In a crossover anime, do you believe that a machine spirit can defeat a fake human?

"You seem quite happy," Chen Yi joked. "Don't worry, I've thought of a solution. We can try it out slowly when we get back, and you'll be able to return to a normal life."

"Actually, things are pretty good now..." Mai Sakurajima muttered softly.

"Huh?" Chen Yi didn't hear clearly.

“She said things are fine now,” Kelukai said, sitting on the empty seat on the other side of Chen Yi, crossing her legs.

Now you understand.

"You're welcome." Kroos hugged the all-black HK416, pulled her hat over her face, and prepared to take a nap.

"Sweet dreams," Chen Yi said to her this time.

......

Ms. Hiratsuka drove them home, and Chen Yi was the last one to arrive.

Chen Yi unloaded all the luggage and closed the trunk again.

"Hey, Mr. Chen." Hiratsuka Shizuka got out of the car and called out to Chen Yi.

"Today... I really owe you a lot. I'll treat you to a drink next time." She walked over to Chen Yi and patted his shoulder hard. Chen Yi looked over and saw relief in her eyes.

"Protecting you is clearly my responsibility... but it fell on your shoulders." She sighed, her words revealing a subtle sense of self-reproach, which was inconsistent with her usual carefree personality.

“Hiratsuka-sensei, people are only responsible for what they are capable of and should do their best. As for what you said about the safety of everyone’s lives falling on my shoulders… it’s not in my nature to stand by and watch them die, especially since they are all my friends.” Chen Yi turned around and gave Hiratsuka Shizuka a thumbs up.

"Stop watching Masked Heroes. I'll return that to you. This is beyond your capabilities. You're just a little kid who hasn't even grown up yet, and you want to play the hero and protect me?" Hiratsuka Shizuka said with a laugh.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, stop lying through your teeth. In a game, you're just the kind of sub-carry who only cheers and shouts '666.' The real core of the team is me." Chen Yi spun his thumb halfway around and pointed downwards.

"You... Ha, you little brat, I don't even know what to say about you." Hiratsuka Shizuka's vision was a little blurry as she stared at Chen Yi's face. Although they were more than ten steps apart, it felt like they were right next to each other.

"Goodbye, focus on driving, and... if you're too afraid of fake people, I can reluctantly offer to help you fall asleep." As soon as she finished speaking, to prevent Hiratsuka Shizuka from suddenly attacking someone, she immediately grabbed her luggage and ran into the building.

"...Want to go out for dinner tomorrow?" Hiratsuka Shizuka called out to his retreating figure.

Let's rest for a few days and then talk about it!

The sound faded into the distance, and upon closer inspection, Chen Yi had already entered the apartment.

You brat, you dare to tease your teacher?

Hiratsuka Shizuka returned to the car and subconsciously touched her head; Chen Yi's newsboy cap was still on her head.

With her right hand, Shizuka pulled down the rearview mirror and examined it carefully for a while.

"How come I never realized I was so good-looking before..."

She took off her newsboy cap, her messy hair ruining most of the look, and Hiratsuka Shizuka clicked her tongue in annoyance before putting it back on.

"Alright, consider it a gift to show your respect to me."

He turned the car key again to restart the engine, and Hiratsuka Shizuka stepped on the gas and drove off.

......

"Running so fast..." Mai Sakurajima chased after her, breathless.

"There's nothing we can do. Master Hiratsuka practices martial arts and boxing. If you're too slow, you'll get pinned down," Chen Yi explained.

"Then just don't provoke her..."

"Being a jerk is also a good way to adjust your mindset; you wouldn't understand."

Chen Yi and Mai Sakurajima chatted idly.

P.S.: Thanks to @KristenWright for the donation! Extra chapter coming!

Summer Vacation: Chapter 113 The Closer Distance

I cooked a rare and sumptuous meal today.

However, since there were only two people, we didn't cook too many dishes. We made braised pork, Mapo tofu, and a light mustard green soup. That was just the right amount of Chinese home-style cooking for the two of us.

However, ever since Mai Sakurajima moved in, he doesn't seem to have been busy preparing dinners, so I guess his culinary skills haven't gone to waste.

After serving two bowls of rice, Chen Yi pulled out a chair and sat down, with Sakurajima Mai habitually sitting opposite him.

"Mapo tofu?" Mai Sakurajima stared at it curiously.

"The other one is... braised pork?"

"Hmm, want to try some? They're all authentic, not that weird stuff like strawberry mapo tofu." Chen Yi smiled, emphasizing the word 'authentic'.

“Oh… speaking of which, it seems like Yi-kun has a deep aversion to that kind of thing…” Sakurajima Mai said casually, scooping a piece into her bowl with a spoon.

"Strawberry Mapo Tofu is to Dongda students what pineapple pizza is to Italians—it's unacceptable in principle." Chen Yi sat down, picked up a piece of braised pork, and examined it.

Of course, I personally can accept pineapple pizza.

Chen Yi silently grumbled to himself.

"Too much sugar, it might be too sweet. Eat more mustard greens to balance it out." I took a bite; the lean and fatty parts were perfectly balanced, and the stir-frying time was just right, rendering out most of the oil.

Although the mustard greens here seem to be a bit different, I hope they won't taste too bad.

"It's delicious!" Mai Sakurajima took a small bite, then shamelessly showed off two more bites of rice.

"It seems to be spicier than what I've had before."

"I might have gone a little too far. I'll improve it next time." Chen Yi tasted the Mapo Tofu and found that the spiciness was not much different from before, but the saltiness was a bit less.

Mustard green soup...

"So spicy..." Mai Sakurajima couldn't help but complain after taking a bite.

