Japanese Terrorist: What? I'll fight Hellstar!

President Tsuburaya stood up, walked to the bookshelf, pulled out a yellowed folder from the top shelf, opened it, and pushed it in front of the Vice Minister of Cultural Affairs.

The folder contained dozens of photos and hand-drawn sketches. The pages were yellowed and curled at the edges, some with faded labels, and others marked with times and locations in ballpoint pen.

"This is Tianchi Lake in Changbai Mountain. My father and an expedition team saw the legendary lake monster there."

President Tsuburaya pointed to the first black and white photo.

The image is blurry, but you can see huge ripples on the water's surface. In the middle of the ripples is a dark, irregularly shaped bump, which looks like the part of some kind of creature emerging from the water.

The deputy director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau stared at the photo, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

President Tsuburaya turned another page.

"The Yeti of the Himalayas, photographed by a British mountaineering team in 1953. My father got a copy from a friend."

The photo shows huge footprints in the snow, arranged neatly and extending towards the distant snow-capped mountains. Hiking poles are nearby for reference; the footprints are two to three times larger than a human foot.

"And the Loch Ness Monster, the Ainu giant bear, the Lagar River worm, the Mothman of West Virginia, the Antarctic marine life of Ningen..."

President Tsuburaya Productions turned the pages one by one.

Every photograph and every sketch is labeled: time, place, eyewitness, and recorder. Some labels are in fountain pen, the ink faded to brown; some are in ballpoint pen, the blue ink still clear; and some are in pencil, the writing somewhat blurry, only legible upon close inspection.

The Deputy Minister of Cultural Affairs followed his finger, moving from one photograph to another, from one line of text to another. His expression began to change, first becoming serious, then confused, then somewhat strange, and finally settling on an indescribable look.

If you ask why...

"These things... if I remember correctly, are all widely circulated rumors."

It's no exaggeration to say that if you buy any magazine from the street vendor, flip to the title page, or even just the color pages in the middle, you'll almost certainly find descriptions of these mysterious creatures mentioned by Tsuburaya Productions' president. Those weekly magazines that specialize in reporting strange and unusual events all have columns on unsolved mysteries in every issue. The Loch Ness Monster, the Bermuda Triangle, crop circles, the Yeti, the Mothman… they all sound plausible, but just like Ultraman, most adults know they're all hoaxes.

"The so-called Antarctic marine creature Ningen is nothing but a fabrication by conspiracy theorists."

I can't speak for other deputy ministers of the Ministry of Culture, but Ninggen is a creature that has only emerged in recent years, born on the 2CH forum.

The so-called Ningen is a giant humanoid creature that inhabits Antarctica. It has smooth, white skin and is said to be 20 to 30 meters long. It is believed to be the product of a secret genetic engineering project by the Japanese government.

However, what began as a brief post about unidentified creatures appearing in Antarctica was embellished by netizens who photoshopped it into memes, creating the image of Ningen. After being reported by some occult magazines, it became a global mystery. In short, all evidence of Ningen's existence has been proven to be photoshopped; its prototype is a meme from the 2CH forum, making it a completely fictional creation.

"After all, our government doesn't have such advanced genetic engineering technology that it can secretly transport them to Antarctica without anyone knowing."

The deputy minister of the Cultural Affairs Agency looked at the president of Tsuburaya Productions, shrugged, and said with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

He did hope that Ningen was real, because if Ningen were real, it would mean that Japan's technology surpassed the world's, but unfortunately, Japan did not have that ability yet.

"Ningen is just a metaphor for an unidentified Antarctic creature. I don't believe it's a product of the Japanese government's secret genetic engineering, and neither does my father."

The president of Tsuburaya Productions shook his head, but his tone became even more serious.

He raised his head and looked at the deputy director of the cultural affairs department opposite him. His voice was no longer dazed, but filled with a heavy sense of certainty.

"However, in my father's name, I dare to assure you that the unidentified creatures in Antarctica truly exist. Not just Ninggen, but those unknown creatures that are considered rumors and jokes are not baseless rumors. Many of them were personally witnessed by my father when he was young, traveling across most of the world. He even faced them with his own eyes, and narrowly escaped death!"

