Ultraman Legend of the Light Chaser

From left to right, there is the silhouette of the alien monster, the moment when the machine is overexposed as the giant gathers light above his head, and what was found at the spot where the giant disappeared—a middle-aged man wearing a helmet and an unknown uniform, and a young man in a white T-shirt following behind him.

The young man's face still had a youthful innocence, and he had a strong student vibe. Inoue Rinbun immediately narrowed his search to the universities in the city, and soon he found the information he wanted.

“The Alchemy Star…” He zoomed in on the image of the young man and compared it with another set of information he had found.

"Takayama Gayu?" Yoshii Reiko's voice came from behind. A plastic bag was placed next to Inoue Rinbun's hand, and she could feel its slight warmth. Yoshii Reiko opened the bag and glanced at the screen: "The genius doctor of quantum physics, the one who is a member of the Alchemy Star where everyone is a young genius?"

The bag contained dinner for Kenji Tabata's interview team. Inoue Rinbun was looking for information, while Tabata Kenji was listening to his superiors outline the scope of the broadcast.

Seeing that Inoue Rinbun was staring at the young man as if he wanted to investigate further, Yoshii Reiko reminded him, "This is enough. The information released by Alchemy Star is sufficient material. Digging any deeper would involve the private sphere. That special team that deals with monsters isn't even allowed to have their planes photographed, let alone have their member information released..."

Inoue Rinbun took the lunchbox and shrunk the image of Takayama Gamu. The figure of the red giant occupied the screen where he had been: "I just looked it up casually. It was very easy to find. Don't make me sound like a pervert who has no bottom line for news sensations. Compared to that, I am more curious about this giant."

"If, as GUARD has publicly announced, those mysterious fighter jets and personnel have been preparing for 'annihilation' for a long time, then what about this giant?"

Chapter Eleven Dialogue

"That's all I know. What else do you want to ask?" The salted fish huddled in the corner, propping itself up with its tail, its short fins pointing forward. "If you ask me about my precious Uranus again, I'll cry myself to death! We're all doomed! Even if humanity wipes out by throwing nuclear bombs at each other, Earth will still be here! It'll just be a different species or turn into a stone star!"

"Then why did you try to bring forth the light of the earth and the ocean if you really didn't care that much?" Aiba Yu stepped back and sat back on the low stool in the room.

Salty Fish moved himself out of the corner and spread out like a pancake: "I care... of course I care, even the most unruly kid is still my own kid."

"Yes, even though we can't talk to you, humanity has obtained information about 'Destruction' through the quantum computer CRISIS, which is why we have been preparing for GUARD for many years."

The salted fish suddenly sat up straight: "I was the one who first gave birth to the genius child! Then the genius child created the quantum computer! Don't make it sound like I'm completely useless!"

Then He suddenly realized and started rambling: "You want to refute 'bratty kids'? Sometimes they're cute and sometimes they're so naughty that I feel like I want an earthquake! But they also have great potential. They're the most complex kids I've seen in many, many years. They're so wicked that I want to curse them for not being born, and so kind that it breaks my heart. Honestly, I'm just saying something, but even the light from other planets shines so brightly on humans..."

"Aiba Yu is human."

Upon hearing this, Pito first stopped talking, then turned himself over.

In the past, with his back to the outsider he had summoned, his voice trailed off: "I understand, I understand. Which planet's light caused the human being to devour his consciousness? With you running around like this, what will happen to your home planet? I'm very grateful that you came to help me, but—"

Pito raised his voice, his deadpan eyes unusually serious: "But you must remember to go back and visit your home planet. Your home planet will be very happy if its children are successful, but if they never come back, well, they might even get Alzheimer's!"

“My home planet… I can’t find her.” Aiba Yu turned her gaze to the window. The café was located near where Gob had appeared yesterday, and from one corner of the window, one could see the reconstruction scene behind the building across the street.

