Ultraman Legend of the Light Chaser

It felt just like receiving birthday greetings via text message from the telecom company and bank; even knowing it's an automated message, it's still the only blessing you receive. Mu Xiajing was both happy and sad.

"Don't you understand?" Aiba Yu said, "Uranus's light has stayed with you for over a decade. He has long since acknowledged you; the only one who doesn't believe in himself is yourself!"

“I just… I just…” Kinoshita Kei stammered, opening his mouth, “I don’t know what I have that makes Uranus worthy of his recognition. I dreamt that many children wrote him letters, all addressing him as ‘Respected Mr. Uranus’ or ‘Dear Lord Uranus.’ The man reading the letters didn’t know that Uranus was there, but even though he was reading to thin air, he was meticulous and would bow before leaving!”

"I got into Jonan University because I started studying several years earlier than others. While others were still figuring out what to study, I had already set my goal and had been working on it ever since. That's how I managed to blend in with the talented crowd and become a figurehead. I got into GUARD because of a bit of nepotism. If it weren't for the fact that Group Leader Fukui is Professor Fukui's brother, would he have even given me a second glance?"

Kinoshita Kei's eyes were slightly red; he couldn't bear to look at Pito. Mu Xiajing had also stammered to his parents about this before: he just wasn't very bright. He could understand what the math-savvy teachers taught, and he could even understand things the teachers didn't teach. He could tell which answer to choose after just one glance at a question, and sometimes he could even answer the more complex questions by looking at them and working backwards. Mu Xiajing was one of those little fish in the class who barely managed to survive by doing endless practice problems.

When he was filling out his college application, he carefully estimated his options and found that his upper and lower limits were both mediocre. Although his parents said that he had "performed consistently and was doing very well," he knew that they expected him to occasionally "perform exceptionally well" and have a life-changing reversal.

He wanted to too! But many people can turn things around, and even more people are those who perform consistently, and whose results are the same no matter what.

"I got into the Geo base through cheating and nepotism, into a place full of big shots, and now I've been brought back to reality," Kinoshita Kei exhaled a breath of stale air, like someone who had run for a long time and was exhausted, only to find himself back where he started. "I wanted to prove that I was no worse than anyone else, but it took me an entire afternoon to recognize even a small component. Without your eyes, fellow countryman, I would have been cursed to death."

The salted fish made a whimpering noise in Aiba Yu's hand. Only when Aiba Yu saw that it finally stopped twisting its body and trying to hit people did he let go of it.

"Earth Daddy is going to suffocate because of you!" The salted fish wanted to bite the fingers of the hateful outsider, or turn into a muscular hero and beat him up, but what it cared about more was the human form of Uranus that it had identified.

“I don’t know ‘Mu Xia Jing’, I only know you, Mu Xia Jing. I’ve been watching you since you were a baby. You are the person with the highest compatibility with Uranus,” the salted fish’s mouth opened and closed, but it spoke human language, which seemed a bit comical: “At first, you couldn’t speak, couldn’t walk, and couldn’t hold things, but you never caused Grandma Mu Xia any trouble.”

“I’m an adult, I wouldn’t cause trouble…” Kinoshita Kei muttered to himself.

Salty Fish glared at him: "Then why design new products and renovations for coffee shops, so that people at home can have a better life?"

"It's a copied variety. I didn't drink much coffee in the last world, but I've seen products that aren't available here."

"While others are playing, you're reading; while others are resting, you're reading. Are you the one who's been working hard towards astronomy since elementary school?"

"Look at me, I've worked hard my whole life, and even after entering the den of big shots, I'm still a complete newbie who doesn't know anything. I just got into university, while those from Alchemy Star have already earned their doctorates. I might not be able to understand the anti-gravity system they designed until my next life."

"But you've already become a star in high school, you've entered your dream major, and you're now a member of the Human Resistance Against Destruction Alliance! You always refuse to believe in yourself," the salted fish roared, "In that case, Father Earth will believe in you!"

