Ultraman cubs begin to wreak havoc.

Then, in the next second, Gridman's eyes lit up as he was being relentlessly attacked by the monster's hands and wings. His dark yellow eyes turned gold, signifying that Subaru had gained control. Gridman, however, was completely bewildered. The switch of control was so smooth, without him even having to give any feedback, that he was simply disconnected. Even in his fused state, this was still far too...

Just as Gridman was filled with questions, Subaru, who had read Gridman's instruction manual, decisively chose to take two punches, then grabbed the monster's arms with both hands, using them as leverage to lift his feet off the ground and launch a series of flying kicks at the monster's body and head.

In fact, Gen Subaru wanted to tear off the arms after the series of kicks, but when he exerted his strength, he felt that Gridman's strength was insufficient and he could not do that. He could only change his attack method. In the end, he kicked the monster hard with both feet, forcing it back and gaining enough space to counterattack, so as not to fall into the situation of being suppressed by the series of kicks again.

Subaru's intuition was correct. As he exerted his power, in the secondhand shop "Ayaka JUNK SHOP," Rikka Takarada stared at the computer in front of her, which was constantly sparking with electricity. She was at a loss for what to do. Through the screen, she could clearly see Gridman's battle scene and vaguely guessed that the computer's current situation was probably related to that battle, but she really didn't know what to do.

In short... in conclusion...

Anyway, let's move the flammable materials away first. Ah~~~ why did this happen?

While Rikka Takarada began her work, Subaru's battle quickly escalated into a fierce engagement. Subaru had tried, and found that he couldn't unleash the Meta Field while possessed by Gridman. This meant that he would have to finish the battle quickly and try to move the battlefield to a more remote or deserted place.

However, the current battle cannot be changed; only a swift victory can be achieved.

At this moment, the monster spewed a dark green beam of light at Gen Subaru. Just by looking at it, Gen Subaru knew that this thing was either highly poisonous, extremely corrosive, or both. Moreover, this beam of light was fired at high speed in rapid succession, posing a considerable threat to Gridman.

With a leap, Gen Subaru took off into the sky, dodging the oncoming dark green beams of light with the agility of a swallow. He then seized the opportunity, charged up his power, and unleashed a high-voltage light bullet. This skill could be fired continuously and could be used with either the left or right hand, making it a fairly effective control skill.

The monster roared under the attack. Although it couldn't speak, it had already adopted a "wait until you land, and I'll make you regret it" stance. To this, Gen Subaru snorted coldly, showing his contempt for the monster's intelligence. Then he raised the receiver on his wrist. On Gridman's side, there was a similar armor module in the corresponding position.

On this module, a huge amount of energy began to gather, and then it was unleashed all at once. The high-temperature beam called the Grid Beam struck the monster instantly, and after a brief stalemate, it pierced through its body, triggering a massive explosion.

The monster was destroyed, and Gridman's energy lamp began to flash, indicating that the time Gridman could maintain was reaching its limit. In the aftershocks of the monster's explosion, the tall figure of Gridman disappeared.

Then Subaru was 'thrown' out of the computer and landed in front of Rikka Takarada, who was leaning against the cabinet, sweating profusely.

At this moment, Rikka Takarada's eyes widened slightly. As a result, countless hideous wounds appeared out of thin air on the boy in front of her, making him appear as if he were covered in bruises.

If Genjo could see his own appearance at this moment, he would naturally know that those injuries were left from the initial battles against the Chaos Shadows, where he traded injuries for injuries. He did not suffer as many external injuries when fighting the last enhanced Chaos Shadow.

However, these injuries should not have occurred in the first place. After all, as long as there are enough light particles in the body of a light particle aggregate, any so-called injury will heal quickly, at least on the surface.

