Long-term salvation

"..." The taciturn girl lowered her eyes, "I didn't expect Xiangzi to do this kind of work." [You made a wrong decision] [Too impatient!] [You should have asked Xiaoxiang directly]

"Now you know."

Makise Kurisu said calmly, but when she saw Wakaba Mu's medical report, there was a hint of surprise between her eyebrows:

"Is he a powerful psychic? With multiple personalities? Why is that little blue-haired octopus surrounded by so many strange people? And that Triangle Chuhua too... although she's not a powerful psychic."

Closing the report, Makise Kurisu folded her hands under her chin, looked at the girl in front of her with interest, and asked:

"Ms. Wakaba Mutsu, are you interested in joining our Global Occult Alliance? If you're willing to join, perhaps you could team up with Toyokawa Shoko."

After hearing a familiar name, Ruoye Mu's eyes flickered:

"I'd like to join."

[Yeah!] [Yeah!] [Yeah!] [No, I don't want to do something this dangerous—wait, wait a minute—I agree! I agree! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Armed Shrine Maiden Toyokawa Shoko (Sixteen): Ave Mujica

The next day, in the morning.

When Xiangzi arrived at the Future Props Research Institute carrying the lunch box made by Sushi, he saw the familiar big golden retriever running towards him from the other side of the corridor as soon as he entered the door. The latter's face still had a bit of fatigue and could not suppress the surprise:

"Xiao Xiang! I didn't expect you to work at the GOC! And you came much earlier than me!"

"...Chuhua," Xiangzi sighed softly, "You're holding on too tightly, it hurts."

After realizing his own gaffe, Chu Hua let go of Xiangzi's arm with a wry smile, but his fingers were still gently tugging at the latter's sleeve.

The blonde girl took a half step back and returned to her usual self. They looked at each other and burst out laughing at the same time. After suppressing their laughter, Xiangzi said softly:

"I'm sorry, Chuhua, I ran away again yesterday... I can't accept that you were involved in this kind of thing."

"Actually, I think so too."

Chu Hua spoke slowly, her expression softening, a touch of relief and... a little bit of secret joy... a little bit of secret joy that she was the only one who understood Xiangzi and could stand by her side. But now, the girl hid her thoughts and continued:

"I was indeed very happy yesterday, but after thinking about it carefully, I found that this is a very sad thing - I was willing to be recruited in order to protect Xiaoxiang's 'daily life', but now it seems that you don't need my protection."

The girl with blonde hair and purple eyes smiled sweetly, but there was a hint of reluctance in the smile - because Xiangzi did not need her protection.

"I can protect you, Chuhua, with all my strength."

Xiangzi responded gently, but she soon noticed that the eyes of the big golden-haired man opposite her brightened up, and the depths of his purple pupils were filled with twisted joy... Her heart sank, and Xiangzi, sensing a slight gravity, took a step back inconspicuously and turned to walk towards the lounge where the armed priestesses often stayed.

"Anyway, let's go to the lounge. I still have to report to Saikawa-senpai."

"Great, great! Our entire new AS team has been regularized!" Chuhua quickly caught up with Xiangzi. Her eyes fell on the lunch box in the latter's hand, and she asked with a smile, "Xiangzi, is this enough for you to eat every day? Do you need me to bring some more? The food in the cafeteria is also very delicious."

"Um, well, ah... let's talk about it when there's a chance," Xiangzi quickly brushed it off. She had a bad feeling that if she leaked the news here, there would definitely be trouble... It was fine that a sentimental woman like Su Shi didn't know what to do, but why did Chu Hua also show some signs of this?

After talking about some funny things in the past to change the subject, Xiangzi pushed open the door of the lounge and was immediately startled by the colorful flowers that popped up on both sides. When she subconsciously put on a guard posture and heard the laughter of everyone in the lounge, she said unhappily:

"Please don't do this kind of thing. We had a big battle yesterday."

“It’s important to remember the sacrifices and celebrate the victories.”

