Ultraman Any Key: Qiming

Chapter 629, Section 625. Seven: Zero-senpai, your dad is terrible.
After Qi Ming deactivated his transformation, Zero, whose color timer was flashing rapidly, glanced at Pigmon in the distance and then transformed into a golden phantom, slowly merging with Qi Ming until they became one.

Qi Ming closed his eyes and carefully felt it.

"Great!" Zero was overjoyed, feeling the vibrant life force within Qi Ming.

If I am of one mind with him, my injuries will surely heal quickly.

"So I'll use this to transform from now on..." After carefully sensing it, Qi Ming took out the Ultra Zero Glasses that had appeared in his pocket, and was thinking of transforming and trying it out now.

"Wait, don't..." Zero instinctively tried to catch Qi Ming's body to stop the action, but found that... he couldn't do it!

This……

In the past, when he was in a one-body connection with a human being named [Taiga Nozomi], the other party's strong resistance and non-cooperation led to a painful experience for him...

So after that incident, Zero would always take an extra layer of insurance when he and a human were of one mind.

During the Geed era, he and Ren were of one mind. Even when Ren was busy delivering documents to clients, he would force him to transform and check Belial's seal.

As for Qi Ming... he felt that the other party's consciousness was as solid as a rock, without the slightest gap.

"Don't transform yet? That makes sense, considering you're injured. You should rest for a bit." Qi Ming put away the Ultra Zero glasses.

"Phew, this is terrible. It seems we need to strengthen the system protection of the DynaTyrannosaurus to prevent it from going out of control again."

"It's a pity he couldn't stay cool until the end..."

On the other side, Dyna and his four companions, after dissolving their fusion, also stumbled over.

"Captain, I'm sorry..." Saijo Nagi looked at Moroboshi Dan, who had deactivated his transformation and was walking over while clutching his right leg.

"This was an enemy plot, it's not your fault. You did a great job defeating Black Gold Bridge," said Dan Moroboshi, adding that his injuries weren't serious.

Huimei: "Let's go to TPC Medical Center. The doctors there are really good at treating legs now."

"Really? Then I'll go give it a try," said Fengyuan, who had just returned.

On the other side, Ace transformed into human form, first as the elderly Hokuto, but upon seeing the young Yamanaka team members, he reverted to his youthful appearance.

"Hello, team member in the mountains." He came out and spoke slowly.

“Oh, who are you…” Yamanaka asked.

Qi Ming introduced, "This is a member of the Beidou team. No one can compare to him in his ability to detect anomalies."

In the original Ace series, it was often Beidou who first discovered the slightest clues about unusual phenomena—such as ships flying in the sky, an old man disappearing from the beach with children, or a Metron alien disguised as a fiancée in the mountains…

But when I said it, nobody believed me.

Except for Nan Yuko, all the team members first questioned, then questioned.

"Oh, so you're a new member. Hello." Yamanaka stepped forward and shook hands with Hokuto in a generous manner, which made Hokuto feel a surge of emotions.

But does this mean I'll be added to the monster attack team of this world? Shouldn't I be tested?
Did the other team members also believe in him and accept him so quickly?
He had originally planned to work in logistics first... like baking bread in the cafeteria.

"Senior Qi Ming." At this moment, Jugglus Juggler held the special ray gun he had seized from the Gananians.

He said this gun can emit aurora rays, bringing machines to "life" and allowing them to be controlled, which might be useful against mechanical enemies in the future.

Qi Ming: "This kind of control is hard to maintain for long..."

In the original Blaze series, the engineer Tyshin, who was in charge of maintaining Asgard, shouted two words at Asgard, and Asgard awoke and recovered.

but……

Agamus said that after being hit by the aurora beam, all the mechanical parts of his body came to life and have feelings...

whole body……

Perhaps it will come in handy in the future.

He thought for a moment and then carefully put the pistol away.

....................................

Early the next morning.

Qi Ming woke up in his room and saw an illusory figure moving around in the distance by the door.

He was startled at first, and after looking closely, he realized that it was actually a human-sized Ultraman Zero.

At this moment, Zero's figure was somewhat illusory, with a glowing green light on his outline, making him look a bit like a spirit.

"Hey, Qi Ming, you're awake."

"What are you doing?"

Qi Ming was very surprised to see Zero's phantom pick up a water glass.

A spirit that can interact with physical entities in the outside world?

It's just like the "Stand" of the Stand users in the "JoJo" series.

No, it shouldn't be a spirit... This kind of situation also exists in Taiga.

Qi Ming recalled that in "Ultraman Taiga", Taiga's phantom appeared directly in the passenger seat and talked to Kudo Yushin, the human form in the driver's seat.

Taiga, Titus, and Fuma also once turned into small phantoms. Taiga's phantom sat on the rim of a water glass and accidentally fell into the glass, splashing water.

Zero was also surprised by the success of his attempt:
"Yes, the spiritual body separates from the physical body. Under normal circumstances, it would take at least ten years of being one with the body to achieve this."

