Ultraman Legend of the Light Chaser

"I remember an episode where Tiga met his dog from many, many years ago, named Gedi. At that time, an evil Tiga appeared. He was a guy with power but no mind. He caused trouble as soon as he appeared! He even wore eyeliner! Gedi went to stop him from doing evil, but he was beaten to death."

"Tiga was holding that dog, his movements were so gentle and sorrowful, it made me cry," Kinoshita Kei glanced at his fellow villager who was motionless like a dead pig: "I can't see Ultraman's expression on his face through the TV, and now even watching holograms, I still can't see his expression, but, but... the first time I saw Samuel, I immediately knew that he was my fellow villager. It wasn't based on the logical deduction that 'an Ultraman I don't know must be something outside the script, and outside the script, there are only fellow villagers,' but I knew it was him at first glance. Fellow villagers are awesome."

Pito blinked and wrote on a sticky note: "That's because Uranus is on you."

“No, it’s different. Like I said, when I was little, the first thing I thought of when I saw Ultraman Tiga’s eyes was Daigo’s eyes,” Kinoshita Kei replied. “When Samuel lifted the sand up, I also thought I saw Aiba Yu. The red light was flashing like there was an electrical leak, but I felt he was very happy. I’ve never seen him smile much, but at that time I felt he was very happy, very happy…”

"Hey Salty Fish King, you've seen more Ooals than I have. Are they all like this? I originally thought that transmigrators would definitely be different, like being fierce and ruthless, beating up anyone they could, being good at tearing and slicing things, and saying they'd chop them into skewers instead of stir-fried pork kidneys, being incredibly arrogant! But he's also like that... ah, and there's more!"

He continued, "I thought I was being considerate by giving the escape tools to others, and you even praised me for it, but my fellow villager was able to rescue even more people! He's so cool it's unbelievable! I feel like I'm not even a piece of trash, just a matchstick." Kinoshita Kei held up his little finger, gesturing to the size of a matchstick.

“Matches can also emit light and heat.” Pito changed the notepad.

"Come on, the match is about to die..." Kinoshita Kei sighed, "If GUARD doesn't like me, I'll have to get special treatment from Professor Fukui every day, which is worse than a monster."

Pito was about to write when he suddenly heard a noise on the stairs. If someone saw him drawing characters in mid-air with a pen, they might think it was a supernatural phenomenon. He quickly put the pen back on the table and hopped away like a salted fish to the safest corner.

Kinoshita Maho came down to find him, with Old Cat following behind her: "Xiao Jing, your computer keeps flashing notifications, do you want to go check it out?"

"remind?"

"It looks like a new email. You know, Grandma isn't very familiar with computers. You should check it yourself."

Kinoshita Kei's eyes suddenly lit up. Before Kinoshita Maho could finish speaking, he had already rushed up the stairs in two quick steps.

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Fake Assessment

The downtime during which the coffee shop is closed.

The temperature was neither too hot nor too cold, and apart from the sound of construction machinery running a few blocks away, there was no other noise.

Kinoshita Kei repeatedly checked the information displayed on the screen, then took out a pen and paper to write down what he considered important.

His heart was pounding wildly.

[GUARD (United against the Root of Destruction, Earth).]

Mr. Kinoshita Kei:

Congratulations on passing the assessment and receiving approval for your application. You have been granted permission to work in the Astronomical Research Group of the 6th Squadron directly under Geo Base. Please confirm your joining with the base personnel within 48 hours. The personnel registration process will begin after your confirmation. We await your response. Contact person: Shunsuke Abe, Tel: 0081-0010016221.

Kinoshita Kei jotted down the deadline, contact person, and phone number, then suddenly felt a sense of unreality: "Complete the assessment? When did they ever assess us? What about the professional test? Could they really believe me if I just photocopied a student ID and sent it to them?"

