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

"Your voice is too stiff, young man."

Hong Kai, who was already seated at table number one by the window, lazily waved his hand and picked up the newspaper on the table to read.

"Keep your smile natural. You need to make the guests feel that, 'Even if the world has just been trampled by a monster, this is still a haven for the soul.' Understand?"

"...Kaisang, it's easy for you to talk when you're not the one suffering."

Duan Zilian held a rag in his hand, gritting his teeth as he wiped the table. He said, "Why is it that we're all Ultraman, and you can sit here like a big shot reading the newspaper, while I have to wipe the table?"

“Because I’m the customer and you’re the employee,” Hong Kai said matter-of-factly, pointing to the bill. “Besides, I paid for it.”

"Huh? Didn't you borrow that money from me?"

"That was to test your generosity as a junior."

"Alright, alright, you two stop arguing." Behind the bar, the store manager, Hibino Mirai, came out carrying a plate of freshly baked cookies.

"Duan Jun, why don't you take a break? This is a new product we just tried out, would you like to try it?"

Duan Zilian was warmed by this world. Look, this is the difference. They are both seniors, so why is Mebius like an angel and Orb like a hooligan?

"Thank you, Future-san." Duan Zilian picked up a cookie and put it in her mouth.

Hmm, it tastes really good. Mirai-san's baking skills are getting better and better.

“Oh, right, Mr. Duan.” As if remembering something, Wei Lai took out a small box from under the counter and handed it to him. “This is what you asked me to buy.”

"Oh! We've finally arrived!"

Duan Zilian's eyes lit up, and she quickly wiped her hands before taking the box. It was a brand-new phone. Although it wasn't the latest flagship model, for Duan Zilian, who was currently living on advances of her salary, this phone was like a beacon in the darkness.

"Thank you so much, Future-san. Please put this money on my tab. I will dedicate my life to the coffee shop." Duan Zilian couldn't wait to open the packaging and insert the replacement SIM card.

Turn on.

Connect to the store's Wi-Fi.

Download Line.

Enter your username and password to log in.

Buzz—buzz—buzz—buzz—!!

The moment the login was successful, the new phone started vibrating wildly, with a dense barrage of notification sounds that sounded like an air raid siren.

[Unread messages: 99+]

Duan Zilian was startled.

He opened the message list and was instantly flooded with red chat bubbles.

[Pinned Group Chat: Class 2-F (All members are muted)] [Jing Ke'ai]: @Everyone, please DM me immediately after seeing this message! Immediately! Right now! I need to confirm the students' safety!

[Jing Ke'ai]: Duan Zilian, where are you? Can't you see the messages in the group?!

[Jing Ke'ai]: Can't get through on the phone? Are the cell towers down in your area?

[Jing Ke'ai]: ...Are you still alive?

Duan Zilian felt a chill run down his spine. He swiped his finger down, and Xue Zhixia's message popped up quickly.

[Private message: Yukino Yukinoshita]: ...

[Private message: Yukino Yukinoshita]: I heard that your apartment building was severely damaged. If you are still alive, please reply with a punctuation mark.

[Private message: Yukino Yukinoshita]: If you are homeless because you have nowhere to live, I can help you contact the city hall's temporary shelter.

[Private message: Yukino Yukinoshita]: ...Idiot.

Duan Zilian pursed her lips and silently swiped the screen. Wei Lai, out of curiosity, also came over, like a kitten peeking. He glanced at the contents of the chat message, then smiled gently and went back.

[Private message: Hachiman Hikigaya]: Hey, are you alive?

[Private message: Hachiman Hikigaya]: I heard there was an explosion near your house. If you died, remember to tell me in a dream so I can reserve your seat for my afternoon nap.

[Private message: Hachiman Hikigaya]: ...Just kidding, I'll reply when I see it.

[Private message: Sakuta Azusagawa]: Duan, although I know you want to skip classical Chinese class, isn't using "my house was bombed" as a reason a bit too hardcore?

[Private message: Sakuta Azusagawa]: Mai-senpai asked if I need any help. If I need any supplies, please feel free to ask.

In addition, there are all sorts of other messy news.

Even the Ministry of Revenue, with whom I'd only exchanged a few words, sent a message: "Brother! Hang in there! We're still going to go to karaoke together!"

Duan Zilian stared at the anxious, teasing, and even somewhat clumsy messages of concern on the screen, her finger hovering over the screen, yet she hesitated to drop it.

"...What's going on with these people?"

Duan Zilian sniffed, feeling her eyes getting a little hot: "We've only known each other for less than two weeks... and you're acting like I'm some important person."

"Because you are their friend."

As she wiped the cup, she said gently, "No one is an island in this world. Your existence is very important to some people."

As he spoke, his eyes shone, as if recalling some particularly happy memories, but then his eyes quickly dimmed again.

“Friends…” Duan Zilian repeated softly.

Just then, Hong Kai put down his newspaper and glanced at Duan Zilian's touched expression: "Don't just get touched, hurry up and reply to the message, don't keep these concerns waiting too long."

"Ah! Right!" Duan Zilian quickly started typing.

[Danzi Rei] -> [Yukino Yukinoshita]: I'm sorry to have worried you. I'm safe now. I found a part-time job with room and board included. I don't need to go to the shelter.

[Duanzi Rei] -> [Hiratsuka Shizuka]: Teacher! I'm still alive! Lively and energetic! My phone just exploded and I just got a new one!

[Danzi Rei] -> [Hachiman Hikigaya]: You want to take my seat? Dream on. I can live for another five hundred years.

[Duanzi Lian] -> [Azusagawa Sakuta]: You should keep the supplies for Mai-senpai. I'm a working man now.

After sending the last message to the Ministry of Revenue, the feeling of reconnecting with the world finally put his mind at ease.

