stjorthotic Chapter 373 A Fleeting Dream, A Test Between Humans and Monsters
Chapter 373 A Fleeting Dream, A Test Between Humans and Monsters
(My previous question was that when I was a child, I didn't know what Cosmos's transformation device was called. Later, a classmate told me that Cosmos was an Ultraman who transformed using a stone. I was quite shocked when I was little. Then I watched The First Strike and found that it was true. Also, it seems that I never heard Musashi mention the name of his transformation device. Therefore, I have always been used to calling the Sun and Moon Together Shining Stone, since the Sun and Moon Together Shining Stone is indeed transformed by Shining Stone...)
Faced with the ancient monster Calbass, who has lost its mind and gone completely berserk, Ultraman Cosmos is caught in an unprecedentedly difficult battle.
Even though there was no Chaos virus invasion, why are the normally docile monsters behaving so abnormally?
Furthermore, due to his fear of the alien Uroga lurking in the shadows, and his concern for Renee whose fate was uncertain, Gauss's movements appeared hesitant and stiff.
This fatal distraction in battle immediately provoked a relentless and frenzied counterattack from the controlled Karbas.
"Bang!"
Karbas opened his gaping maw and unleashed a highly compressed, explosive fireball that slammed into Gauss's chest.
With a deafening explosion, blazing flames shot into the sky.
Gauss was painfully knocked away.
Finally, to everyone's astonishment, Gauss's body transformed into countless blue specks of light and vanished in mid-air.
He was forced back into his human form!
[Master Gao was actually beaten to a pulp?!]
My goodness, is this the first time Gauss has ever been outmaneuvered?
Ah, Gauss has actually been defeated in this situation for the first time.
[Tricked by aliens, the base's computers are down, his new wife's fate is unknown, and he also has to face the close-range attacks of a raging monster.]
Musashi's mentality has truly collapsed this time; he's simply unable to fight with full focus.
Poor Oo, affected by his human form. Thinking back to Zhou Yu in his prime, how majestic he was when fighting Baltan!
The moment Gauss disappeared, the battlefield completely lost its last line of defense.
Karbas roared to the sky, preparing to continue his march toward the city center.
Just then, a deep rumble came from the end of the street.
"Boom!"
The earth trembled so violently that it even drowned out the monster's footsteps.
The camera zooms out, revealing the heavily armored tank units of the Integrated Defense Force as an unstoppable torrent of steel.
Crushing over the broken asphalt, it forcefully intervened in the battlefield.
"Fire!"
Dozens of large-caliber tank main guns simultaneously spewed out blinding tongues of fire.
A barrage of armor-piercing and high-explosive shells rained down on Karbas's massive body.
The explosion and the resulting flames and smoke instantly engulfed the monster.
Although these physical attacks could not inflict fatal damage on the ancient monster.
However, the dense barrage of fire and the intense pain successfully halted Karbas's advance.
Disoriented and dazed from the beating, Karbas let out a frustrated roar and then abruptly turned around.
It swung its enormous claws, dug through the ground, and burrowed underground amidst a flurry of flying sand and stones, escaping the area covered by artillery fire.
The defense forces actually worked.
[They're only good for bullying mindless monsters, but this commander's voice is really loud; is all their damage output just from yelling?]
[This is just routine groundwork cleaning; if you really want to eliminate them, you'll have to wait for Ultraman.]
The scene changes.
In the medical room at the youth elite team's base.
Musashi suddenly opened his eyes, panting heavily.
His forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his eyes still held the fear and bewilderment of defeat.
"Great, you're finally awake."
The doctor, who had been staying by the bedside, breathed a sigh of relief and reached out to hold Musashi down as he tried to get up.
"Don't move. You collapsed where Karbas appeared. Vice Captain Mizuha rescued you. In your current physical condition, you are simply not capable of going back to carry out the mission."
Musashi's tone was hurried and flustered.
"How is Karbas?"
As he spoke, ignoring the doctor's attempts to stop him and his questioning, he ran out of the rest room and headed towards the command center.
"...What's going on? Why is the elite youth team prohibited from deploying?!"
