Ultraman Legend of the Light Chaser

Soruka's account was clearly more serious. He continued, "The Earth Defense Force can find people who can pilot spaceships, and people skilled in using and repairing beam cannons, but they can't find a single person capable of further developing new technologies... The entire R'lyeh, the most prosperous city of the ancient humans, is like a castle in the air. Yuzare has mentioned her concerns more than once, but there's nothing she can do. 'Civilization' is a very heavy thing. Once it's in motion, anyone..."

Even we cannot stop it.

“In the ancient times, there was biotechnology and countless projects related to life modification. However, the alien beast factor was something completely new to people at that time. The hand that provided ‘nourishment’ could not provide support, and it would take far too long to catch up from scratch,” Soruka sighed heavily. “The infection progressed very quickly, and no one could afford to wait.”

"Were there also cases of infection by the alien beast factor at that time?"

After a while, Soruka responded, "Yes, of course we did... We weren't called Alien Beasts back then."

"The term 'Alien Beast' comes from the Life Science Research Center. It's perfectly normal that they didn't use it in the ancient times," Daigo laughed. He walked quickly, and in the time it took for the two of them to exchange a few words, the air force's base area was already in sight.

Soruka seemed to have something else to say, but ultimately didn't continue. He fell silent, and the doors on both sides of the corridor quickly retreated. Daigo could already hear the shouts from the training ground.

……

Thirty million years ago.

Hoshimi Village.

As Soruka described, on the ancient continent, there was not only R'lyeh, but also countless isolated and traditional villages. Hoshimi Village was one of them. The people believed that beyond the mountains lay a world of gold, that the appearance of monsters was the wrath of the gods, and that giants were their saviors... Paradia was a "medium" who could communicate with giants, and her father was the previous one.

Paradia was very distressed by this. She complained to Soruka more than once: "They think the outside world is so great, but when I say 'Let's move to R'lyeh,' no one agrees! They say things like 'Hoshimi Village is our home' or 'It's a place left by our ancestors'... Big guy, just turn into a giant and persuade them to move. That way, everyone will definitely agree!"

Soruka knew she was just venting her anger; Paradia herself wouldn't agree to let the giants solve any problems she encountered. So, Soruka simply listened attentively, occasionally offering a few words of agreement. Only after she finished complaining and was about to continue her work did Soruka ask, "That strange illness, should I contact some friends? The village doctor is helpless."

As soon as they finished speaking, the two heard a muffled, thunderous snore—it was Samuel, lying in the woodshed, his large eyes staring out the window, his golden pupils reflecting their images.

“With such clean eyes, he must be a good monster.” Paradia said this when introducing Samuel to others, a typical case of judging a monster by its appearance.

Now Soruka wants to say the same thing, and he'd add, "The strange illness isn't his fault."

Yes, misfortunes never come singly. Ten days after the monster's attack, a strange disease began to circulate among the villagers—it caused people to alternate between lucidity and madness, their smooth skin to become rough and hard, and their limbs, and even their faces, to gradually change and become unlike human beings. The doctor worked tirelessly among the patients, and apart from concocting some herbs with anesthetic properties, he had no better treatment options.

The only gain was that the doctor found the source of the strange illness—water.

“This pool is the water source for four families in the vicinity, and the patients happen to be concentrated in these four families,” the doctor concluded. “The pool is probably contaminated, but the specifics are still unclear. However, it is best to seal off this pool starting today.”

The doctor couldn't find out anything more, of course, but Soruka clearly smelled a faint scent of blood in the pool—it was Samuel's.

He remembered. It was raining that day, and while he was out contacting other giants, the monster attacked Hoshimi Village. Samuel stopped it, allowing Paradia to quickly evacuate the villagers.

When Soruka noticed the commotion and rushed back, he saw a small, half-ruined building. Samuel, biting the monster's belly, was pushing it away from the village with all his might. The monster howled in pain, its fists and claws raining down on the enemy's head and neck. But the enemy was clearly unmoved. The monster was getting further and further away from the village, its blood trickling down from the gaps in its scales, mixing with the rainwater, pooling in the footprints, and then overflowing.

The air was thick with dampness and the stench of blood. Soruka was furious. He quickly separated the monster from Samuel with a few punches and kicks, then ended everything with a massive burst of light. When he turned around, Samuel was looking up at him, his eyes filled with the reflection of the radiant light.

“You can’t even control your body properly, you have trouble running, how dare you fight monsters alone?” Soruka almost pointed his finger at him and cursed.

The "Great Demon" exhaled a breath of white liquid, the thick aura of blood causing Soruka to frown. He stepped forward and hugged the Great Demon's head, noticing the trembling beneath its hard scales, and whispered, "As long as we get everyone out of here, the houses can be rebuilt—there's only one human life, and only one 'Great Demon'... Now you know what pain is?"

That was the first time Samuel had voluntarily left his "containment facility." Afterwards, the monster stories circulating in Hoshimi Village took a turn, becoming tales of people and the benevolent monster that protected the village.

If it weren't for this strange illness, perhaps the story would have continued to be told.