"But only ten hours have passed... Team member Qi Ming, you have incredible potential."

Qi Ming: "In this state, can other people see you?"

Zero wasn't quite sure either, as this was the first time he'd encountered such a situation.

"Let's go out and take a look." Qi Ming walked out of the dormitory and went to the cafeteria, which had the highest foot traffic in the base.

"Hello, Director Qi Ming!"

Good morning, Director Qi Ming.

"Salute to Director Qi Ming! Loyalty!"

"Wishing Director Qi Ming good health and continued success!"

The greetings are getting more and more outrageous...

"Hey, Qi Ming, what's that behind you? Is it a spirit or a guardian spirit?" Dr. Eight-Tailed looked curiously at the Zero phantom behind Qi Ming.

He and Qi Ming had known each other for a long time. Although he was equally surprised that Qi Ming was actually Ultraman, he didn't hold back when they talked.

It turns out that ordinary people can see Zero's phantom.

"This is Ultraman Zero, an Ultra Warrior who came to protect Earth, and also a partner of justice," Qi Ming explained.

Zero was dumbfounded: "Hey, hey, hey, are you just going to say it like that?!"

In his mind, Ultraman cannot reveal his identity to humans, otherwise it will lead to terrible consequences.

His predecessors who had fought on Earth told him that humans are complex, with both evil and good thoughts coexisting, and that revealing his identity could easily arouse the greed in people's hearts.

Maintaining a proper distance is the best protection for both parties.

Once exposed to the public eye, they can only return to the Land of Light.

Qi Ming: "This world is rather special."

He told Zero that the world was a collection of "all evils," and that monster attacks were occurring at a terrifyingly high frequency, making it suffocating.

To counteract this despair, there needs to be an equal amount of "hope," to give people the confidence to live on.

In this situation, Ultraman can no longer be a mysterious alien visitor; he must become a familiar and tangible being.

However, the identities of the other people still need to be kept secret; it's enough that you've stepped forward yourself.

Upon hearing this, Zero was immediately filled with respect.

Would you willingly put yourself in danger so that people can sleep soundly?
Such high level of awareness.

“Yes, I’ve encountered a lot of trouble since I first came to this universe.” He shared what he had seen along the way with Qi Ming.

Upon hearing this, Qi Ming's expression also turned solemn.

Dark Zagi, who commands an army of alien beasts!

And there is also the possibility that it will grow "Zaki Wings"?
Has the Baltan alien in "Ultraman Legend" started training Hyper Zetton?

In comparison, Etalgar, which had previously been a formidable opponent for the entire planet, is now a minor problem.

"The universe is even more chaotic now... But if you can recover and transform into your Ultimate Shining Form, you should be able to cleave the Minions in two with a single sword strike, right?" "Etelgar, huh? That guy was a very troublesome enemy for the old me. But the current me has surpassed him, along with my past self."

While getting breakfast, Qi Ming told Zero about his experience.

Transform into Greeza and charge into the gates of hell...

After fusing with the Plasma Core in the Monster Graveyard, he transformed into 999 Max and brutally defeated Belial and Dark Tregear...

Royal Mega Master Geed destroys Galactron MK2 Evangelion Unit-01 in a two-on-one battle...

Triga, now the embodiment of truth, completely obliterates Dark Tregear...

After learning about these achievements, Zero was utterly shocked.

So brave!

The key point is that they actually did it!
"By the way, I see that your world has [Storm]."

"Lan? You mean Agamus? Not the same person."

"Agamus?"

"Well, to be precise, it's Agamus from another world. The Agamus from the original universe has already been cremated by me using Gauss."

He briefly talked about what Agamus should have been like, and then mentioned how he rescued Agamus from another universe before he became a madman.

Similarly, Shiro Tregear and Aizen Makoto also had their original life trajectories altered.

“Aizen Makoto…I know him. He’s connected to Grigio and Orb.” Zero was increasingly amazed by Qi Ming.

It can guide some people who have gone astray back to the right path, and it can also decisively eliminate some people who are beyond redemption.

With Qi Ming around, it's no wonder that Earth has managed to survive in this hellish universe until now.

"Hey, Qi Ming, have you become a Stand user?"

At this moment, Huimei came over and glanced at Qi Ming, then at the phantom Zero sitting next to him, helping him carry his tray, and was very surprised.

Is this even possible?
Qi Ming: "Yes, I've already booked my plane ticket. I'm going to Egypt tomorrow to fight DIO and change the course of CaQ Yin's life."

Huimei: "Okay, then I'll activate my intelligence network and find Father Pucci in advance to help him pass on to the afterlife."

After chatting for a while, the two finished breakfast and were heading back to the GUTS headquarters when they ran into Gen and Dan Moroboshi, who were coming out of the medical center.

It seems their right leg has been treated; although they still walk a little strangely, it's no longer a big problem.

"Senior Zero..." At this moment, Dan Moroboshi spoke to Zero, who was standing next to Qi Ming.