If the Earth where "Xun" is located were to return to peace, it would be much like this place. Life without monsters would be simple and peaceful. Even if monsters brought disaster, giants of light and defense forces would defeat them, and the entire territory would never fall.

But where is that universe? Aiba Yu didn't know. If he could, he would certainly like to go back and find out what the future would be like for a world without the Primal Nest. But the energy within the spacetime turbulence was chaotic and mixed, and Aiba Yu would need extremely good luck to find that universe.

Will they... also achieve such a life? In a world without war, humanity unites to form a powerful planetary defense organization. Their bases hover above the clouds, tens of thousands of meters in the air, serving as both airports and space carriers, tirelessly watching over the blue planet day and night.

"Pito, what exactly is planetary consciousness?" The wind outside the window stirred up the corners of the clouds, revealing a glimpse of azure. Aiba Yu's voice unconsciously softened, as if afraid that any word might disturb the long-sleeping spirit.

"Some planets have weak civilizations, yet possess a planetary consciousness capable of giving birth to guardian beasts; other planets have civilizations capable of venturing into the universe, yet no trace of planetary consciousness can be found. How did it come into being? If it encounters a crisis or experiences a period of flourishing life, it would give rise to planetary consciousness, but why..."

"Aren't you the light of the planet? How dare you ask me such a question? Consciousness is a very complicated thing, just like 'Luca' evolving into a human. It can disappear in the blink of an eye!" Pito bounced over and rolled on the ground, turning into a short-haired cat. He leaned forward as if to sniff, his long whiskers trembling slightly with his movements.

"Achoo!" Pito sniffed. "Ah, that's pungent, the smell of a strange planet, um... there are quite a few."

His gaze toward Aiba Yu changed, as if he were looking at some scumbag who had run away from home and was flirting with other women: "The flirtatious alien light is not as good as my good children."

"I am human, not some planetary light."

Pito's gaze grew increasingly hostile: "Abandoning elderly people living alone and then having the nerve to complain! You scumbag!"

"Hey……"

The short-haired cat lunged at my face, unleashing a flurry of sixty-four cat punches: "Even if I came to help, I still need to talk to you properly! You brat who won't admit you ran away from home! I truly feel sorry for my colleagues!"

"Sit up straight! This slap is for your father! This slap is for your Mother Earth! This slap is for your Father Earth! This slap is for your mother, and this slap is for your father!"

“You’re repeating yourself,” Aiba Yu pressed down on its head, watching the cat’s paws scratch in mid-air. Ignoring the cat’s even more angry howls, he continued, “You’re still worried about Uranus.”

The cat's paw stopped, and Pito, who had gone from a round, fluffy ball to a deflated one, said, "Being a ball is so hard..."

"If I weren't limited to descending to physical form in this way, sometimes I would really wish I could go and drive all those alien guys away myself!"

"An earthquake is about to happen if you move even slightly."

“I know, I know, so kids, keep going!” The short-haired cat started licking its paws again halfway through its sentence: “Compared to the path I chose, it’s more unbearable to have it destroyed by outsiders… Why am I licking my fur again?”

Aiba Yu rubbed its head, pressing down the ears covered with a layer of downy hair, and then popped them out, making the palm tremble.

He still prefers this feel; it's much better than sticky salted fish, and he doesn't get his hands covered in cold, salty water.

"By the way, speaking of Uranus, come and give me some advice." Pito slipped out of his clutches and jumped onto the table. The table wasn't big, but it had small plastic figures protected by an acrylic cover. Some small clay figures were placed outside, while most of the other items were in a cabinet against the wall, with glass doors keeping out the dust.

Pito was dazzled by this pile of "wives," and he didn't know which one Kinoshita Kei liked the most, because each one looked exquisite and cherished.

"Does he prefer what's in the closet? I remember humans hide their most important things; is he hiding something like that somewhere else?"

Aiba Yu pointed to something with a colorful cover next to the pillow: "The ones hidden under the bed are all moldy, but he flips through this one all the time."

