A Choice and a Promise

The girl, already terrified from being kidnapped, now looked utterly miserable after the stocking-masked man singled her out as a hostage.

I even wondered if she might wet herself, given the incessant trembling of her legs.

Damn it. This was no time for distractions. The slightest misstep, and the stocking-masked man could very well open fire.

Yet, what good was my anxiety?

Ultimately, I was nothing more than a useless shut-in. My grades were abysmal, and my athletic prowess was equally pathetic.

What could I, a person like this, possibly achieve?

Was there even anything for me to do?

“Can the police outside hear me?! Disperse, damn it!”

The stocking-masked leader, observing the situation outside from behind the doorframe, bellowed his demand once more.

The girl clutched in his arms began to sob. When the stocking-masked man snapped a harsh rebuke, she pursed her lips and forced herself to silence.

Damn it! If things continued like this…

Wouldn’t it be just like that day? Powerless, merely a bystander?

This feeling, I truly loathed it.

The hateful memories replayed in my mind: screams, roars, gunshots, furious shouts. I squeezed my eyes shut, desperate to unsee it all.

“You’re very unwilling, aren’t you?”

Queen Lan’s voice resonated beside my ear. Gritting my teeth, I averted my gaze.

“What could you possibly know?”

Queen Lan merely smiled, her voice taking on an ethereal quality.

It was an ethereality that sent shivers down my spine.

“Oh, I know. I know everything Li Qingchen has desperately tried to conceal about his past. Everything.”

“Eh?”

My body stiffened abruptly. Slowly, I turned my head towards Queen Lan’s presence, an unseen force I knew was there.

‘You’re lying…’

I murmured.

“I’m not lying to you.”

Queen Lan continued, “Now, Li Qingchen, a precious opportunity lies before you. One that will allow you to save that girl and, perhaps, even forget your past.”

“What is it? I’ll do anything.”

I asked, striving to keep my voice steady.

“It’s quite simple. Do you recall the contract we made?”

“I do.”

I nodded.

“In fact, this contract possesses an additional function. When you grasp that crystal pendant—the one for transmigration—and focus your thoughts, you can temporarily transform into Airi William Barth James, all without uttering the transmigration incantation.”

Queen Lan revealed.

“There’s such a thing?”

My face registered pure astonishment.

“However, even if I transform, what good would it do?”

Queen Lan let out two soft ‘tsk’ sounds. “Of course it’s useful. Airi herself is an otherworldly being, so the instant you transform into her, it’s as if she temporarily crosses into this world. The contract will extend its protection to Airi, which means you, at that moment, will be imbued with enough power to reclaim that girl from the robbers.”

“It possesses such a function?”

I uttered, filled with disbelief.

“However, there’s a time limit. After exactly one minute, you will revert to your original form, and the contract’s protective enchantment will simultaneously be withdrawn.”

Queen Lan explained.

“That’s so brief.”

A wave of disappointment washed over me.

“Therefore, you must rescue the hostage within that single minute. Oh, and there are further conditions.”

“What are they?”

“The additional condition to activate this contract is that once your transformation is complete, you will be forcibly transported back to the other world, and unable to return to your original world for fifteen days.”

“Huh?”

I nearly cried out, quickly clamping a hand over my mouth.

“You mean I’d be stuck in the other world for fifteen days?”

“Precisely.”

Queen Lan chuckled, “By then, Li Qingchen, you’ll have no choice but to agree to my terms, won’t you?”

This woman, she must have been plotting this from the very beginning! I knew her sudden helpfulness seemed too good to be true.

I fell silent, lowering my head to ponder whether I should utilize Queen Lan’s proposed method.

The robbers had repeatedly yelled at the police outside to retreat, yet the officers refused to yield an inch. Clearly, they were unwilling to back down. Perhaps the bank’s influential owner had exerted significant pressure on them.

But if this continued, the hostage girl’s danger would undoubtedly escalate. If no one came to her rescue—if no one did…

‘Don’t… let anyone’s life… be lost before you… We… promised…’

Amidst the blur, that voice, interwoven with the patter of rain, echoed in my ears. I let out a sharp ‘Tch,’ and made my decision.

No, did I truly have a choice now?

Then I’ll show you what I can do.

I managed a faint smile, a plan forming in my mind.

It was far too quiet here. If I were to transform now, it would undoubtedly draw attention. I needed to devise a way to create a diversion, a brief moment of chaos.

From my pocket, I retrieved the crystal pendant Queen Lan had entrusted to me earlier.

‘Don’t be afraid, little one. Ultraman Big Brother is coming to save you now!’

Just as I was about to make my move, an unexpected commotion suddenly erupted from within the crowd of customers.

I quickly lifted my gaze, only to see the Class Monitor had, at some point, emerged from the crowd.

She stood directly before the stocking-masked leader, chest boldly puffed out, a sight that made me wonder…

‘Was the Class Monitor the real Ultraman all along?’

‘Holy hell, Class Monitor, what are you thinking?!’

Lin Shujing stood her ground before the stocking-masked robber, her face utterly devoid of fear.

“I demand a hostage exchange!”