Ultraman Legend of the Light Chaser

……

With a heavy heart, Takayama Gamu ended the communication. He was currently on vacation, receiving "insights about the earth's veins" at Renlong's residence, hoping to prepare for an even more powerful enemy.

He looked around. The Japanese-style house was neat and elegant, and the details, such as the porcelain vase with seasonal flowers, exuded a sense of refinement. He wondered whether he should tell the owner of the house what he had learned.

Daniel's words echoed in his mind.

“Many of us had reservations about Crisis’s conclusions. Who would want the result to exclude themselves? Even though it is the most advanced quantum computer to date… So, even after Fujimiya left, we restarted the calculations many times, hoping to get different results.”

“We did get a different result right after that battle in Tokyo.”

“Crisis has added another exclusion item besides ‘human’: ‘Samuel’.”

"Something from myths and legends, but some people use it as a name, so does it refer to a specific person? Or is it some kind of symbol? Do you know what it is?"

"By the way, Meng, there's something else I need to tell you. It's about your request for assistance in analyzing the black substance that's coming out of the Blue Giant. Our initial assessment is that it might be a curse—it sounds far-fetched, but it's definitely not a good thing. Our colleagues in the field of mysticism are taking over this work, but it will take a little more time."

The group of scientific geniuses on the Alchemy Star led their final conclusion to the mysticism, which sounded absurd, but ever since Asano Mirai talked to him about things like "the resentment of ancient creatures" and he witnessed the resurrected ancient monsters, he no longer found this direction of development so funny.

The three pieces of news that Takayama Gamu received from Daniel—the underground penetrating bomb, Crisis's new conclusions, and the analysis of black matter—left him in a state of utter confusion.

"What are you thinking about? You seem distracted."

Upon hearing Renlong's voice, Gaoshan Gomu suddenly realized that he had left the house and was already in the courtyard without knowing when.

Renlong stretched and came in through the door. He seemed a little tired, probably because he had just finished "judging" another batch of fortune sticks. He only perked up after stepping into the courtyard, muttering to himself, "Too many people are cramming for exams. If there's really no other way, I might as well do some good deeds and pray for a 'lucky charm' to be with me."

“You can’t follow their example,” Renlong suddenly said seriously. “To properly ‘feel’ the power of the earth veins and expect to unleash it when forced into a desperate situation is to play with people’s lives.”

Gao Shan, the mountain I dreamt of, should be right now, but his furrowed brows betrayed his current mood.

"You've been on leave for too long, so XIG has decided to fire you?" Renlong joked.

"No!" Takayama Gamu hesitated as he opened his mouth, "It's because of... that... underground penetrating bomb!"

……

That night.

The group, who had reunited at Renlong's residence, held a small meeting.

Renlong, Gaoshan Gamu, Kinoshita Kei, Aiba Yu, and Onodera Hitomi formed a circle around the city to discuss the underground penetrating missile.

Renlong's expression turned grim after hearing the news, and he looked as if he could activate his true form at any moment to emerge from the ground, giving those who wanted to launch the underground penetrating missile a second thought—of course, it might also provoke their emotions and hasten the plan's progress.

"I'll go and persuade the friends on Alchemy Star who are involved in the research and development!" Takayama Gamu volunteered. "This matter should be related to the initial warnings about 'abnormal heat sources' distributed around the world. Agul's subsequent awakening of the monster further provoked them, which led to this extreme decision. The Alchemy Star's companions are reasonable; as long as I can explain it clearly..."

“But we already have the underground penetrating bomb, don’t we?” Kinoshita Kei pulled at his hair. “They’re just developing a more targeted version, which at least shows they’ve restrained themselves somewhat. If they were completely ruthless and didn’t care about the negative environmental impact, Alchemy Star’s refusal to cooperate would be useless!”

Hitomi Onodera held the teacup for a long time without drinking it. When it was almost cold, she finally took a sip, her mouth dry from the astringency: "I didn't expect that we had just discussed the issue of 'conflict between monsters and humans,' and now this has happened. There are actually similar cases in the 'future'."

Chapter 130 The Ending I Want to See

The group turned their gazes toward them, and Onodera Hitomi said, "The radicals try to cause trouble as soon as they're not kept in sight, so we're quite experienced in stopping them from going crazy."