Pito leaned closer and discovered it was a thick comic book, with many pages having curled edges, clearly indicating that its owner cherished it dearly.

I only exchange good morning and good night messages with my "wife" for a few minutes each day, but once I open a comic book, it's already dawn again.

Pito looked closely at the human figures depicted on the painting and suddenly had a new idea.

Chapter Twelve: Pupil

Pitot tried to understand Uranus's human form's preferences and to get closer to his "good son," believing that this closeness would be the key to Uranus's awakening.

But Aiba Yu felt that what He was doing wouldn't be very effective; transforming into the form that Kinoshita Kei liked would only make the other person happier, and that was Uranus's doing.

Recovery may require more direct conditions—energy and crisis.

Pito's response was: "You don't know anything!"

Kinoshita Kei was unaware that Shadow and Salted Fish were arguing about his training plan; he was delighted to see an old face again.

Gob's sudden appearance destroyed a small area of ​​buildings. At the time, Kinoshita Kei was carrying his grandmother on his back and running near the place where Gaia was fighting Gob. The giant's fists and feet collided with the monster's hard shell, constantly making muffled thunder-like explosions, so much so that he had to tell his grandmother to make sure to cover her ears.

Once everything calmed down, he stood upstairs and looked at the area crushed into pieces. He used to hate that the building was too tall and blocked the sunlight in this area. Now that it was gone, Kinoshita Kei's eyes were filled with its shadow. The shadow only appeared for a short while. There was warm yellow or white light there, and the tablecloth-like curtains he had complained about were fluttering outside. The owner of that house never remembered to bring them back.

The shadows were broken by the roar of heavy machinery. Excavators entered areas that had been confirmed to be safe for clearing, and scattered people moved among the other rubble, searching for signs of life. Kinoshita Kei suddenly rushed to the front desk of the downstairs café, tore off a piece of sticky paper, and scribbled down the names of the regulars he could remember. He wrote quickly, afraid that he would forget one of the names after a while.

The café was open as usual the next day. He came here right after class, and his grandmother, Kinoshita Maho, was surprised by the time he returned.

"So early? Didn't you go to the library today?"

Kinoshita Kei shook his head: "Grandma, how many guests are there today? Compared to before? Which regulars did you see today? I remember the Kojima family lives nearby, but she wasn't in that...that collapsed building?"

His questions came one after another. Kinoshita Maho slowly put on her reading glasses and flipped through the deposit slips and receipts, while the fat cat dozed at her feet. 69.493.6135

"Are you afraid of people you know living in that building, Kei?" The thin sheet of paper slipped between Kinoshita Maho's fingers as she comforted her, "Let's not even talk about how most customers won't ask me for a receipt. How many people come to the coffee shop every day? Those who don't come now might show up again in a few days."

Kinoshita Kei was so concerned that he lost his composure. He unfolded the note with his name written on it. The palm-sized piece of paper had been held in his hand for so long that fine burrs had formed at the folds.

“Of course we have regular customers. Irino was worried he wouldn’t be able to get his favorite coffee, so he came to check if our shop was still open. I chatted with him for a while,” Kinoshita Kei saw his grandmother give him a mysterious smile, just like when she had discovered a new effect of water and sugar on the taste of coffee. “As for Kojima, isn’t she at the door?”

Kinoshita Kei suddenly snapped out of his daze, turned around, and grinned foolishly at the other person's bewildered gaze.

“The café survived under the monster’s feet… I understand you’re overjoyed, but,” Kojima Hitomi pushed open the glass door, the crisp ringing of the bell alerting the staff to a customer, and as she entered, she looked around and said, “You’re going to scare the customers—where’s the snowtop?”

"Meow~"

Grandma's fat cat woke up instantly from its slumber the moment she entered the door. Before the bell had even finished ringing, its milky white and orange body rolled like a candy ball to Kojima Hitomi's feet.

"Grandma Kinoshita, has Snow Peak eaten its main meal?" Kojima Hitomi opened her shoulder bag, and the fat cat immediately straightened up halfway when it saw her move, like a sturdy version of a little poplar tree standing tall and upright.

