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

The mask... Yes, he always wore a mask.

To be worthy of the position of president of Shuchiin University, and to avoid being ridiculed by those who looked down on his background, he studied and worked desperately, disguising himself as an invincible "superman".

He dared not relax, dared not show weakness, and even dared not admit that he was actually very tired.

“…I really envy you.” Shirogane gave a wry smile, looking down at his reflection in the coffee cup. “I just can’t do it. If I let my guard down, I’ll fall. That fear…it’s always chasing me.”

[This man is going to break...] Duan Zilian thought to herself.

"Then we can find a place to hide occasionally."

Duan Zilian pointed to the shop, "For example, here. Although I don't know how much burden you carry on your shoulders, here, you don't have to be the president, and I'm not a transfer student. We're just two poor men struggling to make a living."

"...You look much more mature than I imagined, Duan-kun..." Shirogane Miyuki said with a smile.

Duan Zilian paused, revealing a helpless expression, tapping the bar with his fingers and resting his chin on his hand.

"There's nothing I can do. I'm just a kitten forced to run forward by the torrent of life. If I stop, I'll drown."

"So it's all for the sake of making a living, this damn life."

He made himself a cup of milk, then picked up his milk cup and placed it against the silver coffee cup in a virtual cup.

"No matter what, people have to keep moving forward. Come on, let's toast to this messed-up life."

Bai Yin looked at him.

A moment later, he also raised his glass and clinked it against the glass in mid-air.

"...A toast to this shitty life."

The two men smiled at each other. A tacit understanding, unique to men, was quietly established at that moment. There were no conflicts of interest, no differences in status, only two souls panting under heavy pressure, finding resonance in that instant.

"Speaking of which, Mr. Duan."

Shirogane took a sip of coffee, his tone much more relaxed, "What do you think of... Shinomiya?"

"Huh?" Duan Zilian was taken aback. "Vice President Shinomiya? Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"Because... how should I put it."

Bai Yin scratched his head, seemingly organizing his thoughts, "She usually seems unapproachable, right? Always cold and ruthless in her words. Many people are afraid of her."

“Indeed.” Duan Zilian nodded. “When I first met her, I also felt that this woman was like a walking air conditioner, and she seemed very noble and extremely unapproachable.”

"Haha, that's definitely her style."

Bai Yin smiled. "But, as a partner I've worked with for a long time, I think she's actually... not as bad as she seems. She's just used to protecting herself that way. Sometimes, she's actually quite... clumsy."

“Clumsy…” Duan Zilian recalled Kaguya in front of the vending machine that afternoon, kicking the machine and awkwardly handing over a band-aid.

indeed.

She didn't look like a high-and-mighty young lady at all; instead, she looked like a sulking little girl.

"probably."

Duan Zilian touched the band-aid in her pocket, a smile playing on her lips. "Although his personality is a bit off, at least... he's not a bad person. As a friend, he should be alright."

"My friend..."

Bai Yin nodded, seemingly satisfied with the assessment. "That's good. I was worried you'd dislike her because of what happened this afternoon. After all, with the two schools merging, we'll be dealing with each other frequently."

"Don't worry, I'm very easygoing." Duan Zilian shrugged. "As long as she doesn't deduct my credits or cause me trouble, I'll treat her like a precious lucky cat."

"Lucky Cat?" Shirogane couldn't help but laugh out loud. "If she heard you called that, you'd probably be sunk into Tokyo Bay."

Shh! Keep it a secret!

The two chatted for a while longer. They talked about fun things at school, the hardships of working, and their uncertainty about the future.

On this night filled only with the aroma of coffee, two boys who would otherwise never have crossed paths unexpectedly became friends who could vent to each other.

"It's getting late." Baiyin glanced at his watch, stood up, and said, "I should head back too. I need to get up early tomorrow to memorize vocabulary."

"Keep it up, President." Duan Zilian waved. "Come back next time you want some bitter coffee. I'll give you a 20% discount."

"It's a word."

Bai Yin pushed open the door and stepped into the night. His back still looked somewhat tired, but he seemed more relaxed than when he came in.

Duan Zilian watched the door close and let out a long sigh.

"What a... hard-working guy."

He looked down at the silver bracelet on his wrist. He wondered when he would have to transform again to face those unknown monsters. At least for now, he could enjoy this moment of peace.

Duan Zilian smiled, turned off the coffee machine, wiped the water stains off the bar, and got back to work.

The evening breeze outside the shop carried the coolness of the night as it swept across the street corner. The door curtain swayed gently, and the wind chimes tinkled softly for a couple of moments before quickly fading into silence.

Chapter 23 You're still 20,000 years too early!

9:10 PM.

After saying goodbye to Duanzi Lian, Shirogane Miyuki walked home alone.

This road passes through an old residential area that is being demolished. Because most of the residents have moved away, half of the streetlights here are broken and no one has repaired them.

The dim yellow light flickered, casting distorted shadows on the abandoned furniture and construction debris along the roadside.

