Chapter 1 A Ghost Behind
Tokyo is a busy city. Even late at night, there are still many buildings with bright lights. Looking out from the windows of high-rise buildings, the twinkling lights reflected on the glass can easily make people feel unreal.
When Toru Amuro looked up as she walked towards the sofa while drying her hair after taking a shower, all she saw was her own reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window and the scattered spots of light around her.
He was a little dazed.
For an undercover agent who is used to years of high-intensity work, Toru Amuro's sleeping hours have always been irregular. When he is busy, he sleeps for 90 minutes a day to ensure that he does not die suddenly.
Sometimes he would make fun of himself, after all, not everyone can work so many jobs at the same time, right?
However, today is a special case. In the evening, Toru Amuro just returned to Tokyo after completing his organization's field mission, and the Public Security Department does not need to submit a report this time.
He thought he could take a rest for the night.
As soon as this thought came to mind, Amuro Toru's legs, which were about to be raised towards the bedroom, stopped in mid-air. An indescribable chill suddenly swept through his whole body. Almost in the blink of an eye, all the danger-related alarms in his brain sounded, and he screamed as if he was bungee jumping.
The instinctive desire to survive prompted Toru Amuro to roll sideways on the ground in the next second. He quickly and stealthily took out a gun from the gap in the sofa, and then mobilized all his attention, staring at the direction where he first stood.
At this moment, a thick white mist was emerging from the living room out of thin air, which was contrary to scientific common sense. Even without any props, it still occupied the entire living room within a few seconds. After realizing this, Toru Amuro, who was hiding behind the sofa, held his breath at the first moment and pointed the muzzle of the gun steadily at the center of the white mist.
Did he come to this safe house because he hadn't finished his last mission properly? Or was he sent by the organization because they noticed his connection with Scotland?
Thousands of thoughts flashed through Toru Amuro's mind until he met the gaze of a pair of water-red eyes that were faintly visible in the white mist. Under his more vigilant gaze and the threat of the gun, the gradually clearer figure of the intruder actually moved one step closer, and he could see more clearly.
This uninvited guest had a childish face, with most of his body wrapped in a large red and white coat, pure black casual pants underneath the coat, and a plaid scarf loosely worn around his neck. It was completely an out-of-season outfit.
You have to know that it is June now, the midsummer season. Even Toru Amuro has already changed into cool clothes. Won't he get prickly heat by wearing this?
"You..." Toru Amuro's vigilance was not relaxed at all because of the other party's apparent age. On the contrary, the intelligence personnel who had been lurking in the organization for many years knew very well that one must never judge a person by his appearance.
The question he hadn't finished was stuck in his throat, because at the same time he spoke, the boy opposite him turned his head at lightning speed and sneezed with a sound that sounded very cold.
Toru Amuro's mind went blank for a moment: What was he thinking just now?
—
"You mean, you're a ghost who died eight years ago. You don't remember how you died, and you don't know why you showed up in my house..." Ten minutes later, he reluctantly put away his aggression, carefully invited the uninvited guest to sit down, and patiently listened to the other party's explanation. He smiled awkwardly but politely, "Is that so?"
Of course not, the ghost himself said so.
After all, just half an hour ago, he was a real living person, happily leaving work to his subordinates and slacking off in the office. But now he has to perform as an amnesiac ghost for his best friend's alien counterpart.
The gap in between is not small.
Chijiang Nayue smacked her lips with regret in her heart.
The reason for his appearance is a long story, but to summarize it briefly...
The world where Akae Nazuki originally lived experienced a major crisis, and later merged with great difficulty to become an independent new world. However, this also produced a huge butterfly effect, which resurrected all of himself who died in the parallel world, and on this basis, a new universe centered on "Akae Nazuki's world" was born.
It may be a little complicated, but it is enough to remember that after that incident is resolved, all the Chijiang Nayue in the parallel worlds should be alive and well again.
However, if such an ideal state were to be realized, the original body of Akae Nazuki would not appear here.
To be more precise, this is a world where 'Akajiang Nayue' has not been resurrected.
"Before, it was Youli (ゆうれい)."
As a long-time friend, Akae Nazuki could clearly see that Toru Amuro didn't believe a word of what he said, but he didn't care. He pushed his non-existent glasses, pointed out the mistake sternly, and cleared his throat in a pretentious manner, saying innocently, "Now I'm tied to you."
Amuro Toru looked at the boy opposite him who he judged to be mentally ill or a pure chuunibyou. His heart skipped a beat and he subconsciously stroked the gun that he had not put away. Only then did he feel relieved and asked, "What binding?"