"What impressed me most was a conflict over the use of antimatter weapons—the kind of thing that could have a chain reaction that could destroy an entire star system; it was practically a weapon of mutual destruction."

"How did you persuade them?" Takayama asked somewhat eagerly.

Hitomi Onodera shook her head: "How can a few words change someone's stance? Some people won't think they've done anything wrong even if a knife is held to their throat."

Holding her increasingly cold cup, she recounted: "We launched an investigation on the grounds of 'unexplained whereabouts of funds,' causing them some trouble and delaying the progress. At the same time, we joined forces with the centrists to destroy the only finished product—that happened when I was very young, when the old speaker took me to the prison to see three prisoners serving life sentences."

"They destroyed precious finished products and were imprisoned themselves. They said, 'It was for humanity,' and showed no remorse. We could only intervene to avoid the death penalty; we couldn't openly and legitimately get them out..."

"Then why not rescue them secretly? Even living under an assumed name is better than being in jail," Kinoshita Kei asked curiously.

“They didn’t want us to send more people and risk our lives to rescue them. At first they were uncooperative, and later they were too weak to do so. The radicals knew who was behind it, so they launched a counterattack and sent some of our important figures to prison. It was around that time that the old speaker’s health began to deteriorate.”

Kinoshita Kei knew he had asked something unpleasant, so he scratched his head and didn't ask any further, instead changing the subject back to: "So we should launch an attack now and dismantle their missiles? That would be very effective and simple, and we wouldn't need to send any people to prison."

Kinoshita Kei pointed to himself: "The garbage bag weirdo is going to be online again."

Gao Shan heard "Garbage Bag Monster" suddenly remember something and reminded him, "Your actions at the Geo base back then... those blue winds, Lizard's aren't a bunch of idiots, they might already be considering the connection between the 'Intruders' and Uranus."

“The enemy has been trying to sow discord between humans and Titans,” Renlong tapped his palm with his folding fan. “Currently, four Titans have appeared. Judging from public opinion, only Gaia is truly trusted by the citizens. If it is discovered that Uranus is also in the ‘less stable’ camp, then ‘poor’ Gaia will be facing three opponents…”

"If we add something else to escalate the conflict, it wouldn't be strange if humanity targeted the Titans. In the end, only one person would be happy."

Kinoshita Kei gave a thumbs-up: "Garbage bag weirdo offline?"

"Don't make such a big fuss like last time. What's wrong with entering the production workshop as Kinoshita Kei and doing a few small things when no one's looking?" Renlong, having lived a long life, chuckled, "Isn't Feng very obedient?"

"If necessary, I will destroy the missile silos."

The person who hadn't spoken for a long time suddenly spoke up. Before the others could react, Takayama Gamu unusually shouted, "That would definitely lead to even deeper misunderstandings! It was already... it was already..."

When Aiba Yu was talking about public opinion, Takayama Gamu was actually indifferent to it. No matter what plan they were discussing, there always needed to be a fallback solution: "It's okay, it won't affect me."

But Gao Shanwomeng expressed his thoughts in a raised, resounding voice, leaning forward, his tone completely different from usual.

To outsiders, he seemed to be talking about underground penetrating bombs, but only he knew what he truly meant.

"I am a human who has obtained Gaia's power. Humans always like happy endings. In any case, I will try my best."

"No sacrifices, no regrets—that's the kind of ending I want to see."

Aiba Yu was a little bewildered by his sudden outburst of emotion, so he could only nod in agreement.

It was an ordinary yet extraordinary night, when five people of different backgrounds gathered here by chance.

This statement may not seem as impactful now as it does in a life-or-death situation, but it is remembered after the world has changed.

Like a seedling carefully nurtured in the wind and snow.

A ray of light in the darkness.

……

It was before dawn.

This time, both Kinoshita Kei and Takayama Gamu left Renlong's residence.

The former returned to the Geo base to secretly monitor the deployment of the underground penetrating missiles, while Takayama Gamu contacted his companions in Alchemy Star who opposed the idea.

The constant stream of challenges, difficulties, and even desperate situations can help people grow rapidly.

Kinoshita Kei had imagined how triumphant he would be after awakening Uranus's power, but now he had completely forgotten about it, only thinking about how to quickly and accurately destroy the relevant parts and equipment of the underground penetrating bomb when things got out of control and he turned into the "garbage bag monster" again.