Now, after being possessed by Gridman, Genji has regained a sense of his own body. Normally, when Gridman's energy is not too depleted, he is fine. However, after the battle just ended, Gridman's condition has temporarily declined. Lacking energy to sustain him, these injuries have become apparent, making Genji appear somewhat miserable and tragic in Rikka Takarada's eyes.

However, Subaru was very adaptable, as were the light particles that made up his body. After seeing his current situation clearly reflected in Rikka Takarada's eyes, Subaru calmly mobilized his limited energy to erase the surface injuries. Leaning against the bar counter, he struggled to his feet, smiled at Rikka Takarada, and said:

"Excuse me, I hope you can keep this a secret for me. I need to look for a job, so I'll have to leave now."

After saying that, Gen Subaru walked towards the door. His swaying body and unsteady steps made Rikka Takarada frown slightly. But just as she was hesitating about what to say, she suddenly saw Gen Subaru stop and pat his own cheek, as if he was encouraging himself.

Then, as if his spirit had returned, although he was still walking slowly, his body suddenly became upright. A kind of aura that Rikka Takarada couldn't quite explain, but seemed quite reliable, blocked all the rest of her words. She felt that if she said anything to sympathize with him, it would be like insulting him.

"Oh, it's you, cute young man."

Just then, Rikka Takarada heard a familiar voice. It was her mother, the manager of the secondhand shop "Ayaka Junk Shop." The manager, who had been running off somewhere after opening the shop, had finally returned. Judging from her voice, she was talking to that customer. She wondered how they knew each other.

However, Rikka Takarada could tell that it was just her mother's polite greeting. After she finished speaking, her mother's hurried footsteps entered the store.

"Phew... Rikka, remember to answer the phone."

The brown-haired, blond-eyed woman rushed in. Seeing that Rikka Takarada, who was sitting safely at the bar, was unharmed, she breathed a long sigh of relief, her heart finally settling back into place. She then casually placed her shopping bag aside and said:

"By the way, what was that guy doing in the store just now? Was he your classmate? I've never seen him before."

"No, it was a guest who was very interested in this computer."

Rikka Takarada lowered her head, supporting her forehead with her hand. Her smooth black hair fell down, obscuring her face. Her worldview had been truly challenged by what had happened today. If it weren't for her mother speaking to her, she wouldn't have wanted to say a word. Her mind was a complete mess. Monsters and giants—she couldn't understand any of it. She was also worried about her friends' safety. She really wanted some peace and quiet.

"Mom, why did you leave the shop open?"

"Ah...this..."

Rikka's mother touched her neck, thought for a moment, and said softly:

“I heard from Mrs. Nara that there was a big sale at the Lotte Store. I checked the time and you’ll be home in about three minutes, so I’m leaving now. It’s only about three minutes. As far as the security is concerned, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

No way! This is a huge problem! In just three minutes, something incredible has come to our house!

Rikka Takarada sighed helplessly in her heart, then got up and casually told her mother, "Don't wait for me for dinner," before going upstairs to her room. As she had said before, no matter what else she hadn't done or what she hadn't said, she wanted to have some peace and quiet before discussing it further.

On the other side, Subaru sat on a park bench. The park was on higher ground, so he could see the battlefield below where the battle had just taken place. Although the monster was eventually defeated, it was undoubtedly a failed battle. This monster annihilation war, which was supposed to be for protection, did not seem to have fulfilled its due protective duty.

Oh dear... damn chaos... no, it's my incompetence.

Gen Subaru was initially furious, angry at Chaos for his evil deeds that had put him in such a bad state. But he quickly realized that he had been escaping reality. If he were stronger, none of this mess would have happened.

Ugh... my head.

Yuan Mao, who was about to conduct skill simulation, helplessly covered his head. He had originally planned to take the opportunity to polish those incomplete skills related to [Amplification], but this process had to be put on hold for the time being.

