"I'm screwed!!!"
Natsuki's heart lurched when he saw the figure sitting in the jeep.
The orange-and-silver uniform, the massive helmet, the silver cane resting on the passenger seat... the man's identity was unmistakable.
Dan Moroboshi, Ultraseven!
The third brother of the Space Garrison's Ultra Brothers, a former member of Earth's Ultra Guard, captain of the Monster Attack Crew, and an Ultra Warrior who loved humanity unconditionally.
To every member of the Space Garrison except Leo, Ultraseven was a steady, compassionate figure. But in Leo's memories alone, Ultraseven wore another face.
A demonic instructor who dreamed up endless ways to put Leo through hellish training.
The scene before him was straight out of Ultraseven's old training sessions with Leo.
Back then, to counter Alien Karly's signature high-speed horn charge, Ultraseven had devised a special training method for Leo-driving a jeep at him repeatedly while he was in human form, forcing him to master the art of dodging charges.
It sounded utterly diabolical and absurd, but that really was how Leo had trained.
"Wait, Ultraseven!"
"I'm not Leo! Take a good look!"
"I'm Natsuki!"
Natsuki hurriedly shouted as he watched the jeep approach.
This training was for Leo! What did it have to do with me, Natsuki!?
Honk! Honk!
Thud!
He had no idea whether the other man hadn't heard him or had simply chosen to ignore him.
Either way, after a dull impact, Natsuki went airborne.
"Don't blame me, Lias."
"The fact that I'm here can only mean you made the wrong choice."
"Besides, the version of me here is only an energy duplicate. You can think of me as a program assisting Hikari." Watching Natsuki plunge into a mound of sand, Dan Moroboshi pushed open the door and limped over with his cane as he spoke.
His expression was utterly serious, as if this hellish training hadn't been his idea at all.
But Natsuki wasn't buying any of it.
"Bullshit!"
Natsuki climbed out of the sand mound, his eyes brimming with resentment. He spat out the sand in his mouth and shouted angrily.
"If you hadn't volunteered your energy and data, could Hikari have conjured your duplicate here out of thin air!?"
"You're just using this to settle a personal grudge!"
"So I beat your son up once when he was little! I had my reasons! That brat had no respect for his elders and was practically out of control! Even the supreme commander said afterward that I'd done nothing wrong!"
"That kid grew up without any love from his dad or mom. I was the only one bored enough to take him out to play. Now that he's grown up, he's closer to me than to you, and that's not my fault! If you ask me, you were a lousy father. If you'd shown him even a little more affection, would he have tried to touch that damned tower?"
"And I've already abandoned that name. Call me Natsuki from now on!"
"I'm telling you, Ultraseven, I remember all your embarrassing little secrets! For example..."
Natsuki pointed at Dan Moroboshi, ranting in a towering rage.
At first, Dan Moroboshi had wanted to argue back. Certain events back then had once put a serious strain on their relationship. But as Natsuki went on, he swallowed everything he had been about to say.
This old bastard had far too much dirt on him.
In the end.
He could only sigh helplessly.
He pointed at the countdown overhead. "Stalling won't work. The time we spend talking doesn't count toward your training."
Natsuki froze at those words.
He looked up at the motionless countdown.
My urge to kill is rising!
"Hikari, you Alien Babarue!!!" Natsuki roared.
Now he finally understood why this damned hellish training was called a punishment.
This is fucking torture!
I have to spend two hours in this damned place getting run over by a lousy jeep!?
Just kill me!
"The system Hikari developed really can take your current strength to the next level."
"The training is merely a means. What matters is reawakening the potential within you," Dan Moroboshi said, patting his shoulder.
"Pull yourself together as soon as you can, Natsuki."
With that, he returned to the jeep with his cane.
Natsuki remained standing there, his expression drained of all life.
"The main objective of this training is to stop the moving jeep with Psychokinesis." Dan Moroboshi buckled his seat belt as he spoke. "At your current Psychokinesis level, you probably can't even precisely control the flight path of an Ultra Slash anymore."
"You're bound to run into danger on missions. It's best to have a little more power at your disposal."
"Oh, and there's one more thing I need to remind you of."
"During this training, you can't transform, and your other abilities are restricted. You can only use Psychokinesis."
At that, Natsuki realized why a mere jeep had been able to send him flying.
After reversing some distance, Dan Moroboshi's gaze sharpened.
"Get ready! Training starts now!"
He floored the accelerator, and the jeep charged ferociously toward Natsuki.
This time.
Natsuki barely panicked at all.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he said to Dan Moroboshi, "You think this is enough to stump me?"
"Let me show you how I fight!"
With that.
Natsuki reached out to either side. Under his Psychokinesis, great swaths of sand rose and scattered through the air, instantly filling it with dust!
With visibility blocked, Natsuki vanished from sight.
"A clever tactic." Dan Moroboshi drove on for some distance without hitting his target. As the dust settled, he spotted Natsuki off to one side, beckoning provocatively, and offered a word of praise.
Then the corners of his own mouth rose.
"But there's a reason this is called hell-level training."
He reversed again and launched another charge.
Natsuki once again used Psychokinesis to scoop up sand as a smoke screen.
But this time.
Honk! Honk!
Thud!
Natsuki went flying again.
Even amid the swirling dust, the jeep had pinpointed his location and struck him from behind in a ghostlike charge.
Aim lock!
He's cheating!
How am I supposed to play against this!?
"So you're done acting like a decent person too, Ultraseven!?"
"Even Leo didn't get this treatment back then!"
Natsuki climbed out of the sand mound again, pointing at Dan Moroboshi and cursing.
If using Ultraman Vision to find me isn't cheating, what is!?
"Don't run away!"
"Use your Psychokinesis and do your best to stop the jeep!" Dan Moroboshi started the jeep again, shouting at Natsuki.
Natsuki ran ahead while the jeep chased him.
"Ultraseven, you're an Alien Babarue too!!!"
"You and Hikari belong at the same table!!!"
The hell-level training continued for two full hours.
In the real world.
At four thirty in the morning.
Lying on a bed in the Shatterdome's lounge, Natsuki slowly opened his eyes, his head drenched in sweat.
His bloodshot eyes were filled with exhaustion and fury.
Before you continue