Seeing that Musashi, whose injuries had not yet healed, had arrived.
Mizuha frowned slightly, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, and said.
"Kalbas was under heavy attack from the defense forces' tank units and has fled underground. It has temporarily ceased operations."
"It's still alive..."
Musashi breathed a sigh of relief.
"but……"
Mizuha's expression turned extremely solemn.
"Because of the damage to the streets, the city has experienced widespread power, gas, and water outages."
"The city's lifeline has been completely paralyzed."
"Command for operations in Karbas has now been transferred entirely to the Integrated Defense Force that has taken over the situation."
Even Rena muttered to herself, "There's nothing we can do... Even Gauss is powerless this time."
At this moment, Musashi was filled with self-reproach.
If he hadn't insisted on running away with Renee, if he hadn't been blinded by his emotions, things might not have turned out this way.
[This person was truly driven to despair by the beating.]
The youth elite team is to take the blame.
[At this moment, if only two Ultras from the Land of Light were here, they could just say, "I have brought two lives."]
【What a deus ex machina!】
The camera cuts to the command room.
The atmosphere at the base was extremely oppressive.
The garbled text on the big screen has disappeared. After Tu Jing's emergency repairs, the main system has finally been restored to operation.
"The computer has been fixed, we just need to find the cause..."
Feng Chui looked at the computer screen that had returned to normal, slammed his fist on the table, and spoke with a tone full of resentment.
Even if we know the reason, we can't send anyone out.
"If the computer hadn't been infected, I'm confident I could have stopped Karbas no matter how ferocious it was."
The sound of the wind was icy, and he couldn't help but complain.
"If only... if only we hadn't let that woman into the base back then."
These words were like a thorn, piercing Musashi's heart. He abruptly raised his head and retorted loudly.
"Don't blame Renee! She knows nothing! She came here completely clueless!"
"Then why has she suddenly disappeared?!"
Even the wind could stir up anger.
"She's practically an accomplice of that cosmic life form!"
"What did you say?!"
Musashi was completely enraged.
He rushed forward and grabbed the collar that was being blown by the wind.
The two were on the verge of fighting, their swords drawn.
"Stop it!"
Vice Captain Mizuha suddenly stood up and pulled the two apart.
Her gaze was more stern than ever before, fixed intently on Musashi.
"Where do you think this is? A slaughterhouse?!"
The command room fell silent instantly, with only the heavy breathing of the crowd.
Musashi took a deep breath, his tone softening slightly, but still firm and resolute.
"In short, it would be foolish to abandon the ideal of protecting monsters just because of something as trivial as a water or power outage."
"But... Musashi, have you thought about this?"
Mizuha pointed to the images of the city in chaos due to the power outage on the big screen.
"If the lifeline is severed, who will be most harmed?"
"They are emergency patients in hospitals, infants in incubators, and elderly people with no one to rely on!"
"The capture and protection of monsters—one wrong step could lead to even greater disaster!"
"Our elite youth team's mission absolutely cannot afford to fail!"
These words struck Musashi's heart like a resounding bell.
He slowly released his grip, lowered his head, and fell into a long silence.
[The sober vice-captain.]
The clash between ideals and reality: protecting monsters cannot come at the expense of vulnerable human groups.
Musashi acted impulsively; he only saw Renee's pitiful state and neglected his responsibilities as a team member.
Just as Musashi was falling into deep self-doubt, he walked alone in the base's dimly lit corridor.
As I passed the infirmary, I could hear the doctor and nurse talking quietly through the half-open door.
"Could Renee have disappeared because she regained her memories?"
The nurse asked with some concern.
"Ultimately, once the cosmic life form that forms the mother structure is destroyed, the biochip inside Renee's body will become ineffective, and she will be completely dead."
The doctor sighed.
"Right now, the defense force's special operations units seem to have located her and are doing everything they can to track her down."
Musashi, standing outside the door, was struck dumb.
Defense Forces Special Operations Unit!
If Renee falls into the hands of the defense forces, the consequences will be unimaginable.
What made him even more desperate was that the only way to save Karbas was to defeat Uroga.
But this also means that he will personally end Renee's false life!
