Anime Crossover: My Part-Time Job as a Giant of Light While Studying Abroad in Chiba

Hong Kai grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. "However, that place is a bit run-down but absolutely safe, and you can even get free coffee."

The two supported each other, like two homeless vagrants, and disappeared into the chaotic streets of Chiba City.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the lockdown area, this alley in the old town was surprisingly quiet.

Most of the shops on both sides had closed to avoid the closure, except for one shop whose wooden sign was still lit with a warm yellow light, bearing the English letters: 【CREW GUYS Coffee】.

“We’re here.” Hong Kai stopped and pointed to the wooden door with the wind chimes hanging on it. “This is it.”

"A coffee shop?"

Duan Zilian looked up, somewhat doubting her own existence. "Uncle, are you sure this place can take us in? And... why does this name sound so strange?"

"Stop talking nonsense, you'll find out once you go in." Hong Kai pushed open the door.

Ring ring—

The crisp sound of wind chimes rang out. A rich aroma of coffee beans filled the shop, creating a sense of peace and comfort.

The decor is retro, with model airplanes and photos hanging on the walls, and an old-fashioned jukebox in the corner.

Welcome!

A gentle voice came from behind the bar.

Duan Zilian looked up and saw a young shop assistant wearing an apron peeking out from behind the coffee machine.

He looked very young, probably in his early twenties, with a face that made you think, "This is definitely a good person," at first glance. His pure smile seemed to heal all weariness.

However, when the shop assistant saw the two people who came in, the smile on his face instantly froze.

“…Kaisan?” The shop assistant’s eyes widened, and she almost dropped the rag in her hand. “What happened to you? And this one…”

His gaze fell on Duan Zilian.

To be precise, it landed on his left wrist.

The shop assistant's eyes changed; their previously innocent and gentle expression instantly turned serious.

"...It seems something big has happened."

The clerk sighed, quickly walked out from behind the counter, flipped the sign on the door to "Closed," and then clicked the door shut.

"Hope you're doing well in the future."

Hong Kai walked to a table in the corner and sat down, slumping in the chair without any regard for appearances. "Give me a strong black coffee, and this kid a cup of hot milk. Put it on the tab."

"Another bookkeeping task..." The so-called future shop assistant shook her head helplessly, but still quickly went to prepare.

"Sit down." Hong Kai kicked the chair opposite him, gesturing for Duan Zilian to sit down.

Duan Zilian sat down somewhat awkwardly: "Um... Uncle, who is this person? Is he your friend?"

"That's it."

Hong Kai pulled down his hat brim. "Like me, he's an unlucky guy who was pulled in by a spacetime rift. His name is Hibino Mirai. Don't let his youthful appearance fool you; he's actually much older than you."

“Hibino…Mirai?” Duan Zilian murmured the name.

Looking at that figure intently making coffee from behind, he felt a strange sense of security.

Soon, two steaming hot drinks were served, along with a plate of freshly baked cookies.

"Please use it."

Future placed the hot milk in front of Duan Zilian and gave her a comforting smile. "I saw the news just now. That giant... was that you?"

"Pfft—!" Duan Zilian spat out the mouthful of milk she had just drunk.

"Cough cough cough! You, how did you know?!" Duan Zilian looked at the smiling shop assistant in horror. Did I have "I am Ultraman" written on my face? How could even a passerby tell?

“Because of the aura.” Future pointed to her chest. “Although I can’t transform now, I can feel the scent of light. It’s a warm and nostalgic scent.”

As he spoke, he pulled out a chair and sat down next to the two of them. His eyes became exceptionally serious.

"Nice to meet you. I am Hibino Mirai, from a very far place. I used to be... Ultraman Mebius."

"...Huh?" Duan Zilian swallowed hard. There was actually a master among them.

He glanced at the languid wanderer on his left, then at the kind-hearted man on his right, and finally looked down at the bracelet on his wrist.

"So..." Duan Zilian laughed through her tears, "there are... three Ultraman sitting in this coffee shop right now?"

"There are two useless Ultramen who can't transform and one Ultraman who can transform but is even more useless," Kai said calmly, taking a sip of his black coffee.

"..." Duan Zilian was speechless.

