Bus Stop
Bai Yuze stared at the colorful street scene, lost in his thoughts.
He couldn't help but wonder about his adoptive parents' strange choices. Ever since his little sister was young, she'd had unnatural strength. His adoptive parents, with a zeal as if unearthing hidden treasure, enrolled her in every martial arts class they could find—Kung Fu, Taekwondo, swordsmanship. For him, though, they chose only dance, music, and computer classes, leaving him completely outmatched by his sister. She could pin him down without breaking a sweat, leaving him without a shred of big-brotherly dignity.
This was his only grievance against his adoptive parents.
As the brakes screeched, Bai Yuze boarded the last bus, gazing out at the neon-lit traffic. The bus speakers played a familiar broadcast on loop—the official announcement made six months ago, when humanity had narrowly repelled the Black Tide.
"Dear citizens, greetings. The United Nations Federation President, along with the Planetary Defense Committee, is proud to announce that, under the wise leadership of the world's leading nations and the brave resistance of all humanity, most calamity beasts have been eradicated. The few that remain have been driven away from populated areas, and spatial rifts across the globe have been sealed, removing the threat that had loomed since the Third Black Tide…"
"But we must remain vigilant and prepare ourselves for the next wave, for we will never surrender…"
"…Our heartfelt condolences go to all those who suffered due to this catastrophe, and our utmost respect goes to the heroes who sacrificed themselves to protect the people and our planet…"
After over twenty years in this world, Bai Yuze had almost forgotten he was a transmigrant.
His adoptive parents had passed away in a car accident during his senior year of high school, leaving him with a house and a sister just about to start middle school.
There wasn't much in savings, but it was enough for both of them to get through school, as long as they were frugal. Without a source of income, he couldn't afford to live off what little they had saved.
So, every day of the school holidays, Bai Yuze left early and returned late, exhausted, hoping to earn a bit more.
It wasn't for himself. He just wanted his sister to have a better life.
His adoptive parents had treated him as well as they would a biological child. Now that they were gone, repaying that kindness by taking care of his sister was the only way he knew to show his gratitude.
It was only after meeting Yalus that he reconsidered continuing his string of part-time jobs.
After graduating from college, he landed an interview at Qiuyuan High School in Yeqiu City through a professor's recommendation and secured a teaching position.
But after three years, he found a teacher's salary to be barely sufficient. Recently, he picked up another part-time job that was less work for more pay. Though it would eat into his time, he still frequently visited the local nursing home.
There wasn't much to do there, really—just helping with small tasks, tidying up, trimming plants, cleaning, massaging the elderly. The work wasn't hard, just miscellaneous and energy-consuming.
At first, he did it to feel better. He didn't plan to stay long.
But after a while, he grew fond of the elderly residents. Many were kind and wise, and the saying "an elder is like a treasure at home" came to mind.
Some had fascinating life stories, and Bai Yuze would often listen to them, reminiscing and swapping tales with them whenever he visited.
The final bus from the nursing home back to his place in Yeqiu City shared a route with the inner loops of the city, where the roads were bustling with vehicles and rush-hour traffic.
Soon after boarding, Bai Yuze gave up his seat to an elderly man and a young boy with a red scarf. The elderly man took the seat as expected, pulling the boy onto his lap without a word of thanks.
It was the boy who, after glancing at his grandfather, turned to Bai Yuze and shyly whispered, "Thank you."
His voice was soft but clear, and it lifted Bai Yuze's spirits.
Not that he minded these things, but it was different to receive gratitude.
Inexplicably, he felt a bit better.
As more people boarded the bus, Bai Yuze was jostled back and forth in the crowd until he finally found a free handrail by the window, like a raft in a stormy sea.
His phone vibrated, and he glanced down at it.
Within an hour, his inbox was flooded with messages, like a machine gun's barrage of bullets.
All from his sister, complete with angry emojis.
Years of experience told him to ignore the trivial and focus on the important. He skipped to the last two messages.
…
"Useless chicken of a brother, why aren't you home yet?"
"Bai Yuze, I'm heading to the Huaren Supermarket for snacks. You better have dinner ready when I get back. You know the consequences if it's not."
Sighing deeply, Bai Yuze read the calm, yet menacing words.
Since the day he realized he couldn't beat his little sister, Bai Youqing had dropped all pretense of calling him "big brother." She now addressed him by name, and whenever she did add "brother," it was always prefaced with "weakling."
