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

"Do you know why it's been locked up here all this time?" Kaguya suddenly asked.

"Why?" Duan Zilian turned around.

"Because it has the noblest lineage in this store, and is also an extremely rare pure red-eyed animal, the store manager put it in the most conspicuous display window simply to attract the attention of passersby and encourage them to come in and make a purchase."

Kaguya's gaze fell on the black cat's red eyes, as if she were looking at another version of herself through glass.

"Huh? This cat looks so noble, isn't the shop owner worried that someone else will buy it and then no one will come back?" Duan Zilian asked in confusion.

"No, it is precisely because of its nobility that it is 'not for sale' and is only displayed to the public."

Kaguya smoothed her hair and said softly, "It can't be bought by anyone. It can only be locked in this glass cabinet forever, watching with aloofness as ordinary cats are taken away to have their own new homes. So, it only looks noble. In reality, it is not as good as any of the cats in the store."

Looking at the proud yet lonely black cat inside the glass window, Duan Zilian remained silent for a few seconds, as if there was something more to her words.

He wasn't oblivious; considering the identity of the girl in front of him, he could guess some things.

"Hey, no way, I don't think this little guy is as pitiful as you think."

Kaguya Shinomiya received a puzzled look.

Duan Zilian looked at the kitten with a hint of envy: "Look at it, it doesn't have to rummage through trash cans during typhoons, nor does it have to be burdened with huge debts, even though it's not for sale."

He pondered for a moment and casually said, "But if one day a guy really, really likes it, who cares if it's not for sale? He can just come to the store every day and pester it until the store manager can't take it anymore. Or if it were you, Vice President Shinomiya, you could just buy the store outright, wouldn't that be better?"

Chapter 51 Hayata

Kaguya looked at the boy in front of her with a flippant expression.

Hmph, what a naive idea. Where in reality would you find someone like that? And how could something be done so easily?

"Please say what you will. If you like this cat, I hope you will have the money to buy it in the future. Pets are not allowed in the Shinomiya family."

"Ah, the Shinomiya family is really strict. They don't even allow pet cats." Duan Zilian gained a deeper understanding of the broken rules in these powerful families.

The two chatted by the window for a while, and then Duan Zilian glanced at her phone.

"Oh, is it already so late? I need to hurry up and buy my mode of transportation. If I go too late, all the cheap and easy-to-ride bicycles will be snatched up by the aunties."

Kaguya Shinomiya paused for a moment, then nodded faintly.

Just as Duan Zilian was about to take a step, she suddenly seemed to remember something.

"By the way, Vice President Shinomiya."

Duan Zilian operated her phone and brought up a QR code: "Aren't there some psychological counseling and disaster drills in a few days? Our Service Department, as a miscellaneous club, will definitely come to help. It's Golden Week now, and we can't meet up, so let's just add each other on Line? It'll be easier to keep in touch."

For a moment, the air fell silent.

Kaguya paused, looking at the phone that Duan Zilian was holding out, and at the QR code on it.

Uh… Duan Zilian suddenly felt a sense of pressure. What was going on? Why did she have a bad feeling?

"I don't use Line." Sure enough, the next second, a cool voice came from Kaguya Shinomiya's mouth.

Duan Zilian's brain worked at lightning speed.

No Line? How is that possible? This isn't the Showa era anymore. The young lady of the prestigious Shinomiya Group, the vice president of the student council at Shuchiin Academy, is saying she doesn't have Line?

After much contemplation, Duan Zilian finally realized the truth.

I understand now, I completely understand.

This is a polite way of rejecting someone in high society, just like how girls used to say "I don't have a cell phone" when they were approached.

Using such an absurd excuse is implying to me: "You commoner, you just pop up to talk to me out of nowhere, and you expect me to have your way of chatting? You'd better stop."

Duan Zilian mentally slapped herself hard for her earlier recklessness.

"Ah! I know, I know!" Duan Zilian quickly put her phone back in her pocket, waved her hands repeatedly, and wore a bright smile that said, "I'm very sensible and I will never make things difficult for you." She backed away as she spoke.

"I apologize for my abruptness! Well, the bicycle shop is about to close, Vice President Shinomiya. See you at school later!"

