Within Ultraseven's mindscape, Zero, in the form of Shin Moroboshi, saw five figures dressed in gray uniforms.
There was no doubt that they were Ultraseven's comrades-the members of the Ultra Guard.
Standing at their head was Anne.
She was Ultraseven's beloved and Zero's mother.
Looking at the tall young man before her, Anne said gently:
"Shin..."
"Or perhaps I should call you Zero."
At first, the reunion between mother and son did not unfold as expected.
Shin Moroboshi stood frozen in place. This was completely beyond anything he had imagined.
Only when Anne walked up to him herself did he finally force a word through his clenched teeth: "Mom..."
He had never imagined that, after becoming an Ultraman, he would see the mother who had been gone for thousands of years.
Not even in his dreams.
He knew all too well the insurmountable gulf between the lifespans of Ultra Warriors and humans.
Even if he could meet other versions of Anne in parallel worlds, none of them would truly be his mother.
He had long since made his peace with it.
But now, that almost impossible wish had come true right before his eyes.
Tears rolled down Shin Moroboshi's cheeks without him even realizing it.
He could no longer hide his feelings behind his trademark pride.
"I'm sorry, Shin..." Anne reached out and wiped the tears from his face.
A glistening tear slipped down her own cheek as she felt the longing and emotion Zero had buried deep in his heart for thousands of years.
That broke the floodgates, unleashing Zero's emotions.
Shin Moroboshi bent down and wrapped Anne tightly in his arms, sobbing:
"Mom, I missed you so much... so, so much..."
Having missed out on the crucial care of his birth parents, Zero had developed a desire to