The wind howled, and Kinoshita Kei opened his mouth wide, intending to fill it with the northwest wind, but Aiba Yu controlled the cold air, preventing it from reaching the salted fish and Kinoshita Kei. The salted fish's voice carried a special effect unique to Earth consciousness, like a trio, or like a towering pipe organ in a church, humming and whirring.

"W-What are you doing? Why are you suddenly saying this..." Kinoshita Kei couldn't continue. He felt like cotton was stuck in his throat, and a magma nest that had been building up in his chest for many years was about to cool and solidify into stone. These words were like the top of that magma nest being...

A channel was opened by a person—the salted fish uttered the words he had dreamed of hearing for two lifetimes.

This feeling was both familiar and strange. He had imagined someone looking at him with open eyes and saying in a deep voice, "You can definitely do it." The other person had no one else in their eyes, not out of encouragement or because they couldn't bring themselves to do it, but because they genuinely believed that he could do what others expected of him.

But Mu Xiajing had no chance to receive such "honor". He could only be in the crowd, and when he was in a bad mood, he would go to a corner where no one would notice him. He could hear applause and cheers all around him. He watched others strive for honor and win victories. The people he admired and respected sent their recognition to the center of glory, while the "supporting role" did not even have the right to be jealous.

Now that he has received such "honor," the lava well in his chest is rumbling.

He should have responded with something grand and sophisticated, like the protagonist of his favorite novel, "The Swordsman," who would twirl his sword, sling it over his shoulder with a resounding clang, and declare with a manly air, "I will not let you down." Or perhaps he could have been like the protagonist in a tokusatsu film he once watched, giving a thumbs-up and smiling as if all the sunshine in the world was on him: "Leave it to me with confidence."

But he embarrassingly burst into tears.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Kinoshita Kei wiped away his tears, his snot running down his face. He frantically wiped it away, cursing himself inwardly for being such a useless matchstick, unable to even say a cool line. In the end, he could only manage two "I'm sorry"s. Couldn't he say something auspicious to match the occasion when he was so happy?

The snowstorm had stopped, and the pale space had returned to the dormitory. Aiba Yu said in a low voice, "I didn't understand before either. People who were better than me died, but I was the only one who could survive by maintaining my rationality through 'assimilation'. But at least you still have a 'choice'."

“You have time to think about what to do, a chance to hesitate, even to cry here!” He tossed a tissue into Kinoshita Kei’s arms: “Having ‘choices’ is a luxury greater than living! You can squander them today, but wait until tomorrow…”

"Either pull yourself together, or prove this idiotic Earth has misjudged you—I'll train you until you come to your senses!"

Chapter Forty-Six: Young Man, You Are Brave

"Xiao Jing is back?"

As the peak business hours ended and Grandma Kinoshita was slowly calculating her accounts, the doorbell rang again as customers entered.

Michiko instinctively called out, "Welcome!" Suddenly, she heard a burst of laughter. Looking closely, she realized that the "guest" was wearing the casual clothes he had worn when he said goodbye, and was waving at them with one hand out of his sweatshirt pocket.

"I'm back." The person who came was Kinoshita Kei.

Kinoshita Maho took off her reading glasses and said repeatedly, "You're back so soon... You got fired?! No, no, no, you have to go back!"

“No, Grandma,” Kinoshita Kei said, both amused and exasperated, “My workplace gives us five days off each month to get out and about, and I specifically asked for leave to come out.”

Michiko was the first to react. While tidying up the table and smoothing out the mat, she said, "What kind of company is this? Only five days off a month, we eat and live there, and we don't even get weekends off? That's inhumane."

Kinoshita Kei, sweating profusely, said, "It's alright. It includes food and accommodation, has its own view, and there's a supermarket and gym. There aren't any major problems even if I don't go out."

"So you came back because..."

"I... I really missed you guys." Kinoshita Kei almost blurted out the words "special training."