Pito learned Splash Jump and hopped up the stairs, successfully bypassing the old cat named Snowcap. He was greeted by Kinoshita Kei, who looked bewildered and asked, "Have I lost my memory? I went through a tough and arduous test, fought my way through the encirclement, killed a lot of outstanding talents, and was allowed to join the glorious GUARD to become a force to resist the Destruction Bringer."

Pito replied, "@#@#￥Xiao Jing@#..." (They must have already discovered your outstanding potential and excellent qualities, Xiao Jing, don't underestimate yourself.)

After listening to a string of gibberish that could only be understood as "Kage," Kinoshita Kei hesitated, then sighed and dialed the contact number left in the email.

"Hello, Mr. Kinoshita Kei." The voice on the other end of the phone was gentle and steady, like a reliable and experienced senior.

“Yes, Abe… Section Chief?” Kinoshita Kei wasn’t sure of the other person’s position, but guessed that he was probably some kind of junior manager in the personnel department, so he addressed him as Section Chief: “How did you know this call was from me…”

“Just call me Abe,” the other person replied. “You left a landline number on your application form.”

Kinoshita Kei realized that he had been too excited and confused, so he made a silly mistake in front of the HR manager right from the start. Abe Shunsuke quickly let the incident slide and went back to his routine.

"Kinoshita Kei, a student at Jonan University, has been approved to join Geo Base after being recommended by Professor Fukui Takeshi and with the consent of Fukui Makoto, the head of the astronomy research group."

The astronomical research group of the Sixth Squadron directly under the command of the applicant is requested to confirm their participation.

"confirm."

As soon as he finished speaking, a brief buzzing sound came from the communication channel, followed by a mechanical female voice taking over the communication.

"Voiceprint verification passed. Kinoshita Kei, ID generated: G106020098005. Check-in time is before 18 PM on the 12th of this month. Required items and precautions have been sent via email. Welcome. Your strength is needed to fight against the Root Destruction Summoning Entity."

What the heck? The defense forces here have developed artificial intelligence?

Kinoshita Kei felt that the advancement of technology had exceeded his expectations, and the background noise on the phone became lower and deeper, as if it had switched to another line. Abe Shunsuke's voice came through again, and at the same time, a new email notification flashed in the lower right corner of Kinoshita Kei's computer.

"Welcome, newcomer. From now on, we'll be colleagues." After finishing the routine, Shunsuke Abe abandoned the formulaic language and became much more friendly: "If you don't understand any of the new emails, you can call this number to ask me. Just a friendly reminder, there are access restrictions at the Geo base. We only have 5 days off each month, so you don't need to come in too early."

"Huh? I have to be locked up inside for only 5 days every month?!" What kind of place have I entered? This doesn't seem to fit the kind of peaceful life that Kinoshita Kei had been hoping for.

“Yes, it’s a classified unit, and in some places it’s even more high-level than the Ariel base on the equator. You can ask your colleagues in the astronomical research group to show you around and familiarize yourself with the area. I can’t say too much else, just be careful not to wander into the restricted area,” Abe Shunsuke said in a low voice, “You’ll be sent away.”

Kinoshita Kei hung up the phone and couldn't come back to his senses for a long time. He only knew that GUARD was very powerful, the Earth Defense Force in tokusatsu shows. The rest were mostly abstract fantasies, such as high-ranking officials who were always out of their minds, hawks who messed things up, doves who treated Ultraman as a friend from the beginning, and a bunch of fantastical weapons and equipment whose expressive power was only small rocket launchers or even small pistols, but when they actually fired, they would easily overturn things weighing tens of tons.

The one thing he hadn't considered was that GUARD truly existed in this world, and that what wasn't shown in many episodes, or only a small part of, was filled by countless rules and systems. How could such a globally united organization with the capability to launch military strikes, especially the Geo base which, compared to the Ariel base, was more focused on research, possibly lack a strict secrecy mechanism?

