nashuaworldcup Chapter 78, The Incense Chapter: The Final Preparations
Chapter 78, The Incense Chapter: The Final Preparations
[April 10, 2017 - The moment the dream began]
"And then! And then! Tell me, boy! I really want to hear it!"
At 3:30 PM, outside a coffee shop in Tengu City, Mei shouted, his eyes shining as he leisurely sipped his coffee in front of Nia.
"Be more composed, Erya. We agreed that I'm just here to help you find inspiration for your comics. Don't overreact like this."
"Alright~ alright~ I got it, kid. Now tell me your recent story."
Seeing that Erya hadn't listened to him at all, Ming put down his coffee cup with a sigh and slowly said:
"After Origami was sent to the military camp, everyone was worried about her at first. After all, it was a tough place. But Origami's personality meant she would never give up easily."
"Where is that idol lady?"
"I don't usually pay much attention to Miku, but it seems she's gone to school recently, so there's not much to say. I generally don't contact her unless necessary."
After hearing this, Erya seemed to have thought of something, walked behind Ming, and began to chuckle mischievously, saying coquettishly:
"Oh dear, this boy is really something! He's already deceived so many people, yet he tells his sister the whole truth. Is it trust... or...?"
"Erya, if you had that thought, would you still be standing behind me now? The moment you had the thought of betraying me, I would have taken care of you."
Before Erya could finish speaking, Ming turned his head, his eyes vacant, and said in an icy tone.
Erya paused for a moment, then smiled again. "Hehe, just kidding, young man. How could I betray you? You're my source of inspiration."
Ming glanced at her casually, picked up his coffee again and took a sip. As if sensing something, he narrowed his right eye slightly and looked ahead.
"It's coming."
"Ah, what's coming? What are you talking about, young man?" Erya asked in confusion after hearing Ming's mutterings.
“Of course, it was when the princess truly first met her hero,” Ming replied, slightly excited.
The fairy princess had already appeared in Tiangong City a few weeks ago, so she was very familiar with this spiritual energy.
The next second, the sound of a spacequake alarm came from all directions of the city. The once bustling streets were now filled with solemn expressions as people ran towards the shelters in the opposite direction.
'Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!'
As the alarm sounded, Ming slowly stood up, casually drank the last drop of coffee, and his gaze fell on Erya, who was sneaking around beside him and looked like she was ready to escape.
"Erya, what are you doing?"
"Kid, run! A spacequake is about to occur in this area. If you don't run, you'll die."
He couldn't help but feel a wave of speechlessness wash over him.
"Uh... Erya, do you remember what my official profession is?"
"The editor-in-chief is also the president of the company. You can't possibly use [Demon King] in front of so many surveillance cameras right now, can you?"
Ming's lips twitched. "Looks like you've forgotten, I'm a magician too, and even a former SSS ace. At times like this, I'm supposed to be dealing with spacequakes."
"Haha, I forgot about that."
Afterwards, Ming ignored Erya and ran quickly toward the direction where the spacequake had occurred.
Upon arriving at the scene, all that could be seen was devastation, with a powerful spiritual energy fluctuation faintly emanating from the ruins.
Upon closer inspection, one could see a graceful, purple-haired girl standing there, holding an enormous sword.
A hint of dazedness seemed to flicker in his eyes, the sword gleamed with a cold light, and the sharp tip was pointed directly at the blue-haired boy standing not far in front of him.
The king, seated behind him, exuded an even greater sense of holiness.
The blue-haired boy was pale as paper, his clothes were tattered, and his eyes showed some fear, but for some reason, more confusion.
"Are you here to kill me too?"
The girl said this, her other hand trembling slightly, as if she were already exhausted.
"Wait...wait a minute, how could this be!" The boy slumped to the ground, his voice filled with doubt. "What are you talking about killing me for? And who exactly are you...?"
The boy asked, his expression growing increasingly confused. Just as the two were still exchanging words, a sharp, piercing alarm blared from afar.
The AST team has arrived at the scene!
These well-trained team members arrived at the location without even noticing Shido's presence, and unleashed a barrage of heavy shells without hesitation.
In an instant, flames soared into the sky, and the sound of cannons was deafening.
However, the purple-haired girl remained calm and composed in the face of this fierce attack. She simply raised one hand, and instantly a powerful, transparent barrier appeared out of thin air, steadily blocking all the incoming missiles.
The powerful shells struck the barrier with a series of dull thuds, but they could not penetrate the invisible defense.
"Hmph, this kind of thing is useless against me. Why don't you all use your brains..."
Before she finished speaking, she flashed into the sky like a purple lightning bolt. The gray greatsword in her hand—'Sandalphon'—gleamed coldly in the sunlight, sending chills down one's spine.
In the blink of an eye, the girl had already leaped into the air. She gripped the greatsword tightly with both hands, and with a powerful swing, an incomparably sharp sword aura roared out, slashing straight towards the missiles that had not yet exploded.