"The one who tied the knot must untie it. Do you have any ideas?" Soruka shared his guess. Samuel didn't react in any particular way. He seemed calm and even relieved, as if he was happy that Soruka had finally found out the truth.

He stretched out his claws and carved words crookedly on the ground.

There were a few precious books in Hoshimi Village that taught people to read, but they were too small and fragile for Samuel to handle the delicate task of turning the pages with his paws. Paradia had to turn the pages herself, teaching Samuel to read little by little. This was extremely inefficient, and as a result, Samuel hadn't been able to write more than a few words, barely managing to write anything.

They can combine body language and facial expressions to get a general idea of ​​what others are saying.

“No,” Samuel wrote.

Soruka deciphered the meaning from the nearly broken characters: "Well, maybe I'll have to go to R'lyeh. I need to get some samples."

Samuel nodded, and Soruka patted him on the shoulder: "If anyone else tries to attack in the chaos, don't be reckless. Just lead them and escape..." After a pause, Soruka continued, "You know where the strange disease originated, right?"

Samuel nodded again, pointing to himself. His gaze was calm and composed, except when Soruka spoke of the strange changes caused by the polluted water, a look of surprise appearing on his face before slowly fading away, as if he had accepted the conclusion.

The woodshed was dark. Samuel's body blocked the only window, leaving only a sliver of sunlight squeezed into a thin line. Samuel lay down, and finally even the line disappeared, leaving only his lowered eyes shining brightly in the dim space.

“I will try my best to find a solution,” Soruka said softly. “In the future… if you hear any rumors that make you feel uncomfortable, come to me.”

In Soruka's memory, Samuel had never come to him about this matter.

In the days that followed, the "great monster" became increasingly cautious, keeping to himself and staying away from people. Whenever a curious or mischievous child approached, he would bare his teeth and scare them away.

After moving into R'lyeh, Solka couldn't possibly keep his existence a secret from the Earth Guard. Thus, everyone knew that a giant possessed a dangerous monster whose blood was highly poisonous, turning anyone who came into contact with it into the same monster.

Fortunately, there were still people willing to accept him. Besides Soruka and Paradia, Daya also took the opportunity to slap his head under the guise of helping to clean his bones and horns. In Daya's words, "It's so cold, but he's warm and feels great. Why don't you give him a try?"

Later, Samuel learned how to fight back from Gaddy, and Darya never got to try again.

A long time passed, and then Ultraman Tiga, the giant who had once stood on the opposite side, arrived, adding another friend to Samuel's few circle of friends.

Hearing the rumors of the "poisonous monster," Tiga said nothing, only asking him if he wanted to go with him whenever they went out to battle. Tiga was very strong, and the alien beast factor seemed to have no effect on him. With Samuel by his side, he could finally act freely, and his fighting style drifted further and further away from the direction that Solka had been diligently guiding him towards.

Soruka was heartbroken. He verbally berated Samuel for being too stupid to learn the tactics of a seasoned veteran, but he also scolded Gedi and Tiga more. In his words, these two were practically his two henchmen, who were dedicated to corrupting the students he was trying to teach.

But deep down he was happy. Everyone who can accept themselves is a precious treasure, and he was happy for Samuel. The "Great Monster" couldn't just have Soluka and Paradya by his side; he needed to see a wider world, meet more people, and let his eyes see better scenery.

Instead of hiding in their self-built caves and woodsheds, living and dying silently, unknown to anyone, like water poured into water.

Chapter 172 The Vulnerable One (6k)

The shouts from the training ground grew closer. Daigo had trained here before, and he easily navigated the corridor, finding the best spot outside the barbed wire fence. It faced the benches where people inside could easily see him.

"What a rare guest!" Ralph stepped forward, towel in hand. "You're here to see the captain?"

“Yes, him…” Daigo looked inside. Apart from Sosuke, all the members of the air force were there.

Compared to the joint training sessions, the training ground is much quieter now. It's like the most boisterous student in the class being taken away by the homeroom teacher for tea; the classroom is always a bit more subdued, as if everyone's words have been taken away as well.

“He was just here, probably got tangled up with the IT department again,” Ralph wiped his brow. “If it’s urgent, go to his office. If it’s not, I can pass on a message.”

Ralph's intelligence was correct; people from the Information Department frequently came to see him. After the last internal purge, the Information Department had added some new personnel, and operations resumed. Naturally, efficiency was lower than when experienced workers were present, and tasks that had become routine now often required reminders from other departments. Therefore, not only the General Staff, but also other departments closely connected with the Information Department were facing the trouble of increased workload and time consumption.

The liaison officer from the information department had to go to various departments that had been delayed, offering apologies, explanations, and guarantees. Aiba Yu was tired of hearing this and told him he didn't need to make the trip; just tell him to forward any sensitive information he collected in the future.

The liaison officer thanked him repeatedly, saying, "We've used up a lot of manpower just to clear out information about this so-called 'Cosmic God Cult.' People these days are smarter; the system's automatic interception often slips through. I hope you can understand."

"Cosmic God Cult?" A strange term. "Is there a lot of information like this?" Aiba asked.