The Deputy Minister of Cultural Affairs did not respond to this statement. He adjusted his glasses and calmly stared at President Tsuburaya Productions, seemingly observing whether the president was still of sound mind and whether he was serious about what he was saying.

The president of Tsuburaya Productions and the vice minister of the Agency for Cultural Affairs looked at each other, their expressions serious and earnest, their eyes filled with sincerity, as they continued to recount their father's past experiences.

"When he was young, he was obsessed with these creatures hidden in the corners of the world. He ventured into the icy lakes of Changbai Mountain, crossed the snow line of the Himalayas, and chased the undercurrents of Loch Ness. Several times he almost lost his life on the way. It was because of those experiences that he was able to make monster movies and tokusatsu series such as Baron, Rodan, Mothra, and Ultra Q."

Gradually, the deputy director of the cultural affairs department also became serious.

"In other words..."

Although he had obtained valuable information, the deputy minister of the Agency for Cultural Affairs was unwilling to accept this reality. He hoped that the president of Tsuburaya Productions was taking the story seriously; otherwise, the world was more dangerous than the little bit of secrets he knew.

"That's right! Those seemingly fantastical settings were never made up out of thin air. They were stories that my father had seen, stories of terrifying beings that humans were powerless to resist, which he broke down into things that the audience could accept, using the form of tokusatsu!"

President Tsuburaya nodded vigorously, affirming what the Deputy Minister of Cultural Affairs had not said.

"I don't know if my father ever saw the original Ultraman, but in episode 49 of Ultraman Tiga, on the planet of Ultraman, the actor who played my father said a line—'We need a hero, Kinjo. A hero is necessary! A hero!' This line was added at my request because it was something my father once told me, and it was also the original intention behind my father's creation of the Ultraman character."

"Because he had seen too many terrifying creatures, knew how dangerous this world was, and knew how insignificant humanity was, especially after he documented the monsters he had witnessed and heard others mention in movies and TV series. Faced with those creatures that could not be categorized as good or evil, he felt despair. So, his father created a hero named Ultraman, a wish made in the face of despair. He hoped that when those creatures threatened humanity, a hero named Ultraman would truly exist to protect us."

The president of Tsuburaya Productions turned around and looked at the Ultraman model on the shelf, his words carrying a certain peculiar emotion.

That's longing, that's hope, that's yearning... If Ultraman really existed, how wonderful that would be.

"So, if that Ultraman Seven from last night really is a hero called Ultraman, if he really is a giant of light who came to protect humanity, my father in heaven would be very happy."

The deputy minister of the cultural affairs department and the two bodyguards also looked up at the Ultraman model on the bookshelf.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the Ultraman models and reflecting a soft glow.

The folders on the coffee table lay quietly, their yellowed photos and hand-drawn sketches like silent witnesses.

After a long while, the deputy director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau finally spoke.

"Thank you, President Tsuburaya. I will report back truthfully what you have said."

Standing up, the Deputy Minister of Cultural Affairs bowed slightly to President Tsuburaya Productions.

President Tsuburaya Productions also stood up and bowed to the Vice Minister of Cultural Affairs.

At the family restaurant, after scooping out the last spoonful of curry, Amamiya Rin placed the spoon on the empty plate and took a sip of water.

Tomie finished her meal faster than Amamiya Rin and was enjoying the dessert she had just ordered. It was a strawberry parfait, with ice cream, cream, strawberries, and tortilla chips piled up in the glass. Tomie, completely unconcerned about the calories, was happily eating these delicacies that fitness enthusiasts wouldn't dare to touch.

The sunlight outside the window was even stronger than before, reflecting a blinding white light off the glass curtain wall of the building across the street. The air conditioner hummed, keeping the restaurant's heat outside the glass.

Amamiya Rin leaned back against the upholstery of the booth, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding customers. The students who had been discussing Ultraman had left, and the young mother with her child had also paid her bill and left, replaced by an elderly couple quietly eating their soba noodles.

He took out his phone, intending to check the time.

The screen lit up, and a notification for missed calls popped up.

Three.

Amamiya Rin swiped her thumb across the screen and glanced at it.

One of them is Inudou Ranko, who took the taxi at 9:20 pm last night.

The two are by Mamiya Yuka, and the times are 10:20 pm and 11:30 pm last night.

