoshino Ai, who had been silent all this time, said at this time: "I object."

Chapter 658: One of Billions of Redemptions

Thursday, April 20

The atmosphere in the hot pot restaurant became solemn and sacred. Xiaoyuan's figure looked particularly tall under the light, and her eyes flashed with determination, as if she was ready to face all difficulties.

Yato put down the chopsticks in his hand and looked at Xiaoyuan deeply. He nodded slightly, and a smile of appreciation appeared on the corner of his mouth. "Very good," he said slowly, his voice low and powerful, "With your determination, we may really find a way to lift the curse."

Shinobu Meme looked around at the tens of millions of stars and complained: "Yatoshin, you and I didn't do anything! Feng Feng and Hoshino Ai are both saving suicidal souls in these real dreams, what about you?"

Yatoshin magnified a starlight, scratched his head and said: "Feng Fengru Hoshino Ai is too good, we can just be a battery!"

The enlarged starlight shows a high school. In the afternoon sunshine, Feng Feng and Hoshino Ai are accompanying a high school girl and are participating in the literature department's club activities.

Feng Feng and Hoshino Ai raised their heads at the same time and glanced at Yato outside the light spot, which made the girls also look up and look around with surprised expressions.

"What are you two looking at?" Ishida Jun moved his gaze from the light bulb to the door and then to Feng Feng.

Feng Feng shrugged and continued writing the article for the literature club, saying, "There's just a spider in sportswear sitting on the rooftop and peeping at the hot pot restaurant."

"Is this the story you are writing?" asked Jun Ishida curiously.

Feng Feng took a deep breath, his eyes twinkling, “If I say that our world is just a dream, and the spider in the sportswear at the hot pot restaurant is real, what do you think?”

Ishida Jun frowned: "This story is too cruel, much crueler than I imagined. I don't like it very much."

Hoshino Ai nodded, tightly gripping the pen in her hand: "It's the same with Feng Feng, so he wants to sacrifice himself to get you out of the hot pot restaurant in his dream."

Feng Feng stood up, walked to Ishida Jun, and asked softly, "Have you ever thought about the university you want to go to in the future?"

Ishida Jun raised his head, a trace of confusion in his eyes: "I... I don't know. Ever since I was bullied by Junmei and the others, I haven't thought too much about the future."

Feng Feng smiled slightly, reached out and held the girl's hand: "It's okay, we'll plan together. You like literature, so how about we work together and go to a university with an excellent literature department?"

A glimmer of hope flashed in the girl's eyes. She nodded and smiled at Feng Feng.

Hoshino Ai gently pulled over a chair and sat next to the girl. Her voice was soft and warm, like a spring breeze blowing across the lake: "Actually, I also like literature. Who is your favorite writer?"

The girl thought for a moment and answered, "My favorite is Mr. Natsume Soseki. His novels always make me think deeply."

"Mr. Natsume Soseki is indeed an excellent writer," said Hoshino Ai with a smile, "I also like his works. Which of his novels is your favorite?"

The girl's eyes sparkled with excitement: "My favorite is 'Heart'!"

"Wow, that's a very classic novel," Hoshino Ai nodded, "I like it too. Who is your favorite character in it?"

The scene gradually became warmer, as if the spring sunshine was shining all over the small literature club activity room.

Hoshino Ai gently took the girl's hand and gently guided the topic: "Mr. Natsume Soseki's works are always full of delicate descriptions of female characters. Do you have any special preferences or ideas about your own dressing?"

Ishida Jun smiled slightly, with a hint of shyness on her face: "Actually, I have always liked a fresh and natural style, just like the heroines written by Mr. Natsume Soseki."

Hoshino Ai nodded in agreement: "I think so too, it really suits Jun, the fresh and natural feeling is just like the cherry blossoms in spring."

The two chatted more and more happily, and the topic gradually extended to the girl's daily life, hobbies, and even little secrets about her boyfriend.

Hoshino Ai is like a caring older sister, who listens patiently to girls' voices and gives warm advice and encouragement from time to time.

Feng Feng sat quietly aside, his pen tip flying on the paper. His words seemed to have life, connecting one sad story after another.

He describes a girl named Xiaoyue who has the ability to choose her future, but due to her low self-esteem and bullying, she is unable to make a choice and eventually chooses to commit suicide in the literature club.

The scenes in the article gradually unfold. Xiaoyue sits alone in the corner of the school. She is surrounded by the laughter of her classmates, but she is alone and immersed in her own world.

She looked up at the sky, her eyes flickering with confusion and helplessness. She thought of the days when she was bullied, the ridicule and rejection from her classmates, and an indescribable sadness welled up in her heart.

So, the future Jun Ishida walked into the literature club and set the bookshelves on fire.

After Ishida Jun finished reading Feng Feng's article, his angry voice echoed in the quiet literature club activity room, with a hint of anger and grievance that was difficult to conceal.

"Feng-kun, you and Ai saved me from being bullied after transferring to another school three months ago. We fought together, rebuilt the literature club together, and won awards together..."

Ishida Jun widened his eyes and stared at Feng Feng who was sitting next to him.

"Why did you write about me like this? It's ironic..."

Feng Feng's pen tip paused in the air, and the ink left a faint mark on the paper, as if it was a slight tremor in his heart. He raised his head and met Ishida Jun's angry gaze, but there was a hint of complicated emotions in his eyes.

"Ishida, I..." Feng Feng opened his mouth to explain, but was interrupted by Ishida Jun.

"Don't say anymore!" Ishida Jun's voice trembled and his hands clenched into fists, as if he was trying to control his emotions.

"I have always regarded you as a friend, but you wrote an article like this to mock me? I know I have been bullied before, and I also know that I have low self-esteem, but I have been working hard to change. Why do you still want to hurt me like this?"

Hoshino Ai hugged Ishida Jun, her voice soft but firm, like a spring breeze blowing away the winter chill: "Ishida, listen to me, we are all your friends, Feng Feng too."

"His article is not mocking you, but using words to awaken the power in our hearts. You see, although Xiaoyue encountered difficulties in the article, she still has the right to choose her future. Just like you, although the past days were not good, you have been working hard and looking for your own future. You have to believe that you have the power to choose your future."

Hoshino Ai's words were like a ray of warm sunshine, illuminating the haze in Ishida Jun's heart.

Feng Feng closed his eyes, and vivid images emerged in his mind.

The three of them strolled together under the cherry blossom trees, petals falling in the wind, like a pink dream. They stayed up late in the library together, working hard to complete a common project. They flew kites together in the playground, laughter and cheers echoing one after another.

"Jun Ishida, the future is as infinite as the starry sky, but, sorry, we have to leave."

Chapter 659: Three Thousand Years of Dreams

Friday, April 21

Shirogane Feng and Hoshino Yumie stood at the door of the hot pot restaurant, looking at the dark windows inside the store, with complex emotions in their eyes.