"Is anyone home?" While he was in a daze, the bell that connected the second-floor residence to the first-floor cafe rang. Kinoshita Kei knew that a guest had arrived. He glanced at the time, told his grandmother not to bother and that he would go to greet her, and hurried downstairs.

"It's still far from lunchtime. It's rare to see a guest like this at this hour... Onodera?"

Kinoshita Kei glanced discreetly at the still-sleeping ghost Aiba Yu, and said to the visitor, "You usually like to come in the afternoon, why are you here so early today?"

Since she was a regular customer, Kinoshita Kei joked with her casually, "You've switched from afternoon tea to morning tea?"

"I washed my hair and felt refreshed, so I wanted to come and see Snow Peak," Hitomi Onodera said as she entered, her gaze sweeping around the room, but she didn't notice the fat cat that always pestered her for food. "Where's Snow Peak?"

“No wonder your bangs were all sticking up,” Kinoshita Kei said, noticing the sudden change in the other person’s expression. “You haven’t gotten your glasses yet. That won’t do. You won’t be able to see the blackboard in class…”

“Old... my bangs are either frizzy or specially permed! I lost my glasses while running away! And I’m already working!” Onodera Hitomi rattled off the words at lightning speed, then, as if realizing her tone and expression were somewhat ferocious, she coughed lightly and regained her usual composure: “Hmm, I’ll have snow topping again today.”

"You're working? I didn't realize that."

"That's because I'm very young..."

“Even if you’re employed, you should still pursue further education. It’s really not easy to start working so early,” Kinoshita Kei turned around to get some materials, completely unaware of the face behind him that went from a smile to a forced smile. “I know a remarkable person who started working at 16, studied at an adult university through self-study, saved enough money to take a break from work to pursue a master’s degree, and later became a senior executive at a company I know. He is studious and hardworking, a role model for us all.”

"I'm young! Very young! I just graduated early!"

Kinoshita Kei finally realized he might have misunderstood his regular customer. Since she looked about his age, he'd always assumed Onodera Hitomi was a carefree university student who enjoyed going out shopping, afternoon tea, and petting cats, and came from a wealthy family. Although taken aback by her sudden use of the self-deprecating term "old lady," he swallowed back his words, now that she seemed a little angry: "I was mistaken. Um… sorry, the small dessert that goes with the coffee?"

"Chocolate!" The other person was blunt, but left some room for negotiation: "Not cake, just regular chocolate will do."

Nearby, Aiba Yu, who had heard the noise from the coffee shop, was already awake, slowly rubbing her eyes. She jumped onto the table with a "thud": "You're awake! Kei got accepted! We have a new place to watch the excitement!"

Kinoshita Kei glared at the lazy bum upon hearing this. Onodera Hitomi followed his gaze and saw only empty chairs and a construction crane a few blocks away from the shop window.

Recalling the "Land of the Dead" that had rushed towards her that day, she couldn't help but sigh, "I almost thought I was going to die! Sand covered my hair, and I had to wash it off three times!"

Kinoshita Kei adjusted the sweetness and turned on the ice cream machine: "You escaped?"

No, it's almost time to live.

"They were buried, and then the giants saved them," Hitomi Onodera said, raising her gaze to the distant sky as if she could see the giants there. "It's so good that so many people are still alive. It's truly wonderful."

Chapter Twenty-Five: Geo Base

"You've arrived at Yonglin Office Building? Ah, I see you." The person who came was none other than Abe Shunsuke.

Kinoshita Kei didn't have anything special to say goodbye to; it wasn't like they were never going to see each other again. He explained all the details about the café to the staff, thanked Professor Fukui, told a few close classmates he was "going to his internship," and then, as requested in the email, took his identification and a limited number of personal belongings to the designated location.

Although GUARD announced its existence to the world through the media, it wasn't a place like an ordinary unit with a sign prominently displayed on the roadside. Kinoshita Kei had to go to the agreed-upon entrance of the Eirin office building first, where someone would naturally guide him into the base.

