Ultraman Legend of the Light Chaser

That annoying Watanabe Yota has gone off to fly all over the world with Herbert, Ishii Tsukasa, and the others in their planes. The channel is so quiet. Ralf is on Alpha.

Yuu Aiba piloted the Beta with him. They would be traveling on a Department of Transportation plane to the North American branch in Florida.

"Captain, what are they transporting?" Fujisawa Sousuke asked. "Escort missions are quite rare. I remember the last time they did this was to deliver the engines for the Hyuga II."

"What do you think of the things from the Institute of Life Sciences?" Aiba Yu snatched the teru teru bozu dolls that he was about to stick everywhere and told him to put them in his pocket.

“This is a mascot! The last one didn’t work, so I took it to the shrine as a rain-making doll. This one is new, it’ll definitely keep us sunny all the way!” Fujisawa Sosuke argued, but still reluctantly put the teru teru bozu back into his pocket: “Something from the Life Science Research Institute…”

He paused, then exclaimed in horror, "Could it be a monster being cut into pieces? They really used a chainsaw to saw through a monster!"

Aiba Yu tapped his helmet, sat down in his seat, and prepared to begin the takeoff procedure. The engine slowly accelerated from the preheating state.

Alpha has already taken off, and the transport plane is taxiing to the runway, with Beta following closely behind. Ground crew wave to them, indicating that the path to the takeoff runway has been cleared, and a small vehicle is towing equipment behind them towards another parking area.

"Are you afraid of monsters?" Aiba Yu asked.

"Huh? There are still things you're not afraid of?" Fujisawa Sosuke said, "A creature dozens of stories tall! Isn't that scarier than a dinosaur coming back to life? Not just monsters... to be honest, giants are also very scary."

[TPC-β, surface wind 260,5 m/s, runway 3R, clear for takeoff.] The control tower issued a call.

"Received. Ground wind 260, 5 m/s. Runway 3R, TPC-β." This time, Fujisawa Sousuke didn't blurt out anything.

After the fighter jets took off and the transport plane ahead entered cruise mode, he heard the captain ask again, "Why do you think giants are scary too?"

“Because he could kill ten of me with one slap. I later looked at the surveillance footage and estimated that I was about the width of his finger,” Fujisawa Sousuke sighed. “Of course, those that have already appeared are nothing. If there are aliens mixed in on Earth, that would be truly terrifying.”

The captain was silent for a moment, and then Fujisawa Sousuke heard him say, "Aliens can be good or bad."

This time, Fujisawa Sousuke did not completely agree with the captain, even though he usually went along with the captain's words and talked nonsense in order to avoid punishment.

He remembered the experience when TPC1 crashed into the Lightning Man cloud a while ago. Although it was a close call, the rain hitting the windshield and the lightning that occasionally pierced the cockpit left a deep impression on him—he never liked rainy days.

For pilots, rainy days mean danger.

He knew that the teru teru bozu (a Japanese doll symbolizing good weather) had no effect on ensuring sunny days; he was just looking for someone to pray to.

“Of course, there are good and bad aliens, but nobody cares, right?” he said.

He had the privilege of reading the "Second Investigation Report on Lightning Man" from Dr. Mizuno's team. He was pleased that his research team had been able to confirm his conjecture, but he was also uneasy about the fact that another intelligent life form lived in the ionosphere.

In his article, Dr. Mizuno lavished praise on them, describing them as peaceful spirits hidden in the ionosphere. They are mysterious and serene, much like how humanity, despite discovering electromagnetic waves, failed to notice them for so many years.

"But the elves are facing unforeseen troubles," the Second Investigation Report on the Lightning People states: "Mutation, the electromagnetic waves of humans are causing their race to mutate in an unknown direction, and it can no longer be called 'abnormal'; deformity has become the norm."

Dr. Mizuno expressed his deep concern: "We have a responsibility to solve it, or at least stop this mutation. To that end, I will start a new project to study the genes of the Lightning Man and find ways to eradicate the mutation—my team needs the assistance of more genetic researchers."

Fujisawa Sosuke didn't understand genetics, and he was hearing the rumors about the Lightning Man for the first time. All he knew was that the Lightning Man's clouds contained terrifying thunderstorms.

“We were just lucky, otherwise… Captain, I know we can’t generalize, but it’s truly terrifying to rely solely on the aliens’ own morality. Besides, is their morality really the same as human morality?” Fujisawa Sousuke said in a low voice.

Outside, the sky was clear and blue, yet he seemed to hear the sound of rain pounding against the cabin walls again. It was like being at the bottom of a deep lake, where the cold, damp liquid snaked around like wind and water, surging and overflowing, and no one could hear his cries for help. How much worse was a crash at 10,000 meters altitude than an accident in the depths of the ocean?

