Ultraman: It turns out this is the easy mode.

Inside the cockpit of Jeep III, the three astronauts remained frozen in their positions, their eyes filled with bewilderment. The sudden, abnormal red light from the engines, the violent shaking of the ship, and the eerie orange-red glow outside the window had all made their hearts race, but before they could figure out what was happening, everything suddenly returned to calm—in its place stood a giant outside the window, its entire body radiating crimson light.

"That...that's Ultraman?" the co-pilot muttered unconsciously, his finger still hovering over the alarm button, but he forgot to press it. They knew about Earth, too. But this didn't seem to be Ultraman Tiga.
Well, they'd seen meteorites and cosmic dust in the universe, but they'd never seen such a colossal giant of light. However, they knew that the "silent battle" they'd just witnessed was actually the giant protecting them.

Gauss hovered beside the spaceship, his crimson body in corona mode gradually losing its combat aura, transforming into a relatively gentle energy fluctuation. He glanced down at the astronauts in the cockpit, making no unnecessary movements—for Cui Ming, the top priority at this moment was not explanation, but getting the spaceship back to Earth as quickly as possible to avoid any unforeseen complications. No one could guarantee that the fleeing Ligadron wouldn't return, or that other cosmic beings wouldn't be eyeing this vulnerable ship.

Gauss extended his right hand, a pale blue aura of energy emanating from his palm, and gently placed it against the side of the Gypsy III's hull. There was no violent collision, no ear-piercing noise; the spaceship was steadily supported by a gentle yet powerful force. The three astronauts felt a slight lightness in their bodies, and the starry sky outside the windows began to rush past them rapidly. The once distant Earth was visibly expanding.

"He...he's taking us back to Earth?" The captain finally realized what was happening, his voice filled with shock as he looked at the constantly changing coordinates on the instrument panel. They were originally supposed to take three more days to reach Earth orbit, but now, the spaceship's speed far exceeded normal limits, even several times faster than the fastest space probes.

Gauss's flight was stable and precise, always protecting Jeep III in front of him. His crimson body acted as a solid barrier, isolating him from potential dangers in the universe. He would occasionally look up to scan the surrounding airspace to ensure that no other unidentified energy entities were following him. His perception range in corona mode was set to maximum, and no subtle energy fluctuation could escape his detection.

The astronauts in the cockpit gradually shifted from bewilderment to reassurance. Looking out the window at the giant figure silently guarding the spaceship, they didn't know his name or what had just happened, but they could clearly feel themselves being protected by a powerful force. The initial fear caused by the "abnormal luminous object" slowly gave way to a sense of security.

As the spacecraft gradually approached Earth's atmosphere, Gauss slowly adjusted its flight angle, reducing the speed of the Giptha III to a safe range. Only when the spacecraft entered its designated orbit and headed towards TPC's spaceport did Gauss release his grip on the spacecraft, hovering outside the atmosphere and watching it disappear into the distance.

The three astronauts waved to Gauss from the cockpit, knowing he might not see them, but they wanted to express their gratitude in this way. Gauss simply nodded slightly, then turned and flew back into space—he still needed to confirm the whereabouts of Ligadron and ensure that the threat wouldn't approach Earth again. For Cui Ming, protection was never about "completing a rescue," but about completely eliminating all potential dangers; this was the most responsible way to treat humanity.

His usual ruthlessness towards enemies and impatience with tedious procedures transformed into a calm and dignified presence the moment he was enveloped in light—he knew better than anyone that this Ultra Warrior power was not his own, but "borrowed," and that each transformation carried the honor of the Ultra race, allowing no room for disrespect.

Just like now, suspended in the universe in Gaussian corona mode, he could have directly chased after and torn apart Ligadron's energy core, but he still made sure that Gypsy III was safe first, and then used precise beam skills to force the enemy back, instead of going for the kill right away.

This is not weakness, but rather a deliberate adherence to the "Ultra Divinity"—the mission of Ultra Warriors is to protect, not simply destroy. Even when facing evil, the safety of the innocent must be ensured first. This is a principle engraved in the Ultra Spirit, and Cui Ming did not want to tarnish the reputation of Cosmos or the Ultra race because of his own style of doing things.

Previously, when fighting the rampaging mechanical monster on Earth, he transformed into Ultraman Luna Mode and immediately used "Luna Extraction" to remove the control chip from the monster's body, instead of directly destroying it with a beam of light. At that time, the GUTS team members were still wondering in the communication, "Why not just deal with it directly?" Cui Ming simply replied calmly, "The monster itself is not wrong; the one who controls it is wrong." Hidden in this sentence is his understanding of the Ultraman spirit—the greater the power, the more important it is to distinguish between "enemy" and "victim," and not to let violence become the only solution.

But this "divinity" only exists when he transforms into an Ultraman.

When he shed his Ultraman aura and became Cui Ming again, his unwavering adherence to principles was revealed without reservation. Last time, a high-ranking official from TPC's European branch, driven by profit, secretly traded dangerous technology with space merchants and was caught red-handed by Cui Ming. The official, relying on his position, shouted, "You have no right to deal with me!" Without a word, Cui Ming pulled out a pistol and pressed it against the official's temple, his eyes as cold as ice: "Don't mention your position to me. If you're obedient, cooperate with the investigation. If you're not, even if you're a high-ranking official, I'll still kill you. At worst, I'll go to a military court to face the consequences." In the end, the official obediently confessed, and no one dared to use their "position" as a shield again.

This contrast, however, appears perfectly harmonious in him. When he transforms into an Ultra Warrior, he deliberately restrains his ruthlessness, protecting the world in the way of the Ultra race—even against evil monsters, he first tries to see if there is any possibility of "redemption." Only when he confirms that the other party is beyond redemption will he use "brutal" methods to intimidate them, just like Ultraman Old Deng in the Showa era, using absolute power to prevent all kinds of monsters from daring to act recklessly. But as a human, he has only one principle: listen to what is beneficial to the Earth, and stop what is harmful to the Earth. No matter if you are a high-ranking official or an ordinary person, no one can cross the line.

Just like after defeating the Kirieloids, Sawai advised him to "be gentler with the higher-ups," but Cui Ming just sneered: "Gentleness won't bring safety. Only by letting them know the 'price of disobedience' will no one dare to risk Earth." But when he transformed into Ultraman and saw the astronauts of Gypsy III, his eyes were full of protectiveness—because at this moment he represented not "Cui Ming," but an Ultra Warrior, the "light" in the eyes of humanity. This identity made him have to shoulder the responsibility of "divinity."

Two identities, two principles, yet both pointing to the same goal: protecting Earth. Cui Ming distinguishes between them clearly and never confuses them. When transformed, he is a giant of light following the spirit of Ultra; when transformed back into a human, he is a guardian who dares to draw his sword against any threat. These two forms together constitute the unique Cui Ming—a "special guardian" who understands the divinity of Ultra while upholding the bottom line of humanity. (End of Chapter)