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

Duan Zilian looked at Hong Kai and asked a question.

Just then, a voice came from the basement passageway, and Hibino Mirai walked in carrying three glasses of water.

The gentle steam blurred his vision. He heard Duan Zilian's question and smiled, saying:

"Actually, our understanding of this crack is also very limited, but we call it the 'Crack in the Sky'."

He walked over to the two of them, put down their water glasses one by one, and his expression became serious.

“When Kaisan and I fell into this world, the rift in the sky was still outside the atmosphere. It appeared in Chiba for a while, but only for a moment. We noticed it by chance. Today, it has moved to Yokohama.”

"Move?" Duan Zilian paused, her hand holding the water glass still for a moment.

"Yes."

Hong Kai stretched out a finger and drew it through the air.

"I didn't expect this thing to actually move. It's moving along the coastline from Chiba to Yokohama. I wonder what it's doing."

"Moreover, I could sense that something malevolent was watching inside from outside that crack."

"So... something even more terrifying than Magabasa could fall from that three-meter gap in Yokohama at any moment?"

Duanzi Lian asked.

"Something will definitely fall down, but judging from this opening, what falls down shouldn't be too strong."

Hong Kai nodded, then changed the subject, staring sharply at Duan Zilian.

"But more importantly than that, what happened upstairs earlier, about that 'demon'? Were you concerned about that?"

Duan Zilian fell silent, looking down at the shimmering water in the cup.

"I'm just a little sad."

"Young man, if you expect to earn the gratitude of all mankind by saving a few people, you'd better throw what's on your wrist into Tokyo Bay as soon as possible."

"In this world, humanity's fear of power always takes precedence over gratitude for being saved."

Hong Kai said earnestly.

Duan Zilian gave a bitter laugh.

"So I'm destined to be that cursed Demon of Light? Kaisan, you just heard that post online by that guy named Kirieloid, he said I brought disaster upon myself."

"Ah, I heard that too, Kirieloid, but that name... sounds like it belongs to an alien."

Hibino Mirai frowned slightly as he looked at Kai.

"Kaisang, have you heard of this name?"

Hong Kai pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"I don't know. I've never heard anyone mention the name Kirieloid during my travels in the universe."

"Me too."

In the future, he walked up to Duan Zilian and sat down, speaking in a gentle tone.

"The universe is vast beyond imagination, and every world has its own shadow. It seems that this being called Kirieloid is a unique trouble in this world."

Duan Zilian looked at the future face and couldn't help but say.

“Future-san, how do I deal with this guy who specializes in manipulating public opinion? He doesn’t even need to show his face; he just needs to post a few things, and I’ll become a demon.”

"Let him say it."

The future suddenly spoke.

"Eh?"

"Duan Jun, do you know?"

The voice of the future is faint, yet exceptionally heavy.

“I’ve been through something like that before. It was a long time ago, in my universe.”

Duan Zilian looked at the future before him, and in that moment, he saw many things in the eyes of the future: nostalgia, relief, happiness, and sorrow...

"The first time I went into battle as a warrior, I was only focused on defeating the monster. Although I won, the surrounding buildings were severely damaged because of my negligence. At that time, a man named Aihara Ryu pointed at the ruins and shouted at me."

In the future, I close my eyes, and it's as if that voice is still echoing in my ears: "He yelled at me:

'What kind of fighting style is this! Look at what you've protected!'

Duan Zilian was stunned and looked up at the always gentle shop manager: "...Did he really say that?"

"Yes, I felt wronged at the time. I couldn't understand why I was scolded after risking my life to save someone."

"But I later realized that being a hero is not a title you can attain simply by throwing punches."

Looking at Duan Zilian, Wei Lai's tone carried a weight.

“Buildings can be rebuilt, but if people’s sense of home is shattered, it is very difficult to make up for it.”

"The dragon is teaching me that a Warrior of Light must not only have a fighting spirit, but also a heart that can feel the sorrow of ordinary people."

Being called a 'demon' or a 'jinx' is something that every Ultraman encounters during their growth process.

Hong Kai, who was listening nearby, suddenly laughed out loud. He stood up and stretched.

"The future is still so gentle. However, Aihara Ryu is right. If you only think about 'winning', then you really are a 'demon of light'."

"The so-called Kirieloid on the internet is nothing more than taking advantage of human cowardice and greed. As long as you become strong enough to solve the biggest problems with minimal losses, those rumors will naturally dissipate like the wind."

Hong Kai kicked an old sandbag out of the shadows, making a dull thud.

"The cracks in Yokohama are shifting, and the next battlefield could be anywhere. If you don't want to see the scene of being pointed at and cursed by the people you protect again, the only way is to become stronger."

"Become stronger so that you can precisely control every bit of power, become stronger so that you can kick a monster away before it even touches a building."

Duan Zilian's originally restless and aggrieved heart miraculously calmed down in the face of her self-reflection on the future statement, "Look at what you've been protecting."

"……I understand."

He stood up, tightened his apron, and finally his eyes lit up.

“They call me ‘the devil’ because I’m not ready yet. That Kirieloid wants to play mind control, so I’ll show him with my fists who truly wants to protect this world.”

"Very good, that's right."

Hong Kai grinned.

"Now that you understand, the training intensity will be doubled. In order to prevent the next 'Aihara Ryu' from pointing his finger at you and cursing you, we'll train you until you can't stand up anymore!"