Saikawa Ayane said with a chuckle. Next to her was Shiraishi Mizuki with a band-aid on her face. The other armed shrine maidens that Xiangzi often saw were also injured, but none of them were serious.

In addition, there were two unfamiliar faces that Xiangzi was not very familiar with - Yutenji Wakamushi and Hachiman Kailing - at this moment, they were looking at him with some curiosity, obviously already knowing about Xiangzi's deeds.

As for the battle last night, not many GOC soldiers were killed, but almost everyone was injured to some extent...but many M6S AS were on the verge of being destroyed.

"Until the others' units are replenished, you're the only ones left in the entire Tokyo area capable of serving as a rapid-reaction AS force."

Saikawa Ayane reached out and pinched the small colored flakes out of Xiangzi's hair with Chuhua, then took a piece of cake from the desserts on the table and put it into the girl's hand, and said slowly:

"So, Ms. Makise Kurisu and GOC Headquarters have decided to reorganize you into a permanent AS unit, with you as captain. Therefore, Ms. Toyokawa Shoko, captain of the Tokyo branch's M9S AS unit, you may now carefully consider the name of the unit."

"Names...let's put the names aside for now," Xiangzi looked down at the cake in his hand, "so, Miss Yutenji, Miss Hachiman, and Hatsuka who are here now, are all members of my team?"

"Yes,"

Saikawa Ayane nodded slightly. She pushed Miao Meng and Hai Ling in front of Xiangzi and introduced them with a smile:

"Although Ruomai was recruited in Tokyo, she's originally from Kumamoto Prefecture. She's a very hard-working trainee. She also runs a GOC radio channel disguised as a foreign channel, doing things like beautiful JK girls exploring haunted places at night. As for Hailing... she was a classmate of Chuhua's. Before joining the GOC, she was a super bassist who could play in thirty bands at once!"

"That last one has nothing to do with piloting an AS, does it?" Hailing sighed in response, picking up a carton of chocolate milk from the table and slowly sucking on the straw. "I told others I was in another band, mainly to cover up my training in the GOC. Xiangzi, I heard Lixi talk about you, but... well... that's all in the past. I hope you can give me your guidance in the future."

As soon as Hailing finished speaking, Ruomai came over and made a cute ω shape with her mouth:

"Follow Meow Dream Channel meow, follow Meow Dream Channel, thank you meow."

After hearing the introduction of these two people, Xiangzi's eyes twitched slightly. She sighed, walked forward and hugged the two new members, which made them look more surprised.

"Let's not talk about anything else for now. Welcome to join us," Xiangzi said frankly, with his usual confidence and strength on his face. "From now on, we will be 'one heart and one body' in battle."

One Heart and One Body...

As soon as these words were spoken, light quickly appeared in the big golden retriever's eyes. Miao Meng was still a little confused, but Hai Ling sucked on the straw as if she saw through everything, feeling the sweetness exploding in her mouth.

Seeing that Xiangzi had already started to connect his teammates, Saichuan Ayane felt a little relieved, but at the same time, she remembered something more important, so she reminded him,

"Xiangzi, there may be people joining your team in the future, so be prepared."

Saikawa Ayane thought of the girl with light green hair, who had already started corresponding training and hoped not to tell Xiangzi about this - this girl with multiple personalities named "Wakaba Mutsu" showed extraordinary skills in driving AS and was almost sent to Arkham Asylum in Massachusetts, United States for more in-depth research... Makise Kurisu finally rejected this decision.

Now it seems that the relationship is really complicated and difficult to cut off, little blue-haired octopus... I'm suddenly looking forward to the scene of you kneeling in front of these girls.

"Let's not talk about anything else for now," Saikawa Ayane suppressed her thoughts and clapped her hands to attract everyone's attention, showing a gentle smile like an older sister. "Xiangzi, what are you going to call your team?"

Unaware of his predecessor's sinister intentions, Xiangzi pondered for a moment, then raised his head and said:

"Ave Mujica, that's the name of our team."

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"We... are on the verge of failure... We didn't get the [Fragmented Page] back, and these remaining ones..."

