Having someone manage the internal affairs was quite pleasant; at least, that's what Fang Wuwei thought.
Ever since taking in this cheap (tool) apprentice (person), Fang Wuwei, who had no intention of teaching Maki anything, simply treated her as a tool.
Whether it was cleaning the house or serving him, Ikenouchi Maki took care of almost everything, and she was particularly diligent.
She had read many novels where, before formally becoming a disciple and learning skills, there would always be a period where the master would test the apprentice's character, deliberately making things difficult, not teaching skills, and constantly ordering them around.
She was all too familiar with this, so much so that when Wuwei asked her to do chores, she became more and more proactive each time; in her eyes, this was almost a prelude to him agreeing to impart his skills.
Every morning, she woke up earlier than Wuwei; since she didn't have a key, she would arrive at Wuwei's doorstep early and squat there, quietly waiting for Wuwei to wake up and let her in, sometimes even taking a short nap...
Once inside, she would sweep, mop, and wipe tables with utmost seriousness, fearing that even a tiny flaw might be found.
She didn't even complain; even though she watched Wuwei train every day, the powerful aura emanating from his every punch and kick made her heart restless, yet she held back her words, fearing to leave him with a "restless mind" bad impression, and dared not ask anything.
Until one day...
Today was the fifth to last day of summer vacation; the vacation was about to end. During this period, Ikenouchi Maki had come to Wuwei's house almost every day for a month to do chores, undertaking a series of tasks she believed had nothing to do with becoming an apprentice, including washing dishes, sweeping, mopping, wiping windows, and even doing homework for him. Moreover, except for necessary communication, Wuwei hardly spoke to her, and sometimes even locked her out when he went to a friend's house for dinner.
Seeing that summer vacation was almost over, Ikenouchi Maki, who could no longer hold back, finally asked the question...
"Master... I know you are testing my character, but summer vacation is almost over..."
Wuwei, who was lying in a chair with his eyes closed, instantly became alert upon hearing this question. He opened his right eye and looked at Maki, with some excitement in his gaze. His crimson right eye and the emotions deep within his gaze made Ikenouchi Maki somewhat uneasy.
"Already impatient? Good, now you can leave. Don't come back starting tomorrow."
He had been waiting for this moment for a long time; he had been waiting for Ikenouchi Maki to speak up.
Upon hearing this, Ikenouchi Maki instantly panicked and began to regret... Why did she have to open her mouth?
She immediately knelt down.
"Master, I'm sorry, I'm not impatient, I'm just worried that the vacation is almost over and we won't be able to spend long periods together, so I just hoped to learn a little bit from you earlier to practice. I definitely won't disappoint you, Master! I will be Plated the name of Brilliant Gale!"
A very long sentence, spoken in one breath.
But Wuwei was unmoved. Such inexplicable people were not worthy of power; if they gained power, they would only act recklessly like the Reincarnators in the Main God Space.
Even if this was the World Consciousness's arrangement, he wouldn't teach her... at least not for the present.
"I said, leave."
"Master..."
"...Get out."
Standing outside the door, watching Wuwei mercilessly close it, and the wind chimes swaying on the door...
Ikenouchi Maki was so wronged! She had worked for almost a month for nothing! She had even helped with his homework, and he just threw her away like that?!
Her face puffed up with anger, having wasted a month for nothing, tired and dirty, and gaining nothing. Ikenouchi Maki held back tears in her eyes and strode back home...
Wuwei, still lying in his chair, felt the familiar tranquility around him and... the even more familiar sense of loneliness. He felt a little lost and disappointed.
Ikenouchi Maki had guessed correctly; Wuwei was trying to use this method to briefly observe Ikenouchi Maki's character. After all, she didn't have a system cheat; if she truly wanted to learn a move or two from him, the most essential quality she should possess was unyielding spirit...
Although he indeed wanted a helper, this child was too naive, and her character was still too poor...
But if the World Consciousness truly wanted to arrange a helper for him, and also to arrange a fallback for itself, then...
Wuwei had thought it through during this period; it was probably his frequent trips to Other Worlds that made the World Consciousness of this world uneasy, forcing such a good seedling upon him. But whether she was a good seedling still needed more training; first and foremost, her character was lacking. Ultimately, Ikenouchi Maki was a chuunibyou, wanting power merely for the sake of her chuunibyou tendencies.
"Ikenouchi Maki... Ikenouchi Maki..."
Three tomoe condensed, and the Mangekyo appeared, slowly rotating in Wuwei's eyes...
......
The next day, Wuwei, who woke up early, opened the door as usual, preparing to go out for breakfast and get some exercise.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw a familiar person squatting in a familiar spot.
Slightly stunned, a genuine smile finally appeared on Wuwei's face...
----This is a broken dividing line----
The sun gradually disappeared, leaving only orange-red in the sky. Under the setting sun, the afterglow of the sunset spilled onto the earth, and accompanied by the orange-red light, a steam train stopped at the station platform.
The station inside was bustling, to say the least.
People coming and going, most dressed in kimonos and suits, carrying small bags or briefcases, boarded the train as it arrived.
Among the crowd, there were some vendors with trays hanging in front of them, selling bento boxes, tea, or recreational toys. The crowd was lively, with various topics being discussed by different people, but all filled with joy. Some people also stood at the station, sadly bidding farewell to those boarding the train, filling the place with the hustle and bustle of human life.
A man with orange-yellow hair, with fiery red tips like flames, wearing a white haori with flame patterns at the end, with wide, bright eyes, carrying two bags, walked energetically into the train.
Not far away, a yellow-haired boy was desperately pulling a person with a wild boar head mask, bare-chested but with strong muscles, onto the train. Behind them followed a reddish-brown haired boy, carrying a large wooden box on his back, smiling slightly awkwardly as he followed his two companions onto the train.
As the sun set, the train slowly began to move, and on the front of the train, two words were written in large, golden letters:
Infinite.
The train started, and the sun set.
The energetic orange-yellow haired boy looked out at the dark night and the receding scenery, then opened the two bags he had brought. They were filled to the brim with beef bento boxes. Full of joy, he opened a pair of chopsticks and began to eat heartily...
Not far from the orange-yellow haired boy, a girl in strange clothes was excitedly tugging at the clothes of a boy next to her, who was also in strange clothes. She occasionally muttered mysterious words like "Other World," "strong enemy," "Master," and so on. Fortunately, there was no one near the two young people, otherwise they might have been frightened.
Unlike the extremely excited and restless girl, the boy appeared quite calm. He leaned back in his seat, resting his face on one hand, looking out the window, but his gaze occasionally darted towards the orange-yellow haired boy nearby who was devouring his bento.
That boy had a unique crimson right eye, while his left eye was perfectly normal and black.
Flame Pillar... Kyojuro Rengoku...
Wuwei stared at the Flame Pillar, known as Big Brother, tapped his fingers, and in his right eye, the tomoe slowly rotated.