Ultraman: It turns out this is the easy mode.

Inside the cockpit of Jeep III, the indicator lights on the instrument panel returned to a steady green, but the three astronauts' hearts pounded with unease. The captain's hand, gripping the control stick, was still trembling slightly, while the co-pilot and the researcher clung to the porthole, watching the receding crimson giant's silhouette with eyes filled with bewilderment and awe.

"It's not Tiga..." The researcher pushed up his glasses, his voice trembling slightly. "When did Earth have another Ultraman?"

The passenger nodded vigorously, the scene replaying in his mind: "Did you see that? At first it was silvery-blue, so gentle, like...like moonlight, giving a feeling of compassion. But then it suddenly turned red, and its power was like the blazing sun trying to burn through the universe!"

"It's amazing..." the captain murmured to himself, his fingers unconsciously tapping the control panel. "He's so powerful, yet he just protected us behind him, without making any unnecessary moves. If it weren't for him, we might already be trapped by that strange light..." He didn't finish his sentence, but all three knew the consequences would be unimaginable. They had sailed through space for years, witnessing countless dangers, but they had never encountered such a "miraculous" being—powerful, mysterious, and possessing a reassuring sense of protection.

Meanwhile, deep within the universe, Gauss's crimson form in corona mode traversed interstellar dust. Cui Ming's consciousness was searching for traces of Ligadron's energy through Gauss's sensory network. The orange-red energy entity vanished without a trace, like a ghost, yet this unknown aura kept him on his guard. Just as he was about to expand his search area, a group of spherical creatures shimmering with an eerie green light entered his sensory domain—Sphia!

These cosmic life forms, known as the "Goddess of Wisdom," were utterly devoid of the composure of intelligent beings. They had been moving slowly, seemingly searching for a target to assimilate, but the moment they saw Gauss, the green light on the sphere's surface flickered violently, generating a strong energy disturbance—a sign of fear! As if the crimson giant before them was their natural nemesis, an instinctive dread made them instantly abandon all movement and turn to flee into the depths of space.

"Hmph! Want to escape?"

Cui Ming's cold snort echoed silently in the vacuum, but Gauss's figure had already rushed forward like an arrow. Years of experience fighting against cosmic creatures told him that beings like the Sphias, who could merge with matter and create synthetic beasts, were impossible to reform—their goal was to assimilate everything and expand themselves. Only by completely defeating such pure evil could the future troubles be prevented.

Gauss's speed was pushed to its limit in Corona Mode, and he caught up with the lagging Sphia in an instant. Without hesitation, he spread his arms wide to the sides, freezing in mid-air like a roc spreading its wings. Crimson energy surged from the timer on his chest, spreading along his arms to his fingertips, and the surrounding space distorted slightly due to this intense heat. Then, he rapidly swung his hands, condensing the scattered energy into a burning fireball, the temperature of his palms enough to melt cosmic alloys.

"Scorching shockwave!"

Driven by Cui Ming's will, Gauss thrust his hands forward with tremendous force, and the fireball, concentrated with solar energy, instantly erupted, transforming into a surging beam of fiery heat that shot towards the Sphia colony with a piercing whistling sound. This beam contained the core energy of Corona Mode, possessing devastating power against evil creatures, and was one of Gauss's most frequently used finishing moves.

The first few Scias had no time to react before being engulfed by the beam of fire. With a deafening roar, the green sphere exploded in the intense heat, dissipating into specks of light that vanished into space. The remaining Scias, seeing this, panicked even more, their escape speed increasing as they scattered in all directions, trying to avoid the deadly attack.

Gauss did not stop his attack. He turned his body, his arm moving with his gaze, and the flame beams chased after the fleeing Sphia as if they were alive. Each hit was accompanied by the explosion of the green sphere, and the scorching energy waves ignited the surrounding interstellar dust, forming a spectacular nebula of fire.

The number of Sphias far exceeded expectations, and they were extremely agile. Seeing that the remaining Sphias were about to escape into an asteroid belt, the timer on Gauss's chest began flashing red—the energy consumption of Corona Mode far exceeded that of Luna Mode, and the sustained high-intensity battle had strained the energy supply. Cui Ming made a decisive move, gathering energy once more and unleashing a final, scorching shockwave that destroyed the closest Sphias before halting the pursuit.

He hovered in the void, his crimson body undulating slightly, his gaze coldly fixed on the direction where Sphia had disappeared. Although they hadn't been completely annihilated, this heavy blow was enough to keep them from approaching Earth for a while. Cui Ming's consciousness pondered within Gauss: The appearance of Sphia was no accident; could there be some connection between them and Ligadron? It seemed the cosmic threats facing Earth were more complex than imagined.

Meanwhile, Jeep 3 had successfully entered Earth orbit. As the three astronauts looked out the porthole at the gradually clearing blue planet, and then recalled the crimson giant, their initial bewilderment slowly transformed into awe.

At the observation deck of TPC headquarters, Sawai stood by the railing, gazing at the clouds slowly drifting past the window. On his desk lay the preliminary report transmitted back by Gypsy 3, the words "Encounter with an unknown Ultra Warrior" prominently displayed on the page, next to which was a simple hand-drawn portrait by an astronaut—its silver-blue body as soft as moonlight, its crimson form as fiery as the sun, a few strokes clearly outlining Gauss's characteristics.

“Ultraman…” Sawai sighed softly, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the edge of the report, her eyes filled with complex emotions. From Tiga’s first appearance at the pyramids to the mysterious Ultraman Cosmos protecting Earth’s spaceship in space, the appearance of these giants of light has always inadvertently overturned humanity’s understanding of “power” and “protection.”

He recalled the scene six months ago when Golza and Melba destroyed the pyramids, and Tiga awoke from the stone statue—a dazzling light pierced through the smoke, and the tremor of the giant's landing made the entire city hold its breath. At that time, Tiga was both a hero fighting monsters and the embodiment of "hope" in humanity's hearts. Now, Cosmos, protecting Jeep 3 in space, resolves crises with gentle power, yet displays thunderous force when facing evil. This "combination of strength and gentleness" makes him feel that Ultraman is a "unique and magical" existence. (End of Chapter)