Chapter 28: At Last, It Appeared!

“Don’t believe me?” Xie Jing smiled and reached out a hand to Eiji Tsuburaya. In his palm, an orb of dazzling light flickered relentlessly.

It was obvious—this was not a power any Earthling could possess.

Old Master Tsuburaya seized Xie Jing’s hand, covering the radiance. In the small tavern, several patrons had already taken notice of this strange scene.

Fortunately, this was the Tsuburaya Company, a studio famous for its special effects films. Seeing some odd props here was nothing out of the ordinary.

“I believe who you are. But my friend never mentioned what the Ultra Star could do,” the old man said slowly. “And I don’t even know how to reach my friend.”

“I have a way. For now, please go retrieve the Ultra Star. I’ll wait for you at Ryusen Lake!”

“Ryusen Lake?” The old man’s expression changed dramatically, as if something had just dawned on him.

“Don’t worry. I’m not the one releasing the monster—real aliens who want to invade Earth are behind this! As an Ultraman, I know my duty well.” Xie Jing then told Tsuburaya about Charliega.

Moments earlier, he’d sensed a strange disturbance in Tsuburaya’s wine glass, and when the old man mentioned Ryusen Lake, it vanished instantly. Xie Jing was certain: Charliega had already gone to the lake to awaken the monster Yanagaki!

Draining the last drop from his cup, Xie Jing stood, straightened his jacket, and said, “Mr. Tsuburaya, I’m heading to Ryusen Lake now. Please, go and find the Ultra Heart as quickly as you can.”

“Oh… yes, yes!” The old man nodded frantically.

...

At the shore of Ryusen Lake, Charliega, dressed in a ridiculous getup, stared fixedly at the still surface, his face alight with excitement.

“So this is Ryusen Lake. Yanagaki, Charliega has come to bring you home!”

Pointing his black umbrella toward the water, a surge of energy shot from its tip into the lake. The surface instantly turned pale blue, glowing with unearthly light.

A blue orb of light slowly rose from the depths, and under the control of the umbrella, landed in a wooded area nearby.

Charliega danced with glee, his face split in a broad smile.

“Come! Show yourself! Yanagaki! My precious Yanagaki!”

Suddenly, the orb burst into blinding brilliance, shooting skyward before crashing down to earth.

Bathed in the radiance stood a monster—rugged and wild in appearance, its entire body clad in dark, scaly armor, its back bristling with thorns.

“The universe’s most ferocious beast—Yanagaki! Go berserk! Hahahaha!” Charliega’s laughter rang out, his form transforming in a flash into a humanoid monster with a brown, beastly visage.

---

“Destroy! Wipe everything out!” Charliega cried.

With a leap, he landed by Yanagaki’s side, directing the monster’s every move.

“Destroy it all! Leave nothing standing!”

Towering fifty meters, the colossal beast’s destructive force was absolute—a single step sent sparks flying, flames leaping, lighting up the night.

Luckily, the house’s occupants were not home. As the monster pressed deeper into the town, its massive foot was suddenly forced aside by an overwhelming force.

A blinding column of light erupted from beneath Yanagaki’s foot, illuminating half the sky.

Once again, Xie Jing’s hair was sacrificed; the bald giant soared into the air, transforming into an Ultraman warrior who now stood between Yanagaki and Charliega.

Old Master Tsuburaya, clutching the Ultra Heart, trembled as he made his way through the woods by the lakeshore, his eyes wide at the sight of the monstrous beast and the dazzling Ultraman.

“Dear heavens, he really is Ultraman!”

“Mr. Tsuburaya, now’s the time to summon your Ultra friend!” a voice called out to him.

“Oh… yes!”

“Hahaha! Yanagaki! Tear your enemy to shreds! You are invincible!” Charliega shouted from the monster’s shoulder, pointing his staff at Xie Jing.

With a roar, the earth trembled beneath Yanagaki’s feet, the creature hurtling straight for Xie Jing.

Xie Jing spun aside, dodging the charge, but a hideous claw swung up from below—Yanagaki had kept a trick in reserve.

Glowing with light, Xie Jing reacted instantly, grabbing the monstrous claw and, channeling all his strength, hurled Yanagaki aside.

The massive body crashed through the forest, flattening countless trees.

“Get up, Yanagaki! You are invincible!”

With a bound, Yanagaki righted itself, leaping to confront Xie Jing, its eyes burning with savage fury, its fanged maw panting with rage.

The beast was enraged.

---

A wave of energy pulsed from its mouth, blue light gathering rapidly, then surging toward Xie Jing in a relentless barrage.

Boom—thunder rumbled!

Xie Jing dodged nimbly, evading every glowing sphere; those that struck the ground exploded violently, the shockwaves even reaching old Tsuburaya.

“Why hasn’t he appeared yet?” Xie Jing was filled with confusion. He only remembered that the original Ultraman had come to help Diga, but had forgotten precisely how—surely it was by summoning with the Ultra Heart?

Under Charliega’s command, Yanagaki charged again, but Xie Jing fended off every attack with nothing but his own physical prowess, not yet drawing on the power of light.

For a creature hailed as the universe’s fiercest monster, Yanagaki’s strength was underwhelming. In the original story, he had only overpowered Diga with a surprise attack, draining his energy, and was then easily destroyed when the original Ultraman arrived to help.

Xie Jing was confident he could defeat the beast easily, but with Eiji Tsuburaya yet to summon the original Ultraman, he dared not finish the fight—if the monster was defeated and the story concluded, what if the original never appeared?

“Think! Remember how he was summoned!” As he dodged the monster’s attacks, Xie Jing wracked his brain, trying to recall exactly how Tsuburaya had called forth the original Ultraman.

But in a moment’s lapse, Yanagaki closed in, its massive strength pinning Xie Jing’s arms, nearly its entire body weighing him down, rendering him immobile.

A suction force drew from Yanagaki’s mouth—Xie Jing could feel his inner light being drained through the energy crystal on his forehead, siphoned into the monster.

Yet, thanks to the system’s modifications, the light within Xie Jing far surpassed any ordinary Ultraman—he was no mere three-minute hero. If he wished, he could cut off the drain at any moment.

But he chose not to.

He saw Eiji Tsuburaya watching him with intense focus, waving a hand—was he cheering him on?

A moment later, Xie Jing sensed a power welling up within Tsuburaya—that familiar energy, the power of light!

Light gathered from Tsuburaya, coalescing in the sky, forming a red orb.

Xie Jing was overjoyed.

At last—he had appeared! The original Ultraman!