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

Yukinoshita looked at the listless face and said softly.

"Is that so... Come to think of it, I haven't seen Hiratsuka-sensei recently."

"I heard it's because of some meetings held by the government administration. Professor Hiratsuka is currently in Tokyo for meetings and is very busy."

With that, Yukinoshita deftly pushed open the door of the abandoned art museum, and Danzi Rei also left the telephone pole and followed behind Yukinoshita.

squeak-

The heavy iron gate emitted a low, grinding sound, like the groan of an old man.

The two entered the museum.

Although the air was filled with a musty smell of dust, the decor remained elegant, and sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows high up, casting dappled shadows.

"Wow, the atmosphere here is really strong."

Duan Zilian looked around; the tranquil paintings and plaster statues were faintly visible in the shadows.

“Standing here, I feel like a country bumpkin who has barged into a church.”

You're wrong.

Yukino walked ahead, her leather shoes tapping rhythmically on the wooden floor. "You're not a country bumpkin, you're just a primitive creature that hasn't fully evolved yet."

"Okay, Minister is right." Duan Zilian shrugged indifferently.

They walked through the dimly lit corridor and arrived at the central hall on the first floor.

The space here is suddenly open and bright, with rows of still mannequin models standing on both sides, wearing award-winning designs from the collaboration between the Soubu High School's handicraft department and art department over the years.

Some were elaborate and gorgeous gothic gowns, while others were futuristic uniforms with unique cuts. They appeared noble and beautiful in the dim light, yet they also exuded a chilling stillness.

Duan Zilian stared at the models, her eyes somewhat glazed over.

"I was thinking, the Minister would look adorable in these clothes," he said abruptly.

She stopped in her tracks under the snow, turned her head, and her ponytail swayed lightly.

"I'm cute even without these clothes."

She stated a fact that seemed like an axiom in a calm tone.

"Huh?" Duan Zilian was stunned. He obviously didn't expect the other party to give such a direct answer.

"What, you have a problem with that?"

Snow raised an eyebrow slightly.

"...No, it's really impossible to refute."

Duan Zilian gave a wry smile. This minister has never disappointed in his sharp wit and self-confidence.

Xue Shita's gaze swept over the gorgeous costumes, finally landing on Duan Zilian, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.

She smiled and said, "Since you like this style so much, Duan Jun would probably look very handsome in these too."

"Stop joking around." Duan Zilian waved her hand. "Primitive creatures wearing human clothes will create patchwork errors."

As Duan Zilian joked, he looked at the models on both sides. For some reason, looking at these glamorous models, he had an ominous premonition.

He looked down, but the bracelet remained unresponsive, as if telling Duan Zilian that it was safe here.

But he just felt that the air here seemed heavier than outside.

The models' heads and bodies seemed to subtly shift the moment their gaze was turned away.

Duan Zilian shook her head and laughed self-deprecatingly. She guessed that the special training last night had caused her to have neurasthenia, and she was acting strangely about everything.

"Speaking of which, these two rows of mannequins are quite intimidating. I always feel like they might suddenly tap me on the shoulder from behind and ask, 'Hey, do you think this outfit looks good?'" He joked to ease the tension in his self-absorbed state.

Yukinoshita, already walking towards the secret door leading to the basement, responded without turning her head upon hearing this:

"If you could use your imagination on classical Chinese translation, you wouldn't have scored so low. Goodbye, Duan Jun."

"I'm just naturally prone to not adapting to the new environment; there's nothing I can do about it."

Duan Zilian replied, taking one last look at the models standing in the shadows.

In the shadows, a model wearing an elaborate lace dress appeared to have her head tilted at a significantly different angle than before.

But Duan Zilian didn't notice.

He simply followed closely behind Yukino's retreating figure, disappearing into the dark staircase leading to the second underground vault.

Chapter 27 Model

Underground Warehouse No. 2.

Thick dust churned under the bright beam of the flashlight, and the air here was even more murky than on the first floor, mixed with the smell of oil paint from old canvases and the damp chill from the ground.

"I should have worn a mask. I think I'm getting a respiratory infection," Duan Zilian said weakly. Yukinoshita ignored him.

“There are two storage areas here, where all the school’s artworks are stored. You will be in charge of the sculpture area on the left, and I will be in charge of the painting area on the right.”

Yukino Yukinoshita stood at the crossroads and calmly pointed to two dark directions: "After you've taken stock of the damage, put the boxes on the seal immediately. Be quick."

Duan Zilian looked at the corridor that seemed to swallow up the light, and her lips twitched slightly: "Minister, suggesting splitting up in this kind of environment is usually a trailer for the start of the plot in horror movies."

"Generally speaking, one of us will be dragged into the darkness by an unknown creature, and then the other will be wiped out while searching for the other."

"That kind of illogical script is only suitable for watching primitive creatures that don't use their brains."

Yukinoshita turned her head, a teasing smile on her lips: "Or is it that you, a grown man, are actually surprisingly afraid of ghosts?"

"I just respect the classic tropes in movies." Duan Zilian sighed. Although she was being sarcastic, she still obediently walked towards the left passage. "Alright, if you hear me scream, remember to call the police first, and then think about saving me."

"I'll remember to take a picture first," Yukino said, before disappearing into the shadows on her right.

……

Sculpture area on the left.

Duan Zilian moved quickly, perhaps thanks to Hong Kai's grueling training. Although his whole body ached, his observation skills and physical coordination had improved significantly.

He skillfully inspected the bases of the plaster statues, affixing dated seals to the still intact "General of the Army High Honors" plaques.

stab-

The sound of the seal being torn open was particularly jarring in the deathly silent space; it wandered through the empty room, echoing repeatedly.

