Chapter Forty-Six: The Silver Giant Returns

The world was cloaked in a silver-white covering, the entire land gleaming with snow as far as the eye could see. Yue Longze strolled casually, both hands buried in the pockets of his overcoat, a freshly lit cigarette dangling from his lips. His dark silhouette stood out starkly against the snowy expanse.

After leaving Meihiko’s home, Yue Longze’s feelings were a tangled mess. He realized now that he was inextricably bound to this time and place. For the first time, he found himself afraid of leaving this world.

“Feelings, what a strange thing,” Yue Longze murmured, taking a deep drag on his cigarette as he wandered aimlessly, eyes heavy as he gazed up at the sky, his words weighed with reflection.

With no work today, the leisure felt unfamiliar, almost unsettling. As he walked through the snow, he didn’t know what he should do. The only thing occupying his mind was the fate of Masaki Keigo and Da Gu.

...

“Masaki, do you really… think you can succeed?” Da Gu stared in astonishment at the light genetic particle converter and the grand stone statue of the giant before him, his heart pounding with tumultuous waves of emotion.

“You doubt my genius?” Masaki Keigo smirked as he adjusted the converter, half smiling at Da Gu.

“To become a giant through science… it’s just too unbelievable!” Da Gu shook his head, struggling to accept what he saw.

“You’re miles behind compared to that Yue Longze. He didn’t look half as shocked as you when he first heard about this.” As Masaki spoke, he finished tuning the device.

“It’s ready.” Masaki glanced sideways, his tone calm. Oddly, on the verge of becoming a giant, he no longer felt the feverish excitement of before, but a serene composure instead.

Meanwhile, as Da Gu and Masaki conversed, the demon god Ainome appeared once again in the city. That bizarre electromagnetic wave, capable of destroying the human mind, began to sweep through the air.

At TPC headquarters:

“Victory Team, mobilize! Target: Eliminate Ainome!” Commander Jujian’s gaze was locked on the screen displaying the demon god, her tone grave.

“This time we’re taking it down for sure!” Xin Cheng slapped his helmet and quickly put it on.

...

In the launch bay, Xin Cheng sat in Swallow Two, gripping the controls as he spoke into the radio, “Da Gu really picked the perfect time for a day off—who knows what he’s up to!”

A mischievous laugh crackled over the radio as Xin Cheng continued, “Rina, do you think Da Gu’s gone out on a date with some girl?”

“Xin Cheng, is this really the time for jokes?” Rina rolled her eyes in exasperation from Swallow One.

“Alright, alright…” Xin Cheng muttered, falling silent as the two fighter jets soared into the sky, climbing straight into the clouds.

Below, the crowd—driven mad by the demon god’s electromagnetic waves—boiled in restlessness, a mass of people writhing like swarming ants from above. Swallow One and Two began their coordinated attack on the demon god, darting and weaving through the air.

Suddenly, the demon god seized an opening, its razor claws swiping at Rina’s cockpit. In that instant, a massive silver figure appeared from above, delivering a powerful kick to the demon’s shoulder, sending sparks flying and saving Rina from disaster.

“What is that…” In the TPC command center, Commander Jujian gripped the edge of the table, her face a mask of shock and confusion.

“It’s the silver giant—the one defeated by the black giant last time!” With sharp eyes, Rina recognized the newcomer before Xin Cheng did.

“What’s going on here?” Xin Cheng echoed in disbelief, recognizing the giant as well.

“It was destroying the city last time, but now it saved Rina?” Soka, co-piloting Swallow Two with Xin Cheng, was equally bewildered.

At that moment, Masaki Keigo was admiring his powerful new form, head bowed in awe.

“Let you be my first stepping stone!” Clenching his fists with excitement, Masaki charged at Ainome.

In an instant, the nearby buildings trembled from the impact, the earth shook, and dust filled the air. Yet the purple electromagnetic waves still cloaked the maddened crowds below.

In the midst of the chaos, only the troupe from the theater opposite the Gillam restaurant remained unaffected, thanks to Deban—the little monster whose innate constitution counteracted Ainome’s power.

Deban could resist the demon god’s sinister electromagnetic waves!

The adorable creature named Deban weaved through the frenzied crowd, his tiny steps leaving a trail of gentle, warm light from his ears.

Wherever Deban passed, sanity returned to the people, calming their madness.

“That little guy is bringing everyone back to normal!” Rina piloted Swallow One in a steady circle above.

“But what’s the deal with this silver giant…” she wondered aloud.

“Yeah, is it friend or foe…” Xin Cheng picked up the thread over the radio.

...

“Masaki Keigo, you’d better not let me down…” Far away, on an open-air platform, Yue Longze brushed a few snowflakes from his hair and whispered.

A thunderous boom shattered the sky, scattering the clouds above. Masaki Keigo unleashed the Zeperion Beam, destroying the demon god.

“Seems he’s finally worthy of being Earth’s guardian,” Yue Longze thought, seeing the normal Zeperion Beam radiate from the silver body. He knew then that Masaki harbored no evil; otherwise, the beam would have been a sinister purple-black.

Masaki Keigo shot into the sky and vanished into the distance.

“This time the silver giant really didn’t seem to mean any harm,” Rina thought, watching the giant disappear, a hunch welling in her heart. Sometimes, a woman’s intuition is uncannily accurate.

Masaki Keigo had resolved to protect the Earth, driven by a desire to become a revered savior in the eyes of humanity. Whether it was right or wrong to guard the planet out of vanity—who could say…

Yue Longze returned to the old woman’s home, curling up under warm blankets as he contemplated his next move. He planned to use the power of three Ultramen near Mount Suna to see if he could break through the barriers of space.

He chose Mount Suna because, after the battle with the third-generation Killieloid on that mysterious planet, he’d awoken in this world at Mount Suna.

“Maybe Mount Suna and that mysterious planet in the Land of Light are connected by a dimensional corridor!” A bold hypothesis flashed through Yue Longze’s mind.

“But it’s about time to challenge Mr. Miyamoto’s dual-sword style again…” Yue Longze was confident in his sword-drawing technique. He might not defeat Miyamoto Tetsuo, but at least he was sure he wouldn’t lose.