"...Really, I'll just take the main road next time." Baiyin tightened his body and quickened his pace.

The surroundings were eerily quiet; apart from the sound of my own footsteps, there were only the occasional meows of wild cats in the distance.

As Baiyin walked, he kept replaying his conversation with Duan Zilian in his mind.

"If you wear a mask for too long, you'll forget how to breathe." These words stuck in his heart like a thorn.

"Are you breathing...?"

Just then, Bai Yin sighed.

nourish - nourish -

Suddenly, the streetlights overhead emitted a series of electrical noises and began to flicker wildly, as if there was a poor connection.

Bai Yin paused for a moment.

"...What the hell? It broke down at a time like this?"

He subconsciously glanced back and saw an empty alley behind him, with only a few plastic bags rubbing against the ground in the wind, making a rustling sound.

There was no one there, but he always felt... that something was watching him.

The feeling was extremely uncomfortable, like being locked onto by some kind of target; the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

"It's probably just my imagination... I've been too tired lately."

Bai Yin shook his head, trying to shake off the unease. He took out his earphones from his pocket, intending to listen to some English audio to distract himself. This was his habit of relieving stress.

I just put my headphones on.

Ho ho ho ho ho—

A strange sound entered my ears.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was extremely penetrating, even drowning out the English reading in the headphones. It sounded like the eerie laughter of a broken radio, noisy and strange.

Bai Yin abruptly ripped off his headphones, and the sound vanished. Silence remained all around.

"……who?"

Bai Yin mustered his courage and shouted, his voice echoing in the empty alley, "Who's there?"

no answer.

"A prank?"

Bai Yin frowned. He continued walking, but this time his pace noticeably quickened.

Ho, ho, ho—

The sound came again! And it was even closer than before! It was... it was in that abandoned warehouse on the left!

Bai Yin's heart pounded wildly, pounding against his chest. Reason told him to run, but his legs felt as heavy as lead.

He turned his head stiffly and looked at the dark warehouse door.

Two points of yellow light appeared in the dark doorway.

Those were eyes, like the eyes of some kind of giant insect.

Then, an outline slowly emerged. The thing had a huge head like a cicada and a body like an insect wearing armor.

And its hands... are two huge, lobster-like pincers.

"A...monster?!"

Bai Yin's pupils suddenly contracted, and the schoolbag in his hand fell to the ground with a thud.

The thing emerged from the shadows, its movements stiff, each step accompanied by a heavy thud.

It stared at the silver, its pincers slowly rising, emitting a chilling laugh: "Ho, ho, ho, ho—"

"No, don't come any closer!" Baiyin retreated step by step until his back hit the cold wall.

My shirt was instantly soaked with cold sweat. Was this... the "extraordinary" thing they talked about in the news? Had I really encountered it? In this deserted alley?

The thing stopped, and its figure suddenly blurred.

Swish, swish, swish! One became two, two became four.

Four identical Baltan aliens, wielding enormous pincers, advanced step by step toward Silver, blocking all escape routes.

Despair. Utter despair.

"Help... help..."

Silver wanted to shout, but his throat felt like it was being choked, and he could only make weak breathy sounds.

I'm going to die, I'm really going to die.

...My sister...Dad...And that dream that hasn't come true yet...

Just as Shirogane closed his eyes in despair, awaiting the arrival of death.

"Hey! You lobster head over there! What are you doing doing this clone show so late at night instead of sleeping?! Don't you know disturbing the peace is illegal?!" An extremely arrogant and thuggish voice exploded in Bai Yin's ears.

—Bang! !!

With a muffled thud, the Baltan alien clone at the very front of the Silver Alliance was kicked hard in the face by a foot wearing work boots.

"Huh?!"

The clone let out a strange cry and flew out like a bowling pin, crashing into the wall and dissipating into a puff of smoke.

Bai Yin suddenly opened his eyes.

A man in dusty work clothes and a yellow hard hat stood in front of him. He patted the dust off his hands and looked at the monsters with a displeased expression.

He looked very young, and although he looked tired, his eyes revealed a roguish air of fearlessness.

Looking out over the great river.

"You are..." Bai Yin was stunned.

"Stop spacing out!" Taihe Wang shouted, turning around and grabbing a discarded steel pipe from the roadside. "Get behind me right now! This thing is not something you can handle!"

"Hoo, hoo, hoo!" The remaining three Baltan aliens were clearly enraged.

They simultaneously raised their enormous pincers, their jaws gathering red energy beams, which they fired like machine guns.

"Ugh, what a hassle!"

Dahe Wang spat, then rolled to the side with the agility of a monkey.

[Hey! Big River! Left! Left!]

In my mind, Zero's voice was shouting.

"Shut up! I know!" Dahe Wang rolled on the ground, wielding the steel pipe in his hand with great force.

He charged towards the group of aliens' energy blasts, wielding the steel pipe with impressive power.

Bang! The steel pipe slammed into the head of one of the clones, smashing it into particles of light that dissipated.