Michiko exclaimed, "You're talking cheesy stuff. You're so tongue-tied."

Also arriving were Aiba Yu and Pito, the latter of whom, using the excuse that "Earth Daddy is tired," lazily snuggled in someone else's arms and took a free ride on the Aiba Express train.

The fat cat seemed to smell the salted fish and jumped down from behind the counter to pounce on Aiba Yu. Unfortunately, it kept pouncing on thin air. Grandma Kinoshita thought it was celebrating Kinoshita Kei's return and jumped around happily.

After a few pleasantries, Kinoshita Kei returned to his room, slammed the door shut, and declared with a death wish: "I've taken the leave, might as well use it. Let's do some special training!"

Kinoshita Kei wasn't really a useless piece of trash. He cried himself to sleep all night, and the next day, with swollen eyes, he said, "I... I have five days off this month. Anyway, if I go to work like this, people will definitely keep asking me questions. I'll go ask for leave, and we'll have special training!"

"Although I haven't figured out what my strengths are that make me worthy of attention... Uranus is respected by many people, and I don't want to hold him back!"

Hearing his words, Aiba Yu thought for a moment and said, "Just barely pass. Special training isn't a panacea. You might still not be able to sense Uranus's presence five days from now."

"Just do your best. If that happens, beating me won't help." Kinoshita Kei picked up a blank sheet of paper and quickly wrote down reasons for taking leave. Perhaps he wasn't as useless as he thought. At least in his talent for lying through his teeth, he had earned the approval of the geological research group next door.

With almost no brainpower required, a sincere and truthful leave application was fabricated. Team Leader Fukui didn't even glance at the application, just told him to keep it confidential, and then signed it. Ryo Nakai also expressed his understanding of his leave request: "When I first arrived, every day felt like an eternity. Our artificial ecosystem is still a bit lacking. To truly bask in the sun, you still have to go to the ground."

Pito was naturally the happiest that Kinoshita Kei was able to cheer up. He used Aiba Yu as a human train while he quietly kept thinking about the training content. As soon as Kinoshita Kei closed the door, he immediately perked up, jumped down with a "thud," and landed transformed into a long-legged mature woman with semi-permanently fixed curls in her hair.

His fists were very hard.

In a literal sense.

Kinoshita Kei felt that since he had volunteered for special training, he should show a different attitude—so he didn't run away again, but instead met the older woman's fists head-on. "Crack," he heard two clear, crisp sounds.

One came from his own bone, the other from the fist of the mature woman.

The salted fish looked at its cracked resinous skin as if nothing had happened, and patched it up in a single breath; Kinoshita Kei grimaced and clutched his hand, almost calling for his mother. Aiba Yu threw a ball of light over, covering his hand, and Kinoshita Kei instantly felt less pain. He looked at his hand with curiosity, and grinned, wanting to thank him.

All I heard was Aiba Yu saying to the long-legged, mature woman, "Beat her up however you want, she won't die."

...Is this something a human would say?!

The smile shattered in the cold wind, and the thank you turned into angry curses: "Nothing is more ruthless than a fellow villager's knife!"

Kinoshita Kei turned to run, but his fellow villager had anticipated his move. Two light blades were swung in front of him, crackling with electricity, and a wall of light immediately rose in front of Kinoshita Kei. When he turned back again, two more light blades were embedded in the ice behind Pito, and except for the top of their heads, the three of them were surrounded by a wall.

With another wave of his hand, a barrier appeared above his head.

You could at least leave a gap!

Kinoshita Kei felt like a henchman tied up, stuffed into an oil drum and filled with cement, with the big brother ruthlessly sealing off all the gaps, preparing to roll the oil drum to fill the sea.

"Hehehe..." The long-legged mature woman slowly walked over, counting on her fingers: "When I get tired of beating him, I'll switch to Kaname Ichiro. When I get tired of Kaname Ichiro, I'll switch to that cat. When I get tired of the cat scratching me, I'll switch to the other plastic figurines on your table. I remember there are some with scythes, some with greatswords, and quite a few with Japanese swords. There's even a robot. Which one do you like? We have an event on the first day of special training. You can choose your opponent."