At this moment, Gen Ang's gaze fell on his wrist. Only then did he realize that when Gridman projected the Primal Fusion Device, he had also transferred the Ark Bracelet from his right hand to his left hand. If he remembered correctly, Gridman seemed to have given a reason when they connected, as if the Ark Bracelet, a high-tech product, could better enhance the degree of fusion between them.

"Hey, Gridman, can you hear me?"

Yuan Mao glanced at the still-broken Ark Bracelet and called out in that direction. As expected, there was no response. Come to think of it, given their current state, they were both just like that of a madman.

What Gen Subaru didn't expect was that Gridman was in a state of autism on the old computer at the secondhand shop "Ayaka JUNK SHOP." This was not only because Gen Subaru had easily taken over control of Gridman during the battle, but also because, after witnessing Gen Subaru's entire battle, Gridman suddenly felt that Gen Subaru, the warrior who had just merged with him, seemed to use the Gridman mecha much better than his own original consciousness.

Without a doubt, this giant who fell from the sky was an extraordinary warrior. He was a veteran of countless battles and had a wealth of experience. When fighting monsters, he would seize the slightest opening and turn it into a victory horn.

However, compared to his amazing performance in battle, what Gridman was more concerned about at this moment was that after the fusion, he discovered something important—so important that Gridman couldn't help but wonder if his core processor had made a mistake. He had to perform numerous calculations before he dared to tentatively confirm...

This giant...

She really does look only four years old?!

No, am I sure there's no mistake in my test? Is this age really not misplaced at the decimal point?!

277 Vanished Memories

Yuan Mao was unaware of the shock and distress GRIDENT experienced, as well as the near-burning of the old computer. He was also unaware that Rikka's mother, Ms. Takarada Orie, after quickly unplugging the old computer amidst sparks, was considering whether to lower its price to facilitate a quick sale.

All he knew now was that he needed to make money quickly, and buying the computer where Gridman was was the key. So he got up and continued looking for a job. However, because of the monster invasion incident, there were not many shops open at night, so Gen Subaru could only return empty-handed. He sat on the bench, thinking that he would just make do for the night, go into hibernation mode, and recover his Nen power.

The thought of wanting to sleep had just arisen when Yuan Mao suddenly felt so sleepy that he couldn't keep his eyes open. Yuan Mao keenly realized that this sleepiness was not normal. Even though it was indeed 11 p.m., which is the time when most people go to sleep, this was something that should not happen to Yuan Mao.

Gen Subaru fought against the intense drowsiness, struggling to use his remaining means to set up a safety barrier around his body before finally succumbing to unconsciousness. If someone tried to do something while he was sleeping, these protective measures would not only safeguard his safety but also leave a mark on the perpetrator, providing a basis for subsequent pursuit.

However, this time it was clear that Yuan Mao was overthinking things. When he woke up, he hurriedly looked up and saw that the electronic screen opposite him showed that it was five o'clock in the morning. Looking at the protective measures beside him that had not been triggered, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He moved his body and felt much better than last night.

But what exactly is this inexplicable drowsiness?

Yuan Mao was somewhat puzzled, since the methods that affected him now did not need to be too sophisticated, and therefore there were too many things that could be considered.

Wait, isn't the air... a little too fresh?

As Yuan Mao stood up and stretched his arms and legs, he suddenly realized something was wrong. Although this park wasn't on high ground, before he fell asleep last night, he could still smell the pungent smoke coming from the battlefield and hear the sirens blaring from there.

Given the conditions there, even with excellent ventilation, it's impossible for the smell to be completely eliminated overnight.

How is this going?

Gen Subaru sensed something was amiss and cautiously walked towards it. Soon after, he witnessed an astonishing scene—

The parts that were damaged by the monster yesterday are now completely intact, as if the battle never happened. It's truly astonishing. If Gen Subaru hadn't been certain that he was fully conscious, he would have thought that what happened yesterday was just a dream.