“Wow, you guys don’t usually pay attention to it, so of course you don’t know that the relevant case files in the Information Department are this high,” the liaison officer gestured to his eyebrows, “Cosmic God Cult is just a general term within us. It includes some beliefs related to extraterrestrial civilizations, such as the Destruction God Mu Zhen, the Lightning Demon God and all sorts of other nonsense… It’s a chaotic mess. Even the Raven People have followers. Legend has it that those who worship them can send bad luck to the people they hate, like stabbing someone in the back.”

“…You have a good imagination,” Aiba Yu said, “like the Teru Teru Bozu doll.”

"It's mysterious, novel, and has powerful individual examples, so of course some people will believe it. Actually, most of it is just for fun, but it has a significant impact."

It's really not good... Honestly, it's better to believe in Teru Teru Bozu (Japanese teru teru bozu), they're locally made, cheap, and produced in large quantities. One Crow Man headgear can buy several boxes of Teru Teru Bozu.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the liaison officer was about to leave when he added, "Some clearly organized groups have also registered with us. If you discover any such groups, you can provide us with clues."

"Organized?"

"Yes, that's the focus of our recent observations, the god Kirielod."

The liaison officer's reminder caught Aiba Yu's attention. The Kirieloids' operations had previously been relatively covert; Aiba Yu had only encountered their followers on Miyagi Island. In a sense, they were similar to the Crow People, who secretly captured Earthlings—both doing shady things in the shadows. But had they now reached a point where the Information Department was on alert?

Without hesitation, he immediately found the relevant report from the Information Department and began to review it. This was also the reason why Daigo once again missed his target in the office—Paradia's face appeared in a video.

……

New development area.

Another newly developed area. When this term appeared on the screen again, Aiba Yu could only think of one word: an ominous place.

After the incident caused by Sanada Ryosuke stealing the Ebloon cells, the newly developed area was thoroughly investigated by the TPC. Logically, it should have been the safest place, but perhaps due to blind spots, the Kirieloids used this area, where most residents had personally witnessed aliens or monsters, as their base.

The video shows a small, not very spacious square crowded with people. "Will the god Kirieloid protect us?" "Darkness is coming, we will all die, like the prehistoric flood, will God give us a vessel to save the world?" "God's handmaiden! I can barely survive these days..."

The person filming was also shouting along, his words incoherent with emotion, and the video was shaking like a leaf, but even in such a blurry video, Aiba Yu recognized her—Paradia.

Paradia was already dead; Samuel dug her grave, and Soruka carved her tombstone.

She did not succumb to time; she was still in her prime when she closed her eyes.

“A clone.” Aiba Yu thought of the information Sōsuke had given him.

Time had passed, and the world had changed. Even he and Soruka could hardly find the exact location of the former grave. He didn't believe that the Kirieloids had found the material by chance to cultivate clones, so there was only one answer—Paradia's body was exhumed not long after her burial.

Aiba Yu got up and left the TPC headquarters. A few minutes later, a "pedestrian" appeared in the small square of the newly developed area.

It was evening, the birds were returning to their nests, and the square had become quiet. The setting sun cast long shadows of the streetlights, stretching all the way to the feet of the pedestrians.

TPC's uniform attracted some attention. Seeing Aiba Yu looking around as if observing something, a resident wearing glasses cautiously asked, "TPC investigated this place a few months ago. Have more aliens appeared?"

Aiba Yu shook his head and asked, "Are there any gatherings or events happening here lately?"

"You're here to see God Kirieloid too?" Glasses asked in surprise, then looked around to make sure no one was nearby before whispering, "If you're here on official business, that's for the best. But if you're here privately... take my advice, that church isn't normal."

"How to say?"

“It’s abnormal because it’s performing too well,” Glasses muttered. “I don’t believe anyone would go to the trouble of setting up a church just to bless humanity, especially an alien… But what if someone really does? It means they’re not in it for the money or to scam people. Those are trivial matters to them. They must have a bigger goal—this church that proclaims the God Kirieloid is one of them.”

Aiba Yu laughed: "You're quite alert. Besides this square, where else do they preach?"

"I don't know about that. Oh no, they had a party in this square the day before yesterday. I watched from outside for a while, and when I got home, I felt like I was being followed..."

Aiba Yu glanced down at his uniform. If what the resident said was true, his conversation with the person now would definitely cause trouble. Before starting the investigation, he needed to protect the person first.

"Do you still have family at home?" Aiba Yu said, "Come back to TPC with me first, and lay low for a few days."

"Oh, really?" Glasses waved his hand and said, "They've already left. There are only people taking a stroll in this square. I also have a parrot at home. Hmm... I wish you a successful investigation?"

Aiba Yu opened his communicator and sent a message to Sato, then grabbed the man and walked out of the plaza, his words solemn: "We can't take the aliens' matter lightly. There don't seem to be any suspicious people in this plaza, but who knows how many ways they have to monitor this place? I came in too much of a hurry; I shouldn't have worn the TPC uniform."

“I wouldn’t have offered you information if you weren’t wearing this uniform,” Glasses said, unable to break free, and could only follow along half-heartedly. “Um… I’m not going to be hiding for too long, am I? My parrot has no one to take care of it.”