"Don't say that, Kaisan." Mirai smiled and smoothed things over, then looked at Duan Zilian, "Are you alright? That battle just now... must have been tough?"

This simple greeting felt like a needle piercing through Duan Zilian's hard-won strength after a day of struggle.

The apartment exploded, he was chased by monsters, forced to transform, and suffered excruciating back pain.

All the grievances and fears suddenly crumbled in the face of that warm smile.

"...Yeah, I almost died."

He gave a wry smile; this kind of plot was still too much for a high school student like him.

"But you survived."

In the future, she reached out and gently covered Duan Zilian's hand. That hand was warm and carried a reassuring power. "And you protected this city and many people. You did a great job."

Duan Zilian paused, a warm feeling washing over him, instantly calming his emotions.

He sighed deeply and sniffed: "...Thank you."

“Alright, that’s enough with the sentimentality.” Hong Kai put down his coffee cup, tapped the table, and his eyes sharpened. “Now, let’s get down to business, about Demon Lord Beast, and… what to do next.”

Chapter 16 You Are No Longer Alone

Wei Lai paused for a moment, then nodded slightly. He walked to the window, pressed the slats of the blinds shut, and only after confirming that there was nothing unusual outside did he return to his seat. The dimly lit room was illuminated by only a few orange spotlights.

Duan Zilian took a sip of hot milk. The warm liquid slid into his stomach, giving him a feeling of comfort. He looked down at the rising steam in the cup, waiting for someone to speak.

Hong Kai put down his empty coffee cup, his eyes becoming somewhat unfocused.

About two months ago.

Hong Kai's voice was deep.

"Mirai and I were on missions in our respective universes when we were struck by a strange spacetime turbulence. It was like a giant black hole, tearing everything to shreds. When I woke up, I was lying in a junkyard in Chiba City, with nothing but the clothes on my body."

"I was around the same time."

In the future, he added with a hint of bitterness in his smile, "I fell into the back alley of this coffee shop. Fortunately, the owner is a kind person. He was going to live abroad, so he entrusted the shop to me. That's how I ended up with this place to stay."

Duan Zilian took a bite of her cookie and asked indistinctly, "So...you're time travelers?"

"That's one way to understand it." Hong Kai took something out of his pocket and gently placed it on the table.

"This is my transformation device, called the Orb Ring. It used to be very shiny," he said in a deep voice, as if looking at an old, now-defunct piece of furniture.

But in Duan Zilian's eyes, this thing looked like a dull plastic toy, with a black ring in the middle covered with cracks, exuding a sense of death.

Kai's fingers traced the ring: "When I passed through that space-time rift, all my cards were taken away. Those cards were scattered all over Japan and even the world. Without the cards, I can't borrow the power of my predecessors, and therefore I can't transform."

He raised his head, his eyes sharpening: "What's worse is that those cards themselves contain enormous energy. If they fall into the hands of ordinary people, it won't matter, but if they are absorbed by the malice of this world... they will turn into the kind of demon beasts we just saw. Magbaza is just the beginning. If we don't retrieve the cards, this world will become a playground for monsters."

Future nodded, and slowly raised his left arm. The next moment, a golden wristband-like object appeared on his wrist—the aura of Mebium.

However, the crystal ball at the center had become dull and lifeless, and several fine cracks could even be seen.

"My power was also sealed by that turbulent current during the journey." Future looked at her transformation device with some regret. "We've been searching for a way to restore our power for the past two months, and at the same time, we've been searching for our own kind."

"The same kind?" Duan Zilian was taken aback.

"Yes."

Hong Kai pointed to the bracelet on Duan Zilian's wrist: "We can sense that besides the two of us, there are two other lights in this city. One of them unexpectedly appears on you, that is, Tiga-senpai. As for the other one..."

Hong Kai frowned: "That guy's aura is very chaotic, like a monkey running around everywhere. We haven't been able to catch up with his whereabouts."

Duan Zilian looked at the two silent transformation devices, then looked down at the "grandfather's keepsake" on her wrist.

Overwhelmed by the sheer absurdity, he blurted out, "So, this is what I'll be facing from now on?"

Duan Zilian scratched her head: "Two max-level pros got their accounts banned, so they're planning to help a level 1 newbie like me fight the boss?"