Yuan Mao frowned and walked towards the area that should have been destroyed, wanting to experience the situation there firsthand. As he walked, he didn't notice anything amiss. Everything, from the places to the reactions of everyone, seemed perfectly natural, without any falsehood or illusion. The traces of yesterday's battle had completely vanished from the world.

This place... is definitely not normal.

From the very beginning, Yuan Mao felt that something was off about this town, but he couldn't find any evidence or clues to investigate. Now, he has found evidence, but the truth seems even more elusive.

I feel like things are starting to get interesting.

As Gen Subaru gazed at the monstrous shadows outside the town, he murmured to himself, vaguely realizing that the changes in this area were likely related to these creatures.

Hmm... It's almost time for my appointment with Aoyama Barber Shop.

At this moment, Yuan Mao finally remembered that he had an appointment to keep today, so he turned around and headed towards his destination. Soon, he arrived there ahead of time and greeted the hairstylist Tony inside, telling him to wait a moment because another hair model was coming. They could take photos together, which would save trouble.

Yuan Mao naturally had no objection to this. He sat on the chair next to him, closed his eyes to rest, and took the opportunity to recover his Nen power. He did not notice how long he had been waiting until he heard a familiar voice. Only then did he open his eyes and meet the gaze of those bright blue eyes.

"Ah...we meet again, what a coincidence."

Rikka Takarada never expected to meet this customer at the Aoyama Barber Shop, nor did she expect that he would be a hair model for this event, just like her. However, there were many people there, and Subaru Gen also noticed that Rikka Takarada didn't seem to want to get involved with him. So, after giving a friendly reply, there was no further conversation.

Tony didn't say much about it. Looking at Minamoto Subaru and Takarada Rikka, he figured they were probably from the same school, the kind of classmates who had met a few times but weren't very familiar with each other. This was a common situation, and he had experienced it himself. So he didn't tease them and simply led Minamoto Subaru and Takarada Rikka into the modeling work.

It's called work, but it's really just sitting there letting the hairstylist mess with your head. The Qingshan Hair Salon isn't very big or small, and the promotional materials for the hairstyles don't have that much content. Plus, some of the hairstyles for Yuan Mao are just wigs, so his photoshoot was completed first.

Yuan Mao counted the money he received from Tony and put it in his pocket. He was about to go look for a job when he noticed something. He turned his head and met those blue eyes again, but compared to before, there seemed to be a slight change in those eyes.

Subaru didn't say much or react much. He just smiled politely and left. Rikka Takarada saw this and felt a little complicated, but she still had things to do and could only suppress her thoughts for the time being.

After finishing her filming for Rikka Takarada, she tidied her bangs, collected her wages, and went out onto the street. Looking around, she didn't see Subaru, and then gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Yeah, he only said one greeting from beginning to end, and maybe made eye contact once. Under such circumstances, how could he possibly know that I wanted to see him? I was really too presumptuous.

Rikka Takarada sighed helplessly, reached out and twirled a strand of hair around her face, then walked towards the secondhand shop "Ayaka Junk Shop." Although she had many things she wanted to ask and many things she wanted to ask for help with, it seemed that for now she could only sit by the computer and wait for the customer to come back.

Speaking of which... isn't his name Genmaru? The shop manager seemed to have called out that name just now, Genmaru Genmaru Genmaru... I've never heard of that name before.

"Hello."

"Wow!!!"

As Rikka Takarada was walking along, lost in thought, a sudden sound startled her. She looked up in surprise and saw Subaru Minamoto standing under a tree, waving at her. He was holding a carton of milk, which he tossed to her. The milk was warm, or rather, lukewarm, just the right temperature to drink.

And why milk...?

Rikka Takarada remembered that while getting her hair done, she had mentioned to her hairstylist that she hadn't eaten breakfast. The hairstylist said she would treat her to something to eat after work, but Rikka said she was on a diet and would just have a glass of milk to tide her over when she got home.

I didn't expect him to remember this. He's such an honest guy.

"You seem to have something to discuss with me."