We asked you to make tokusatsu films, and you actually became Ultraman?

The Baltan aliens fell silent as they watched the image on the screen of Sirius dissipating in the wind due to "insufficient energy."

It blinked, its slender fingers tapping unconsciously on the control panel, its mind racing.

That's not right.

This Ultraman clearly crushed its modified Eleking just now, dominating the whole time and not even giving it a chance to fight back, so how come it suddenly ran out of energy and disappeared?

Isn't this treating it like a fool?!

It's a Baltan alien! It's a genius scientist! How could such a low-level acting trick fool it?

However, it repeatedly replayed the battle data from earlier, and the energy fluctuations were indeed normal. Sirius's energy was indeed being continuously consumed during the battle, and the timer eventually turned red. The energy curves throughout the entire process were normal, with no trace of any artificial interruption or instantaneous transfer.

Ultraman couldn't possibly hide his energy for no reason, and even if he did, his detection equipment would definitely find it.

The Baltan aliens had ruled out the possibility that their energy detector was faulty, since they had recalculated it dozens of times. So the only explanation was that Ultraman had undergone an unexpected change.

But soon, the Baltan alien suddenly thought of something.

It pulled up the energy fluctuation analysis chart from the time of Sirius's battle and analyzed it carefully.

Looking more closely at the energy output when he uses each skill, the type of energy consumed by each move is quite different, and some of them are not even his own energy.

The Baltan alien's eyes lit up.

It turned out to be the case.

It seems that this Ultraman relied on the energy of some other being and used skills that were not his own, which is why his energy was consumed so quickly.

This situation is actually quite common. According to the intelligence it has collected, many Ultra Warriors have strict time limits when using those powerful forms, and their energy will be depleted once the time is exceeded.

It seems that this Ultraman is in the same situation. He looks very strong, but he is actually borrowing the power of others to fight. The borrowed power is used up little by little, so he runs out of power after defeating a monster.

"Hmph, so it's just someone who borrows power." The Baltan alien was relieved, all doubts in its eyes vanished. It shook its head with a sigh, swiped its finger on the control panel, and the screen switched to the real-time monitoring of the base.

On the screen, people are coming and going at the factory site, and the newly arrived survivors are registering, receiving food, and settling into their accommodations.

Despite the busyness and the crowds, everyone's face carried something: hope.

As the Baltan alien watched this scene, the corners of his mouth slowly turned up, and his eyes sparkled with excitement.

The greater the hope, the more delicious the despair.

It chuckled a few times and began to look forward to the next test.

---

"Sizzle—sizzle—"

The old broadcasting equipment on the factory roof first emitted a piercing electrical noise, and then a clear female voice came through the loudspeaker, spreading throughout the streets and alleys of the entire city.

"This is Team-U Defense Force broadcast. I am team member Hina Hamamatsu."

If you hear this broadcast, if you're still alive, if you're still struggling alone in some corner of this city, please listen to me.

The voice paused, as if organizing its thoughts, then continued, more resolute than before:

"We established a survivor settlement in an abandoned factory in the east of the city."

There is food, clean drinking water, a roof to shelter you from the wind and rain, medicine, and bandages.

There are dedicated patrols and sturdy fortifications here, so monsters won't easily approach.

Here, you don't have to worry about where your next meal will come from, you don't have to be afraid of never waking up again after falling asleep, and you don't have to shiver alone in the dark.

The broadcast paused for a few seconds, as if giving the listeners some time to process the information.

Then, the voice rang out again, this time with an added quality...

It's hope! It's that kind of cautious yet incredibly firm hope that rekindles after despair:

"Because...we have Ultraman here."

"Yes, Ultraman! That giant, he will protect us. If you are still alive, please come. We are waiting for you here."

"Sizzle—"

The broadcast ended, static returned, and then silence fell.

Dongyang Xuelian was squatting in a ransacked supermarket, rummaging through the shelves for any food that might have been left behind.

After the monster was defeated last night, she figured today would be a bit safer, since monsters wouldn't keep coming one after another.

So she took advantage of this lull and went out early in the morning to search for supplies.