"It's not that we want to support you, it's that the light has chosen you."

Looking intently into Duan Zilian's eyes, Wei Lai said, "Duan-kun, although you may feel confused right now, if you hadn't intervened, thousands of people would have died. You are no longer just a simple international student; you are currently the only shield protecting this world."

Duan Zilian fell silent.

He wanted to argue, to say that I, Duan Zilian, just wanted to live a peaceful life, and that I didn't even have a house anymore, so what was the point of talking about saving the world?

But when he thought of the power that resonated with his heart during the transformation, and the sense of mission that made him "have to fight," his words caught in his throat.

"Alright, don't put too much pressure on the newcomers."

Hong Kai stood up, patted Duan Zilian on the shoulder, and then said to Hibino Mirai, "The most pressing issue right now is that his apartment was blown up and he has nowhere to stay, so I brought him here in the hopes that we can arrange for him to stay with you."

"Accommodation?" After hearing Hong Kai's words, Mirai blinked and gave a knowing smile.

"No problem! The second floor of the shop is just sitting empty anyway."

Future pointed to the ceiling and said, "That used to be used to store miscellaneous items. With a little tidying up, it can be habitable. Although the conditions may not be as good as your old apartment, at least you won't have to sleep under a bridge."

"Really?!" Duan Zilian was so moved she almost knelt down before this living saint. "Future-san, you're like my second parents! I'll pay the rent! As long as I get a new bank card..."

"Forget about the rent." Future waved her hand. "But... the shop is indeed short-staffed lately. Since you're still a student, if you don't mind, could you come here to work after school? Consider it payment for the rent."

"Working part-time?" Duan Zilian was taken aback. Working part-time at a coffee shop? This plot... is starting to resemble the male protagonist of those slice-of-life anime more and more.

“I think it’s good too,” Hong Kai interjected, holding his third cookie. “It’s close to the school, and there aren’t many people around, which is perfect for our meeting. Most importantly…”

Hong Kai pointed to Duan Zilian's wrist and said, "Both I and the future can feel that this world is becoming increasingly strange, and a disgusting smell is brewing on the other side of this world."

"Moreover, there must be a mastermind behind this spacetime turbulence. The sky has now cracked open, so you're bound to have a lot of trouble in the future."

Duan Zilian felt the pain in her back starting again: "...Is it too late for me to retire now?"

"Too late." Hong Kai and Wei Lai both revealed that "once you're on the pirate ship, there's no escaping" smile.

“Okay…” Duan Zilian sighed and slumped in her chair. “Looks like I’m destined to be a worker in this coffee shop for the rest of my life.”

"Don't be so pessimistic." Future pointed to herself, then to Hong Kai.

"At least the coffee here is unlimited, and..."

He glanced at the darkening sky outside the window.

"Moreover, you are no longer alone, Duan Jun."

Duan Zilian looked at the two people and felt a strange warmth. Yes, one was a wanderer and the other was a warm man. Although they were gathered together for such a strange reason, having these two "seniors" in this broken world did make him feel much more at ease.

At least he wasn't fighting alone.

“...That’s true.” Duan Zilian suddenly smiled.

"Then please take care of me, shop manager, and... Kaisan."

Duan Zilian revealed a long-lost smile, but at this moment, a cold and aloof figure suddenly appeared in his mind: that cold girl with soft, long hair—Yukino Yukinoshita.

"She was alone in her apartment when the storm came, wasn't she? How is she now...?"

Duan Zilian didn't know why, but suddenly felt a tightness in her chest.

On the other side of the city, on the ruins far from the giant crater, a porter wearing a yellow hard hat carried a box of supplies and glanced in the direction of the crater.

"Tch, they played pretty well."

He muttered something, tossed his long brown hair, and turned to walk towards the moving truck amidst the foreman's urging. In the midst of the chaotic moving site, no one noticed the fleeting blue light on his left wrist.

Chapter 17 Welcome

three days later.

"Welcome!"

Accompanied by the crisp sound of wind chimes, Duan Zilian gathered his breath and shouted out the line he had practiced countless times.

He was wearing a crisp white shirt with a dark blue apron bearing the "CREW GUYS" logo. His previously messy hair was now neatly combed, and he looked quite presentable, if you ignored his sleepy face.