Chapter 137: Agul: I didn't get on the bus! I haven't gotten on the bus yet!

The two of them took their seats in the space-time transfer device. Qiao Zhe sat in the co-pilot seat, while Gamu took the pilot’s position, once again forming a classic crash-prone duo. However, this time the mission was space-time travel, and the device was now christened the "Adventure."

Their images appeared on the main screen. Commander Ishimuro watched them, his expression solemn as he issued the final directive: "The Adventure is entering its final operational test!"

"Understood!" Gamu gripped the control sticks. The data had already been uploaded into the Adventure, and the copy of *Gulliver's Travels* lay close at hand. As the red button was pressed, the space-time transfer device began to charge and activate.

At that moment, Qiao Zhe drew the Stand Arrow and summoned Gold Experience Requiem. A purple figure emerged from his shoulder, its head manifesting clearly. Qiao Zhe pressed the Arrow against the forehead of Gold Experience Requiem. In a display invisible to others, purple flames began to permeate Qiao Zhe’s body. Once the Requiem state was activated, he communicated telepathically: "Observe the process of traversing space-time carefully, and replicate it." Gold Experience Requiem remained silent, its pupils narrowing to achieve maximum precision, focusing intently as it processed and learned from the phenomenon.

Outside the Adventure, the large wheels on both sides of the craft spun at extreme speeds, causing the entire vessel to lift off the ground. As Gamu pulled back on the control sticks, the velocity became impossible to calculate. Lightning began to crawl across the hull, spreading until the entire craft was encased in electrical discharge. A sudden burst of white light erupted, and the Adventure vanished within the brilliance.

On the main screen, only the vacant research bay remained. Chiba wore a look of anxiety. "I hope they both return safely."

"There are some things that only they can handle," Ishimuro replied with a single sentence.

Tsutsumi watched the empty research bay on the screen. "It seems we are of no help again. It makes us feel quite useless."

This comment caused Ishimuro to glance at him in surprise. Had Chief Tsutsumi realized something?

"Indeed," Chiba sighed with a helpless expression, adding with an underlying meaning, "They are both so young. When the Earth faces grave danger, we have no choice but to rely on them; it is truly heartbreaking."

Ishimuro turned to Chiba, his face showing a hint of shock. *You’ve noticed too?* He thought of how often he had provided cover for Qiao Zhe and Gamu. Once or twice might have been manageable, but recently it had happened far too often. Such behavior made it easy to spot the anomaly.

*Darn it!* Could the identities of Jojo and Gaia have been exposed by his actions? However, since neither Tsutsumi nor Chiba seemed intent on revealing it, Ishimuro regained his composure and chose not to speak further. As long as it remained unspoken, Jojo and Gaia were not truly exposed.

Inside the space-time rift, Gamu leaned back, his body pressed firmly against the seat as he endured the discomfort. Qiao Zhe, however, felt nothing. Wrapped in purple flames, he remained synchronized with Gold Experience Requiem, his eyes scanning the space-time corridor. With the Light of the Sky and the Light of the Earth present for this mission to save another world, one figure was notably absent: Agul had not come along.

***

Meanwhile, in the world of Tsutomu Shinsei, Hiroshi Kashimada and his two delinquent friends were busy crafting a monster. Kashimada was a fan of tokusatsu, but unlike Tsutomu, who loved Ultraman, Kashimada found monsters to be cool and stylish. Most children, after watching Ultraman, favored the hero and harbored an instinctive dislike for monsters. Before he became a delinquent, Kashimada had been bullied himself, mocked for his interest in monsters as being childish, "low-class," or indicative of a "bad kid." Over time, he had naturally turned to darkness. One only had to recall how, during the battle between Bizm and Gaia, Kashimada had recited Bizm’s skills in detail. It was evident he was a true fan, but his interests differed from the mainstream, and the bullying he endured had shaped him into who he was now.

Yet, his own suffering was no justification for destroying the world. Such an approach was fundamentally wrong. He wasn't just someone who had been rained on and decided to steal others' umbrellas; he was someone who would steal the umbrella and then douse the victims with boiling water.

Tsutomu had learned that Kashimada was at the school and gathered the courage to reclaim the Red Sphere. He and Yu Hirama snuck through the hallways, crouching low to avoid Kashimada’s attention while he worked on his model. Everything seemed to be going well, but just as Tsutomu reached for the Red Sphere, Kashimada held up his monster model.

"It’s finished! The ultimate combined monster, Oebumusu!"

It featured the wings of the Super Beast Bazoris on its back and the jaws of the monster Scylla on its abdomen, with Oebumusu serving as the main body. The Red Sphere absorbed the negative emotions of the three delinquents and erupted in a burst of light. Tsutomu and Yu were knocked to the ground by the force of the blast.

"Who’s there?" Kashimada noticed the commotion and turned toward Tsutomu. "Oh, it’s you. You’ve come at just the right time."

At that moment, spikes grew from the Red Sphere, and a dark red glow began to flicker, causing the three delinquents to be consumed by their own negative emotions. Kashimada’s voice turned raspy. "Let’s start an interesting game." He wore a wicked grin. His two lackeys mirrored his expression, stepping forward to restrain Tsutomu and Yu before dragging them up from the floor.

Dominated by negative emotions, Kashimada now desired only to destroy the world. They marched up to the rooftop of the school building. One of the lackeys held the monster model, while the other held Tsutomu and Yu. The person behind him let out an eerie laugh; although he was roughly the same height as Tsutomu, his strength felt like that of an adult. No matter how much Tsutomu struggled, he could not break free from the grip, especially since his captor was holding them both with one hand each.

Kashimada walked up to Tsutomu, holding the Red Sphere. "Stop struggling. Don't you like monsters that are cool and strong?"

"Oh, I forgot. You prefer Ultraman Gaia."

He reached out and placed a hand on Tsutomu’s shoulder. "But saying things like that will only get you mocked! At your age, watching this kind of stuff... people will call you a loser, boring, or childish."

"That’s why I want to make this world feel pain! It’s exactly that kind of childishness!"

Kashimada held the Red Sphere high at the edge of the roof. "Now, I’ll show you! The power and terror of monsters!"

"Destroy everything! Destroy this world!"

"The ultimate monster, Oebumusu!!!"

The Red Sphere erupted with light—a reaction to a wish being fulfilled! In the distance, thunder rumbled across the sky. Dark clouds spread, and with a bolt of lightning, the combined monster Oebumusu was materialized and giant-sized!

"ROAR!!!"

Oebumusu swiped a claw at a building, and the structure collapsed instantly. A scorching beam fired from its mouth, sweeping across building after building; every structure it touched exploded! Blazing fires raged through the ruins, and people screamed in terror as they fled.

"A monster!? It’s a monster!"

"Run!"

A panicked crowd fled in terror. A small girl, separated from her parents, clutched a balloon and sobbed in fear. "Mommy, *sniff*, where are you? Ultraman, please, save me—"

However, as the incineration beam swept through, the ground continued to explode, and those who could not escape perished. Any building within range of Oebumusu was destroyed; there had been no evacuation. Countless lives were lost, and even the little girl was caught in the indiscriminate attack, her red balloon drifting into the darkened sky.

Explosions rocked the city! Oebumusu continued to unleash its beam, and the area of devastation expanded.

*Boom! Boom!*

The flames of the explosions burned, and the world seemed to be approaching its end. Lisa Nanase stared blankly at the scene. The similarity to the past filled her heart with despair.

*Is another world about to be destroyed?*

Just then, lightning crackled across the sky, and a space-time rift tore open.