Chapter Thirty-One: The M78 Nebula!

Lu Xun once said, “In a single flower, a whole world; in a single tree, a fleeting life; in a single meal, a large bowl; in a single sleep, an entire day.”

When Xie Jing awoke from the tatami in his home, it was already eleven o’clock. Last night, he’d spent half the evening wrestling with how to explain to Kamiji Asahi that he was about to leave for battle; in the end, he hadn’t found the words. Matters of the heart were far too complicated, and Xie Jing didn’t wish to dwell on them any longer.

He plunged his head into cold water, only raising it sharply when all the air in his lungs had been spent. After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he remembered Kamiji Asahi had not a single day to spare—her project had reached its most critical stage, and even a single day of absence was unthinkable.

Leisurely, he strolled to a nearby restaurant and enjoyed a simple but delightful lunch. Thus, Xie Jing found himself wandering the streets. Today, he didn’t want to stay in his little shop; after so much idleness, there inevitably came a desire for movement.

How cold the weather was! Yet even in such chill, the girls of Neon still wore short skirts, baring their smooth, pale legs as if they felt nothing of the frigid air. As a man with a girlfriend, Xie Jing felt he really ought to strongly condemn these girls—why not cherish their health and simply wear white stockings? Yet, as a robust and mature young man, he had to admit that bare legs were quite attractive as well.

Such leisurely time spent watching girls would never last long. Sitting in a university whose name he didn’t even know, legs crossed, observing the girls’ fashions, Xie Jing suddenly noticed a ripple in the azure sky. A symbol appeared overhead, visible only to someone like Ultraman.

“So soon?” Xie Jing was a little surprised.

After half a minute, the Victory Team’s communicator rang—Dagu was calling.

“Mr. Fujii, can you see the symbol in the sky?”

“Yes, but this matter has nothing to do with Earth. There’s no need for you to worry. Also, please look after Kamiji Asahi for me!”

“But, Fujii…” Dagu hadn’t finished before Xie Jing ended the call.

The symbol flickered incessantly. After a moment’s thought, Xie Jing sent a message to Kamiji Asahi.

“Darling, I’ll be away for a while. Remember to miss me!”

She didn’t reply—perhaps her experiment had reached a critical stage and her phone was on silent.

Xie Jing put away his phone. Light radiated dazzlingly from his hands; his thick black hair fell away in an instant, revealing a gleaming bald head. Then his body rapidly expanded until he reached a height of over seventy meters.

Cries of astonishment rang out all around. Many who witnessed Xie Jing’s transformation couldn’t help but whip out their phones and snap photos. Others were bewildered—why had Ultraman appeared, even though there was no monster?

Xie Jing paid no mind to what ordinary people thought. He glanced at the symbol; it seemed to be marking a direction.

“Let’s go!” he murmured to himself, raised his hands above his head, and shot off toward the symbol.

Xie Jing was incredibly fast; in no time at all, he broke through the atmosphere and entered outer space. Behind him spun the blue globe of Earth, the sun blazing hotly to his right. Ahead, the original Ultraman drifted in the vacuum, waiting for him.

“Leihe Ultraman, I’ve already notified the Land of Light about your situation. The King of Ultra isn’t in the Land of Light at the moment, but he’s been made aware and will return at once. All our warriors are prepared and waiting for you!”

“How could I possibly trouble you all so?” Xie Jing chuckled.

“Come with me. Let’s go to the Land of Light first and await the King’s return!”

With that, the original Ultraman turned, arms extended, and shot off toward the Land of Light. Xie Jing kept pace, never falling behind, matching every movement effortlessly.

The M78 Nebula is three million light-years from Earth; even with the incredible speed of two Ultramen, mere flight would still be too slow. The original Ultraman, flying ahead, projected a beam of light from his chest, swiftly forming a portal.

“This is the way to reach the Land of Light quickly—follow me!”

Without a backward glance, he dove into the portal, and Xie Jing followed without hesitation.

Light enveloped them; after about a minute of flight, the portal vanished, and space returned to darkness around them. Before them, a massive galaxy spun, radiating pure white light at every moment. It was so dazzling that Xie Jing spotted it the instant he emerged.

“Is that the Land of Light?” he asked.

“No, this is the M78 Nebula. The Land of Light lies at its very center.”

They flew on, and only as they drew near did the immense scale become apparent. Between the stars, planets of all sizes repelled and attracted each other—some far larger than Earth itself.

Between the planets shimmered countless luminous particles. Xie Jing, curious, caught one in his hand and found it was merely ordinary dust.

“What is this?” he asked.

The original Ultraman’s steady voice replied, “These are cosmic star fragments, the remains of fallen Ultra warriors. They are the last force protecting the Land of Light.”

“Oh!” Xie Jing hurried to restore the speck to the cosmos.

“So many Ultra warriors have already… sacrificed themselves?”

“Darkness is the source of evil, the enemy of life. To destroy the darkness, the sacrifice of Ultra warriors is not in vain!” the original answered resolutely.

Xie Jing fell silent. He was a realist; though he possessed great power and might protect Earth in times of crisis, to go forth and fight—or even die—for beings utterly unknown to him… That, at present, he could not accept.

Everyone has their own convictions. Xie Jing didn’t wish to play the saint, but he would act meaningfully when it came to defending his own interests.

They flew for half an hour, traversed half the nebula, passed countless worlds, and at last Xie Jing saw the Land of Light.

What a colossal world it was! The entire planet glimmered with a faint green light, of such magnitude as to be unbelievable—Earth was like a little brother beside it. Xie Jing estimated it was perhaps sixty times larger than Earth.

An ordinary Ultraman stands about forty to fifty meters tall, roughly twenty-five times the height of a human; even so, this planet was unimaginably vast.

“Welcome to the Land of Light, my friend!” the original Ultraman halted at the planet’s edge and looked at Xie Jing.

“More than three thousand Ultra warriors are waiting for you here. Now, come with me and meet the Father of Ultra!”

Xie Jing paused in surprise—the Father of Ultra? Taro’s father, the true leader of the Land of Light? The Ultra with the two great horns? Would he meet the Mother of Ultra as well?

For Xie Jing, who had once watched certain questionable films featuring the Mother of Ultra on obscure websites, this meeting might prove a little awkward.

Stunned, Xie Jing stood there. The original, taking his daze for nervousness, flew over to comfort him: “Don’t be nervous. Our goals are the same—to defeat Autopes!”

If only he knew about Xie Jing’s late-night movie habits, perhaps he’d immediately summon all the Ultras in the Land of Light to mete out righteous destruction.