Long Live Money in Anime Crossover

Reimu Hakurei naturally noticed the wavering in Haruhi Suzumiya's eyes. In the short time they had talked, although Reimu Hakurei still didn't know what Haruhi Suzumiya's background or what she had been through, Reimu Hakurei believed that she had grasped some of Haruhi Suzumiya's essential personality traits.

She didn't want Haruhi Suzumiya to sink into despair, especially not because of her words. After all, Haruhi Suzumiya was also Reimu Hakurei's benefactor, and repaying kindness with enmity was not in Reimu Hakurei's style.

"So, good luck, leader! I believe in you!"

The encouragement, though seemingly mild, seemed to subtly bring Haruhi Suzumiya back to her senses. Haruhi had experienced much in her life, and her swaying over Reimu's words was largely due to the series of events that had just transpired. Now, encouraged by Reimu, she was gradually recovering, and her gaze towards Reimu held a greater degree of trust.

"You called me team leader... So does that mean you want to join my team? Join us, maybe we can become good friends, and you'll become someone I can rely on!"

"Someone I can rely on... Shouldn't I feel honored?"

Reimu Hakurei, for some unknown reason, revealed a mischievous smile and said, "However, this isn't entirely out of the question. But as I just said, there's absolutely no trust between us right now. How about this: I'll do something for you, and you can decide whether to trust me based on the situation, how about that?"

"Do something, what is it?"

“For example,” Reimu Hakurei licked her lips, “start by taking down that so-called manager you mentioned?”

062 Reimu's Voice

"Are you really confident you can get them out like this?"

Mo Mo looked speechlessly at Gaia, who was baring her teeth and brandishing her claws in front of her. The two of them were fully clothed and were simply sitting together, leaning against each other. Gaia kept fiddling with Mo Mo's quantum light, seemingly doing something.

"That's only natural!"

Gaia said with certainty, "I am still a supreme god. Although I have lost my power, my knowledge is beyond your imagination. Your use of your power is far too rudimentary. With just a slight modification, I can instantly make those who are spying on us see illusions, and then turn the tables and make a mess of things!"

After fiddling with it for a while, Gaia clapped her hands and said "Done," then leaned back lazily against Momo's chest. She then popped a Momo-brand pearl into her mouth, crunched it with a pop, and savored the taste.

"So what have you been doing all this time? What exactly is that power that's hiding Reimu?"

At this moment, Momo knew that he was very close to Reimu Hakurei. This was not because of intuition, but because the knowledge he inherited from the Dragon God had actually brought Momo the power of the Dragon God.

The giant Dragon Ball, located in the afterlife universe, was being analyzed bit by bit by Momo's quantum light. With each passing second, Momo's understanding of the entire world increased, and in the very first moment, he had already figured out some not-too-complex issues.

For example, how did the Dragon God locate Reimu Hakurei? And what is the hidden secret behind the seemingly identical black world before Momo?

"Actually, you should be quite clear about this power. Even if you don't understand it now, you will soon. This is a hidden little world, and it was created and hidden by someone you know. Can you guess who this person is?"

Gaia seemed to have fully replenished her energy from the Momo jewelry; even her hair color gradually changed from white to light blue. While this change was certainly welcome, Momo wasn't particularly happy, because he still knew nothing about Gaia.

While Gaia has indeed become Momo's Heroic Spirit and received the blessing of Valhalla, and will even undergo renovations upon her return, Momo unfortunately lacks any real authority over Gaia, and even the ownership of the Heroic Spirit Gaia remains highly questionable.

Gaia can unconditionally enjoy all the benefits of Valhalla, yet when Valhalla attempts to manage Gaia, inexplicable malfunctions occur. In modern terms, this is a case of insufficient authority.

Yes, insufficient permissions.

Although Gaia has lost her divine powers and her physical form has become that of a human, even subject to the same birth, aging, sickness, and death as ordinary humans, her essence remains Gaia, a level of authority that Valhalla cannot touch. Valhalla cannot monitor or control what Gaia is thinking or doing.

Or you could say that Valhalla has welcomed a true old man.

This situation wasn't too unexpected for Mo Mo. Although he was incredibly surprised when Gaia became a Heroic Spirit, he quickly realized that perhaps this was just another game for Gaia. Gaia had only lost her divine power; she was still Gaia, and it was only natural that the Hall of Heroes couldn't control her.

However, this doesn't mean Gaia can completely disregard Momo's words and act recklessly without restraint. Because at this point, Gaia is portrayed as a little girl who has lost her divine powers and become human. As long as Gaia doesn't change her mind and continues with this character setting, Momo can easily bully the little girl in front of her.

For example, right now, in response to Gaia's feigned mystery, Momo chose to use his ability to lift Gaia up, making him stand upside down. At the same time, wings extended from his back, enveloping Gaia, the feathers on the wings fluttering gracefully, gently caressing every inch of Gaia's skin.

"Hey, what are you doing?! What are you yelling about?!"