"Of course it's soul binding." Chi Jiang Na Yue said nonsense seriously, "Didn't you feel it? When I came out, I accidentally passed through you, so you suddenly felt very cold. And now you can suddenly see me... This is the best evidence that we are bound."
He decided to take a drastic measure.
The human-like little devil extended his hand to his friend in this world in a friendly manner, with his palm flat and facing upwards: "Or, put your hand up and give it a try."
Well, the other party is not going to use the "low body temperature" as proof, right? Amuro sighed, feeling that he really shouldn't have wasted time listening to the boy's nonsense just because he suspected that the boy was a test sent by the organization.
Even if the organization is full of crazy people, at least they should be mentally normal.
After thinking about it, in order to comfort the boy who didn't know who was his enemy and might attack at any time, Toru Amuro still casually placed his hand on the other's.
Bang!
His hands clapped on the tea table, making a crisp sound.
Supplement: His hand went straight through the boy's palm and landed on the tea table.
"Wait..." Amuro suppressed his inner fear and calmly tried again, but even when he tried to touch the other person's shoulders, face and legs, he only touched empty air without exception.
The public security elite who had lived in the scientific world for 28 years took a deep breath and began to suspect that the mentally ill person was actually himself.
Why can't I touch him? Is this just a holographic projection? No, there are no lights on in the living room, and this 'ghost guest' is obviously not glowing. Is this some special magic trick?
Chijiang Nayue leaned casually on the sofa, swung her legs, and said something very scary with a bright smile: "I told you, I died eight years ago."
It should be said that the Akae Nazuki in this world died eight years ago, but was not resurrected by the butterfly effect.
Chijiang Nayue added this sentence in her heart.
Under normal circumstances, it is impossible for a person to live in all worlds. There will always be worlds without it. Logically speaking, it doesn't matter even if Chijiang Nayue in this world does not resurrect.
The turning point is that after the birth of the new universe, Chi Jiang Na Yue has become an essential pillar of this universe. The world without him will gradually collapse. This is why the butterfly effect can bring thousands of "Chi Jiang Na Yue" in parallel worlds back to life.
Half an hour ago, [Shu] told the original body, Chijiang Nayue, that there are always a few worlds where he has not been resurrected.
Therefore, in order to prevent those worlds from collapsing because of him, and to realize his own secret thoughts, the savior readily accepted this task, and went to those worlds with the help of the [Book] - in short, as a savior who once saved two worlds in one breath, he was retired and rehired by his creator and "top boss".
What he needs to do is to play the role of these 'Akajiang Nayue' who have not been resurrected, so that others can affirm their existence, perfect the logic of existence, and repair the parallel world from the root.
This person cannot be chosen casually. He must be someone very important to Akae Nazuki. Without a doubt, Amuro Toru, or perhaps Furuya Rei, would be the best candidates.
It is not difficult to find someone important to him, but if he wants to find someone important to him who is still alive in most of the world, the only one is his blond-haired, black-skinned gorilla friend.
And this is the first parallel world he needs to save.
Chijiang Nayue closed her eyes and read the information left for her in the book in her mind.
In this world, he died at the age of eighteen. In order to facilitate his movements and gain the trust of Toru Amuro more quickly, he quickly chose his next image shortly after entering this world: a ghost of a young boy who has lost most of his memories, has no killing power, and is full of mysteries.
Well, if you want an undercover agent who is extremely alert to trust you, the most convenient way is of course to be inhuman!
"Do you need any other proof? You can try to take a picture of me with your phone. I won't be recorded by the camera, and no one except you can see me." The boy, who would not leave any trace even if he sat on the sofa, said nonchalantly, "To this world, I am just a ghost who died a long time ago."
Amuro Toru was obviously stunned for a moment.
To be honest, his scientific worldview did not allow him to believe the other party's outrageous statements, but after he did as he was told, he indeed could not see the other party's face on the phone. After going through all this trouble for a while, Toru Amuro had to believe it even if he didn't want to.
Therefore, he also responded to the time of death mentioned by the other party - eight years ago.
This boy, who had always behaved normally since his appearance but sometimes looked a little malicious, died eight years ago.
His expression showed a hint of guilt.
"Demo (however), to you, I'm already a ghost behind you." The little devil on the other side succeeded in playing a prank on him, and laughed even more brilliantly, "I will cling to you until I recover my memory, please give me your guidance~ Mr. Amuro?"
...This little brat, return his guilt to me as soon as possible!!