Chapter 30: A Blow from a Genius

The next night, after arranging everything with Kanade Tachibana, Yechen led Bai Ji to meet her. Along the way, he couldn’t help worrying whether the two would end up fighting, wanting to stick by their side the whole time. But before long, Bai Ji forcibly shooed him away, saying she wanted to get better acquainted with Kanade, her new family member. Bai Ji, with her sly streak, and the innocent Kanade together—it was only a matter of time before Bai Ji swindled her out of something. How could Yechen rest easy? Yet Bai Ji stopped him with a single sentence, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Yechen, speaking in a plaintive tone, “Xingchen, don’t you trust me?”

“It’s all right. Bai Ji is a very friendly person!” Kanade reassured Yechen, holding Bai Ji’s hand.

“Fine, have fun, both of you!” Yechen replied with a bitter smile. Truthfully, he trusted Bai Ji deeply; his unwillingness to leave stemmed mostly from not wanting to be apart from his family. Like a hurt child, he walked away, head down, glancing back every few steps.

With the two gone, Yechen’s only destination was the Afterlife Battlefront’s headquarters—the principal’s office. As he approached, he saw a blonde, twin-tailed girl, expressionless, standing by the door.

“Oh? Her name is Yusa, isn’t it? Let’s say hello. Yusa, what are you doing here?” The girl turned and hurried away in the opposite direction. In that brief moment, Yechen glimpsed tears at the corner of her eye, her face as blank as Kanade’s.

“Is she remembering something from her past? Should I go comfort her? After all, I haven’t managed to help anyone find peace yet!” He mulled over this for a moment, but the lingering echo of a guitar’s final chords drifted from inside the office.

“If it’s a ballad, we won’t be able to stir up trouble, will we?” He pushed open the door and heard Yuri’s voice. Iwasawa, holding her guitar, sat atop the desk. Only this song could perfectly express her heart. Iwasawa dropped her head in regret.

“Otonashi, draw the curtains. Yechen’s here, so let’s begin the strategy meeting! This operation is an invasion of the Angel’s Domain, scheduled three days from now.” Apart from Yechen and Otonashi, the newcomers, everyone else nodded in familiarity.

“But last time—” The dim-witted strategist Takamatsu sensed something amiss and tried to ask, only for Yuri to cut him off with an outstretched hand.

“This time is different from before. We now have a new member joining the operation!” Yuri moved the lounge chair aside, revealing a bespectacled boy crouching behind.

“Pleased to meet you!” The boy adjusted his glasses and greeted everyone.

“Too many glasses characters!” Takamatsu, also adjusting his own, remarked.

“Yuri, are you joking? What use is this timid guy?” Noda pointed his twin-bladed axe at the boy; it was habit for him to threaten every newcomer this way, except when he’d suffered at Yechen’s hands.

“3.1415926535897932384625…” A long string of numbers spilled from the boy’s lips. To the simple-minded Noda, this was overwhelming, as effective as the monk’s tightening spell on Sun Wukong. Noda dropped his axe, clutching his head and writhing in agony on the floor.

“Stop! Stop it!”

“It’s pi!”

“Too many glasses characters, though the IQs differ!” Takamatsu admitted, self-aware.

“Enough! That guy’s an idiot!” Oyama, unable to bear Noda’s suffering, cried out anxiously.

“That’s right! Our weakness is being too dumb!” Yuri boldly admitted the battlefront’s shortcomings, making Otonashi and Yechen nearly cover their faces in disbelief. What leader says such things? Even if you’re fools, don’t drag us into it—we’re not lacking in intelligence!

“Last time, our invasion exposed our lack of brains.” Yechen and Otonashi grumbled inwardly; even without that operation, their stupidity had long been apparent.

“But this time, we’ve recruited a so-called genius hacker, known online as Takeyama, to join our operation team and thoroughly investigate the intel within the domain!” Yuri introduced him confidently. Yet that nickname sounded suspiciously like his real name. Iwasawa listened quietly, bored, watching her hands.

“Please call me Christ!” Takeyama pointed at everyone sternly.

“So, what exactly is the Angel’s Domain?”

“It’s the angel’s residence!” Otonashi, curious about their discussion, imagined a city floating among clouds, wondering if such a place really needed a hacker.

“Apparently, the central system is controlled by computers! There, you can supposedly communicate with God. But it’s not the first time—we can expect the angel to be more vigilant than before,” Hinata, full of experience, explained, triggering all sorts of wild scenarios in Otonashi’s mind. How did they know without ever succeeding?

“Your GDM also needs to perform more flamboyantly than before!”

“Understood!”

“I’d like to ask: during your last invasion, what obstacles did you encounter?” Unlike Otonashi, Yechen had visited Kanade’s dorm yesterday to deliver Bai Ji’s uniform. Listening to Yuri and the others, he found it hard to picture their scenario and asked curiously.

“The central computer has automatic protection and blocks all information. Without the correct code, no one can unlock it! All right, meeting adjourned!” Yuri replied, frowning.

With the command to adjourn, Iwasawa was first to leave, pausing at the door with her guitar in contemplation, then departing with it slung over her back.

“Wait, Iwasawa!” Yechen caught up from behind and grabbed her shoulder.

“Huh? Yechen, do you need something?” When she realized it was Yechen, Iwasawa’s cheeks inexplicably flushed. Not knowing why, she hurriedly asked.

“Actually, I’d like to learn guitar from you, if that’s all right?” Yechen hadn’t forgotten he needed music to soothe the violent curse within himself. As the band’s vocalist, Iwasawa naturally had considerable skill.

“Of course! But guitar isn’t something you can pick up easily. You mustn’t quit halfway!” Hearing Yechen’s request, Iwasawa was delighted, immediately agreeing while warning him not to give up.

“Absolutely, I’m not someone who gives up so easily!” With Iwasawa’s consent, Yechen responded with relief.

…

“Go. There’s nothing more I can teach you!” With a tone of deep sorrow, Iwasawa lay on the ground, her body pale and gray, crushed by disappointment as she spoke to Yechen.

“Don’t be upset, Iwasawa. That guy is definitely a monster; don’t compare yourself to a monster!” The GDM members all tried to comfort Iwasawa, while Hisako glared fiercely at Yechen, adopting the manner of a big sister.

Just moments ago, Yechen and the band members had witnessed him transform from a complete novice who couldn’t play a note, into a guitarist as skilled as Iwasawa herself. Such rapid progress left Iwasawa utterly dejected.