Gaia realized something was wrong and tried to struggle, but it was too late. Countless feathers attacked her sensitive spots, instantly turning Gaia's face purplish-red. She laughed wildly, completely lacking any dignity or composure, and even spat out a mouthful of milk.

"Spare me... I won't keep you in suspense any longer, I'll tell you directly!"

Gaia had never been subjected to such harassment before, and her carefully constructed composure crumbled instantly. However, Momo didn't let her go easily, still holding her and flicking her belly button, saying, "Tell me as much information as you have, or how about we play another hour of games?"

Upon hearing this, Gaia's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"

Mo Mo smiled and nodded, saying, "Really, I'll let you play with these feathers for an hour!"

Gaia's face darkened instantly, and he quickly said, "Fine, I'll just tell you directly! This power must belong to that little girl you forcibly kissed, the one from the SOS Brigade or something. I've finished telling you, now put me down! You bastard, you dared to bully me, I'll get my revenge!"

Momo ignored Gaia's taunts. As long as Gaia maintained her status as a powerless little girl, Momo wasn't afraid of Gaia's retaliation. As for what if Gaia changed the setting... could Momo really stop her from doing whatever she wanted?

Taking advantage of the situation while the settings are acceptable is the best strategy!

However, Momo put Gaia aside. After all, Momo didn't have much interest in playing around with Gaia or squeezing more juice out of her right now. Cough, intelligence was the most important thing.

"The SOS Brigade..."

Mo Mo recalled the arrogant and domineering Haruhi Suzumiya and the ruthless Nagato Yuki, completely erasing the fond memories of the original work from her mind. The SOS Brigade was now, to Mo Mo, more of an enemy, a hostile force, than a club for casual fun.

"You're not going to ask me why Reimu Hakurei is on their side, are you? I don't know. Right now I don't have any divine powers, and I can't see the timeline and causality in the three-dimensional world. Who knows if Reimu Hakurei has been captured by them?"

At this point, Gaia glared at Momo and said, "Aren't you going to hurry up and snatch back your Reimu? You've been talking about her for ages, you even mentioned her name a lot when we were playing games, I'm going to get jealous!"

After saying that, Gaia took out another Momo brand pearl and viciously bit it in half with his front teeth, as if he was practicing tearing something apart.

“No,” Momo shook his head slightly and said, “As long as Reimu is safe, then this is already the best outcome. Before contacting the SOS Brigade to find Reimu, I must know one thing, that is, what kind of power Haruhi Suzumiya of the SOS Brigade possesses.”

"You should be well aware of this, right?"

Momo asked Gaia again, but at that moment, a voice rang in Momo's ear; it was Reimu Hakurei's voice.

"You can ask me about that."

063 As long as it's a little earlier

"You can rest here for now."

Ryoko Asakura led Reimu Hakurei to a detached house and said, "Well, since you're still cooperating with our SOS Brigade, we'll have you stay here alone for the time being. You don't mind, do you?"

"Don't worry, we'll take care of all your daily needs. Right now, we're treating you like a guest, so your supplies are on the same level as the group leader's. You could call that a benefit!"

Ryoko Asakura smiled and spoke politely. Although she was clearly worried about Reimu Hakurei living alone, she made Reimu feel satisfied, as if she had truly become a guest of honor in the SOS Brigade.

However, only Reimu Hakurei knew that although the direction of the plan she proposed was of great interest to Haruhi Suzumiya, Haruhi Suzumiya did not make a decision on the spot or offer any opinions, which already showed that the other party had not completely let go of her suspicions.

This is only natural. No matter how you look at it, it's quite a fantastical thing that Reimu Hakurei can fight against the entire world's Black Mud and countless Black Mud Heroic Spirits all by herself.

Is Reimu Hakurei really that strong?

No, of course not.

Reimu Hakurei knew this all too well.

"Can I have my Yin-Yang Jade back?"

"Yin-Yang Jade?"

Ryoko Asakura blinked and tilted her head, seemingly not understanding. However, she then opened her mouth wide, looking apologetic, and said, "You mean that stone ball? I'm so sorry, I really didn't expect that stone ball to have such an elegant name. I didn't mean to belittle the Yin-Yang Jade, because from my analysis, it really is a stone."

Although Ryoko Asakura looked apologetic, Reimu Hakurei's formulaic smile betrayed her distrust and wariness. Reimu, however, didn't care at all. She was already distrusted and ostracized by everyone in Gensokyo; what difference would it make if Ryoko Asakura came along?

"Indeed, it is now just a stone. It was originally a treasure that could store a lot of power. But now that it has exhausted its power, it is completely useless. What, do you still want to study it? It's fine to leave it to you."

"No, no need. You are a guest now, so returning the item to its rightful owner is the right thing to do."

Ryoko Asakura waved her hand, and soon a greatsword appeared, carrying a newly cleaned Yin-Yang Jewel carefully placed on a tray. However, looking at its mottled, petrified surface, one could hardly believe that this stone sphere was as valuable as the tray and the silk cloth on it.

"Alright, your things are back to you. If you need anything, you can contact us by phone. You know how to use a phone, right? Would you like me to keep her as your servant?"

