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

“That’s only natural,” Sakuta Azusagawa said lazily as he casually tossed the dice. “The defense forces’ missiles are just there to scratch the monsters, and in the end, we still have to rely on Tiga to save the day. If we don’t unify and manage these fragmented forces, humanity will be doomed sooner or later.”

"Speaking of Tiga, he's a big star now!" Yui Yuigahama's eyes lit up. "All those posts criticizing him before have been completely wiped out, and now the whole internet is saying that Tiga is the real guardian deity!"

Kaguya Shinomiya, who had been sitting quietly watching the chessboard, said softly, "However, if we encounter trouble in the future and everyone only thinks of relying on Tiga, things will become even more serious. The Shinomiya Foundation has already invested heavily in TPC's weapons research. Hopefully, the equipment in the future will be of some help to the Titans."

“I agree.” Duan Zilian secretly gave Shinomiya a thumbs up. He looked at the ceiling and said, “Humanity still has to rely on its own strength to protect itself. If all the burdens are placed on a giant, the giant will be crushed sooner or later.”

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, but the next second—

"Aaaaaah! I'm not playing anymore! Why did I step on Yuigahama-san's land again?!"

The somewhat somber atmosphere was instantly shattered by Fujiwara Chika's piercing scream.

She watched in utter despair as the money she had just "borrowed" was emptied once again, collapsing onto the folding table in utter hopelessness: "Bankrupt! Bankrupt! I even owe five million! How could I, the dignified Lady Qianhua, have fallen to this state!"

"Secretary Fujiwara, just accept your fate of defeat." Kaguya Shinomiya also became interested, revealing a sly smile.

"Chika-chan, thank you for the favor~" Yui Yuigahama smiled as she collected the game coins.

"No! I haven't lost yet! I still have one last chance to turn things around! The fate of humanity is in the hands of humanity itself!!"

"That's not really the right way to put it..." Duan Zilian said speechlessly.

Fujiwara Chika suddenly sprang up like a zombie, clutching the right to use a card tightly in her hand. "As long as I trigger this Fate Card, I, Chika-sama, can turn the tide!"

After saying that, she suddenly moved closer to Duan Zilian's bedside, clutching the pile of fate cards, her big eyes blinking as she stared at him.

"Duan! Hehe, since you can't roll the dice because of your neck injury, then as the owner of this ward, you draw a fate card for me! My fate... is in your hands!"

"Hey, Chika-chan, don't suddenly say such ambiguous things!"

"Ah! Don't push me! I haven't had my braces removed yet! My neck! It's going to break!!"

Yukino Yukinoshita, who had been observing coldly from the sidelines, suddenly smiled and reminded Fujiwara Chika:

"Fujiwara-san, are you sure you want him to draw the ball? He's such an unlucky guy who can strain his neck just by walking up the stairs. Is it really okay to entrust your fate to him?"

"Huh?!" Fujiwara Chika suddenly realized what was happening and gasped. "That's right! Duan's luck seems really bad! Wait, wait a minute! I take back what I just said! I'll draw it myself!"

She hurriedly tried to pull the deck back.

But Duan Zilian's hand speed was faster than hers. He suddenly pulled a card from the stack, a reaction that was not at all like that of a patient.

"Damn it... I was actually underestimated? Well then, I'm going to prove myself today!" Duan Zilian's eyes lit up.

"Is this what men's competitive spirit is like...?" Kaguya muttered from the side.

"Ah, I got it! Let me see what it is!"

Fujiwara Chika snatched the card away with lightning speed.

When she saw the words on it, she was stunned for a second, and then burst into a deafening cheer!

"Yahoo—!!!"

Fujiwara Chika held the card high and read aloud what it said:

"You've become the Giant of Light, Tiga! You've saved the world! Major conglomerates are vying to hire you as their spokesperson, and your net worth has skyrocketed by 100 billion! You've instantly become the most famous and richest person in the world! I've paid off my debts! I'm the richest person in the world now! Tiga is the best!!!"

"What?! There are such outrageous cards! This is cheating!" Shirogane Miyuki slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

"This is in line with current events! In line with current events, don't you understand!" Qianhua waved the card triumphantly, grabbing a large amount of banknotes from the bank into her arms.

Another burst of laughter erupted in the ward. Seeing Chika's ecstatic expression at transforming into Ultraman Tiga, Duan Zilian couldn't help but laugh along.

However, he silently wiped away a cold sweat.

It's really awesome to have your net worth skyrocket by 10 billion in a game... but in reality, if that identity were exposed, you'd probably be dissected and studied... It's better to keep such a deadly thing to yourself.