"The typhoon is approaching Tokyo... Perhaps with the help of nature, we can achieve our goal."

"Then give it a try."

The cult leader nodded slightly.

"Try to capture the 'sacrifice' that has been on the list for a long time, and then collect more sacrifices - this is our last chance."

PS: Oh, bummer! I was looking back at the thread yesterday and a reader pointed it out. Thanks to the reader who pointed out the error—in 1992, 160 billion yen should have been approximately equal to $1.26 million (based on the average annual exchange rate of 1 USD ≈ 126.65 JPY; the actual value may vary slightly due to exchange rate fluctuations on specific dates). I can only say this: use DeepSeek with caution and run it multiple times to verify the results. Xianyu ran it twice without checking it carefully, which is embarrassing. I finally got the correct result after doing the math myself. I'm not changing the content of this chapter; I'll leave this thread here as a warning.

Armed Shrine Maiden Toyokawa Shoko (Seventeen): The Last Good Time

[Super Typhoon "Tianqin" is approaching the coast of Japan...]

[The Meteorological Agency has issued a warning...]

【Urban drainage...】

The typhoon is coming and the sky begins to fall.

The sky was being gnawed by iron-gray clouds. The last ray of sunlight, like a stubbed-out cigarette butt, flickered briefly through a gap in the clouds before vanishing without a trace. The cumulonimbus clouds rolling in from the distance were extremely low, their edges tinged with an eerie coppery yellow, like bruises from a burn on the sky.

The wind came out from the gutter, first rolling up a few old newspapers and making them swirl in the empty street. The scorched folds on the edges of the newspapers stretched and curled up again, like a dying butterfly, carrying a hint of desolate atmosphere even in the bustling city with endless traffic.

The weather today is not good, and neither is the weather for the next week. Both the fishermen who are forced to stay in the fishing port and the office workers have some complaints.

However, for Wakaba Mu, she was very happy——

[Mu, come to Sushi's house today. There's a party going on and everyone is here.]

Everyone... who else could it be?

With vague expectations, Wakaba Mu gently knocked on the door of Nagasaki Sushi's house. The door opened and she was pulled in.

It's Takamatsu Tomori.

Everyone from CRYCHIC is here, Lixi, Sushi, Deng, and... Xiangzi.

Besides this, there were some other people whom she didn't know, and they were looking at her with curiosity - they were Xiangzi's teammates in the GOC - Wakaba Mu knew this clearly, it was Makise Kurisu who told her, and she also made a promise:

Wakaba Mutsu will stand next to Toyokawa Shoko.

This is the main reason why Ruoye Mu is willing to join the Global Occult Alliance and train hard.

"Mu is quite late, but not too late."

With a blush of excitement on her face, Takamatsu Deng pulled her former friend into the room. At this moment, there had never been so many people in this apartment. The relationship between them was like a tattered fishing net blown onto the beach by a storm, entangled and unable to be separated... Someone was needed to untie the entanglement and repair the fishing net.

The girls reached out their hands and tried clumsily.

"By the way, we have a live show tomorrow. Is it really okay for us to slack off like this?"

Looking at the lively scene over there, Li Xi said helplessly. She and Hai Ling were stirring the cream together, preparing to make some European-style desserts according to the recipe in the cookbook:

"Besides, it's going to rain tonight, and I don't know if anyone will come to see it tomorrow."

"Can't postpone it?" Hailing stood on tiptoe to open the upper cabinet and took out a stack of oil paper the size of a palm. "You need to go ask. Do you need my help?"

"It's impossible to schedule something that was planned a week ago. There are so many bands lined up. I'm sorry, but MyGO is just a small band."

Li Xi responded unhappily. She turned her head and saw Deng and Mu sitting on the sofa chatting, while Chihaya Aine and Kaname Rana were huddled together next to them, whispering something. They were holding a player in their hands, and music could be faintly heard.

