Ultraman Legend of the Light Chaser

The half-scaled man stretched out his hand into the void, and the shadow of "Gen" appeared before his eyes. The latter still had the face of a young man and was the only warm color in this world.

The claws clasped together with the hand of "Gen," and the suspended wind and snow found their way again, fluttering down.

Chapter 158 A Meter's Distance

Jun Sakuma received a phone call from his parents-in-law.

It was rare; usually, it was Jun Sakuma who called them. The old man knew that Jun Sakuma was busy with work and rarely called unless necessary.

"Shota is missing. Did he go to your place to look for business? That boy doesn't even say a word before leaving." The old lady asked over the phone, while the old man stood beside her, listening anxiously.

“Ah, Shota…” Jun Sakuma almost said that he hadn’t come here, but then he thought about it and realized that it didn’t sound right, so he changed his tune: “He came here to develop clients. He left at dawn, before you were even up. He asked me to tell you, but I was so busy that I forgot.”

"Really, they're not young anymore, yet they're still so careless," the old lady breathed a sigh of relief. "You all need to be careful. I saw on the news about monsters in the city. If you need to hide, then hide for a few days. What's the big deal about making money? As long as you're safe, that's all that matters."

"Yes, I will talk to Shota."

……

Sakuma Jun hung up the phone and thought for a long time, wondering what had happened. Although his brother-in-law sometimes seemed a bit silly, he wouldn't be the type to run away for days without saying a word and cause people to worry for no reason. He hadn't received any reports of alien beast attacks from Tsurumo Mountain. Could it be that Shota had been kidnapped?

He thought of the warning stone that Samuel had placed there, but unfortunately he was still a novice and couldn't sense it.

On the other side, TLT's third base.

The information about Saijo Nagi's transformation into a giant was suppressed by the Night Raid Team, but there were always some discerning people who could see some clues.

Kira Sawa was one of them, and Dr. Takada was another.

The former already knew when he saw the battle monitoring, while the latter was drawn to the subject's words while analyzing the data of the second-generation Dark Mephisto.

"Nagi."

Even Mizoroki Makoto still believed he was the vice-captain of the Night Raid Team. When Dr. Takada was writing his analysis notes, he glimpsed the screen through the glass.

Nexus's fighting style is all too familiar.

So much so that he blurted out Saijo Nagi's name.

Dr. Takada, thinking he was worried about the newcomer again, continued writing his report and ignored him. Meanwhile, Mizoroki Makoto asked again, "That's Nagi. Why did she turn into a giant?"

The old man's hand suddenly stopped. He pressed the pause button with a "snap" and was about to continue asking questions when he turned around and found that Gou Lü Muzhen had also fallen unconscious on the platform. The indicator of the alien beast vibration wave was jumping data wildly.

A few minutes later, the medical examination center received a new message.

“The Night Raid Team’s routine physical examination is scheduled for the week after next. If it’s scheduled earlier, it will affect the training schedule. We need to coordinate with Captain Kazukura,” the person in charge said somewhat reluctantly. “They have already passed the test for residual alien factors after the mission. Without a special reason, even Dr. Takada cannot make an exception.”

"Only test Vice-Captain Saijo? That would make things easier to arrange, but... ah, Dr. Takada?"

The latter slammed down the phone in a huff, spitting out "a fussy medical check-up center," and instructed his subordinates to bring Saijo Nagi in under the pretext of verifying the memory retention of Mizoroki Masaya.

When Saijo Nagi received the message, she was very puzzled: "Mizoroki... has forgotten that he was the Dark Giant's host and only remembers that he was the vice-captain of the Night Raid Team?"

“Yes,” the assistant researcher said earnestly, “You know the Memory Police have been in turmoil lately. They don’t have the energy to help analyze his memory state. We can only find people who know him well to confirm some of his information and then analyze it together. The Dark Giant has too many tricks up his sleeve. We’re not sure if Goroki Makoto is also faking it. He wants to infiltrate the base to do something. Right now, we only dare to lock him in the most secure laboratory and guard the outside with pulse weapons.”

Upon hearing this, Saijo Nagi followed the assistant researcher down to the lower level of the base.

“The suitor of Dark Mephistopheles, I’m not talking about Mizoroki,” Saijo Nagi said. “Who is he?”

Saijo Nagi felt there were too many suspicious points about the second Dark Mephisto, as if he had been deliberately brought in at the last minute, just to be defeated. The Dark Giant had exploited the young man's psychology, describing the impact on the River of Oblivion as if he were advocating for the people. Clearly, he was unaware of the information about the alien beasts devouring fear, and only believed that TLT was trying to cover up the news and fool the citizens, burying the truth underwater.

Then he must be an ordinary person outside the TLT's ranks, the kind whose R7 factor wouldn't attract attention. Can the Dark Giant's host be randomly chosen from ordinary people? This goes against the precedent that Saijo Nagi knows.

