Chapter Twelve: Fleeing the Battlefield?

Red and blue lights burst forth in an instant, flooding the entire underground tunnel. Under the blinding radiance, everyone shielded their eyes.

Within that dazzling glow, the bodies of Tetsuya Nahe and Takafumi Udo were stretched and transformed, each undergoing a metamorphosis!

The captain stared in astonishment at the scene before him, his gaze frozen.

“TheOne and TheNext...”

Sara Mizuhara stepped back, gazing up at Tetsuya as he became TheNext, her eyes swirling with emotions she could barely contain.

“Move quickly!” The captain rushed forward, grabbing Sara Mizuhara’s arm and urging, “Their battle will bring the tunnel down!”

Stumbling, Sara Mizuhara was dragged away, her voice still echoing in the dim confines of the underground.

“You must win!”

TheNext drove his elbow into the monster’s chest, shoving with force. As the creature staggered back, TheNext spun and delivered a powerful kick to its maw.

“I’ll show you victory!”

Unlike the awkwardness and unfamiliarity of his first transformation, Tetsuya now felt his power—felt the thrill of battle.

He was TheNext, and TheNext was him.

A heavy fist crashed against the monster’s head. TheNext seized its right arm and hammered its abdomen with his knee, then unleashed another merciless punch, knocking the beast flat to the ground.

“Roar!”

A flurry of blows left the monster dazed, unable to react. As it lay prone, TheNext mounted its body, raining strikes upon its head, neck, chest, and elbows like a storm.

Wham!

The monster’s massive tail slammed TheNext’s back, catching Tetsuya off guard. Seizing the opportunity, the monster rolled, sprang to its feet, and launched itself at TheNext once more.

“Defeat you!”

TheNext raised his fists, Tetsuya voicing his determination in a silent shout.

Wham!

A brutal kick smashed the monster’s head, sending it sprawling against a giant concrete pillar, immobilized.

TheNext raced forward to press his advantage, but the monster’s furious roar pierced the tunnel.

“Roar~!”

Along with the shrill cry came a special sonic attack. For Ultraman, a being of pure light, such waves would be harmless. But TheNext was Tetsuya—his weapon was his evolved flesh. The sudden assault overwhelmed him.

TheNext clutched his left ear, halting his steps. As the sonic attack intensified, Tetsuya felt as if a swarm of flies whirled endlessly around his head, their buzzing threatening to split his skull.

As the sound persisted, the monster’s body began to emit blue light. Perhaps it was drawn by the glow, or perhaps the sonic attack carried commands for lesser creatures. In the dim tunnel, swarms of rats emerged, dodging falling debris as they scurried toward the monster. Bathed in blue light, they climbed onto its body, becoming part of its flesh.

Within the blue radiance, the monster’s form grew even more bloated, its bulk pressing against the tunnel’s ceiling. No longer did it resemble a beast; it looked more like a mass of aggregated fat. Soon, chunks of flesh burst from its surface, and in the gleam, its more hideous visage was revealed.

TheNext crouched, shielding himself from the flying fat. When the blue glow faded, he rose slowly, staring at the gigantic monster.

Compared to the beast, TheNext now seemed like a small animal—barely half the size of its head.

Tetsuya stared in shock at the colossal creature, his voice grave: “System, analyze TheOne’s power!”

TheOne

Faction: Evil

Origin: Monster formed from one-thousandth of Zagi’s evil consciousness

Height: 10 meters (juvenile form) → 50 meters (adult/demonic form)

Weight: 5,000 tons (juvenile form) → 50,000 tons (adult/demonic form)

Human host: Takafumi Udo

Flight speed: Mach 6 (demonic form)

Rank: C-class (juvenile form) → B+ class (adult form) → A class (demonic form)

In Tetsuya’s mind, it felt as if a stampede of wild horses thundered past... It was like Happy Sheep and Heated Sheep brawling, and suddenly Heated Sheep threw down his ears and declared, “I quit—let’s get serious!” And then—he turned into Grey Wolf!

Such blatant cheating! A fifty-meter body, yet only a C-class rating? It looked at least B-class!

Tetsuya couldn’t see the creature’s entire form, but the head alone, larger than TheNext’s entire body, spoke volumes. Its face was even more twisted, bristling with barbs, and its yellow eyes glimmered with menace. On the left side of its main head, a smaller, rodent-like head leered with equal ferocity; on the right, a reptilian head rose.

“Roar~”

At the monster’s deafening howl, TheNext took several wary steps back, eyeing the beast with utmost caution.

The monster lifted its head, smashing through the tunnel’s roof. Its massive, terrifying form appeared before ordinary people for the first time.

Cars and buildings were overturned beneath its raised head; in the skyscraper-lined metropolis, TheOne’s sudden emergence triggered panic.

To eliminate TheOne, the government had already implemented strict measures. In Shinjuku, citizens were evacuated beyond the tunnel’s range; tanks waited on the streets, and soldiers armed with rifles guarded bridges and intersections.

Yet, despite all preparations and contingency plans, the government never expected TheOne to erupt so suddenly, its fifty-meter body shattering every defense.

The soldiers, compared to TheOne, were the size of ants; even tanks were smaller than half a single foot.

Such an unfair battle offered no solution!

Countless people screamed as they fled from the monster, glancing back at its colossal, hideous form. Each backward glance only deepened their terror, driving them from Shinjuku in desperation.

The soldiers held their posts, hastening the evacuation, though fear gripped their hearts.

But they were soldiers—retreat was not an option!

“System... If I refuse to fight this thing...” Tetsuya hesitated, embarrassed by his own thoughts. It was absurd—he was Ultraman, but he was also just an ordinary man! He was afraid. When the monster was his size, he could face it; but now, TheOne was clearly on steroids!

“I’m not some screen hero... I don’t have their lofty spirit... I’m not Daigo or Tsubasa...”

“I... I...” Tetsuya faltered, unable to continue.

“No. The system does not compel the host to battle TheOne,” the system answered him precisely.

Upon hearing this, Tetsuya should have felt relieved...

But he couldn’t bring himself to rejoice—instead, he was full of doubt.

“Am I really going to run away?”

“Miku... Miku...”

A mother ran against the tide of fleeing people, calling her child’s name in helpless desperation.

What lay ahead?

Her child—and a terrifying monster.

It has been said that humanity is both narrow-minded and great.

Humans are selfish, always pursuing their own interests; forever dissatisfied with what they have. They are often shrouded in darkness, striving for more. Quarrels, fights, even wars—all stem from this.

Yet, they are also noble. No matter their usual demeanor, in times of danger and disaster, they may stand firm like soldiers at their posts or, like the mother, seek their children, placing honor and love above their very lives.

Ahead—her child, and the monster.

But the young mother would not be afraid.