After saying that, Duan Zilian turned around and ran wildly towards the end of the street, as if afraid that if she was even a second late, the air would become so awkward that it would be suffocating.

"Wait, wait a minute..."

Kaguya Shinomiya subconsciously reached out to call him back. She actually wanted to say that they could exchange email addresses, but Danzi Rei had already disappeared in the blink of an eye.

A gentle breeze of early summer swept through the empty streets, causing Kaguya's long dress to flutter.

She stood alone in front of the cattery window, her outstretched hand hanging limply in mid-air.

After a long while, Kaguya lowered her arm and silently pulled out an old flip phone.

"I... I really don't have Line, what did this guy take that for?" Kaguya lost interest and walked away with a feeling of being misunderstood.

Less than a minute after the two left, another aloof figure walked into the cat house.

"Hello, please give me two bags of Hiruzen cat food, thank you." Yukino Yukinoshita held up two fingers and politely said to the shop assistant in front of her.

The three of them missed each other precisely.

……

Meanwhile, on the tree-lined avenue a few streets away.

Dahe Wang wandered the streets like a lost soul who had lost his dreams, occasionally kicking up pebbles and letting out a long sigh.

"Ah... I need to think of something to do."

Dahe Wang scratched his messy brown hair, his face full of despair: "I've looked for all the manual labor jobs around here, but because I don't have a fixed address or a referrer, no place will hire me. Am I, Dahe Wang, really going to end up begging under a bridge?"

If you ask me, you should just honestly join forces with them.

In his mind, Zero said with exasperation: "As Ultra Warriors, how can we survive in this universe filled with unknown threats without unity?"

"Nonsense," Taiga thought angrily. "That's called a man's backbone! I'd rather starve to death or jump off the Chiba Tower than cling to someone else's leg!"

He had just lifted his foot when, a second later, he stopped again.

A few dozen meters ahead, at the street corner, a boy was slowly turning into a shop.

"...Uh, how come it's that kid again?" Taiga's eye twitched. He had already run into him once before, how come he could run into him again on a different street?

"Today's luck is absolutely terrible, it's like I'm bound to some kind of evil magnetic field."

……

"Sorry to bother you."

As the glass door was pushed open, Duan Zilian, wearing the badge of honor of being rejected for the first time in his life, walked into the bicycle shop.

The store had a faint rubber smell, but it wasn't unpleasant; instead, it gave people a sense of reassurance.

This is a place that Hachiman Hikigaya highly recommends. In the words of that dead fish-eyed guy, "The bicycles in that shop are cheap and durable, and the owner is a very kind old man who will never chatter in your ear like those shady salesmen. It's the most energy-saving thing to do to be around this kind of person."

"Hey kid, here to buy a car?"

A deep, gentle voice came from inside the shop.

Immediately afterwards, an elderly man wearing glasses stood up. His hair was gray, but he looked strong and powerful. His eyes were full of vitality and determination. If it weren't for the wrinkles on his face, it would be hard to believe that he was an elderly man in his seventies.

"Yes," Duan Zilian smiled politely. "Starting next week, classes will resume normally, and I feel like I really can't commute without a bicycle every day."

"Yes, students need a means of transportation to get to school. I have personally adjusted every part of every vehicle here, so they are absolutely sturdy."

The store manager came out with a smile and casually patted the bicycle next to him, as if to reassure him.

Duan Zilian nodded, her gaze sweeping around the store, trying to find a vehicle that fit her 20,000 yuan budget.

However, after his gaze swept around, it suddenly stopped on a wall.

There was a huge poster on it.

On the poster, a giant in red and purple stands on the earth, his glowing eyes gazing ahead, looking incredibly sacred.

“How could it be Ultraman Tiga…” Duan Zilian blurted out subconsciously.

"Ah... Manager." Duan Zilian pointed at the poster, her expression somewhat strange, trying to hide her unease. "What is this?"

"Oh, you mean this?" The shopkeeper followed his finger, his eyes softening with admiration. "Don't you know? This is Ultraman Tiga."

"Ah, of course I know the news online is all about him." Duan Zilian coughed twice. "I mean... why is he posted right in the middle of your wall?"