"Hey, looks like you're recovering pretty well." Hong Kai walked over from not far away with Wei Lai.

He deliberately dragged out his words, grinning mischievously, "Since you're in such good spirits, once you're discharged, you can take care of all the plates and bathroom cleaning at the coffee shop. After all, to pay your hospital bills, Wei Lai and I are so poor right now that we have to collect scraps to buy marble sodas—"

"Kaisan! Don't ruin the mood at a time like this!" Mirai protested, blushing.

"Huh? You guys paid for Duan's medical expenses?" Yui Yuigahama blinked in surprise, then patted her chest generously, "If it's a matter of money, we can all help chip in!"

The classmates around him also responded affirmatively.

Kaguya Shinomiya nodded slightly to the side. As long as Duan Zilian asked, she could easily balance the bill without leaving a trace.

"No need, no need! I appreciate everyone's kindness!" Duan Zilian was startled and quickly waved his hand. If he asked them to pay, where would he, the Warrior of Light, put his face?

"I will work hard to pay off this huge debt! Paying back debts is a matter of course, and it's the conscious will of every working person!"

Beside him, Shirogane Miyuki nodded in affirmation, acknowledging his Golden Will.

"Let's have a go! Future said he's really interested!"

"Hey, Kaisan! You're the one who wanted to play this game, aren't you?!"

"Great! Let's all join in!!"

A cheerful atmosphere once again filled the ward, and even the smell of disinfectant in the entire hospital dissipated considerably.

…………

At noon, everyone said their goodbyes, looking forward to getting together again next time. Soon, only the coffee shop trio remained in the ward.

"Ah... I feel a kind of sadness, like when I go back to my hometown for the New Year, but after the holiday everyone goes back to their own homes and I'm all alone."

Duan Zilian looked at the large pile of nutritional supplements around her and let out a long sigh.

Beside him, Hong Kai teased him, "Alright, stop pessimistic like a seventy or eighty-year-old man. Hurry up and rest. You won't have many more relaxing moments like this in the future."

After listening, Duan Zilian nodded. He looked out at the clear blue sky and his thoughts drifted into the distance.

"Yes, there won't be many more relaxing times like this in the future."

Chapter 50 Not for Sale

"Takagi-san, wait for me!"

"Nishikata, you're too slow."

On a street in Chiba in the early morning, two figures in junior high school uniforms were chasing each other on the sidewalk.

"Takagi-san, do you know..."

The boy ran ahead, panting, and turned his back. Just as he was about to strike a cool pose and launch into a long speech, his back suddenly bumped into a "wall".

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry I bumped into you..."

Nishikata hurriedly turned around and bowed, but when he raised his head, he was completely stunned.

Before him stood a tall figure, the man's face terrifyingly sinister, his expression as if he had just stepped in dog poop, his body radiating black resentment.

"Eh……"

"I'm so sorry, sir!!! I didn't mean to!!"

Nishikata let out a strange cry, grabbed Takagi next to him, and ran off like a rabbit.

The only thing left in the air was Takagi's smiling remark, "What a strange old man."

"Hey, Taiga." Zero's voice sounded helplessly in his mind. "No matter what, taking your anger out on a passing child is going too far, isn't it?"

"Shut up, Zero!" Nozomi Taiga, clutching his hair, squatted by the roadside and wailed, "I'm super, invincible, explosively angry!!!"

"So what if you got fired from the logistics company? You can just find another job," Zero said dismissively, offering some words of comfort.

"I just took a few extra days off! It's not like I'm not going to work at all!" Dahe Wang gritted his teeth.

"Dahe, you're really good at deceiving yourself." Zero coldly exposed the truth. "The real reason isn't your absence from work, but rather your unauthorized modification of the company's trucks, isn't it?"

At the mention of this, Taiga Nozomi was practically spitting blood: "My God! Who knew that the blond, leather-clad man that day wasn't someone sent by the company? He came up to me by name and asked me to load things for him! He even asked me to modify his car! He calmly stated that it was a matter of which side the company's higher-ups were on!!"

[Learn from your mistakes. At least we brought light to Ultraman Tiga, didn't we?]

"The worst part isn't even that! It's that the 100,000 yen I painstakingly saved up... how could it all be gone?!" Taiga Nozomi suddenly stood up and slammed his fist into the nearby telephone pole, causing leaves to fall in a rustling sound.

Five days ago, he went to the hospital to visit Xincheng. As soon as he returned to the company, he was severely scolded by the manager for "serious damage to the truck" and was kicked out.

