I, Zhongli, wander the world

Chuya Nakahara, 12 years old, is currently a junior high school student in Yokohama.

Ever since he experienced the deep shadow of the bombing of the elementary school, even if he sat safely in the classroom, he no longer had the peace of mind to study hard in the past.During class, my attention would fly out of the window from time to time, always worrying whether another bomb from nowhere would blow up my school.

It can be said that it was quite hard.

The teacher wouldn't blame him for this. After all, everyone is from Yokohama, and it's understandable to be vigilant at all times. What's more, Nakahara Chuya's academic performance is the first in the whole year even if he is a god.

"Brother Zhongyuan, do you want to participate in any club activities after class?"

As the bell rang after school, little brother A approached Zhongya Zhongya and asked in a low voice.

The schools in Yokohama are basically locals who are unable to move because of force majeure. In addition, the school year of junior high school is three years. The group of "predecessors" who are in the highest grade now happen to be the same as those who were recruited by Zhongyuan Middle School back then. It was the same batch that had been beaten.

After repairing the brains of the group of people with poor memories, Zhongya Zhong is still the handsome brother Zhongyuan, and a group of younger brothers voluntarily follow him wherever he goes.

"No, I won't be participating in any club activities recently, you don't have to wait for me." Nakahara shook his head and refused, thinking of the girl who was "stolen" back to the detective agency by him and Ranpo.

He had heard a little about the cooperation between the president Fukuzawa Yukichi and Mori Ogai before, but he never participated in it at the insistence of the president.Occasionally, when I met Mori Ogai on the road, I just greeted him as an acquaintance, and played with the humanoid supernatural body who had been downgraded from "Sister Alice" to "Alice" and would definitely be downgraded to "Sister Alice" in the future. Fan.

Nakahara also knew that Mori Ogai had ulterior motives for being nice to him, but given the other party's sincere attitude, he had always had a good impression of the underground doctor, and he didn't mind helping the other party when he needed it.

He always thought that even if Mori Ogai had his own calculations, he at least had the bottom line to be classified as a "good guy".

Until he met the girl named "Yoyano Akiko".

The girl who has the ability to be completely healed was brought to the battlefield by Mori Ogai a few years ago to treat the army named "Undead Legion". On the surface, it seems to be a job of saving lives.

However, the infinite regeneration of the body cannot match the mental wear and tear caused by the never-ending war, so the soldiers fell into hell, and Yosano Akiko also completely collapsed under the use of Mori Ogai.

She was obviously about the same age as Edogawa Ranpo, but she showed premature haggardness that did not match her age. Even the battle between two adults close at hand could not arouse her slightest reaction, but her expression was numb. Huddled in the wheelchair, his slender body looked even more fragile against the backdrop of the wheelchair.

This is all caused by Mr. Sen.

This contrast made Nakahara Chuya feel a little complicated.Taking advantage of the chaos at the scene, he followed Edogawa Ranpo and secretly pushed the girl's wheelchair out of the rooftop, and by using intelligence, he successfully persuaded Yosano Akiko to join the Armed Detective Agency.

The trauma in the girl's heart cannot be healed in a short time.With an inexplicable mood, Nakahara Chuya has not participated in the school's club activities recently, but rushed back to the detective agency quickly after class, wanting to do something as much as possible.

School ended early today, and when Chuya Nakahara rushed to the Armed Detective Agency, Ranpo Edogawa took his own snacks to share with Akiko Yosano.

The girl slowly raised her hand, took the Daifuku that Edogawa Ranpo handed over, lowered her head and said "Thank you" in a low voice.

"You're welcome!" Edogawa Ranpo squatted next to the wheelchair in a nonchalant manner, chewing on his big fortune like a hamster, and said casually: "Speaking of which, it's not too good to be bored in the detective agency all day long. Do you want Akiko?" Go out to relax?"

"Relaxing?" Yosano Akiko moved her drooping head slightly.

"Well, relax." Edogawa Ranpo said affirmatively, "Go out for a walk, look at different things, and your mood will change. That's what my husband said."

"gentlemen……?"

The strange address caused the autistic girl to show some doubts, but she quickly put these doubts behind her, "No, I still..." Forget it.

"That's it!" Edogawa Ranbu jumped up from the ground, clapped his hands happily, turned around and greeted Nakahara Chuya who had just come in and hadn't even put down his schoolbag: "Mr. Orange came back just in time, we took Akiko with us 'There'."