Duan Zilian stopped what she was doing and subconsciously glanced at the bracelet on her left wrist. It was still the same lifeless ornament, but the feeling of being constantly on edge was becoming clearer and clearer.

"It's so quiet."

He muttered to himself, "This place is devoid of insect chirps, the sound of wind outside the buildings, and even the dripping of water from the underground drainpipes. It's like being in a vacuum."

Suddenly, a strong sense of unease exploded in his mind.

He suddenly realized that Yukinoshita had just said that all the school's artwork was stored here.

Those two rows of mannequins I saw upstairs earlier... those mannequin clothes that were hand-sewn by students and embody countless hours of hard work, wouldn't you also consider them "works of art" in some sense?

If so, then their presence in the empty ground floor atrium instead of being properly stored in the underground vault is the biggest anomaly.

"Tsk, I've been fooled."

Duan Zilian abruptly dropped the seal, looked in the direction where Xuexia had disappeared, turned around and rushed there, a crazy premonition screaming wildly in his ears.

……

On the other side, the painting area on the right.

Yukino Yukinoshita was squatting in front of a stack of wooden framed paintings taller than a person, carefully scanning the cracks on the canvas with the beam of her flashlight.

Da...da...da...

A rhythmic sound of footsteps came from the corridor behind her.

"Duan Jun? Is it done? Your efficiency is surprisingly high."

Yukino didn't turn around. She held a pen and wrote down the painting numbers in her notebook. "Since you're here, help me move this stack of frames to the ground. I need to confirm the numbers on the bottom."

The person behind him did not answer, but the footsteps continued, even becoming somewhat slow and stiff.

The sound was strange. Upon closer listening, it didn't sound like shoes stepping on the ground, but rather like the "clattering" sound of some kind of hard plastic hitting a cement floor.

The pen in the snow paused slightly, and behind her, a strange chill crept up her ankles.

"...Duan Jun?"

Yukino slowly stood up, turning the flashlight in her hand slowly behind her.

The beam of light swept across the darkness, past the cobweb-covered shelves, past the yellowed packaging paper, and finally landed at the end of the corridor.

There, the gothic lace mannequins that should have been on the first floor were now standing quietly at the entrance, their necks tilted to the side.

Under the bright beam of the flashlight, its body appeared unusually eerie, and its gorgeous long dress seemed to come alive as it undulated slightly under the flashlight's light.

"This is really... not funny at all."

Yukinoshita said softly, her grip on the notebook tightening slightly, and a bead of cold sweat trickled down her forehead.

Finally, the model moved. Its steps were stiff and rapid, its arms stretched straight forward, like a zombie in a horror movie. Behind it, in the darkness, more dense "clattering" sounds were coming from all directions.

At that moment, the entire abandoned art museum seemed to come alive.

Reason reacted faster than fear, and Yukino Yukinoshita quickly grabbed a long aluminum pole supporting an easel and dodged to the left.

"Crack!"

The model's fingers gripped the spot where Yukino had just been, and her claws dug into the frame behind her, instantly creating several deep, bone-revealing cracks.

Just as Yukinoshita moved behind the mannequin, preparing to pick up the long pole to retaliate, a loud, strange shout suddenly came from the end of the dark corridor: "Minister! Crouch down!!!"

That was Duan Zilian's voice, carrying a sense of urgency and unquestionability.

Snow almost reflexively curled up, her ponytail drawing an arc in the air.

call--!

A huge black shadow whistled past overhead with a sharp whooshing sound.

A heavy solid wood chair slammed into the mannequin's chest with a loud crash.

The sound of wood cracking exploded in the enclosed space. The mannequin was thrown backward by the huge impact and crashed hard into the pile of picture frames in front of it, letting out a broken groan.

"go!"

A warm and strong hand suddenly grabbed Xuexia's wrist.

Duan Zilian appeared in the pillar of light, panting heavily. His forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his eyes held a hint of relief.

“Duan Jun…” Upon seeing the person clearly, Yukino breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"Minister, what did I just say? Splitting up is an absolute taboo in horror movies!"

Before Yukinoshita could react, Danzi Rei grabbed her and rushed back without saying a word.

"These models are absolutely terrifying!"

Behind them, a series of "thump, thump" sounds echoed in the darkness, like countless stiff corpses being dragged across the concrete.

"We can't go that way either, those 'Agriba' have blocked the exit of the sculpture area! Let's get to the exit!"

The two ran wildly and burst out of the basement exit.

However, the situation in the central hall on the first floor was even worse. All the mannequins had been moved, and they stood like a group of silent guards, completely sealing off the door.

"Damn it, run uphill!"

Duan Zilian glanced at the spiral wooden staircase leading to the second floor, which was currently the only gap.

The two climbed the creaking stairs at full speed in the dimly lit art gallery. The models behind them moved with an eerie speed, their steps stiff. They surged up the stairs in groups, as if enacting a game of cat and mouse.

"Duan-kun... what exactly is going on?" Yukinoshita was being pulled along by Duan Zilian, her voice trembling slightly. "Without a power source, and without a nervous system... how can inorganic matter possess autonomous movement capabilities? This simply doesn't conform to the laws of physics!"

"Minister! Physics ceased to exist when the monster appeared last week!"

Duan Zilian turned back to look at the group of monsters and loudly retorted:

"It's physics-defying that cracks can appear in the sky! It's physics-defying that a 50-meter-long bird can spit out lightning! Compared to that, it's perfectly reasonable for these models to run and jump! This world has long since gone mad!"

"This kind of irrational sophistry..."

Yukinoshita wanted to say something, but was suddenly pushed into the depths of the corridor by Danzi Rei.