Now unemployed again, he planned to treat himself to a nice meal with his remaining 100,000 yen savings, but halfway there he realized his wallet was missing. He didn't know if it had been stolen or fallen on the ground, and he searched everywhere but couldn't find it.

"It's all your fault! Why didn't you agree to let Director Sawai join TPC?" Zero sighed. "If I could control my body back then, I definitely would have joined. Room and board included, plus a salary—it would have been so great."

"Shut up! I've already joined the defense force once in another universe, and there's a TPC in that universe. I absolutely do not want to join a second time!"

【Eh, a parallel universe? What's your TPC like?】

Dahe Wang kicked a pebble on the roadside, still angry:

"I can't really explain it to you. I was just a kid back then, and I didn't listen to any of those historical things. I only knew that there was a famous person named Shin Asuka in the previous Super GUTS team who saved almost everyone at the time, except for me, of course."

Ah... I'm sorry, Taiga.

"It doesn't matter, I don't care anymore. The most important thing now is..." Taiga Nozomi turned out her empty pockets, looked up at the sky with a lifeless expression, "At this rate, the ordinary life I want will never be finished..."

"Hey? Taiga, look at that kid up ahead." Zero suddenly exclaimed in his mind, "Isn't that Tiga's human form? There seems to be a... girl next to him?"

"Huh? It really is." Following Zero's directions, Taiga Nozomi indeed saw two figures, one long and one short, across the street.

Dahe Wang instinctively hid behind a telephone pole and immediately turned around to run away.

"Hey, Taiga, why are you running away?" Zero exclaimed impatiently. "Go say hello! This young master wants to meet with Tiga-senpai and exchange some battle tips!"

"No! I don't want to get involved in those messes!"

Taihe Wang slipped away as fast as he could, knowing full well that there were three Ultra Warriors in the coffee shop in the old town, but he just didn't want to go!

Everyone else is sticking together, but he's going it alone, which is... you know?

With Zero's curses echoing in his mind, Taiga Nozomi's stubborn figure quickly disappeared around the street corner.

……

Meanwhile, across the street, outside a cattery shop.

"Ah, Vice President Shinomiya. It's been a long time..."

Just six days after the Monopoly battle, Duan Zilian was finally discharged from the hospital.

What made him feel even more fortunate to have survived was that the days after his discharge from the hospital coincided with Japan's "Golden Week," when the whole school had a five-day holiday, which finally allowed his busy mind to have a moment of peace.

So today, he took the 20,000 yen he had secretly saved and prepared to buy a bicycle.

He had only strolled out of the old town for a short while when he saw a solitary figure squatting outside a cattery not far away.

That person was none other than Kaguya Shinomiya.

Her hair, which was usually piled high, was unusually loose today. Without her Shuchiin uniform and wearing a simple long dress, Kaguya Shinomiya looked less sharp and more girlish.

At that moment, she was intently teasing a kitten in the shop window with a cat toy, looking just like an ordinary girl who had finally gotten her favorite toy.

Duan Zilian walked up behind her and couldn't help but greet her.

Kaguya froze instantly.

She stood up abruptly like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, quickly straightened her skirt and hair, and tried to put on that aloof and superior air again.

"Duan, classmate."

Kaguya turned away coldly, concealing the blush on her face.

She cleared her throat to cover up her embarrassment and said, "I didn't expect to run into you here. Is there something you need? Also, your neck injury... is it healed?"

"Ah, almost. He can nod and shake his head like a normal person now."

Duan Zilian rubbed the back of his neck, then pointed to the cat in the glass display case.

"It's nothing. I saw you playing with this little guy from a distance, so I wanted to come up and say hello... Do you really like this cat?"

Duan Zilian looked into the glass.

“It’s a black cat, huh? And it even has red eyes?” Duan Zilian leaned closer and couldn’t help but turn to look at Kaguya, blurting out, “It looks a lot like your eyes, Vice President Shinomiya.”

"No, I don't like it, and it doesn't resemble me at all." Kaguya crossed her arms and subconsciously retorted, even shifting her gaze elsewhere.

"Don't hide it. I saw you squatting here playing with it just now, and you didn't even notice me coming close. You clearly really like it." Duan Zilian also squatted in front of the shop window, gently tapping the glass with her fingers.

The black cat inside seemed unafraid of strangers. It walked gracefully to Duan Zilian's fingers and gently rubbed its head against the glass.

"However, this cat is really beautiful, it has a naturally noble feel to it," Duan Zilian exclaimed.

Kaguya narrowed her eyes as she watched the black cat interacting with Danji Rei through the glass.