Therefore, she raised the question with the researchers around her.

The assistant researcher replied, "The investigation department confirmed that his name is Shota Koike, and he is a villager living near Tsurumoyama. We are also very curious about his situation..."

"Where did you send him?" Saijo Nagi recalled the unfamiliar, seemingly asleep, ability user lying on the ground after the light swept over him. Compared to Mizoroki Shinya, he wasn't a warrior at all; he was like a civilian who had inexplicably stumbled into a battlefield, vaporized by a stray shell the moment he stepped into danger. Saijo Nagi was never merciful to the alien beasts, but she always showed relative leniency towards civilians. 69.493.6135

"Where else could we go? The Third Laboratory! The accidental death report will be sent out tomorrow. It's so strange. What exactly caused him to become a Dark Giant? We have to wait for the autopsy... Hey, where are you going? Vice-Captain Saijo!"

The woman in the blue-black uniform turned at the fork in the road and hurried toward the third laboratory, with the man in the white coat jogging after her: "Not this way... about Mizoroki, Vice Captain Saijo!"

The Third Laboratory.

Two researchers, fully protected by protective gear, stood in front of the control panel, along with a recorder and an assistant.

"Where should we start? The abnormal increase in R7 factor is certain. Let's try an irradiation experiment first and compare it with the data from Goroki."

“How can we compare corpses and living people? The sample conditions are different,” another person replied. “Let’s analyze them separately. Look, his body temperature is already the same as the room temperature, but he hasn’t developed rigor mortis yet. His physical condition may have changed when he became a suitable human. We can start from here to crack the secret of how humans transform into giants.”

"Let's consider tissue sampling after the full-body scan is finished. The blood test results aren't back yet?" the older researcher asked the recorder. "I need accurate R7 factor data. Send another blood test at the same time tomorrow to see if this data changes over time."

Saijo Nagi was in a hurry, but she didn't make it to the third laboratory.

A group of people blocked her in the corridor.

"Manager Matsunaga?" Saijo Nagi shifted her gaze to behind the elderly man with thick glasses: "And Dr. Takada?"

“The third laboratory has been upgraded to a higher level of security. It’s no longer a place that the Night Raid Team can come and go as they please,” Matsunaga Yoichiro said. “You’ve gone the wrong way, Vice Captain Saijo.”

The air suddenly became quiet.

Dr. Takada stepped forward. He was one of the few people in the base who could disregard rank and earn respect based on his professional skills: "Don't be so serious. Since we've met here, let's go straight to check on Mizoroki's memory. Thank you for your cooperation, Vice Captain Saijo."

Chapter 159 Hyenas Loitering

Shintaro Hirata discovered the name "Shota Koike" in a report about the second Dark Mephisto.

He knew that Jun Sakuma's wife's maiden name was Koike before she married him, and he also knew that she had a younger brother named Shota. Sometimes Jun Sakuma would receive a call from him, and they would chat...

He would ask me to bring back some newly planted vegetables from home for some everyday chores over the phone.

He told his discovery to Jun Sakuma, whose mind went blank. He mechanically opened the report inside TLT and didn't even need to try to delve deeper into the classified information. He only saw a blurry photo and immediately identified its owner.

One hand, because of years of painting work, always had some dust left under the fingernails, and the calluses were stained a whitish color by the paint.

"I have to get him out of here."

This was Jun Sakuma's first thought. Sakura already had a cenotaph, which was annoying enough. If Shota was in the same situation, he really didn't know what mindset he should have when he called the two elders. Not to mention the experiments that TLT would definitely do with the body of the fittest.

Jun Sakuma stood up and was about to walk out. His feet were on the ground, as if he were standing on a ball of cotton. Of course, he would not fall down. He just felt that his consciousness was becoming chaotic, and he was flying away from the high roof, looking down at his physical body.

"Calm down!" Jun Himeya pulled him back and pressed him into a chair: "Why did the Dark Giants choose someone who doesn't know anything about combat as their host? Why didn't the Unknown Hand retrieve him when he was defeated? Since he can control lightning from a place we don't know about, why didn't he use the same method to deal with the Night Raid Team when Shota was at a disadvantage?"

Sakuma Jun stared blankly at him, then suddenly broke free from his hand. Instead of heading towards the main entrance, he took three quick steps to the kitchen next to the hall. The sound of water came from there. He scooped up handfuls of water, and it was unclear whether he was washing or scrubbing vigorously.

When he returned, he had several red marks on his face, which looked somewhat comical. However, even Huali didn't laugh at him. She stood obediently beside Qixia, still holding her textbook in her hand, but kept stealing glances at him.

“Samuel’s stone carvings can detect the presence of Alien Beasts. If Shota encountered an Alien Beast, Samuel would have told me.” Jun Sakuma seemed to have returned to normal. He skillfully retrieved the TLT data. When he saw the photo of the experimental table, he took a deep breath and continued, “Shota’s R7 factor… he is not qualified to be a suitable candidate, but he can transform into a Dark Giant. There are precedents for this.”