Reimu Hakurei glanced at the greatsword that Ryoko Asakura was pointing at, waved her hand, and said, "Don't look down on humans. Although I'm a shrine maiden, I still know what a telephone is. I'll be fine on my own. If you're worried, you can leave her here to keep an eye on me."

"Look at you, you're a guest, so I won't disturb you any longer. Please get some rest."

Ryoko Asakura gave Reimu Hakurei an elegant bow, then walked away with her greatsword. Behind her, Reimu rolled her eyes. Ryoko's seemingly respectful posture was actually just a pretentious warning. It was clear that Ryoko knew Reimu was intelligent and was using this method to subtly warn her; she was watching Reimu closely.

Reimu Hakurei didn't mind. As Haruhi Suzumiya's senior advisor, it was normal for her to have this wariness and concern. Wouldn't her playing the bad cop make Haruhi Suzumiya's warm and sunny personality, the good cop, seem even more trustworthy and worthy of following?

Reimu Hakurei saw all of this clearly. She did feel a bit of gratitude towards Haruhi Suzumiya, since it was Haruhi who contacted her when she was about to reach her breaking point. Therefore, Reimu Hakurei was even less likely to expose all of this.

"Let's go, Yin Yang Jade, let's get some rest. This is... such a long, long time since I've had a vacation!"

Upon entering the room, Reimu Hakurei glanced at its layout, too lazy to look for any hidden secrets, and headed straight for the bathroom. Opening the bathroom door, she saw the small Japanese-style hot spring bath inside, the rising steam and the occasional bubbling bubbles, and finally, a relieved smile spread across her face.

She took off her shrine maiden outfit and then plunged straight into the pool, letting the hot spring water submerge her body and hair, allowing the rolling spring water to carry away the blood and mud from her body, flowing into the sewers outside the pool.

After a long, long time, when one might have doubted whether Reimu Hakurei had already drowned, she slowly knelt up from the water, cupped the water in her hands and raised them to her chest, then stared blankly at her reflection in the water, at that once so familiar face and figure, now covered by countless strangely twisting runes.

Reimu Hakurei suddenly splashed water on herself, then rubbed her skin frantically with her palms. Soon, an unnatural red appeared on her dark skin, and even the hot spring water took on a bloody hue. Yet, from beginning to end, the strange markings on her body showed no signs of diminishing.

This is something ingrained in flesh and blood, how could it possibly be washed away by water?

"It's really ugly."

Reimu Hakurei dejectedly lowered her hand, gave a self-deprecating laugh, then relaxed her body and floated on the surface of the water.

"Why wasn't it you who came to save me... You're too late, you bastard."

"It would have been better not to come at all... If you're going to come, come earlier, even just a day earlier..."

Reimu Hakurei murmured to herself, recalling the moment Ryoko Asakura opened the screen. In that instant, Reimu felt her heart stop, and her blood instantly turn to ice. Once so intense hope had turned to despair, and within that despair, only a final glimmer of longing remained. Now that glimmer of longing had been fulfilled, all that remained in Reimu's heart was desolation.

Just as Reimu Hakurei said, she wished that Momo could come sooner, even if not a day, but an hour, or even a minute. Perhaps at this moment, Reimu Hakurei would have already thrown herself into Momo's arms with tears in her eyes.

A happy ending was just a hair's breadth away. But that very closeness turned into a source of inner turmoil and anxiety for Reimu Hakurei.

"But he finally came. I wonder how he's been all these years. It must have been incredibly difficult for him to get here. How much has he sacrificed, how much has he grown... And how many more girls are around him now?"

"That scumbag must have almost forgotten about me!"

Reimu Hakurei tightly closed her eyes, stood up from the water, and reached for the low table beside the pool. There were many different kinds of drinks on it, as well as some fruits that Reimu had never heard of before. However, Reimu seemed to decide to try them out, and picked up a bottle of beer.

With the hearty ease of a seasoned pro, she pulled the tab and downed the entire beer in one gulp. However, the unfamiliar taste and the pungent aroma of the beer, combined with the scorching hot spring, instantly caused Reimu Hakurei's face to flush red and her mind to become dizzy.

"With my ugly appearance, it's only natural to forget about me... It's better to forget about me."

The tears I had just been holding back flowed uncontrollably.

"As long as it's sooner... I'll be very satisfied!"

064 This radiant smile

When Reimu Hakurei opened her eyes again, she found herself floating in a hot spring pool. Despite soaking for a long time, Reimu didn't feel tired; on the contrary, she felt much more relaxed after a good rest.

Did I just cry?

Her memory was a little hazy. Reimu Hakurei picked up the beer can floating beside her, looked at it, and then frowned and threw it away in disgust. The beer can clattered against the ground.

"She was already ugly enough, and now she's going to become an alcoholic? Wouldn't that make her even less likable?"

"Ah... there's not much point in thinking about these things now. In the current situation, how am I supposed to see Momo? He's too late. He's let me down. I was saved by Haruhi Suzumiya's side. It seems there's still an irreconcilable hatred between the two sides."