Chapter 22 The City of Dikes: What? My Carriage Is Gone?

Since he had no intention of transforming immediately, Qiao Zhe simply made the transformation device vanish. The Peace hovered down onto the beach, and Meng saw Qiao Zhe standing beside her. “Leave the device to me. I’ll take care of it—I’m heading off now,” she called, running toward the Peace. Halfway there, she seemed to remember something, stopped, and turned back. “I’ll let my parents know soon. You can stay at my place—don’t worry!” Satisfied that she’d left nothing out, Meng finally dashed toward the Peace.

Once the Peace, carrying Meng, had soared into the sky and vanished from sight, Qiao Zhe made his way back to the Takayama residence. He left a note explaining briefly that Meng had returned to the XIG base, while he himself had some business to attend to. After that, he walked all the way to a secluded stretch of rocky coastline, where a flash of light appeared. Qiao Zhe transformed into an Ultraman, full-sized, and leapt into the sea.

With a basic understanding of the principles behind the Specium Beam, he now knew how to train. The ocean made for a hidden and ideal practice field. At the same time, Qiao Zhe kept an eye on the regions ravaged by Mezad.

Elsewhere, on her way back to the airborne base, Meng sent her design for the special device to friends on the Alchemist Star, asking them to use their equipment to manufacture it as quickly as possible. When Meng returned to the XIG command room, Commander Ishimuro and Chiba were both troubled. Mezad’s attack had caught the XIG completely unprepared. Before anyone could react, an entire city had been lost. And when they sent out the Lightning Team, their attacks couldn’t even touch the enemy. Now, the devastation was spreading; the desertification continued to expand.

Meng stepped forward to the data console and began explaining Mezad’s nature, its quantum movement, and all the details. But expecting Ishimuro and the others to grasp it all was a tall order.

“Sorry,” Chiba interrupted Meng’s explanation bluntly, “could you just give us the conclusion?” Enough of the technical theory—just say it plainly.

Momentarily at a loss, Meng tried to summarize, “It’s a lifeform that behaves like a wave.”

“A wave?” Ishimuro understood a little, but not completely.

Meng repeated what Qiao Zhe had told him, distilling it for Ishimuro and the others. Then he moved on to the countermeasures. “What we need to do is interfere with the electromagnetic waves it emits, so its existence collapses into a single point. On the way back, I already worked out the specifics and asked the Alchemist Star to build the device.”

Ishimuro looked at Meng in astonishment.

The device would take only thirty minutes to produce. Tsutsumi took Meng to meet with the Lightning Team, since the operational details needed to be explained in depth. But they had no idea Meng harbored other plans.

Meanwhile, in the afflicted zone, Mezad had halted its movement, as if wary of something. Amid the sand-choked ruins, Fujimiya gazed at the devastated earth, his heart heavy. At first, the deaths in the city had troubled him, but he convinced himself this was all part of the plan. Fujimiya’s current resolve was not to actively eliminate humans, but if battles with monsters caused mass casualties, so be it. After all, humanity’s numbers had to be reduced.

His gaze fell on Mezad in the sky—a monster beyond even Fujimiya’s expectations. Even with Agul’s current abilities, he couldn’t strike the enemy. He could make a jammer, but there was no time, and the desertification kept spreading. Fujimiya couldn’t simply watch as Mezad destroyed the Earth’s environment—that was why he’d rushed here. Even without transforming, his presence made Mezad hesitant to act hastily. The two sides were locked in stalemate.

Outside the disaster zone, Reiko Yoshii and her colleagues were reporting the news. When the broadcast ended, Reiko happened to spot Fujimiya standing in the desolate ruins. Sensing something amiss, she hurriedly called for her colleague to film, but Fujimiya had already vanished.

The interference device was completed, and Director Tsutsumi ordered Meng to install it. The Peace was loaded with the Lightning Team’s jets and the EX craft, heading for the disaster zone. At the same time, deep beneath the sea, Qiao Zhe finished his training and successfully mastered the Specium Beam.

Frankly, his learning speed was abnormal. For an Ultraman from the Land of Light, learning and mastering a beam technique usually took centuries of training. Even Ace, the Lord of Light, had needed decades to master the Specium Beam. Yet Qiao Zhe had accomplished it in merely an hour or so. The only similar case was Leo, who’d mastered a martial art in half a day. Truly, talent was a real thing.

Sensing Mezad’s situation, Qiao Zhe disengaged his transformation underwater, then immediately transformed again, using the Blue Gem Ring’s teleportation feature to leave the sea for the battlefield.

Aboard the Peace, Meng was urgently modifying the EX fighter. The three members of the Lightning Team were suited up and ready. With Fujimiya’s departure, Mezad was no longer cautious and began to move once more.

Thunderous explosions erupted wherever Mezad’s shadow passed, flames leaping up from the earth. It advanced toward the people who had been evacuated to safety, filling Tsutsumi with dread. “Is it ready, Meng?!”

He had yet to realize that Meng was already seated in the cockpit of the EX, safety harness fastened.

“I’m taking the EX out!” Meng’s voice was resolute, hands gripping the controls. “I won’t forgive this thing for what it’s done!”

A city had been turned to desert in an instant; countless lives were lost in silence. Meng couldn’t even imagine how many had died, fury burning in his heart.

“Hey! Meng, don’t be reckless!” Tsutsumi, sensing disaster, shouted anxiously.

At that moment, the Peace’s belly hatch opened, and the box-shaped EX dropped and rapidly transformed, taking to the sky as a fighter jet.

Meng had underestimated the task. At first, things went smoothly, but soon a wave of dizziness and discomfort struck. The EX grew unstable, wobbling in the air.

The three Lightning fighters launched alongside, and Kajio’s irritated voice crackled through the channel. “What the hell are you thinking, rookie? Combat’s not a game! Get back here!”

Worried for Meng’s safety, Kajio pleaded, but Meng’s resolve was unwavering.

“These wings I designed—they were meant to fight those who threaten peace!”

“I know that!” Kajio’s anxiety was palpable.

Mezad entered their targeting range, and Meng activated the targeting system. “And to protect the defenseless!”

As he took aim, Mezad’s jellyfish-like body flared with violet light. Multiple purple energy blasts shot forth!

“Damn it!” Meng jerked the controls, sending the EX soaring upward, but a blast struck the tail!

Sparks flew from the EX’s tail fin as it plummeted earthward. Meng’s face was distorted by the G-forces, cheeks flapping as the EX spun, drawing ever closer to the ground.

“Pull up—hard!” Kajio’s voice screamed through the comms, frantic. “Stabilize the plane! There’s no time! Hurry!”

Just as the EX was about to crash...