Starting from the destruction of the Land of Light

The sound of Zhang Chen leaving the suite and closing the door was like a signal, releasing some kind of invisible constraint. Zhong Linwan lay quietly, sensing the changes in her body.

The numbness was gradually fading, and the heavy shackles seemed to be loosening.

Time passed second by second.

The neon lights outside the window reflected on the walls, and the city's hustle and bustle was shut out by the thick glass, leaving only an almost frozen silence inside.

Zhong Linwan channeled the power of light bestowed upon her by Phyllis, first with a slight tremor in her fingers, then a rotation of her wrist, followed by a slow raising of her arm...

A moment later, she finally managed to sit up with difficulty. Sweat soaked the stray hairs on her forehead and clung to her pale skin. She gasped for breath and looked around the luxurious yet cold suite.

Slowly getting out of bed, Zhong Linwan's steps were unsteady, each step feeling like walking on cotton; her body was still extremely weak.

But she didn't stop; this was not a place to linger.

Stepping out of the hotel's revolving door, the bustling heat of the evening city instantly hit me. Cars and people were everywhere, neon lights were flashing, pedestrians were everywhere, and the air was filled with the aroma of delicious food and the city's restlessness.

On the giant GG screen, a follow-up report on the previous Liu Ma Mountain incident was playing, showing the Earth Defense Force's cleanup team and the sealed-off ruins area.

People talked about the red giant (Aegis), the blue giant (Felice), and Black King, who appeared last and tore apart Patton's wings, their tone filled with lingering fear, awe, and all sorts of bizarre speculations.

Standing on the bustling street corner, Zhong Linwan felt a strange, cold feeling of being out of place.

Looking at the still bustling city before her, as if the disaster had never happened, she took a deep breath, suppressed her surging emotions, took out her phone, and the light from the screen illuminated her still pale face. Without hesitation, Zhong Linwan dialed the number.

The call was connected almost instantly.

A steady, slightly hurried male voice rang out, filled with undisguised concern:

"Lin Wan? How are you? Where are you now?"

"Teacher, I failed." Zhong Linwan's voice was soft, filled with deep exhaustion and self-blame, as she tried to remain calm. "I couldn't stop Barton, and I was severely injured and forced to disintegrate."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a deeper worry. "Are you badly injured? Are you safe? Tell me your location!"

"I was rescued," Zhong Linwan said softly, looking at the bustling crowd before her. "I'm near the Jiangcheng Central Hotel now. I was worried there might be... surveillance cameras or eavesdropping in my room, so I came out."

"You were rescued?" The voice on the other end of the phone suddenly rose in volume. "Who was it?!"

"I..." Zhong Linwan's fingers tightened slightly as she looked at Zhang Chen's calm eyes and his expression as he readily admitted to summoning King Black.

A strange intuition told her that this person was no ordinary person, and she should not reveal his background and purpose to anyone, not even her teacher, before she fully understood him.

"I don't know," she finally said, her tone carrying just the right amount of confusion. "I didn't see the other person. I woke up in the hotel, and... it seems like they erased the hotel's surveillance footage and check-in records. The other person was... very careful."

Chung Lin-wan used "they" in an attempt to mislead the teacher that the other party might not be a single person.

She chose to conceal Zhang Chen's existence, but at the same time, she didn't lie completely.

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

Zhong Linwan could almost picture her teacher's furrowed brows and pensive expression. The intervention of an unknown third party, capable of erasing traces and healing Phyllis's human form severely damaged by Barton's toxin, represented a force and intention that would alert anyone.

Just when Zhong Linwan thought the teacher would continue to press for details, she suddenly remembered something and added, "Oh right, teacher, the person who saved me left a message."

She paused, choosing her words carefully. "They say... the recent appearance of these monsters is not accidental; they seem to have been summoned by some kind of... 'wave'."

"Fluctuations..." Breathing sounds came from the other end of the phone. After a pause, the teacher's voice rang out. "...Besides that, is there anything else?"

"That's all." She clearly repeated the core information Zhang Chen had conveyed, without adding any of her own speculation. "He only said it was because of some kind of fluctuation."

There was silence again on the other end of the phone.

This silence was longer than any before.

After a while, the teacher's voice rang out again, her tone unusually serious. "Lin Wan, listen, you go back to school first, don't go anywhere else. During this time, you absolutely cannot use Phyllis's power without my permission, understand?"

"Teacher, but..." Zhong Linwan panicked and subconsciously tried to refute.

Although Barton has been destroyed, the aura still exists, and there will be other monsters. How can she stand idly by? Phyllis's power is the belief she protects.

