Ultraman: It turns out this is the easy mode.

One side represents despair, and the other represents hope.

On the edge of an unknown dimension of the universe, two figures faced each other from afar, gazing at one another.

Beyond the despair lies a constantly twisting, incompletely formed mass of dark energy. At its core, the outline of Zetton can be vaguely seen, yet it has not yet materialized. But the chilling and destructive aura that penetrates to the bone has already foreshadowed its future terror—it is Zetton, destined to bring despair.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Cui Ming stood in the void, his gaze fixed on the ball of dark energy. He frowned slightly, his fingers unconsciously tapping the combat device at his waist, muttering to himself: "Still can't pinpoint the coordinates, what a hassle."

Both sides knew that this fateful duel, born of "despair" and "hope," was destined to end.

However, now is not the time.

Even though Cui Ming was burning with rage and wanted nothing more than to rush over and tear the Zetton out of that mass of energy to shreds—or rather, because the Zetton hadn't yet fully formed, making it the perfect time to strike—he was blocked by an invisible spatial barrier. He couldn't get through and could only watch helplessly as the other slowly but steadily gathered its power.

"I'm waiting for you, hope." A deep, hoarse voice came from the dark energy, tinged with a hint of mockery, as if it was certain that it would eventually win.

"Don't call me such a strange name," Cui Ming sneered, his tone full of disdain. "I just want to kill you." To him, this had nothing to do with any grand themes of despair and hope; he simply couldn't stand this guy who exuded an ominous aura and wanted to nip him in the bud.

"Despair and hope will eventually clash." The other person seemed not to have listened to him and continued to speak with that confident tone, as if reciting some unalterable prophecy.

“Don’t talk to yourself,” Cui Ming interrupted impatiently. “You’re not even fully formed yet, you bastard.” In his opinion, a guy who didn’t even have a complete form had no right to spout nonsense here.

"Listen to me! Damn hope!" The dark energy suddenly fluctuated violently, clearly enraged by Cui Ming's attitude. The outline of Zetton at its core flashed with a dangerous red light. "I will be waiting for you, for your arrival."

"If you've got the guts, let me through now!" Cui Ming took a step forward, exuding a powerful aura. "Watch me beat this lump of mud back to its original form!"

"Don't even think about it!" Zetton, representing despair, refused without hesitation. It knew perfectly well that in its current half-baked state, if that ruthless bastard came over, it would be crushed on the spot, without even a chance to reform. It had to wait, wait until it was fully formed and possessed world-destroying power, before it could calmly face this duel.

Even if it could prevent Cui Ming from transforming into Ultraman, it still didn't feel secure. The strength of the guy opposite was too terrifying; just that undisguised killing intent alone made this nascent energy form tremble. Wait! Something's not right!
Jaden suddenly sensed something amiss; the faint fluctuation emanating from Cui Ming seemed to carry some kind of location tracking quality. "Are you locating me?!" its voice abruptly rose, filled with disbelief and terror.

"Huh? What are you talking about? I don't understand." Cui Ming's tone carried a hint of deliberate innocence, but his fingers moved even faster on the fighting device, and the coordinate data on the screen was jumping rapidly.

"Damn it!" The Zetton on the other side, representing despair, completely broke down. The ball of dark energy churned violently, and the red light at its core became extremely unstable. It never expected that Cui Ming would act so unpredictably, actually trying to lock onto its location while it was still weak, ready to kill it at any moment!
"Disgusting! Absolutely disgusting!" Zetton roared inwardly, not wanting to waste another second talking to this insidious creature. It abruptly contracted its energy, instantly severing its connection with this dimension and ending this terrifying exchange.

Only Cui Ming remained in the void. He looked at the still unstable coordinates and scoffed, "Running away so fast?" But it didn't matter. With these blurry coordinates, he would eventually find that guy's hiding place. When that happened, he wouldn't care about any symbol of despair; he'd just beat him to a pulp first.

Meanwhile, in a hidden base in some universe, filled with the sounds of machinery, a Baltan alien was pacing back and forth around a cultivation pod. Inside the pod, the body of a Zetton floated in green nutrient solution, connected to its body by countless metal pipes that were continuously supplying energy and modification factors.

"It's almost done! Hyper Zetton!" The Baltan alien's face lit up with a fanatical smile, his tone filled with anticipation and pride. "You will be the greatest despair, the ultimate weapon capable of overturning the entire cosmic order! Those so-called Ultra Warriors, and that guy named Cui Ming, will all tremble before you!"

He reached out and stroked the cold walls of the incubation chamber, his eyes fixed on Zetton inside with fascination: "Look at this perfect body, this indestructible exoskeleton, and the ability to teleport instantly. Add to that the super-powerful light blasts I've equipped you with, and the entire universe will be captivated by you!"

The Zetton, being modified, slowly turned its eyes, glancing at the excited Baltan alien. Its eyes held no emotion, only a cold, calm indifference. In its mind, it silently replied: I hope so.

After all, this time it was facing no ordinary opponent. It could vaguely sense that the being named Cui Ming possessed an aura that instinctively instilled fear in it—an aura mixed with ruthlessness, cunning, and absolute power, far beyond that of ordinary Ultra Warriors. No matter how rosy the future depicted by the Baltan aliens was, it couldn't conceal the terrifying nature of their adversary.

It felt the ever-increasing power within its body, the forcibly implanted abilities, yet felt no joy, only a heavy pressure. It knew that the upcoming battle would be a life-or-death struggle; it would either become the "best despair" in the eyes of the Baltan people, or be completely annihilated by Cui Ming's attack.

Outside the incubation pod, the Baltan aliens continued their incessant chatter, outlining their future plans. Inside, Zetton closed its eyes, silently adapting to the new power surging within it. Regardless, it had to prepare itself to face that formidable opponent.

(End of this chapter)