“I let it eat, but I didn’t let it eat too much. If it gets any fatter, we should take it to the vet,” Kinoshita Maho got up and opened the workshop door. The sound of gurgling water came through the crack in the door. “Mieko, we have a guest. Have you boiled the water? Bring some freshly ground coffee when you come out.”

“I still want to drink Snow Top today, I’m not in a hurry,” Kojima Hitomi bent down, her half-length hair falling down her shoulders. “Before drinking Snow Top, let’s play with Snow Top first.”

She put the cat treat she had taken out back into her bag, and before the snow-capped cat could protest, she scooped it into her arms and skillfully stroked it from head to tail. The fat cat soon began to purr in her hands.

"You're not wearing your glasses today." Kinoshita Kei helped the guest move a chair, and Onodera Hitomi sat down. Her eyes, no longer covered, were clear in the light: "I ran away when I was running away. Luckily, I'm not too nearsighted."

She leaned slightly forward and said to Kinoshita Kei, "At least I can tell you're a man, not Mieko."

The quick-thinking salesperson should now compliment the customer on her beauty and suggest she try contact lenses, saying they offer a different kind of beauty compared to glasses.

"Then what will you do in class?" Kinoshita Kei blurted out.

“Your glasses are so thick, they must be at least 600 degrees. From four meters away, they can't distinguish between men and women. Even sitting in the high-risk first row in class, you might not be able to see the PPT clearly,” Kinoshita Kei said, putting himself in Kinoshita Kei’s shoes and thinking about what it was like when he lost his glasses: “If you fail calculus in one class, you’ll fail for a whole year! You might not know, but I know this firsthand! It all started when I picked up an eraser in my calculus class…”

"Ah...yes, I'll get a new one." Kojima Hitomi lowered her head to pet the cat, while Kinoshita Kei was puzzled by her suddenly perfunctory tone.

After a while, Michiko brought coffee and sugar. Kojima Hitomi put the fat cat ice cream back on the ground, scooped up a spoonful of real ice cream, and the ice cream slowly released a fine white mist, like lotus root threads, in the warm air.

“It’s so good that this café is still around,” she said, her gaze passing through the glass window. In the distance, a bulldozer slowly drove by, making the surrounding cars look like Volkswagen Beetles in comparison. “It’s rare to find a shop with so many new varieties, and yet it doesn’t seem to care about style at all.”

The old antique shop was so somber; I thought it had been destroyed by a monster too, but thankfully it was some distance away.

“Kinoshita,” there were two “Kinoshitas” in the shop, but Kinoshita Kei knew that Kojima Hitomi was calling him: “Did you see the giant? The giant of light.”

She tilted her head back, her gaze fixed on the sky, where there were only wisps of clouds and blue sky, with the occasional plane streaking by. It took Kinoshita Kei a long time to understand her expression.

Its name is "Longing".

"The moment he appeared, I felt there was nothing to be afraid of." The girl looked up at the sky, and something invisible, crystal-like, yet soft and delicate slowly overflowed from her eyes, like a tilted, slender-necked pot, with clear water dripping like silk.

……

Upstairs, Aiba Yu stared at Pito, who was meticulously styling her hair, with a complicated expression.

"He won't be happy if you become like this."

A comic book lay open in front of Pito, its colorful pages featuring a striking depiction of the protagonist against a backdrop of fallen leaves. One leaf was split in two, the blade reflecting the moon and blood.

“You don’t know anything!” Pito was quite confident in his decision: “When Xiao Jing comes in, I guarantee he’ll cry and shout, ‘My favorite character is alive!’ Then he’ll tell me his surprise, and that’ll open the door to communication. I’ll start by getting to know this character and understand him. We’ll be of one mind… With such a high level of understanding, Uranus’s awakening will be a natural outcome!”

Aiba Yu swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue, organized his thoughts, and finally uttered only five words: "You've really had a tough time."