"No buts." The instructor's voice was firm and decisive, carrying an almost commanding sternness. "Listen to me, I... have some very urgent matters to attend to. Remember my words, be careful, and stay in touch."

Before he could finish speaking, the call was abruptly ended, leaving only a busy tone.

(Beep...beep...beep...)

Zhong Linwan stood blankly on the bustling street, holding her phone which was now just a busy signal.

The teacher's stern tone and hasty hanging up of the phone felt like a bucket of cold water being poured over her; she could sense the teacher's extreme concern about this sensitive information.

But then, a strong sense of powerlessness overwhelmed her.

She was defeated, not only seriously injured, but also rescued by a mysterious person, exposing her identity. Now, even the right to use her powers has been taken away by her teacher... although she knows that her teacher did it for her own good.

"Power..." she murmured, her fingers gripping her phone tightly until her knuckles turned white, her eyes burning with resentment and deep hatred for her own weakness.

If, if her power were stronger, if she could unleash the full power of Ultraman Phyllis, or even go further, wouldn't she have avoided such a humiliating defeat? Would she have been able to protect so much more?

A surge of emotions welled up in her chest, but she ultimately forced herself to suppress all the turbulent thoughts. The teacher's words carried immense weight in her heart, and even though she was unwilling, she knew that now was not the time to act impulsively.

Taking a deep breath to calm the turmoil in her eyes, Zhong Linwan took one last look at the brightly lit silhouette of the Jiangcheng Central Hotel.

Then, she slowly turned around and silently blended into the bustling crowd on the street, still unaware of the disaster and miracle that had just occurred.

...

Meanwhile, in another city, at the Earth Defense Force's China headquarters.

Chu Huai, Ultraman Aegis's human form, had just gotten out of bed and, after regaining some mobility, immediately went to the operations room.

Upon seeing him, Vice Captain Yan Su couldn't help but ask, "Chu Huai? Why aren't you resting?"

"Deputy Yan, I'm fine now! Look, I can jump and bounce around like a baby!"

Chu Huai shook his hand, then jumped up and down twice.

"Alright, alright, calm down. Although Barton's toxin is gone, it's still uncertain whether it will affect your health. Don't move around until the report comes out." Seeing Chu Huai's actions, Wang Kui quickly stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder.

Yan Su glanced deeply at Chu Huai, sighed, and then turned her gaze to the big screen.

On the large screen during the battle, three images were playing: the battle between Eggers and Barton, the battle between Phyllis and Barton, and the scene of King Black killing Barton.

Chu Huai noticed this too, and his fist clenched instinctively. "Next time, next time I definitely won't lose again!"

"Next time?" Yan Su asked, his back to Chu Huai. "The battle we're fighting is one we absolutely cannot afford to lose."

"Deputy Director Yan, I..."

"You lost this time, and Phyllis lost too. In the end, if it weren't for the inexplicable appearance of King Black, the destruction caused by Barton would probably have been even greater. Do you understand what this means?"

Hearing Yan Su's somewhat cold words, Chu Huai lowered his head, his gaze falling on the bandaged wound on his thigh. He felt a surge of resentment burning from the bottom of his heart.

"After comparison and evaluation by the data team, the battle data report with Patton is now available." At this moment, Tang Yu's voice broke the somewhat tense atmosphere.

"Barton has extremely strong physical abilities, especially in speed and aerial combat. He can even fight against Ultraman Phyllis. Ultraman Eggs' advantage is strength, so he is not at an advantage against an opponent like Barton, not to mention that the opponent has poison."

Tang Yu's expression was very serious and meticulous, but everyone present could tell that she was speaking up for Chu Huai.

Wang Kui quickly stepped in to smooth things over and change the subject. "So, facing an enemy like Barton, Ultraman Phyllis should have a fighting chance, right?"

"Yes." Tang Yu nodded. "Judging from the battle footage, Ultraman Phyllis briefly suppressed Barton. As long as he doesn't engage in close combat, it's only a matter of time before Barton is defeated."

"So, if you put it that way..." Yang Tianyu leaned back weakly in his chair, his face gloomy. "We've actually tricked them."

"Yeah, I wonder how Ultraman Phyllis is doing now." Chen Mo sighed as well.

If Ultraman Phyllis hadn't shielded them from that attack, the battle wouldn't have turned out this way.

"This..." Seeing that the two detectives were also caught up in self-blame, Wang Kui opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

Just then, the door to the operations room opened automatically, and Tatsuta walked in carrying a thick report.

"Commander-in-Chief."

...