Chapter 84: Cherish Those Before You

Smoke rose slowly, drifting up from the fires that still burned around them. Yue Longze knelt amid the broken remnants of Tokyo’s city streets, gazing blankly at the departing figure in the distance, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

"Return safely, no matter what!"

He made no move to give chase—time was too short. All he could do was silently pray for their safety.

Slowly, Yue Longze stood, clutching his badly wounded right hand as the energy timer on his chest flickered and shrieked with urgent beeps. At that moment, he sensed a violent explosion from beyond the atmosphere, and his massive black form, towering in the heart of Tokyo, trembled.

"Did they succeed…?"

He stared, lost in thought, at the sky above.

Suddenly, two figures plummeted from the heavens, crashing heavily to the ground, sending clouds of dust and choking smoke billowing through the air. The already devastated buildings became even more derelict.

Through the haze, two enormous shapes slowly rose, supporting each other. As the smoke cleared, their faces came into view.

It was Daigu and Masaki Keigo!

Yue Longze hurried forward.

"Is it over?"

"Yes, it’s finally over."

...

Yue Longze turned to join Daigu and Masaki Keigo, standing shoulder to shoulder, their chests heaving with exhaustion.

By now, night had fallen completely. Under the dense shroud of darkness, the energy timers on their chests flashed and beeped, like three war gods standing guard.

...

"At last… it’s truly over!"

Aboard the Artemis, Shinjo stretched luxuriously and let out a long sigh of relief. The weight that had pressed on everyone’s hearts was finally lifted.

"The three great guardians of humanity!"

Rina gazed in a daze at the heroic figures of the three Ultra Warriors, murmuring to herself as she gripped the ship’s controls.

Meanwhile, in the TPC conference room, Dan… collapsed suddenly to the floor. His eyes rolled back, and he died instantly, leaving the others in confusion.

Dan’s consciousness was one with the giant he commanded. Thus, with the giant’s destruction, Dan, too, perished.

"Captain Jujian, you’ve done well!" Director Sawai watched the scene, nodding to himself with a faint smile.

...

Tokyo lay in ruins. The three heroes, having returned to human form, stood amid the devastation. Yue Longze’s right hand bled freely, his left also badly injured. Daigu and Masaki’s faces were streaked with ash from the explosion’s shockwave in space.

Most of Tokyo was now destroyed, smoke and dust choking the city, corpses everywhere.

Even the Central Hospital was not spared. Those wounded who had clung to hope inside perished as well.

The surviving injured were sent to hospitals in neighboring cities for treatment, some to the TPC Medical Center for free care.

Yue Longze was among those sent to the TPC for treatment.

...

"Alright! Remember, keep the wound dry!"

At the TPC Medical Center, Yue Longze was lucky enough to have his wounds bandaged by Mayumi, nurse and sister to Shinjo, a member of the Victory Team.

"Thank you, I understand," Yue Longze replied, looking ruefully at his hands, now wrapped tightly in white gauze.

How was he supposed to eat like this…?

Mayumi seemed to read his thoughts and smiled sweetly, teasing, "You could always have your girlfriend feed you!"

"Girlfriend…?"

Yue Longze waved his hands, embarrassed. For some reason, the first person who came to mind was not Harumi Ike, but Miwako.

"Fortunately, I sent Miwako away in time," he thought, relieved and proud of his own foresight—unaware that Miwako had later come to Tokyo searching for him.

At this very moment, Miwako was also being treated at the TPC Medical Center.

Composing himself, Yue Longze thanked Mayumi and left the treatment room.

From Daigu, he learned that Dan had died. With the mastermind behind TPC’s woes now eliminated, Yue Longze began to consider when he should leave this world.

But the more he thought about it, the more tangled his mind became. He was reluctant to go.

He decided to walk out to the deck of the TPC base to feel the sea breeze. The tranquil ocean always brought him peace.

As he walked, the center buzzed with subdued noise. From a bench nearby, he overheard the voices of two girls.

...

"You came all the way to Tokyo just to find your boyfriend!"

"Yes… I searched everywhere for him, but… wuwu…"

"Don’t worry, if you care about him this much, I’m sure he’s alright!"

"But… uwaa…"

The girl burst into tears again, though few paid her any mind. After such a catastrophe, people were silent with grief. Many had lost loved ones, and scenes like this were all too common.

Yue Longze’s hearing was extraordinary. As he followed the sound of weeping, he caught sight of a delicate girl, her left foot in a cast, sobbing quietly.

He rubbed his eyes with his sleeve, thinking he must be exhausted and seeing things.

For the crying girl was Miwako.

It couldn’t be…

He rubbed his eyes again, blinking and staring hard.

It really was Miwako!

He hurried toward her. "Miwako!"

"Who is it?" Miwako, nose red, kept her head down as she answered between quiet sobs. But the voice was so familiar she immediately looked up.

There, before her, stood Yue Longze, his face dark with worry.

"Azawa!"

Miwako leapt up, dropping her crutch, and threw her arms around him. Her pale, beautiful face pressed against his strong, warm chest, her slender hands clinging tightly to his waist.

"I told you to stay at home and wait for me!"

Yue Longze gently broke her embrace, setting his hands on her soft shoulders, scolding her with a stern expression.

"I…" Miwako was at a loss for words.

"Hey, what’s wrong with you?" the other girl burst out, standing protectively by Miwako. "Your girlfriend came all the way to Tokyo just because she was worried about you! How can you be so harsh? She’s hurt, and you’re not even concerned!"

For my safety…

A wave of emotion swept through Yue Longze. He didn’t have the heart to expose Miwako’s little lie, and instead he pulled her gently into his arms again.

"I’m sorry…" He hugged her tighter. "I shouldn’t have scolded you."

"As long as you’re alive, nothing else matters," Miwako murmured, happiness suffusing her pale cheeks with a rosy glow. She nestled into his warmth like a gentle kitten, stirring his deepest tenderness.

The other girl watched, tears brimming in her eyes—reminded of the lover who had abandoned her.

They held each other for a long time. When they finally parted, they realized the other girl had quietly slipped away.

After such a disaster, everyone seemed to understand more deeply what it meant to "cherish those before you."