"I want the one who sings and holds the microphone! I'd like to change it right now if I can!" Kinoshita Kei perked up; choosing a peace songstress would be no problem at all!

“Okay~” Pito smiled.

The mature woman revealed a sweet smile, her sharp eye corners replaced by the energetic makeup of a peace songstress, with some small glitter stuck to her right eye. She raised the microphone to her mouth, and suddenly a very dynamic accompaniment rang out in the air.

"Oh, it's that song 'Shining'!" Kinoshita Kei knew that the lazy fish couldn't refuse her. When she became a peace songstress, she would definitely sing a heartwarming song. This was a perfect opportunity to relax! It was so much better than a violent older sister!

The songstress's voice was bright and penetrating, sweet and natural. The first high note sounded like a gentle rain from heaven. Kinoshita Kei was glad that he could understand Pito's words now, otherwise he would still be hearing a jumble of noise.

However, when the next section of the song came out, he felt that something was wrong with him.

It was as if a flame was burning fiercely inside him, and his fighting spirit was more excited than ever before!

As the chorus began, the accompaniment rose higher and higher, and he felt his heartbeat quicken suddenly. Blood flowed through his body in rhythm with the beat, and when the singer sang "Shine On," a current shot straight to his brain!

He could hardly resist looking at the only person in the arena who could be his opponent: his fellow villager!

The fellow villager seemed completely unsurprised by his reaction. He had even gotten into a fighting stance. Kinoshita Kei had no doubt that his fists were harder than the violent older sister's resin fists!

"Holy crap..." Kinoshita Kei instantly understood everything.

The Peace Diva comes from a mecha anime, and her background music often plays during mecha battles, instantly boosting the morale of the protagonists. When the protagonists, carrying the Peace Diva's speaker, start playing at three times the speed with red horns, the viewers on the other side of the screen know: Here it comes! The enemy will be sliced ​​to pieces and explode like fireworks this time! Place your bets now! If you guess wrong, go do your homework!

"No—! I don't want to listen anymore, please change the performer!"

Kinoshita Kei watched helplessly as Pitot buffed him up, and then charged at Aiba Yu with high spirits and arrogance!

Chapter 47 Getting Beaten Up with the Background Music Playing Along!

"Hmm? Did I sing badly?" The Peace Songstress twirled her hair in distress, her bright eyes glistening like dew.

No, everyone who hears her sing will not refuse her request; this is a law summarized by the viewers of that mecha anime!

Kinoshita Kei blurted out, almost as if possessed, "It sounds nice."

The songstress smiled sweetly, reminiscent of peach soda in summer. With a slight lift of her hand, the background music resounded throughout the entire realm! At this moment, even the endless wind and snow danced for her, and the frozen sea could not extinguish the flame in the warrior's heart!

"Shine! Become the flame of hope and burn through the night! As long as we hold hands tightly, we will surely feel your presence!"

After saying "That sounds nice," Kinoshita Kei mentally slapped himself hundreds of times. Tears streamed down his face, while on the outside, he clenched his fists and swung them at his opponent's center with standard, unorthodox punches, deeply sensing the presence of the enemy.

As she fell to the ground, Kinoshita Kei's gaze swept over the Peace Songstress's puffy skirt and her supple, slender waist.

"Shine! You are a star that never falls! In the impassable night, I pray for you—that the flame of hope may be rekindled!"

The singer blew a kiss and gave her a wink.

Kinoshita Kei's fighting spirit was reignited, and he stood up! Like a battered but still determined fighter, he faced his fully-equipped and stylishly painted Zaku!

Zaku! Standing firmly on the earth!

"Bang—" His second punch failed, and he was tripped by his opponent's insidious leg sweep. Kinoshita Kei fell face-first to the ground.