"Before Super Mountain Power Tyrant—no, Jostar Ultraman—left, I heard his voice." As soon as Munakata returned to the GUTS team, he let out what he had been holding in.
Everyone froze for a moment, and Daigo was the first to react.
"Jostar? Is that the Ultraman's name?"
Munakata nodded. "Telepathy. He used it to tell me his name before he left."
This meant that humans and Ultraman could communicate with each other.
And if they could communicate, they could understand each other.
Daigo's brow furrowed slightly. As a human, he possessed a dazzling, brilliant light—but what made that light stand out was the unfathomable darkness within humanity.
If they really communicated, it would undoubtedly spell disaster for them as Ultraman.
People always let something slip eventually. One careless mistake could expose enough information to prove fatal.
After all, they couldn't stay in their Ultraman forms all day. The moment they changed back, they could become test subjects.
It was a desire born from humanity's fear of power.
Even with Director Sawai, the man who had brought peace after putting an end to the chaos, leading TPC, the underhanded schemes within the organization still couldn't be completely controlled.
"This discussion ends here. I don't want to hear rumors like this at headquarters." Megumi Iruma cut off the conversation.
The light's genes passed down to her, along with a woman's intuition, convinced her that the Ultra Warriors were on humanity's side.
But no one knew whether these beings, who wielded power like that of gods, might be corrupted by humanity's darkness and leave the planet—or even cause humanity's extinction themselves.
"From today onward, we'll change the name of the second giant to Jostar."
Everyone understood how serious this was, except Yazumi. So they all chose to keep quiet.
Only Daigo was left, racking his brains over how he might meet that giant.
He could reach the scene at any time thanks to his position on GUTS. But how had this giant appeared at the scene?
Daigo had almost no clues to go on. There had been far too many evacuees, spread across a vast area. Finding one person among them was practically impossible.
Meanwhile, Zhou Hong had finished eating and was holed up in his room, applying burn ointment.
Even after the transformed light factor returned him to his human form, the wounds he'd sustained in battle remained.
But perhaps because of the transformation, he hadn't inherited all of the injuries like Nexus had. At the same time, he hadn't been spared nearly every minor injury like an ordinary Ultra Warrior.
The burn marks still lingered on his chest, though the damage was limited to a patch of red.
After a cold soak in the small bathtub, he felt a little better. With another application of burn ointment, he should be fine after a night's sleep.
The night grew darker, and the Ultra Heart hanging against his chest began to glow softly.
He was back in that pure white space.
"Your training has lasted only a few months, but your fighting skills are already on the right track," Joneus said in his deep voice beside him.
"Your trash talk is pretty good too. It can make an enemy abandon their own techniques and choose to fight you head-on."
"If I run into someone other than a Star Beast someday, I might have to learn that trick myself."
Just imagining the muscular U40 leader, Joneus, swearing up a storm and spouting all sorts of colorful language was enough to shatter his image.
Jostar wiped away nonexistent cold sweat and quickly cut him off with a quip. "Even if you learn to trash-talk, I don't think your enemies will fight you head-on like a warrior."
"Joneus, your name and appearance are just too recognizable."
The Dark Star People in Nebula M78 still occasionally tried to pluck a few hairs from the tiger's beard, making attempts to destroy the Land of Light or whatever.
But the Ultra Warriors of U40 were different. The planet's surface was desolate, and they were often attacked by all kinds of Star Beasts. Compared to monsters, Star Beasts were generally much larger.
Star Beasts hundreds of meters tall were a common sight. Whenever the Ultra Warriors of U40 saw one that size, the same thought would pop into their heads:
I need to find a way to test my strength against one of these Star Beasts.
!!!∑(Дノ)ノ Was that really a normal person's thought?
Aliens who traveled to U40 with plans to invade had witnessed it with their own eyes: some muscular giant grappling with a Star Beast, locked in an intense struggle.
There were always a few dimwits who wanted to test Joneus's mettle. After he punched them into clouds of drifting dust, everyone seemed to get a little smarter.
The universe was full of tales about U40's brawny men. The moment they saw this powerhouse flying out, they'd send their ships flying away at top speed.
Joneus laughed heartily. "It's been a long time since I've met an enemy who could go all-out against me in a straight fight."
"Well, it can't be helped. You're just too strong, Joneus."
"The universe is vast. You never know when a few enemies stronger than me might show up," Joneus said. "We can wrap up your combat training here. Next, we'll work on your other skills."
"From here on, I'll be the one training you." A strange voice suddenly rang out in the Space of Light. The presence was right behind him.
The reflexes Jostar had honed under Joneus's terrifying training kicked in, and he instantly spun around and drove his elbow backward.
When sparring with Joneus, one careless moment could get him knocked to the ground. Jostar held nothing back.
"Thud."
Elbow struck palm, scattering a shower of light particles. Turning to the side, Jostar got a good look at the newly arrived giant.
At just a glance, the light in Jostar's diamond-shaped eyes flared brightly.
"You are!"
With a head modeled after a shark, a body like samurai armor, and crimson patterns like flames, his very existence held countless meanings for countless people.
His name was—Nexus.
If you asked who his favorite Ultraman was, the answer was without a doubt Nexus.
He sighed at the strength of Nexus's heart and marveled at the grandeur of Noa's power.
"Nexus. My human name is Jun Himeya," Nexus said.
"Why is Nexus inside the Ultra Heart?" Jostar asked, not hesitating to speak up when he didn't understand.
"The Ultra Heart isn't a traditional product of U40. A scientist in the future created it as a legacy of light, to guard against powerful forces of darkness."
"Because of certain limitations faced by the Ultra Warriors of the Land of Light. The Plasma Spark Tower's light can lead to the emergence of Ultra Warriors, but it doesn't always happen. That's why they used U40's light instead," Joneus explained.
All right, no need to explain. I can guess who was behind all this. Thanks, little Hikari, for giving the big brother from the Heisei era a power-up.
"As for Nexus, I met him while traveling through the universe. I happened to mention it, and I never expected him to agree right away. When the Ultra Heart was made, Hikari put his light inside it."
Joneus suddenly brought his fists together, sending out a wave of light. "Oh, right. He isn't Jun Himeya from the main universe. He's the Jun Himeya from a parallel universe who once transformed into Noa."
What kind of new version of Jun was this? He was insanely powerful!
Jostar stared at Nexus, dumbfounded. He could already imagine how Jun from that world had swept the field.
"I can teach you flying techniques and light-based skills. That's all I have to offer," Nexus said calmly. "I'll do my best to teach you."
"What about the Meta Field?" Jostar asked hurriedly.
The Meta Field was probably the thing that left the deepest impression on him about Nexus.
"That isn't a skill I can teach," Nexus replied simply. "It's a power that only those qualified to bear the name Nexus can use."
Jostar understood. What Nexus carried was ultimately different from what ordinary Ultra Warriors bore.
Now he had a general idea of what he could learn.
"Um, Joneus," Jostar asked curiously, "how many Ultra Warriors' lights are left inside the Ultra Heart?"
"Only three."
"Mine for combat, Nexus's for mental strength and special beams, and Ace's for forbidden techniques."
Jostar sucked in a sharp breath and spent a few seconds mourning the monsters of the future.
Before you continue