Without the slightest hesitation, Musashi turned and sprinted toward the base's exit.
Meanwhile, on the balcony.
Vice-Captain Mizuha crossed his arms, recalling the scene that had occurred before Uroga.
"team leader……"
The wind suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.
"What is the true purpose of that cosmic life form?"
Mizuha looked at the sky, lost in thought:
"Disguise him as someone hunting Renee, send Renee into the base, and release a virus that paralyzes our computers."
"This led to the failure to capture Karbas, which ultimately resulted in us being banned from deployment..." Mizuha's thoughts became clearer and clearer.
The wind blows with doubt:
"Did that guy intend to halt the elite youth team's operations from the very beginning?"
"Is it really necessary to go to such lengths just for this?" Mizuha asked, somewhat puzzled.
Mizuha shook her head, her eyes becoming unusually sharp: "This incident is probably just part of his vicious plan. He must have another purpose."
So, is this his reason for not infiltrating the defense forces?
Is it possible that he wanted to exploit the panic caused by the water and power outages to make humans completely hate monsters?
[You mean to dismantle the monster protection team, let the defense forces take over, and directly escalate the conflict between humans and monsters!]
Why should an alien like him meddle in Earth's domestic affairs? Would it help him invade Earth?
【Still stirring up human-animal conflict? Why don't you try your luck in the Gaia universe? If a Supreme Being can't kill you with one punch, then you're out of luck!】
The scene shifts again, and it's dusk.
The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the sky a blood red.
Having regained all her memories from her previous life, Renee is walking aimlessly through her former research park.
A gentle breeze tousled her long hair, and her eyes were empty and filled with despair.
"How...am I supposed to live in this world?"
She clutched the name tag that the doctor had given her, which she had previously given her, to her chest.
She looked down at her hands, which, though seemingly warm, had actually lost their life in the space accident four years ago.
My current existence is nothing more than a pathetic pawn used by aliens to deal with humanity.
However, among the pedestrians in this research park, a group of dissident figures appeared.
Suddenly, several dark figures darted out from the corner.
"Target spotted! Make the arrest immediately!"
Several members of the defense force special forces, dressed in black suits and wearing sunglasses, stared intently at Renee like hunting dogs.
They were armed with special stun guns and quickly closed the encirclement.
Renee retreated in terror, but there was nowhere to escape.
At the critical moment, a speeding SUV screeched to a halt between the special forces and Renee.
The car door opened, and Musashi, dressed in casual clothes, appeared as if a divine warrior had descended from the heavens.
"Don't move!"
One of the arresting officers was about to raise his gun.
"Musashi!" Renee exclaimed, covering her mouth in surprise.
"Get in! Let's go!"
Musashi grabbed Renee's hand and shoved her into the passenger seat, then quickly jumped into the driver's seat and slammed on the gas.
The SUV roared, its tires screeching through the ground, kicking up thick white smoke, and shot out of the encirclement like an arrow, leaving the remaining agents, who hadn't even had time to react, far behind.
[This special forces unit is really incompetent; several of them couldn't even catch a girl, and she was even taken away by Musashi.]
[Running away with a girl, it's starting to look more and more like an elopement, huh?]
[Ultraman elopes!]
[The hero rescuing the damsel in distress may be a cliché, but it felt incredibly satisfying in this moment!]
……
The SUV was parked on a secluded hillside.
Inside a house that was already half collapsed.
Musashi looked at the girl: "Rene... you don't need to wear this identification tag anymore, and you don't need to receive any more treatment. Those were all things they used to control you..."
"Aren't you planning to go back to the elite youth team?" Renee interrupted Musashi, her voice unusually calm, so calm it was heartbreaking.
Musashi lowered his head, his eyes filled with pain and confusion: "Protecting monsters and all that... what I envisioned, perhaps... was just a pipe dream."
He gazed at the city shrouded in darkness in the distance and sighed deeply: "Because of my insistence, so many people have been harmed. Perhaps the defense forces were right to do what they did..."
Renee looked at Musashi quietly, then took the yellowed photograph out of her pocket.
"Weren't the idea of going to space a mere pipe dream hundreds of years ago?"