The mustard greens grown in Japan are an improved variety called 'Taka-na', which is mainly used for pickling. It is quite different from the large-leaf mustard greens that are eaten fresh back home.

"It really is a different variety. The mustard greens in my hometown are usually sweet." Chen Yi picked up a piece to taste, frowned slightly, and also found it hard to accept.

Fortunately, we chopped ginger and garlic to dip the food in, so the difference in taste wasn't so great as to be completely unacceptable.

After dinner, Mai Sakurajima took over the task of washing the dishes, so Chen Yi simply tidied up his guitar bag, replenished some supplies, and took the opportunity to carefully check the batch losses.

"Klukka, so what's the point of me bringing the mechanical arm with me this time?"

Chen Yi pulled out a tumbler of metal from the very bottom of his guitar case, a metal lump that had never been touched before, and fell silent.

How could he forget that he even had this?

“Commander, in terms of actual combat effectiveness, the third hand’s combat effectiveness is probably not as good as expected, because we need to consider the issue of balance,” Kroos replied.

"Okay then." Chen Yi put the robotic arm aside and put the new compressed biscuits and vacuum-packed emergency water into the compartment of his bag.

"What if I changed the charging mode of the VR device to a plug-in battery? Would that significantly improve the battery life?" Chen Yi suddenly had this idea while taking the VR device out to charge.

“It is indeed feasible to some extent.” Krochai thought for a moment and nodded.

"However, instead of Commander modifying it yourself, why not just hand it over to the device's manufacturer?"

"Makes sense."

Then I'll have to trouble Futaba again.

“By the way, Commander, given that you’ve been attacked multiple times, I think acquiring a set of protective gear should be the highest priority,” Kroos said.

"When I chatted with the people from Tiexue Security last time, they said they would send me a set of protective clothing, but there's still no definite answer."

Are you trying to frame me?

Arm shields, exoskeletons, humanoid robots...

All of these need to be put on the agenda. If possible, we should contact Tiexue (a Chinese online forum) to see if any researchers are willing to explore the possibility of making the arm shield and protective suit multifunctional.

Come to think of it, I feel like I've been owing Futaba's mother for a while now, and I hope she doesn't think I've been neglecting her.

"Do you want to take a shower first, or should I?" Mai Sakurajima came out of the kitchen and dried her hands with a towel.

"You go first, I'll charge the messenger." Chen Yi slowly stood up from the sofa, holding his phone in his hand.

......

It was night, and time to sleep was approaching.

Chen Yi looked at the Sakurajima Mai image that had been updated in his bedroom, and hesitated to speak.

Why did you come to my room in your pajamas? What are you planning to do?

"I remember your room is next door..." Chen Yi reminded him cautiously.

“I’m scared, let’s sleep together tonight,” Mai Sakurajima replied bluntly.

“…Okay.” Chen Yi hesitated for a moment, then softened and agreed.

He then looked at the familiar and comfortable bed and fell silent.

"..." Sakurajima Mai looked at him without saying a word.

"I'll sleep on the floor." Chen Yi stared at the bed for a long time, but still couldn't overcome his fear of beds.

Mai Sakurajima watched quietly, waiting for Chen Yi to smooth out the bedding before kicking off her slippers and crawling inside.

"..."

"Two people squeezed into a single blanket, don't you feel hot?" Chen Yi complained, turning off the bedroom light and glancing at the rifle on the bedside table, within easy reach.

Because we reserved two guest rooms when we bought the house, we didn't buy bedding for two people. We just bought one set as a spare because of our habitual fussiness. Who knew that neither of us would want to sleep in the bed now? It was a complete blunder.

He burrowed into the covers, trying not to look at Mai Sakurajima's expression, turned his back, and kept as much distance as possible, then closed his eyes.

Mai Sakurajima seemed more lively than usual, gently scratching his back with her fingers like soft goose feathers.

Chen Yi opened his eyes and turned to look at the other person.

In the darkness, he could see Sakurajima Mai's eyes blinking, as if she had no intention of sleeping.

"What's wrong."

She didn't say anything, but suddenly moved closer and buried her face in Chen Yi's chest.

"Are you still scared? We've survived." Chen Yi patted her back and comforted her softly.

The experience of that day and night was truly unforgettable, feeling as long as an eternity. Every second of the battle is etched into my mind, impossible to forget.

Even he couldn't avoid fear and nightmares, so why should the other person be accused of not being strong enough?

"Those things from last night and today..."

"They're all dead."

"That one hidden in the bed..."

"Killed him."

After you left...

"Sorry, it was my fault."

Mai Sakurajima described the scene in fits and starts, while Chen Yi offered brief and calm words of comfort.

He knew the other person needed this right now.

"Hold me..." Mai Sakurajima sobbed softly, clinging tightly to Chen Yi.

"It's so hot here."

He did not push him away.

Summer Vacation: Chapter 114 Yukinoshita's House

"It's so hot..."

In the early morning, Chen Yi crawled out of bed, being careful not to disturb Sakurajima Mai, who was still fast asleep.

"Did you have a nightmare last night?" Kroos asked, half-lying on the bed in a relaxed posture.

"No, but I dreamt that I played with my pet puppy all night..." Chen Yi replied, then went to the bathroom to wash up.

It wasn't a puppy; Mai Sakurajima was restless in her sleep, constantly nudging him with her head, making it even harder for Chen Yi, who was already a light sleeper, to sleep.

Around seven o'clock in the morning, even without an alarm clock, Chen Yi could wake up on time.

"...Ha..." Half an hour later, Mai Sakurajima got up, put on her messy pajamas, and came to the living room, looking sleepily at Chen Yi sitting at the dining table.