With a deafening roar, the missiles exploded in mid-air, transforming into dazzling fireworks that illuminated the entire sky.
Shido, who had just plopped down on the ground, looked up at the purple-haired girl in the air. The girl turned around and looked somewhat tired.
"Why...why would she make such an expression when she's so powerful?"
Origami stared intently at the fairy princess below. At this moment, Origami had no scruples; her heart was already filled with hatred, and she launched an attack.
In an instant, the flashing of swords and the interplay of blades created a dazzling spectacle.
The standard lightsaber slashed down with fierce momentum, while on the other side, the [Slaughtering Lord] met it head-on without showing any weakness.
The two collided violently, suggesting that the user's origami skills were quite impressive even among magicians.
Unfortunately, this "princess" was incredibly powerful, and Origami found it somewhat difficult to keep up. After a few moves, he was even starting to lose. He dodged to the side, placed his lightsaber behind him, and prepared to adjust his attack and strike again.
Just then, he suddenly caught sight of someone slumped on the ground not far away—it was Itsuka Shido!
"Shido?"
"Origami?"
They looked at each other with surprised expressions, clearly not expecting to see each other here. After a moment of eye contact, they both saw a hint of doubt and worry in each other's eyes.
After a brief hesitation, Origami and the Princess clashed once again, their swords flashing and their attacks dazzling. Then, the two leaped into the air together, unleashing their strongest attacks at the same time, their forces locked in a stalemate in mid-air.
As purple light enveloped the battlefield, Ming saw the phantom of Shido, who was lying paralyzed on the ground in the distance, flash by and disappear from the battlefield like the [Princess], leaving only the AST members behind.
"Did she return to the neighboring realm? I wonder how she is now." Looking at all this, Ming murmured to himself, wondering if he was still worthy to see Sawa.
Just as he was about to leave, the ring on his finger emitted light, greedily absorbing the surrounding energy.
The faint spiritual energy left behind by the princess before she left seemed to be attracted and surged towards the ring.
"What's going on? Why worry about all this? This commotion will be noticed soon."
Sensing something was amiss, the most perceptive origami looked back alertly:
"who!"
I ran to the ruins to check, but there wasn't a soul in sight. Yet, I still had that feeling of being spied on.
At 8:10 p.m., Ming decided to investigate the ring matter further.
He returned to the publishing house office, where the lights were dim at night. Just as he was examining the ring, the phone suddenly rang.
Ming picked up the phone, and a relaxed voice came from the other end:
"Hey Ming, I have two jobs, want to take them?"
This person is none other than Bai Mu Zhong, Ming's 'colleague' in a certain sense.
"Go ahead."
"How indifferent! Well then, how about becoming the housekeeper for my colleague, Itsuka Tatsuo? He went on a business trip abroad yesterday..."
"roll."
“Wait…wait a minute, I haven’t finished yet! Their children are elves just like you, and it seems they also use fire! They’re even Commander Fraxinus, personally certified by our boss, Woodman!” Hundred Eyes hurriedly said.
"Oh, then what benefit or advantage do I get from this? Just because we're the same kind of people doesn't mean we'll benefit from it."
"When you arrive, Boss Woodman will immediately appoint you as a subordinate instructor. You won't have to worry about anything and will have a very relaxed job."
Ming pondered for a moment, feeling that this subordinate position as an instructor might be a precaution for his future plans, so he spoke into the receiver:
"Okay, I agree."
Two days later, at 6:30, Ming arrived at Wuhe's house. He rang the doorbell, and a blue-haired boy with a melancholy expression opened the door.
"you are?"
Shido looked at Ming, who was a head taller than him, dressed in a suit like a butler and wearing an eye patch, and asked somewhat helplessly. After all, he had just stayed up all night playing the dating sim that Kotori had told him was for training.
Ming looked at Shido, a certain thought flashing in his eyes, then bowed slightly and said:
"Nice to meet you, Itsuka Shido. I am Mei. I cannot reveal my surname for now. I am a colleague of your parents, Itsuka Tatsuo and Itsuka Yoko. You can also call me Mr. Mei. I am here to take care of the siblings' daily needs."
Shido scratched his head in confusion, while Ming took out five or six identification documents from his pocket to prove his identity.
"University of London diploma, medical internal medicine practitioner qualification certificate (previously forged by Möbius, keep it for now), employee of Asgard Electronics Company, etc..."
The dozen or so unusual identification documents changed Shido's expression from initial confusion to awe of the person before him.
"Wow, that's amazing! Mr. Ming looks like he just graduated from university, yet he's achieved so much!"
With that thought in mind, Shido stepped aside to let Ming in.
It is at this moment that the fates of the villain and the hero intersect, and the grand stage of the future awaits their performance.