The person sitting in front laughed.

He didn't understand what was so funny, so he looked puzzled, and even a little angry.

"You think a lot about things; it's good to use your brain," Aiba Yu said.

"Hey, I'm going to surpass the GUTS team! In terms of both driving skills and brains!" Fujisawa Sousuke gritted his teeth.

But Aiba Yu ignored his confident assurances and simply said, "Air Force... I know there are actually five people in your class."

“But it’s just me and Yota now.” Fujisawa Sousuke’s pent-up anger suddenly dissipated. He unconsciously tightened his grip on the handle. With just a light press of his thumb, the missiles mounted on the TPC-β would ignite their tail flames and automatically pursue their targets.

"So, the General Staff is already working on what you're talking about," Aiba Yu knew perfectly well what the other person was struggling with. He said, "The teru teru bozu (a type of Japanese doll) can't protect you, but the improved rules can."

To become the guardian angel of everyone.

Fujisawa Sosuke's eyes widened slightly, his pupils reflecting the passing blue sky and clouds outside the cabin: "You mean—!"

"Ah, the Act Governing Aliens and Special Life Forms."

Aiba Yu said, "Meetings, especially seminars... are a terrible thing. I think monsters are much cuter than meetings."

Chapter Twenty-One: The Extinguished Sky

Sousuke Fujisawa had never felt so exhilarated as he did today.

On one hand, it was because of the "Agency for the Management of Aliens and Special Life Forms" mentioned by the captain, and on the other hand, it was because of the cargo loaded in the transport plane ahead.

"If you're not afraid of giants, why are you happy that the Life Science Research Center is studying the stone statues?" Aiba Yu asked.

Fujisawa Sousuke seemed to recall the shock of seeing the enormous creatures fighting on the surveillance footage that day. He clicked his tongue with lingering interest: "Fear is one thing, envy is another... I saw the giant fly away in a flash, even the satellite couldn't catch it. I also want to fly that fast and high. Piloting an airplane and flying yourself are different feelings."

“It definitely feels different. Flying directly at supersonic speeds without protection would crush a human body into dust. Our rookie would become a meat-and-dung bird and fall into the sea to feed the fish,” Ralf’s voice came in. “Captain, we’ve reached the Bering Strait and are about to enter the North American branch’s territory. I’ll change frequencies first.”

“Understood,” Fujisawa Sousuke replied.

Ralph laughed and scolded, "I'm reporting to the captain, don't try to take advantage of me! I..."

Fujisawa Sousuke suddenly frowned, his features almost squeezing together, and a sudden burst of noise in the communication channel made everyone connected to that frequency want to throw their headphones away immediately.

The clear sky ahead "went out," and through the cockpit window, he saw a thick cloud rapidly expanding, its dark, almost dripping black base about to engulf the transport plane.

Ralph is piloting the TPC-α inside!

He saw the transport plane rapidly descending its altitude, hoping to speed under it and pass by, but things didn't go as planned. TPC1 had already been hit that day, so how could the Department of Transport's planes, with their even worse hardware, possibly escape?

"It's them again!" Fujisawa Sousuke shouted. "Lightning Man! Are we going to clash with them?! Ralf, Ralf! Alpha! Answer me!"

The sky suddenly darkened, and before any warning could be given, the transport plane plunged into the thunderstorm clouds, with only the lights on its tail fins still visible to the naked eye.

Fear and anger filled Fujisawa Sosuke's mind. He called out to Alpha but received no response, so he turned to call for the transport plane. Compared to the agile fighter jet, and with that old bird Ralf flying it, the transport plane was more worrying—especially since it was carrying a belly full of stone statue powder!

"They couldn't have 'seen' the stone powder we were transporting, could they?" Cold sweat soaked his forehead, and the inside of his helmet felt sticky and stuffy. Fujisawa Sousuke's hands trembled involuntarily.

He wanted to call the captain to find the cloud top and then activate the infrared scan, but their own β was also rushing into the cloud!

The lightning bolts formed a serpent that loomed in and out of sight, as if a ferocious demon was striking a hammer inside. Lightning burst forth from each strike, imbuing the aircraft's outer shell with a deadly current that would puncture electronic components. At best, the aircraft would make a forced landing at sea; at worst, the entire control console would be destroyed. They were piloting one of the world's top-tier fighter jets, yet it felt like they were operating a propeller—a propeller that wouldn't obey their commands.

The worst-case scenario is that a thunderstorm strikes the engine. Transport planes are thin-skinned and have a lot of cargo. If the lightning people are indeed "omnivorous" as Dr. Mizuno researched, then it's possible that they will see a bunch of "elf creatures" lying on the metal sheet and munching away.

"Captain! Turn the corner!!!" Fujisawa Sousuke almost screamed in despair. In the blink of an eye, two of the three planes had been destroyed, leaving only them as the sole survivor. If they crashed into the planes, it would be all over!