She then handed the photo to Musashi.
That's a photo of her in her work clothes, standing in front of a model of the Nebula 3 space station.
"This is me, isn't it?"
Renee gently stroked her radiant smile in the photo. "How could this photo be... I don't regret it. I've never regretted being a member of the Nebula III construction team."
She turned her head and stared intently at Musashi, her eyes revealing a clear-headed understanding and unwavering resolve as if she had seen through life and death.
"Listen to me, Musashi," Renee's voice echoed in the quiet carriage, "Until five hundred years ago, no one thought the earth was round. So when brave sailors first tried to explore the unknown continents across the sea, everyone thought it was impossible, that it was a pipe dream."
"A hundred years ago, for the first time someone wanted to soar through the sky in a small airplane; a few decades ago, for the first time someone set their sights on the vastness of space... At the time, everyone thought it was an absurd dream."
Renee slightly raised her chin, the moonlight shining on her face, making her appear incredibly holy.
"But until the dream is realized, it remains just a daydream. Even so, there are still many unknown people who yearn for the dream and are even willing to give their lives to carry it on."
"The reason why our construction team calls Nebula 3 'Daughter of Time' is because every one of us is proud to be one of the inheritors of this great dream."
She reached out her cold hands and gently covered the back of Musashi's hands that were gripping the steering wheel.
"Musashi, aren't you the same?"
Tears welled in Renee's eyes, but a gentle smile played on her lips. "The idea of humanity coexisting peacefully with the monsters born on Earth might seem like a pipe dream to others now, but deep down, haven't you always believed it would one day come true?"
These words were like a lightning bolt piercing the darkness, instantly dispelling the fog in Musashi's heart.
He stared blankly at the girl in front of him.
This girl, who was clearly dead and suffering immense pain, rekindled his dying flame of faith with her last shred of devotion and her loyalty to her dream.
[I'm so moved, brothers...]
[This girl is so wonderful, I have to save her!]
"Daughter of Time"—that's what it means! Dreams, nurtured in the long river of time, will eventually blossom!
[My first love's words completely healed me, Musashi, get ready!]
Even though she herself was almost fading away, she was still encouraging Musashi to persevere in his dream.
Just as Musashi's gaze hardened again, and he was about to say something...
"Beep beep beep—!"
The vehicle's onboard communicator suddenly emitted a piercing red alarm. It was an emergency frequency connected to the elite youth team's internal network.
"Carbas is active again!"
Reina's anxious voice came through the communicator. Although it was being broadcast to the whole team, Musashi heard it clearly.
Immediately following was Tsuchikage's rapid-fire analysis: "It's been confirmed! A special modulator was implanted in Karbas's head! It was done by that cosmic life form!"
"Where is it currently moving?" Captain Qingguang asked.
"The goal is very clear!"
"Its target is likely the energy plant in the Riverside Heavy Industry Zone! The main reason the monster has gone berserk again is probably the high-frequency waves emitted by the giant turbine in the energy plant! That modulator converted the high-frequency waves into a signal that drove the monster mad!"
Inside the carriage, Musashi and Renee exchanged a glance, their expressions changing drastically at the same time.
If the energy plant in the Riverside Industrial Complex is destroyed, the power grid of most of the country will face irreversible and devastating damage!
"team leader!"
Mizuha's voice came through, "We must go to the factory immediately and stop that giant turbine!"
"The factory operates entirely automatically!"
Captain Qingguang's words poured cold water on everyone's enthusiasm.
"The safety shutdown procedure there is extremely complex. To shut it down in such a short time, it requires top-tier technical professionals to directly enter the core control room and operate it!"
A deathly silence fell over the communication channel. At this critical juncture, where could they find a technician knowledgeable in such a cutting-edge system?
Just then, Renee, who had been listening silently, suddenly released Musashi's hand.
She took a deep breath, a resolute glint in her eyes.
"I can stop it."
Renee looked into Musashi's shocked eyes and said with unwavering determination, "Take me to the Riverside Heavy Industry Zone Energy Plant. The underlying logic of that system is the same as the technology of Nebula III."
"That's my major."