"Wait! Kaisan! What kind of logic is this, doubling the special training?! Help, Future-san!"

The muffled thuds of fists colliding and Duan Zilian's screams echoed from the basement once again.

And over Yokohama.

The three-meter-long purple crack twitched slightly, as if it had grown longer.

Below, a ghostly shadow silently appeared on the sea surface.

His entire body was shrouded in darkness, yet he remained undetected to ordinary people.

"Tiga... Ultraman... In this world, there is no need for a second god."

Chapter 26 Sunday at the Art Museum

The next morning, the birdsong echoed the pitiful groans of Duan Zilian.

"Hiss... That bastard Kaisan really doesn't hold back at all."

Duan Zilian lay on the bed, letting out a groan like an old bellows.

Last night, Hong Kai called it "speed training," but in reality, he played a four-hour game of "hide-and-seek" with him in a dimly lit basement using that stick.

If Duan Zilian had been even a second slower, the wooden stick would have struck his joint precisely.

"Although it's supposed to be special training, I always feel like he's taking revenge on me..."

Duan Zilian sat up and looked out the window. The morning in Chiba was shrouded in a thin mist. The streets were quiet, with only a few construction vehicles clearing rubble passing by occasionally, making a heavy rumble.

He glanced at his left hand; the silver bracelet looked extremely ordinary in the morning light. Who would have thought that it held a giant capable of changing the world?

"I'll just lie in bed all day," he said, lying down on the bed with a dejected sigh.

hum-

My phone next to my pillow vibrated.

Duan Zilian's eyelids twitched. He now had a strange kind of PTSD about this voice. He slowly reached out his trembling hand and grabbed the phone.

[Yukino Yukinoshita]: Duan-kun, are you there? Let's meet at the art museum on the east side of the school in half an hour.

[Yukino Yukinoshita]: There is an urgent request.

"An emergency request? It's Sunday today..." Duan Zilian stared at the screen, her lips twitching. "Is this woman running the Service Department like a multinational corporation?"

[Duan Zilian]: Can I refuse?

[Yukino Yukinoshita]: No.

"They're really assertive..."

Despite complaining, Duan Zilian still got up.

"My plan to lie down for a day is over before it even started..."

When Duanzi Lian came down the stairs, Hibino Mirai at the bar had already changed into a neat apron and was adjusting the coffee machine.

"Duan-kun, are you going out?" Wei Lai smiled and looked up, handing him a wrapped paper bag. "This is a freshly baked ham and cheese sandwich. Take it with you on the way. Kaisan went to the beach to 'meditate,' so no one will be beating you for the time being."

"Thanks, Future-san."

Duan Zilian took the paper bag, feeling the warmth from her fingertips, and finally felt a little better. "Someone like Kaisang, does he really need to meditate? I thought his brain only contained marbles, soda, and supermarket discount coupons."

"Kaisan... he was actually worried about that crack."

Looking out the window, a hint of worry flashed in his eyes.

"Although he didn't say it, he kept staring in the direction of Yokohama after you fell asleep last night, and the crack looks much bigger than it did this morning."

Duan Zilian took a bite of her sandwich, gave a mumbled reply, and her eyes dimmed.

"I will be back as soon as possible."

……

The broad leaves of the sycamore trees rustled in the breeze, and the air of midsummer had quietly enveloped every corner of the city.

When Duan Zilian appeared at the art museum rubbing her shoulder, a graceful figure was already standing at the end of her line of sight.

Yukino Yukinoshita, unusually, didn't wear her long hair down today, but instead tied it up in a high ponytail.

A few wisps of hair fell down her fair neck, making her look much neater than usual and adding a touch of aloofness and heroic spirit.

"You're three minutes late, Mr. Duan."

Yukino lowered her eyes slightly, glanced at her watch, and seemed to be expressing her dissatisfaction.

"I've been trying so hard to fight my legs." Duan Zilian spread her hands weakly and leaned against a nearby telephone pole.

"On days like Sundays when I have to run errands across most of the city, I think it's time to put the plan to buy a bicycle on the agenda."

His gaze lingered on the ponytail beneath the snow for half a second, a teasing smile playing on his lips:

"However, the minister with her hair tied in a high ponytail looks quite charming. Just thinking about doing club activities with a minister like that makes all the soreness in my body seem to lessen a lot."

"Excessive chatter will not reduce our workload today."

Yukinoshita glanced at him indifferently, but her cheeks flushed slightly in the wind. "This is just for the convenience of movement. After all, it's very inconvenient to let your hair down when you're exercising."

She turned around and looked at the somewhat dilapidated art museum in front of her, her expression becoming serious.

"This is an urgent request from Professor Hiratsuka. Although this art museum has been designated as a slated demolition area due to foundation subsidence, it houses all the artworks that Sobu High School has won at the prefectural level or above since its founding."

"The demolition team will be on site next Monday. If we don't complete the initial inventory and reinforcement today, those works that carry the school's honor may be disposed of as construction waste."

Duan Zilian looked at the somewhat rusty iron gate and sighed:

"So, I'm just that free laborer who was dragged here to 'rescue cultural heritage,' right? Professor Hiratsuka really treats us like all-purpose tools."

"As a member, this is your duty. Moreover, Ms. Hiratsuka is under a lot of pressure right now. As a student advisor, she is basically dealing with all sorts of things every day."