"No alien beast vibration waves were detected. It looks perfectly normal. Even Samuel only noticed something was wrong when he saw it in person. There is no precedent for being able to fool someone you know well."

Jun Himeya immediately thought of a name: "Riko Saida?"

Her situation nearly led Kazuki Komon astray. The Dark Giants created puppets specifically to lure young Night Raid members into corruption. Now, this applies perfectly to Shota Koike: both are ordinary people, have close ties with their targets, lack the physical constitution to become suitable candidates, and are thus made into puppets to serve as vessels for the Dark Giants' power. Furthermore, they are completely unaware of this, naturally able to deceive those around them.

"Is he trying to provoke a conflict between you and TLT? Nexus has found its next host. I analyzed the Night Raid team and their cooperation this morning... Either that host is a rare and powerful individual, or they are very familiar with each other, so their cooperation is just right," Jun Himeya said. "In other words, if you go directly to the base and snatch Shota out, you are very likely to face off against Nexus's current host."

“The conflict can be discussed later, the key is... I still have to go there right away!” This time, Jun Sakuma didn’t leave after saying that. He was much more sober than before, and Jun Himeya didn’t try to pull him back.

"Those idiots left the puppets in the base! I'm afraid I don't even need to lift a finger; Dark Mephistopheles has already broken through from the inside!"

……

Saijo Nagi was led to the laboratory where Mizoroki Shinya was located. Halfway there, a researcher jogged up and spoke to Dr. Takada. The latter immediately tightened his lips and bowed to Saijo Nagi, saying, "Please wait in the second laboratory next door for a while. Mizoroki's alien beast vibration wave monitoring data has fluctuated. If it's a problem that can't be solved in a short time, then it's probably a wasted trip. I hope it won't delay the Night Raid Team's work?"

Saijo Nagi looked at Administrator Matsunaga. The latter said, "The battle report can be postponed."

"It won't delay us any longer."

Dr. Takada instructed his assistant to go next door with Saijo Nagi to wait for news, while he and Matsunaga Yoichiro stepped through the heavy door. Inside, several figures moved back and forth, like spinning tops being whipped from one end to the other by an invisible whip.

The assistant looked somewhat restrained, especially when Saijo Nagi's gaze swept over her. Many people in the base were somewhat afraid of Saijo Nagi because of her serious and meticulous manner; such reactions were commonplace, and she was used to them. Saijo Nagi didn't pay attention to this. She pulled up data on the Bereg and considered the key points of the combat report. An anxious silence fell over the room. The assistant rubbed her hands, feeling the time drag on endlessly.

The scene next door was much more lively; the numerical values ​​on the screen, sometimes jumping to Mount Everest and sometimes falling to the ocean trench, were enough to turn the researchers into swarms of ants.

"What's going on?" Dr. Takada was annoyed that his next step of research had been interrupted; no one likes unexpected surprises.

"The EEG showed that he turned into this just as he was about to wake up!" The researcher was glad that he had acted quickly and reinforced the restraints, otherwise, judging from the current situation, Goroki Makoto would probably have been able to break free from the experimental table and test whether his fist was stronger or the laboratory wall was stronger.

Matsunaga Yoichiro observed through the glass, his lips pressed into a thin line just like Dr. Takada's, clearly indicating that he too had noticed the situation was not good.

station

The man on the bed was struggling. He was covered in sweat, and the veins on his neck were bulging. He looked like a fish that had just been pulled ashore and was full of energy. His eyes were also wide open and lifeless, like those of a fish that had lost its water, as if he had just woken up from a nightmare.

"When the white-clad cleaners brought him back, our initial tests showed that he no longer possessed the power of the Dark Giant. The Alien Beast Vibration Wave could only detect a faint indicator, similar to that of an ordinary person, but his physique was somewhat different from that of an ordinary person. Our experiments initially focused on this aspect, trying to deduce the reason why the candidate transformed his body into a giant."

Dr. Takada spoke much faster than usual, explaining to Matsunaga Yoichiro, "But look at the current data on the alien beast vibration waves. Perhaps it has existed from the beginning, and we have overlooked something. Perhaps there are other changes in Mizoroki—his power is recovering."

Chapter 160 The River of Oblivion Flows

"Naggi, Nagi?"

Saijo Nagi looked up abruptly. The voice was so ethereal that she thought it was her assistant across from her calling her softly.

Thinking she was getting impatient, the assistant quickly said, "I'll go check on the doctor's situation!"

She saw the assistant run out, and the door closed.

The voice came again: "Don't stay here, they are coveting the giants' power."

Saijo Nagi stood up abruptly: "Mizoroki?"

She habitually opened her holster, took out her weapon, and scanned her surroundings with wary eyes: "What are you up to?"

next door.