The initial application of the ingenious ideas he gained from "watching countless films" was to destroy human scientific research achievements—something he hadn't initially considered.

Perhaps this is the impermanence of life. Life is like a bastard speeding by in a convertible, splashing you with water as it passes by. You wipe your clothes and have to keep going, feeling happy that at least you weren't run over.

“Manufacturing an underground penetrating bomb involves at least thirteen workshops. To accomplish the destruction without harming the workers near the equipment, we must first eliminate the radiation workshop, then the fuel loading workshop, and then the workshop involving hazardous compounds…” Kinoshita Kei shook his head: “That won’t work. We should first identify the key components, and ideally, destroy the fewest things possible to solve the problem.”

"Then, regarding the live ammunition stockpiles of underground penetrating missiles at other bases, it's beyond our reach, but it's not without opportunities!"

A gentle breeze appeared in Kinoshita Kei's dormitory, gradually taking on a human shape.

He clenched his fists, a smile on his face that his former self had never imagined would appear on him—a smile brimming with fighting spirit and confidence: "A mage, of course, must 'destroy enemy ships and fortresses with a laugh'..."

On the other hand, for Takayama Gamu, what he is doing now seems to have exceeded his original expectations.

Before meeting Gaia, he was just a pure researcher, earning his doctorate at a young age with almost boundless enthusiasm. After meeting Gaia, he knew he had to transform into a warrior, to reverse the prophecy of "destruction," and become the guardian of this star.

The power of the ball.

Now, after listening to the case studies told by the "future man," he has a different perspective.

Before this, no one would have imagined that this young and naive member of the Alchemy Star would do such a thing.

"You're saying... you want to impeach the members of Alchemy Star who assisted in the development and improvement of underground penetrating bombs, and withdraw from the framework agreement for communication with GUARD?!"

It's dawn in Tokyo, but on the other side of the ocean, the moon hasn't yet reached its zenith, which is the time when night owls are full of energy.

After receiving Takayama Gamu's message, Catherine nearly spilled her coffee on her keyboard: "Are you kidding me? Gamu? Did someone from XIG force you to do this?"

She subconsciously thought that Takayama Gamu wouldn't do such a thing, and assumed that some old bastard around him had taught him tricks like "impeachment" and "withdrawal agreement." Takayama Gamu's side... recently, isn't it XIG hanging around him?

"It's because of the assistance in developing the underground penetrating bomb, which targets underground monsters, but its destructive power will endanger the surface," Takayama Gamu said. "Catherine, do you also support such projects?"

"Of course I can't support it! But...but we can't do the same for other people's research..."

"Then come and support me!"

"Huh?!"

On the other side of the screen, Takayama Imouto's face still held a touch of childishness, but Catherine inexplicably perceived in him a man whose word was as firm as a nail. He said:

"Come support me, identify mistakes, admit mistakes, and then correct mistakes—for the future of humanity!"

Chapter 131 Questions and "Answers"

After Kinoshita Kei and Takayama Gamu left, only three people remained in the courtyard. Compared to the lively conversation just now, it now seemed much quieter.

Onodera Hitomi finally realized that she was drinking cold tea, and everyone else's water was cold too. She noticed that neither Renryu nor Aiba Yu intended to stay in the courtyard any longer. One yawned and wanted to go back inside, while the other shrank into his coat, probably because it was late at night and the dew was heavy.

The three of them went their separate ways, and the already deserted courtyard became even more desolate and silent. Onodera Hitomi walked around the corridor, the sound of socks rubbing against the wooden planks muffled. She remembered when she was at "home," everyone was asleep, but the night watch robot was still in the room where it was working.

It was just as quiet then, with only the regular, extremely faint "beep" of the robot.

The "future people" cannot see the future, so they sent a vanguard army back to the past.

If many years ago, Hitomi Onodera only saw darkness before her eyes, and even after arriving in the past, she held the mindset that "if I don't hurry up and write down these landscapes, they will be gone," and wrote five large volumes of travelogues during her observation period, now she sees the light.

It's like walking in a tunnel for a very, very long time, until you doubt whether there's only a long night behind you and no dawn in sight, and finally you discover that the tunnel entrance is far away, where a tiny light shines.

"Things are different now," she thought.