"No need to call me senior, just call me Zero," Zero quickly replied.

He already knew that Seven and Leo here were both natives born from the mixed universe, and were "parallel universe counterparts" of his father and master.

They have the same appearance, personality, and some of the same experiences as the Seven Leo they know, but they are not that person after all.

Because of "Tartarus," he has seen quite a few of these "parallel universe isotopes" recently.

In "Ultraman Galaxy Fight", the Gua San siblings, Belial, and White Torregia were all pulled from the past of a parallel universe by "Tartarus".

"Then I'll call you Zero. Why did you call me Father before?" Moroboshi Dan asked curiously, while Ooten sat down next to Qi Ming.

“Because…you look very much like my father,” the phantom of Zero said.

He certainly wouldn't call his parallel universe counterpart "father" like Geed did; he's not that starved for love.

Moreover, he didn't say anything for the time being, because he also had some ulterior motives.

Sure enough, Dan Moroboshi continued, "Do you resemble me? What kind of person was your father?"

Leo was also curious about Zero's experiences and wanted to hear what it was like to be an Ultra Warrior from another universe.

Zero glanced at Dan Moroboshi: "Hmm... he's a very strange person."

"At first, I didn't know who my parents were."

"From the time I can remember, neither my father nor my mother were by my side... I lived alone back then."

"How should I put it, it was a rather lonely past."

"There have been many difficult times as well."

“Every time that happens, I’ll stubbornly insist that I will never admit defeat.”

"Therefore, what I wanted in the past was power, power that belonged only to me, power that was second to none!"①
"So, back then, I wanted to touch the plasma core, to obtain that power..."

Upon hearing this, Dan Moroboshi immediately realized that this obsession with power was a bit off, resembling Belial's behavior in the past.

Dan Moroboshi strongly condemned: "Your father is so irresponsible, so terrible."

"Since you've become a father, you must take on the responsibilities of a father, guide your child well, and teach them how to correctly understand power."

Zero looked at Dan Moroboshi: "Do you think so?"

Dan Moroboshi: "That's right, I would say the same thing even to his face."

Qi Ming remained expressionless, but was actually trying his best to suppress his laughter.

Feng Yuan, who was standing to the side, asked, "Then Senior Zero..."

Zero: "You too, don't call me senior, just call me by my name!"

Feng Yuan: "So, Zero, you still don't know who your father is?"

Zero: "I already know. He appeared in front of me and stopped me when I tried to touch the plasma core to obtain that power."

Dan Moroboshi nodded: "Hmm, that's somewhat acceptable. However, if he had given you the right guidance earlier, we wouldn't have had to wait until now to try and fix things."

Zero: "After that, he put me on a desolate planet, found me a master, and put me on a machine that restricted my powers. Every day, my master beat me to a pulp..."

Feng Yuan felt indignant on his behalf: "How could you do this? Shouldn't your master have given you proper guidance? Using pain as a lesson is too rude."

Zero looked at Gen: "Do you think so?"

Feng Yuan nodded emphatically: "That's right, just like the captain, I would say the same thing even in front of your master."

Zero turned his head away.

He was about to break down.

He secretly communicated telepathically with Qi Ming: "Team member Qi Ming, Director Qi Ming, are these two really parallel universe counterparts of my father and master?"

Qi Ming knew what he meant: "Although it's not good to say that his father likes to apply double standards in front of the child, do you know that your real father once planned to blow up Planet Ultra in order to protect Earth?"

Zero: "!!!"

Next, Qi Ming told Zero about the plot of the original "Leo" series.

When Leo's pet Ron arrives on Earth, Leo is unable to harm his pet, so Seven scolds him, saying he's being willful and that if he acts on his emotions, he doesn't deserve to be a member of Team MAC.

Zero: "!"

So this is how my father and master used to get along?

Qi Ming: "Later, when he saw his former teammate 'Annu,' he immediately became absent-minded..."

He neglected his work, using crutches to go on dates, hoping to win her back and rekindle their relationship...

Zero: "!"

Was my father that repressed in the past?
When the alien "child" adopted by Annu begins to demolish the city, and Gen and the MAC team members want to attack it, Dan Moroboshi resolutely stops them, saying, "That's the child of someone I know," and even takes a bullet for the child...

Zero listened with great interest: "So Father has this side to him... But who is Annu?"

Qi Ming: "I will draw her likeness. When you return to your universe, you can transform into her likeness in front of your father and master and see your father's reaction."

Zero: "I have a feeling this is going to be dangerous..."

Because of Qi Ming's explosive revelations, Sai Luo and Qi Ming quickly became acquainted, just like good buddies who shared gossip in school.

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This is a long chapter of nearly 5,000 words. I'm asking for your monthly votes.

① This dialogue between Zero and the stage play at the 2025 Tsuburaya Festival is based on Zero's original words. I think Zero in the original story would probably say something like this.

However, Seven's explanation for not telling Zero his identity is incredibly absurd. I've put the picture below, everyone can see for themselves...

(End of this chapter)