"It just so happens that my husband is also 'over there' today, bringing Dazai along."

Nakahara Nakaya, who thought it was not good to take Yosano Akiko to a crowded place, immediately used gravity to float the wheelchair steadily.

He even urged Edogawa Luanbu in turn: "The sun will be setting in a while, if you go, go quickly."

Edogawa Ranpo, who blocked Nakahara Chuya's refusal first, followed out humming a song.

And just as Edogawa Ranpo said, Zhongli is indeed 'over there' now.

A remote orphanage.

The head of the orphanage was saved by Zhong Li, and this orphanage was opened for good fortune after that.If Zhongli has two or three spare cash in his hands, he will occasionally remit it here to help, so he is familiar with the children adopted in the courtyard.

"Mr. Zhongli, I want to hear you tell the story of Guiliyuan again."

The little girl in old but clean clothes raised her head, her big eyes filled with anticipation.

The little boy on the side was not very happy, "That kind of story is not cool at all! Mr. Zhongli, I want to hear you continue to tell about Yasha exorcising evil spirits!"

"What! Ah Yang is too violent!"

"It's obvious that Ryoko is too soft!"

The two children were arguing over what story to listen to, and Zhongli was still drinking tea calmly, but Dazai Osamu who was at the side whispered, "So it's really troublesome, children or something..."

"But Dazai-kun, are you a child too?" Oda Sakunosuke, who was passing by with three children on his body, keenly heard Dazai Osamu's soliloquy, and answered the words casually.

Since he stopped working as a killer and asked Zhongli seriously, Oda Sakunosuke obeyed his heart and found a part-time job in a shop specializing in curry. Occasionally, he also volunteered in this orphanage in a remote location, and his life was quite ample.

And Dazai Osamu, relying on the proximity of the funeral home, likes to wander around with Zhongli when he is free, and he naturally gets acquainted with Oda Sakunosuke who he occasionally meets.

"...I hate it, Odasaku." The black-haired boy sighed lazily, "I'm different from that stinky kid with a snotty nose..."

Oda Sakunosuke, who had already given up on correcting Osamu Dazai's name, thought about it, nodded and said, "Well, that's right, Dazai-kun is very smart, and we really can't simply compare them together."

"...Odasaku, has anyone ever told you that you speak too bluntly?"

"Well, no."

Osamu Dazai puffed his cheeks, and wanted to say something more, when a black shadow suddenly flew across from not far away, hitting his forehead impartially.

"...Ah." Oda Sakunosuke blinked.

Danced and quarreled with Ryoko, but accidentally threw the doll out of his hand and hurt the innocent, Ayang panicked, and hurried over, "I didn't mean it! Brother Dazai, are you okay!"

Ryoko, who was bickering, also followed, "Ah Yang, you're so rude, you should apologize properly at this time!"

"Woo... sorry!"

The excitement shifted to Osamu Dazai, Zhongli calmly watched the scene where the children were being trained, but felt his sleeves being pulled slightly.

He looked down, meeting a pair of dark eyes.

"...Mr. Zhongli." The boy with slightly graying hair hesitated for a moment, but with the secret encouragement of the black-haired girl beside him, he said, "I... I want to hear your story about the demon god of rock defeating other demon gods, is that okay? ?”

"Well...although it is not impossible," Zhong Li looked at the almost fanatical respect in the child's eyes, "but in terms of general rationality, although the Demon God of Rock is respected by the people as an emperor, his battles are quite lacklustre, and it is not interesting enough story."

"No! How could it be!" The boy raised his voice excitedly, "As long as it is a story told by Mr. Zhongli, I will listen carefully and ponder over it in private!"

The boy's emotions are really easy to get agitated, and the girl next to him hastily remedied: "It's not just my brother who wants to hear it. Compared with other stories, Mr. Zhongli really seldom tells the story of the emperor. I also really want to hear it." Crazy poke the boy's lower back.

The boy who was insinuated by his sister's madness restrained his madness a little bit, blinked his eyes as he had rehearsed in advance, and said cautiously: "Just like what Xiaoyin said, Mr. Zhongli."

"Well, if Ryunosuke insists." Zhong Li just reminded casually, seeing that the boy really wanted to hear, he put down the teacup in his hand, and thought for a while, "Legend, the demon god of the whirlpool is entrenched in the sea..."

After Zhongli started to tell the story, the originally noisy courtyard gradually quieted down. Whether it was Ayang and Liangzi, who were bickering at the side, or other children who were playing farther away, they all gathered around and listened to Zhongli tell the story that existed in the "fantasy". The story comes slowly.