The words had barely left his lips when the light went out completely. Clouds condensed on the cockpit windows, turning the lights on the distant transport plane's tail into a large red patch. Razer swarmed forward, countless tiny electrical currents like ants discovering a sugar cube. Fujisawa Sosuke took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but it was impossible!

Bering Sea... Bering Sea again!

His trembling thumb pressed tightly against the launch button, only a sliver of reason holding him back—ahead was a transport plane, its taillights still on, they had just temporarily lost contact, they hadn't crashed, everyone was alright, and the crew was trying to get out of the weather.

"Relax." He heard his own heavy breathing, and the captain's voice pierced through him like a cold needle stuck in a choked cotton ball.

“Relax, Sousuke,” Aiba Yu said. “Our radar has detected Alpha. Its altitude is fine. Everything is alright.”

Fujisawa Sosuke exhaled a breath of stale air, finally calming down a bit. He removed his sweaty fingers from the launch button and looked around, observing the surrounding situation.

According to the manual that Aiba Yu gave them, the first thing to do when encountering the Lightning Man's thunderstorm is not to turn and avoid it - except for the Flying Swallow No. 1, other models cannot avoid it at present. Forcing a maneuver may cause a stall, which would be a more terrible disaster than the thunderstorm.

Next, he silently instructed himself that he should use radar to locate the densely packed group of lightning, bypass it, choose a relatively sparse opening, and speed through. He should also be wary of individuals with strong reactions, as they are often quite large and could pose a danger.

Thinking of this, he immediately began to fulfill his duties as an observer: "Captain..."

There are more life signs around the 10 o'clock position, please avoid it. The best exit is currently in the 1 o'clock position, in a fan-shaped area with a downward angle of 25 to 40 degrees.

Clearly, his memorization of the manual was not in vain; β adjusted the angle as instructed, and Aiba Yu adopted his suggestion.

“Um…” Fujisawa Sosuke tilted his ear: “Captain, did you hear a child laughing?”

He shut up after asking the question because a deafening laugh came from above—still the clear, childlike sound, but it sounded almost like a manic person smashing a gong against his ear.

Fujisawa Sousuke was so shocked that he involuntarily flinched.

The cold sweat that was almost dried by his body heat surged up again. It was pitch black all around, with only the light from the dashboard shining in occasionally, illuminating his equally pale face.

【What's this!】

Has the dashboard gone mad?!

"Don't come any closer! Sosuke, jump!"

“Bering Sea…” he murmured at first, then his voice grew louder and louder: “That wasn’t an accident, it wasn’t an abnormal magnetic field…”

Another flash of white light entered the cockpit, but something blocked his view. Fujisawa Sousuke looked up and saw a pair of orange-yellow eyes.

The owner of those eyes had his mouth agape, behind which was a wide-open throat with fine, sharp teeth, from which came a childlike laugh.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment. The brief flash of lightning dissipated, but something even more chilling slowly rose up. Fujisawa Sousuke heard his heart pounding like a drum, yet his thoughts were clearer than ever before.

What should you do if an aggressive monster appears in front of you?

Without hesitation, he pressed the launch button. Two missiles ignited and instantly detached from under the wings, striking the monster with the sharpest fangs.

One powerful warhead and the other an electromagnetic pulse grenade originally intended to blind enemy troops—perhaps hitting the Lightning Man would have a surprising effect? ​​Fujisawa Sousuke shouted, "Now's the time to speed up and escape!"

Chapter Twenty-Two: Swords and Blades in Formation

At 65° North latitude, in the Bering Strait, the tundra struggles against howling winds.

In late autumn, there shouldn't be such a grand lightning and storm here. The cold, gray seawater pounded against the rocky shore, leaving puddles that reflected the thick clouds. Silver fighter jets broke out of the thunderstorm clouds, and wispy wisps of cloud extended like tendrils.

TPC-α, the fighter piloted by Ralph, was unharmed. The noise in his headset disappeared, and Ralph immediately called for the transport plane and β.

"Beta! Department of Transportation! This is Alpha! I have left the thunderstorm cloud and observed that the cloud boundary has stopped expanding. Cloud dispersal operations will begin in ten seconds!" He stared intently at the radar screen. The signals of the transport plane and Beta were extremely conspicuous, surrounded by countless smaller dots of light—those were the Lightning Men.

Ralf knew the situation was urgent; the Thunderman's storm cloud had deliberately enveloped him this time! If he didn't receive a response from his comrades, he would activate his autonomous assessment of the situation and prioritize using rockets to tear the storm cloud apart.

Hopefully, after that, Lightning Man will stop bothering his companions—at least stop trying to gnaw on the thin-skinned transport plane!