"call……"

Duan Zilian let out a long sigh, slumped on the table, and joked, "Replying to a message feels more tiring than fighting a monster."

"Of course."

Hong Kai smiled and said, "Because bonds are a heavier force than anything else."

“Kaisang, you really know how to say such philosophical things… Speaking of which…” Duan Zilian picked up a cookie from the table, chewing it while looking out the window.

"This recovery speed is like it's been cheated," Duan Zilian exclaimed.

Although only three days have passed, Chiba's recovery speed is astonishing. The rubble on the streets has been mostly cleared, and most shops have reopened.

The Shinomiya Foundation appears to have invested heavily in reconstruction, with construction vehicles bearing the foundation's logo visible everywhere.

"Humans are very resilient creatures."

As she wiped the glass in the future, her eyes were gentle. "No matter what difficulties they encounter, no matter what disasters they face, as long as there is hope, they can stand up again."

"This is also why we love this planet so much."

“Hope…” Hong Kai listened thoughtfully. He shook the newspaper in front of him and pulled it in front of Duan Zilian, suppressing a laugh as he pointed to a photo on the front page.

The photo shows Ultraman Tiga firing the Zeperion Ray, with the title in bold black font:

A savior arrives? A ray of hope! A mysterious giant defeats the monster!

“You’re being talked about like a god outside, a savior,” Hong Kai teased.

"Some people say you are a god, some say you are a biological weapon developed by the state in secret. There are even people who have set up a fan club for you."

"Stop talking, I'm so embarrassed."

Duan Zilian covered her face and said, "I beat them like a pile of shit that day. If they knew that the god inside was just an ordinary high school student, I guess the fans would all unfollow and turn against me."

"It's our first time, so it's good enough if we can win."

Hong Kai picked up a bottle of marble soda, took a sip, and looked at the transparent glass marble inside. He said, "There are still a few Demon Beast cards left. The wind has come, what will come next? Fire? Or water? Duan Zilian, it seems your special training needs to be put on the agenda."

"Special training?" Duan Zilian had a bad feeling. "What kind of special training?"

"Of course, it's martial arts and light control."

Hong Kai grinned, a smile that instantly turned into something devilish in Duan Zilian's eyes: "You were lucky this time. But if you encounter a stronger enemy next time, your half-baked skills won't be enough."

"...Can I refuse?"

"No." Future and Hong Kai said in unison.

Just as Duan Zilian was about to wail in despair.

Ring ring—

The wind chimes rang. The shop door was pushed open.

A boy with a shoulder bag and a lifeless look in his eyes walked in.

Hachiman Hikigaya stood at the door, holding his phone. He seemed to have seen Ren's reply and was using his location to find his way here.

When he saw Duan Zilian sitting in the shop wearing an apron and grinning foolishly, his dead fish eyes widened slightly, and then he let out a long sigh.

“…I knew it.” Hachiman put away his phone. “The wicked live long lives. Looks like you’re really tough.”

Chapter 18 What She Brought

"Yo, Hikigaya."

Duan Zilian waved her hand, "Did you crawl over the internet cable? I just replied to your message and you're already here?"

"I just happened to be buying something nearby and stopped by to check on the body." Hachiman walked in and found a corner to sit down.

"Since you're not dead, give me a cup of black coffee, up to a lethal dose."

"Understood, one cup of lethal dose bitter coffee." Duan Zilian smiled as she wrote down the order, feeling a strange sense of reunion with an old friend, even though the two hadn't known each other for very long.

Watching Duan Zilian turn and walk towards the bar, Hachiman muttered something under his breath:

"...This guy looks much more energetic than before."

"A lethal dose of bitter coffee, please enjoy slowly."

Danzi Rei placed a cup of coffee, which was as dark as mud, in front of Hachiman.

"Thanks." Hachiman took a sip, and instantly revealed an expression of ecstasy.

"How's it going at school? I didn't check the group messages carefully just now." Duan Zilian sat down opposite him.

"Half of the glass in the special building is broken, the roof of the gymnasium has flown off, and the school now looks like a scene from Resident Evil."

Hachiman took out his phone. "But compared to repairs, there's a more interesting topic lately. Look at this."

On the screen, a forum post titled "Chiba Paranormal Phenomena Research Association" appeared before Duan Zilian's eyes, with the title: [That glowing giant! It's definitely a guardian deity descending!]

The post is very popular, and the comments below are all from students:

"That was so cool! That beam of light!"

"And his figure and face are so stylish! Especially those elf ears, he looks like a prince!"

"I heard someone has formed a fan club?"

"This is all the talk about online right now."

Hachiman shrugged: "Everyone is guessing the identity of that giant. Mitsuo Itabashi from the journalism club in the next class has gone crazy. He's been wandering around various ruins with his camera every day, saying he wants to take pictures of evidence left by the giant and write an interview with him."

"An exclusive interview?" Duan Zilian's lips twitched. "How does he plan to conduct the interview? Is he going to use a megaphone to shout into the sky?"

"Who knows? That guy's just a hot-blooded idiot."

Hachiman put away his phone: "However, this kind of topic is indeed the best spice for bored high school students. Even Hayama's group of popular guys are discussing it."

Hearing the hushed conversation from the window, Hong Kai chuckled softly but remained silent.

He'd seen this "treating crisis like entertainment" atmosphere many times before, but as long as it hadn't turned into panic, he'd let it be for now.

It's better for high school students to have fewer feelings of fear.

Meanwhile, at Yukino Yukinoshita's apartment.

Yukino Yukinoshita sat in front of the repaired French windows, holding her black and white kitten in her arms, and looked at the message on her phone. Her mind was finally at ease.

"As expected, it's still a primitive creature through and through..."