Elsewhere, Sushi was humming as she slowly sliced ​​apple flesh and evenly arranged it on the kneaded dough. She then handed the tray to Yutenji Wakamugi. The latter seemed quite interested in the luxurious apartment, even using a calculator to calculate how many years' salary it would take to buy it... After finishing the calculation, a look of peace appeared on his face.

The little blue-haired octopus in a maid outfit came out of the room upstairs with a broom, locked it mysteriously, and then lay dead on the sofa. The golden retriever next to it was holding a cup of milk tea and asking all sorts of questions - I can't be such a bootlicker.

"Would you like some milk tea too?"

Hailing next to him handed him a cup. Li Xi took it with a complicated expression and said thank you in a low voice.

About half an hour later, Xiangzi opened his eyes and smelled the fragrance that filled the entire apartment.

The girl got up from the sofa and stretched, clearing her mind of Ave Mujica's tactics and training plans, and focused her attention on the dessert on the coffee table in front of her:

Xiaoxiang, a worker who is still working hard to pay off his debts recently, does not have that much spare money to enjoy.

"Xiao Xiang, how does it taste?" Su Shi asked softly. She looked at the girl sitting opposite her stuffing cookies into her mouth like a hamster. "Eat slowly. There are still many desserts over there."

"Mmmmm."

Reaching out to take the tea handed to him by Chuhua, Xiangzi drank it all in one gulp before letting out a long sigh. After glancing at the gloomy sky outside the window, he turned his gaze to the girls who were sitting down on the sofa one after another.

The lights in the apartment came on, illuminating the cute faces of the girls, some happy, some reserved, and some indifferent. They chatted with each other about the most ordinary topics, but were vaguely divided into two groups - the "daily" and "extraordinary" groups, and Ruoye Mu sat in the middle, quietly drinking black tea - this scene was really rare, and there would never be such a suitable opportunity again.

Must cherish it.

Thinking of this, Xiangzi lowered her eyes. She was ready to erase her memories of the past, although... the girl resisted this future in her heart.

"Ahem, Ms. Toyokawa Shoko," Chihaya Aine said, attracting everyone's attention. She stood up suddenly, took out a long, exquisitely crafted card, and handed it to the somewhat confused Shoko very solemnly. "These are our tickets for tomorrow's live concert. Could you please come and see it? We have new songs!"

Live... Xiangzi's eyes drooped slightly, but when she raised her head, she saw the expectant eyes of her friends.

A warm feeling flowed through her heart, and Xiangzi's mouth curled up slightly. She stood up, solemnly accepted Chihaya Aine's invitation with both hands, and said with a smile:

"I'll go. I should have tomorrow off."

The girls living in their "daily lives" breathed a sigh of relief. They had discussed this many times before, and after Su Shi's constant hints over the past few days, they finally dared to let Chihaya Aine formally issue an invitation today - this was the most thorough reconciliation and the most decisive separation - both parties were very clear about this, and for this reason, Xiangzi chose to accept and planned to send his blessings in person.

"Great! Um, wait... Aren't you usually Soyorin's personal maid? It doesn't need to be so troublesome, right?"

Pink Hair keenly sensed that something was wrong, but she was quickly pulled down by the blushing Su Shi, who stuffed a cake into her mouth and said unhappily:

"Eat yours!"

Looking at the noisy girls, Xiangzi's mouth curled up slightly, but when she turned her head, she found that Wakaba Mu avoided her sight and seemed a little guilty.

Xiangzi: “?”

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When the banquet was over, the girls said goodbye to each other and left.

After standing for a few seconds downstairs of the apartment building, Ruo Yemu looked up at the room above that was emitting bright light. Su Shi and Xiangzi were still cleaning up the remnants of the carnival, which would probably take them half an hour.

"It's time to go back," Wakaba Mu said in a low voice.

The girl slowly walked away along the street, and suddenly, she felt a gust of cold rain.

[Time to take a taxi] [Being sick is not a good thing, I have training tonight] [Do you want me to take over? I run super fast!]

"..."

The girl pursed her lips and raised her hand to call a taxi.

Then she disappeared in the Tokyo rain.