Ultraman: A good pilot doesn't choose his own Ultraman.

Chapter 77, Section 76: The Returning Light of the Auditorium, A Call from the Depths

Chapter 77, Section 76: The Returning Light of the Auditorium, A Call from the Depths (Second Update)

At Jiangxing Elementary School, Auditorium Light, dressed casually, walked into the music classroom with a bright smile.

On the way back, my grandfather informed me that the shrine had encountered an accident and now had to move here to continue operating within the elementary school.

Auditorium Hikaru didn't really object; for an adventurous guy like him, having a place to stay was good enough.

"grandfather!"

As soon as I entered the hall, I could hear the familiar chanting of scriptures. I've never been able to understand it since I was a child, it's really a headache.

The old priest, who had been kneeling before the shrine chanting sutras, slowly rose and smiled at his returning grandson.

"Oh, you're back, Hikaru!"

If Xiao Guang comes back, he won't have to worry about guarding the divine sword at night anymore.

Hikaru didn't quite understand why his grandfather, Hiroshi, was so happy; he just felt that his grandfather was unexpectedly enthusiastic.

That's strange, has this ever happened before?

The auditorium scrambled to his feet, then stopped thinking about it.

In any case, it's never a bad thing that Grandpa is so welcoming.

"Yes, Grandpa, is it confirmed that the shrine will be moved here?"

"Yes, thanks to Shirai-sensei for lending me this place, I have a place to rebuild the shrine."

As for the original shrine, it's probably impossible to go back; the cost of having someone build a house on the mountain is too high.

With Grandpa's savings, it's probably hopeless.

The old priest said with some emotion that he had spent his entire life in asceticism, and apart from normal daily necessities, he basically did not consider anything else.

Hikaru's parents went abroad early on, and they would regularly send a sum of money to the old priest every month.

The amount was considerable, but not enough to justify rebuilding the shrine on the mountain.

There aren't many young people left in Jiangxing Town, and even fewer people working in the construction industry, which makes things very complicated.

"Haha, it's alright, Grandpa, the shrine is fine here."

Guang put down his simple luggage and smiled as he tried to change the subject.

His grandfather's savings were unreliable, and he was even less likely to survive. He had to work odd jobs to make ends meet during his adventures, because his parents didn't really approve of his behavior.

If I choose to go back and study hard, I'll probably have a considerable amount of money to spend, and maybe even be able to rebuild the shrine.

But for Hikaru Reidou, a life without risks is utterly meaningless.

I don't want to spend even a moment of that kind of life in a square classroom, buried in books and exams.

"Speaking of which, what caused the shrine to burn down? Was it really because a shooting star came from outer space, as the townspeople say?"

Hikaru asked questions with great interest. He was most curious about things that were unknown and mysterious, even though it was his own shrine that was burned down.

"Ah, you could say that. Everything was burned, but thankfully the divine sword was unharmed."

"Hey, Shirai-sensei, are you free to come over today?"

Halfway through his speech, the old priest greeted Principal Shirai, who had just entered through the door.

The auditorium only had time to remember that the divine sword was unharmed before turning around to look at it and greeting it in the same way.

Principal Shirai was the principal here when I was in elementary school, and I never expected that he still is now. That's really amazing.

I've heard from the auditorium for years that primary schools are basically running out of students, and everyone is rushing to send their children to study in big cities.

Over the years, the maintenance of Furuhoshi Elementary School has basically relied on Principal Shirai alone, which is no easy feat.

"Ah, Hikaru is back."

Principal Shirai walked to Hikaru's side with a friendly smile and looked up at Hikaru's smiling face.

"Xiao Guang has grown so tall! That's great!"

Principal Shirai reached out and patted Hikaru's head. Hikaru didn't refuse; Principal Shirai was, after all, his elder, so it didn't matter.

"Speaking of which, I still have to thank Principal Shirai for taking us in, otherwise I, your grandfather, would be homeless."

"Since Hikaru is coming back and will be staying here too, let's tell Principal Shirai first."

Upon hearing the old priest's words, Principal Shirai feigned anger: "Mr. Hideaki, there's no need for such formalities."

Then, a hint of sadness appeared on her face.

"Anyway, this primary school was abandoned in the spring, so it's perfect that you can use it."

"Abandoned————"

The auditorium remained silent; in truth, this was something everyone had already expected.

If no children come to study here, the government will not provide subsidies.

It's truly remarkable that Principal Shirai has managed to persevere for so long on her own; she genuinely loves this place.

"Well, let's not talk about that. I came here to ask Mr. Xiuzhen if there's anything wrong with the divine sword. After all, it seems like there was a thief who came here last time."

Principal Shirai suppressed the slight sadness on his face and looked at the old priest with some concern.

"ha?"

The auditorium was somewhat puzzled. The divine sword had been stolen?

He had never seen this thing since he was a child, and no one else knew about it, so why would they steal it?

Or rather, in the entire Litang family, only Grandpa Litang Xiuzhen knew about the Divine Sword.

"Yes, a while ago, some guy sneaked in at night and cut all the threads."

For some reason, the divine sword wasn't taken away, which almost made me misunderstand Principal Shirai.

The old priest smiled as he looked at Principal Shirai, but unconsciously began to think, feeling that something was amiss.

No matter what, isn't Principal Shirai a little too concerned about the Divine Sword?

"Yes, that day I was almost mistaken for a thief by Mr. Xiuzhen."

It's a pity the school doesn't have the money to install surveillance cameras, otherwise they would have been able to find out who it was.

Principal Shirai smiled in response, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards the shrine to the side.

"Um, um, can I see the divine sword?"

Hikaru asked somewhat abruptly, suddenly showing great interest in the sacred sword of his family's shrine.

It seemed as if something in the dark was calling to him, a feeling that always made him care.

"Huh? Why do you want to see the divine sword?"

The old priest glanced at the hall light with surprise and explained, "The shrine cannot be opened casually right now. Let's wait a few days."

",All right."

Auditorium Light withdrew his gaze somewhat disappointedly, looking at the somewhat messy surroundings.

"Grandpa, do you manage the shrine all by yourself? Why is it like this—"

Before he could finish speaking, Guang gestured around, his meaning clear.

The old priest and Principal Shirai both laughed.

"It's such a mess, isn't it? Xiao Meiling was supposed to come and take care of it, but she's been in a bad mood lately and took leave, so she hasn't been able to come."

Xiao Guang, you know Grandpa doesn't really care about this.

After the old priest finished speaking, Principal Shirai took over the conversation and teased Hikaru in the auditorium: "Speaking of which, Meiling has recently met a new male friend. I saw the two of them walking on the street a few days ago."

Xiao Guang, you'd better watch out!

Hikaru: "???"