He opened another message from his colleague, Teacher Hoshino, notifying him that she'd sent Bai Youqing a friend request, which his sister hadn't accepted yet.
There was no rush; he'd ask his sister to decline it when he got home. It suited her rebellious personality perfectly.
Apologies, Teacher Hoshino—you're a good person…
Sitting by the window, Bai Yuze felt drained at the thought of his sister's dominance over him.
He turned off his phone and relaxed, hoping to ease the growing ache in his head.
The pain came from his deepening connection to the abyssal vision. If it went on, he'd be broken sooner rather than later.
Not "driven mad" like the protagonist of that popular novel, Li Huowang, because here, real calamity beasts actually existed.
"Damn! A calamity beast!"
Just as he was spacing out, a shout caught his attention.
Following the first scream, a wave of exclamations erupted around him.
At that moment, the bus was on an overpass, with a wide view. Below, not far off, was a tall building with a sparkling green leaf logo.
It was Huaren Supermarket, the largest mall in Yeqiu City.
Beside the building stood a giant calamity beast about three meters tall, its huge, blood-red eyes scanning the "food" around it.
Sharp bone spikes protruded from its back and massive fists, with a silvery-white armor covering its vital areas. This armor, of unknown material, made conventional human weapons almost ineffective.
Its sudden appearance sent waves of fear through the surrounding citizens.
But upon realizing there was only one beast, the people calmed down and began evacuating toward the shelters in an orderly fashion, even without guidance.
Some bold ones stayed back, snapping photos and sharing on social media.
Even a single calamity beast could cause casualties, but it was nothing compared to the early days of the Third Black Tide, when hundreds of beasts attacked the cities. In comparison, this was minor.
Yet a single beast was still a beast, and soon the city's sirens and broadcasts sounded.
"Dear citizens, a calamity beast has appeared near Changhong Road in Yeqiu City. Changhong Road will soon be closed. Please proceed to Shelter 114 in an orderly manner. Do not panic…"
Within minutes, waves of special vehicles arrived, and armed forces disembarked—not to attack the beast, but to manage the crowd and maintain order, as fighting the beast was beyond their capabilities.
A few moments later, a green light streaked through the air.
Boom!
The light hurtled toward the beast, colliding with its armor and causing a shower of sparks.
Within seconds, several more beams of emerald light struck, each hitting the same spot. Soon, the beast's armor gave way, and one final green slash pierced through, spraying green blood everywhere.
The acidic blood hissed as it hit the concrete, eating away at the ground.
"ROAR!"
The beast let out a furious, pained roar.
"Damn! A magical girl!"
"What the hell! Is there some anime-obsessed idiot here?!"
On the bus, some were angry, some scared, some thrilled, and some started taking selfies for Douyin.
Looking out, Bai Yuze's gaze lingered on the massive calamity beast, his expression unreadable.
Calamity Beast – Giant
Weak spots: Head, Heart.
Then his gaze shifted to the "magical girl"—or rather, the Arbiter.
"Argh!"
A sharp pain surged through his head, forcing him to bow.
"Don't think about it, don't interfere, don't get involved. Just take care of my sister. Nothing else matters…"
His body trembled slightly as veins bulged on his arm, clutching the handrail.
Fortunately, everyone's focus remained on the calamity beast battle; no one noticed his strange behavior.
If anyone had, they'd have seen that his eyes, once brown, had turned a pale violet.
The distinct color of a Demoness's gaze.
He mumbled in a language not of this world.
"New magical girls have appeared, with colors and outfits we've never seen before. So beautiful... so... I just want to kill them!"
On the bus bridge
Most of the crowd was eager to watch the live broadcast, but the bus driver didn't give the passengers that opportunity.
For the sake of their safety, and to relive that once-lost youth.
The driver felt a bit teary-eyed.
Haha... finally, today he could once again unleash himself to the fullest.
The once slow-moving bus burst forth today with the speed and passion of yesteryears.
It was a dim evening, and the passengers on the bus once again witnessed a series of high-difficulty maneuvers that usually only appear in short videos—blade-like overtakes, dragon tails, lightning drifts, and more.
In the end, what usually took over forty minutes was completed in just ten minutes.
There was hardly a single negative review from the passengers on board...