Unfortunately, all of them called when Amamiya Rin was unable to answer the phone.

There were also four text messages, all from Yuka Mamiya.

[Amamiya-kun! This is a bit bad. While we can't yet determine if there are truly vengeful spirits or evil gods, Editor-in-Chief Sayama and his wife are dead. It was a suicide, and they were in very poor mental condition before their deaths.]

[Amamiya-kun, I think I might have stumbled upon some kind of conspiracy. The senior who was with me seems suspicious.]

[Amamiya-kun, I'm at Ikomayama in the Kinki region...]

The third message was abruptly cut off before it was finished.

Thankfully, nothing serious has happened. I'm continuing my investigation.

The four text messages were sent relatively close together. The earliest one was sent around 3 p.m. yesterday, when he was busy. He glanced at it at the time, but since it didn't seem dangerous, he didn't pay much attention to it. The latest one was sent around 3 a.m. this morning, as if telling him that the crisis had been averted after the first two text messages that seemed to be asking for help.

Amamiya Rin frowned slightly, a thoughtful expression appearing on her face.

"What is it?"

He muttered to himself. Because so much time had passed—a full century, or even more—he remembered Mamiya Yuka, but he couldn't quite recall what she had mentioned.

All Amamiya Rin remembered was that Mamiya Yuka was a daredevil. Her profession was a paranormal reporter, her teacher was a folklorist, and her acquaintance was Kazemi Junya, a police officer who investigated paranormal events. She was also very brave and fearless about supernatural phenomena, but rather very fascinated by them. He seemed to have tried to persuade her several times, telling her about the dangers of paranormal events. Mamiya Yuka had also personally witnessed victims being dissolved by the power of the apologetic demon, but even that couldn't make Mamiya Yuka give up her daredevil thoughts.

However, it seems there are no major problems at the moment... or so it seems.

Despite thinking this way, Amamiya Rin was still somewhat worried.

He stared at the unfinished text message: Ikomayama, Kinki region. Sending a message at 3 AM meant she was still mobile and could use her phone. But the abruptly ended message made him feel uneasy.

"Hey, can you not get distracted when you're on a date with me?"

A voice interrupted Amamiya Rin's thoughts.

I'm so annoyed, so incredibly annoyed! First it was an imposter, then it was a woman I don't even know! When that imposter was on a date with Ah Lin, no one else bothered her, so why are they all coming to bother her while she's on a date?

Tomie glared at Amamiya Rin, radiating a violent aura that seemed to raise the temperature in the room.

Her fingers gripped the ice cream scoop, her knuckles slightly white, while her other hand rested on the table. She leaned forward, like a tiger ready to pounce at any moment.

Amamiya Rin looked up and met Tomie's gaze.

Tomie's face was very close to his, her eyes wide and her lips pressed into a thin line. Sunlight streamed in from the side window, casting a soft shadow on her face, making her angry expression appear even more fierce.

Noticing Tomie's movements, the surrounding guests also began to look in their direction.

The elderly couple stopped eating, their eyes shifting back and forth between the two of them. The waiter behind the bar also looked up, holding a dishcloth, unsure whether he should come over.

Yu Gonglin paused for a second, then decisively put his phone down, screen facing down on the table.

"Feel sorry."

Amamiya Rin nodded, her attitude being nothing short of decisive and efficient.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't be distracted when I'm on a date."

Tomie paused for a moment.

She was prepared to argue, and even planned to get physical with Yu Gonglin, beat him until he knelt down, and take him to the hotel room—she was quite certain that if it was only to that extent, Yu Gonglin wouldn't fight back with all his might.

As a result, Amamiya Rin immediately admitted his mistake, which left Amamiya somewhat at a loss.

"you……"

Tomie opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

Finally, she snorted, sat back in her booth, crossed her arms, and turned to look out the window, looking sullen.

"Hmph, it's good that you know you're wrong."

Yu Gonglin looked at her like this and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Anyway, there's a location, Ikomayama, in the Kinki region. Not to mention that the text message mentioned that Mamiya is still tracking and investigating, making a phone call or sending a text message rashly might cause trouble for Mamiya.

Even if something really happens, as long as we know where Mamiya Yuka is, we can carry out a rescue. There's no need to spoil Tomie's mood now.

Amamiya Rin thought to herself.