The store manager smiled, a smile that carried the weight of years.

“A guardian deity.” His voice was steady and powerful. “The giant risked his life to protect the entire city, to protect everyone, and without asking for anything in return. Shouldn’t such a hero be remembered and honored on our walls?”

Duan Zilian stood there, stunned. Looking at the pure respect in the eyes of this complete stranger, the shop manager, he felt a warm glow in his chest.

"Ah... really... it's not that exaggerated, haha." Duan Zilian raised his hand in a gesture of respect, then turned his head to look at the bicycle, desperately suppressing the urge to smile.

"How could that be an exaggeration? We humans are so lucky to have such a guardian spirit protecting us," the shopkeeper exclaimed again.

"Hahaha, yes, Tiga is indeed great." Duan Zilian thought to herself with pride.

Awesome! So awesome! This feeling of being praised and recognized so generously by elders... it's truly wonderful! It's even better than earning 10 billion game coins!

Hachiman, you weren't lying to me. The shop manager here is as warm as a ray of light.

"Grandpa Hayata! Grandpa Hayata!"

Just as Duan Zilian was smugly wagging her tail in her heart, a burst of extremely cheerful shouts suddenly came from outside the door.

The next second, three or four primary school students wearing yellow safety helmets pushed open the door and ran in, grabbing the old man's clothes from both sides.

"Grandpa Hayata! Umeko's bicycle chain has fallen off again!"

"It's on that slope up ahead! Please go and fix it for us!"

"Please, Grandpa Hayata!"

"Oh, okay, okay, don't rush, we'll go right away. Run slowly, don't fall." The old man, known as "Hayata," immediately showed a kind smile and responded repeatedly.

He casually picked up a toolbox from the workbench, turned to Duan Zilian, and smiled apologetically.

"Young man, I'm really sorry, children's troubles are always urgent. Feel free to look around the bicycles here. I've tuned the performance of each one, and the prices are all listed. They're not expensive. I'll go help the children fix their things first. You can take your time choosing one."

"You go ahead with your work, don't worry about me." Duan Zilian nodded quickly.

Hayata was surrounded by several children as he walked out of the store.

His broad, upright back, bathed in sunlight, exuded a sense of security as if he could carry the earth on his shoulders.

Duan Zilian stayed alone in the shop, looking at the bicycles all over the place, then looked up at the poster of herself on the wall, and couldn't help but touch her chin.

"Ah, it's really great..." He smiled happily again.

Chapter 52 Mini Kaguya

"It feels so good to drive a new car..."

Duan Zilian rode her bicycle slowly through the streets, humming an unknown tune.

Right now, the commuter car under his feet, worth 10,000 yen, is the first car he has ever bought on his own, and he is still a little excited about it.

A gentle breeze brushed against his cheek, and Duan Zilian felt as if the whole world was beneath the wheels of his bicycle.

As I passed a grocery store on the street corner, a television hanging above the freezer was broadcasting an emergency news segment.

"Recently, a number of unexplained disappearances have occurred in Chiba City. Most of the missing persons are individuals walking alone, and no obvious signs of struggle or CCTV footage have been found at the scenes. Police are reminding citizens to be extra careful and not to walk alone in secluded areas at night..."

Duan Zilian gripped the brake, braced herself on one foot, and frowned as she stared at the screen.

"Unexplained disappearance... This familiar feeling of déjà vu, could it be that another alien with special abilities has sneaked in?"

"This is not a good sign... I need to tell Kaisan and Mirai-san as soon as possible and tell them to be more careful around the coffee shop."

Duan Zilian stepped back onto the pedal to leave, but as he passed a corner of an intersection, a chill suddenly swept down his spine.

"Wait a moment……"

He slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching against the asphalt. He closed his eyes, focusing intently on the strange, unfamiliar energy in the air.

Indeed, amidst the complex odors of the city, a strange aura lurks in the air like a venomous snake.

"North...it's over there! I caught them so quickly!!"

Duan Zilian opened her eyes, abruptly turned the bicycle around, and pedaled with all her might. The bicycle transformed into a silver streak and rushed straight into the dark street.

"Seriously, can't you aliens just let me rest for a bit?!"

……