——Is it really just a fantasy?

Such thoughts flashed through his mind, but Osamu Dazai didn't say anything more, he just moved aside so that Oda Sakunosuke could also sit on the bench and listen to the story.

It was at this time that several people from the Central Plains arrived.

Zhongli, who was still telling the story, did not greet them, and they would not disturb Zhongli at this time.Chuya Nakahara stared at Osamu Dazai from a distance from a group of children, then pushed and found a corner with Yosano Akiko and Edogawa Ranpo to stand still.

The deep voice echoing in the courtyard seemed to have some kind of strange and soothing magic power. When the breeze slowly broke into the ears, the lake of hearts that had long been numb and frozen with Akiko Yosano unexpectedly wrinkled a few ripples.

The girl looked up slowly.

The west-slanting sunset cast a layer of beautiful golden red on the man who told the story, and when the golden pupils hidden under the shadow of eyelashes glanced over, there was a hint of divine kindness.

This is the "sir" that Ranpo and Chuya said?

Yosano Akiko's nerves, which had been tense due to the crowd, unknowingly relaxed a little.

After listening to the story, Edogawa Ranpo pushed Yosano Akiko to the front and introduced it to Zhongli. After letting go of the wheelchair, he became friends with the children in a short time and successfully lured away the one who wanted to listen to the story here. Lots of kids.

Not surprisingly, Nakahara dragged Osamu Dazai away, who was holding back, and the volunteer Oda Sakunosuke took the remaining children away with a good sense of words and expressions.

In this corner, only Zhongli, Yosano Akiko were left.

The autistic Yosano Akiko would not take the initiative to speak, and Zhong Li would not say anything, but thoughtfully pushed a cup of tea over.

"Thank you."

The girl whispered, and took a small sip of tea.

After swallowing the slightly astringent tea, it brought a dense and long-lasting aftertaste. Yosano Akiko smacked her lips involuntarily, and a stack of snacks with tea was pushed in front of her eyes.

Compared with the full-bodied tea, this plate of dim sum is not so delicate. The large and small biscuits bear obvious hand-made traces, some are too lightly baked, and some are a little too much.

Yosano Akiko picked up a decent piece and took a bite, the overly sweet taste immediately exploded on the taste buds, the girl choked, took another sip of tea and sent the biscuit down.

"This is a thank you gift made by the children here. Although the taste is not as satisfactory, it is their kindness." Zhong Li said.

Yosano Akiko was silent for a while, and said, "They... are all... because of the war?"

"If it's true, it's true."

Seriously speaking, the problems in Yokohama were brought about by the war. In addition to those children whose parents were killed by the war, it is not wrong to say that it is all because of the war.

Yosano Akiko lowered her head again, her mood visibly depressed.

The girl's situation is different from that of Edogawa Ranpo or Dazai Osamu. The scars caused by the war are too painful and too deep and heavy. Simple enlightenment can have little effect, and the only thing that can heal her is the passage of time.

However, nothing can be done.

"Your headgear is very beautiful." Zhong Li put down his teacup, and said to Yosano Akiko who couldn't help looking over, "This is the first time you and I meet, how about I give you a gift?"

"Meeting ceremony...?" Yosano Akiko murmured suspiciously.

At this time, the sky was already a bit dark, the sun at dusk left only a ray of skylight, replaced by the not very bright moon, and the scenery in the whole yard was a bit gray.

In this case, the light in Zhongli's outstretched palm is particularly conspicuous.

"Hey……"

Under the girl's amazed gaze, after the piece of light escaped from the elder's hand, it turned into countless light spots on its own like shattered glass, and then spread out and stretched strangely.

In the end, each light spot turned into a bright yellow butterfly flying all over the sky like a cicada chrysalis breaking out of its cocoon.

Yosano Akiko stared wide-eyed at this dreamy scene, stretched out her hand involuntarily, and immediately a butterfly landed on its own initiative, resting on the girl's fingertips and fluttering its beautiful wings slightly.

The rock crystal butterfly*, born in the dream of the Saga Mountains, itself is as illusory and beautiful as a dream.

The children who also found the butterfly in the distance shouted happily, and moved slightly with Yosano Akiko's fingertips. The butterfly immediately flapped its wings and flew to the sky, and the shimmering rock elements scattered behind its tail like pieces of gold. Almost lighting up the girl's dark eyes.

It was a fleeting miracle of life.