"An office building?" This place is bustling with people, a rather prosperous area. Since it's said to be a unit with a high level of security, is it really okay to be in such a place? Or is it a case of hiding in plain sight? Kinoshita Kei was completely confused and mechanically followed Abe Shunsuke into the office building. After twisting and turning, they entered an ordinary automatic glass door, which looked like an office space waiting to be renovated but not yet officially moved in.

Kinoshita Kei followed him inside, and the door to the third room from the left opened in front of him.

It was an outward-opening door. Inside, there was only a smooth, dark gray steel plate, which looked like a steel plate that had been misplaced in a door that had been opened incorrectly.

"Shunsuke Abe." The guide announced his name to the steel plate, which opened with a click. They crawled inside and, after a few steps, entered a metal box.

Kinoshita Kei's mouth dropped open: "This is an elevator?!"

The space inside was fairly spacious. Abe Shunsuke said, "That steel plate is... half of the outer door of the elevator. Once you've officially entered your information, you'll come in this way from now on."

"If someone records my voice and plays it into this thing, wouldn't they be able to get in?"

“You have quite the imagination. There’s a difference between a real voice and a machine-generated one.” The elevator had no buttons. Abe Shunsuke took out a card and swiped it in the card slot. The metal box-like elevator was fully activated, the lights came on, the ventilation started, and it carried the two of them to the entrance 400 meters underground.

Kinoshita Kei remembered that the door was closed when they came in, which meant that if Abe Shunsuke hadn't taken out that card...

"If we touch the wrong card and can't open the ventilation system, will we suffocate inside?"

Shunsuke Abe nodded: "Yes, but we have a special communication device inside. You can use it to call for help. After the internal control confirms your identity, it will remotely open the elevator."

"What if I don't have my communication device with me?"

"Then you can just wait to die, but if your fists are strong enough to break through steel plates and crawl outside, then you might be able to live."

"...How thick is this steel plate?"

"Didn't you see it when you came in?"

Kinoshita Kei thought of the place they had just passed through, which was about half the length of the ancient city wall gate they had seen before... calling it a gate was too shabby; it would be more appropriate to call it a "tunnel." He remained silent, waiting for the iron box to take them underground.

A few minutes later, the elevator doors reopened, and Shunsuke Abe explained to him as they walked: "The main body of the base is below Tokyo Bay. We are now at Exit 6, which is right in front of your Sixth Squadron."

"One squadron to one?"

"That's how it is on the surface. There's also a separate entrance for docking with the Ariel base, and four entrances for transporting equipment during ground support," Abe Shunsuke said. "I don't know anything more. It's the rule at Geo base: don't ask what others don't want to tell you."

"I understand, I understand. There are many secrets. Asking too much will get you sent away."

Shunsuke Abe chuckled: "Just make sure to stay around the Biological Research Lab and the Equipment Research Lab. The Biological Research Lab is alright, mainly because their Monster Division is highly sensitive. The other divisions are actually quite friendly. But the Equipment Research Lab is different. As soon as you get close to the outer perimeter, you'll be watched. The sentries outside are watching you, and there are several snipers secretly aiming at your heart and head."

Kinoshita Kei paused for a moment: "I thought you meant by 'sending away'...being sent out and sent home."

"If it's a death sentence, there's no need to worry about collecting the body if it's inside the base. As for its completeness, it depends on whether their sniper cannons have developed new calibers."

"That's going too far with the sniper cannon! It's not a matter of completeness, it's a matter of how many are left!"

Shunsuke Abe laughed heartily, filling the corridor with a cheerful atmosphere.

Before long, the two reached the end of the road. Abe Shunsuke swiped his card and went through the side door, while Kinoshita Kei was stopped outside by two doctors in white coats. After iris verification and registration, and having some blood drawn, Kinoshita Kei suspected he was undergoing a medical examination. When he came out, Abe Shunsuke was gone, and someone else was waiting for him.