She hadn't eaten much for two days, and her stomach was growling so hungry that if she couldn't find anything to eat soon, she might really have to resort to gnawing on tree bark.

Just as she tossed an empty can aside and was about to check the next shelf, the announcement came over the loudspeaker.

The Japanese snow lotus stopped moving.

She listened intently to the entire broadcast, then froze on the spot, still clutching the empty can, unable to react for a long time.

No more fear of monsters? There's food and drink? And... Ultraman?

To be honest, she could understand every single word in the broadcast, but when they were put together, she couldn't understand them at all.

Ultraman? What's that? Is it a code name for some kind of army? Or some newly established organization?

Wait... Ultraman? Does that mean Superman?

Are you kidding me? The end of the world is here, and people are still using this kind of gimmick?

Using something like "Superman," which only children believe in, to deceive people—does it mean that survivors are all too hungry to think straight?

It could be a trap set by some kind of person, luring people in and then stealing their supplies. She'd seen this kind of thing far too often in the apocalypse.

Dongyang Xuelian pursed her lips, intending to continue rummaging through her food.

But as soon as she reached out her hand, she stopped.

Because she remembered last night.

Last night, she hid in the basement of a building and heard a deafening roar outside.

She initially thought it was some monster wreaking havoc on the city and was so frightened that she cowered in a corner, too scared to move.

But then she mustered up the courage to peek out and saw the giant.

The giant was very tall and quickly dealt with the terrifying-looking monster.

She thought it was a dream, or a hallucination caused by hunger.

But now, this broadcast says, "We have Ultraman here."

Dongyang Xuelian's heart suddenly beat a few beats faster.

Could it be... that wasn't an illusion? Could there really be a Superman? Could that giant be Ultraman, the one they were talking about on the radio?

She stood in the empty supermarket, clutching an empty can in her hand.

On one hand, reason was telling her, "Don't believe it, it's definitely a trap." On the other hand, there was the scene she had witnessed last night, and the hunger pangs in her stomach. She hadn't eaten for two days, and if she couldn't find food soon, she might not make it through the day.

Even if it's a trap... what's the harm in going to check it out? There's nothing to lose anyway.

Dongyang Xuelian gritted her teeth, threw the empty can on the ground, and turned to walk towards the east factory of the city.

Dongyang Xuelian was not the only one who shared the same idea.

The broadcast covered the entire city, and almost everyone who was still alive and had access to the radio heard it.

Like Dongyang Xuelian, most of them initially disbelieved it, thinking it was a scam and that the idea of ​​"Superman" was absurd.

But like the Japanese snow lotus, they also remembered the battle from the previous night.

The fight between the giant and the monster last night was so loud that it could be heard in half the city.

The deafening explosions, the monster's screams, and the final, enormous roar—none of these were fake.

Some people even risked their lives to stick their heads out and saw the huge figure with their own eyes.

Besides, they were already on the verge of death. They had run out of food and water, and their hiding place was about to be discovered by the monster. They were going to die anyway, so they might as well try their luck.

And so, one survivor after another emerged from every corner.

Some of them crawled out of basements, some climbed out of the rubble of collapsed buildings, some were with children, some were alone, and some were in groups of three or five.

Although they were ragged, emaciated, and their eyes held doubt, there was still a glimmer of hope they couldn't hide.

They walked towards the factory in the east of the city, like streams converging from all corners of the city.

Dongyang Xuelian was one of the first people to arrive at the factory.

When she saw the factory in the distance, she subconsciously slowed her pace and reached for the small knife at her waist that she used for self-defense.

She was prepared for the worst; if it was a trap and someone rushed out to steal her things, she would run for her life.

But when she got closer and saw what was inside the factory, she was stunned.

The factory wall had been repaired, and there were two women in combat uniforms standing guard at the gate. When they saw them coming, they didn't raise their guns or yell at them, but smiled and waved to them, signaling them to come in.

Inside the factory was a scene that Dongyang Xuelian had never imagined.

In a corner of the open space, someone had cleared out a patch of grass. Although the grass was sparse and there were many places where the soil was exposed, in this devastated city, this bit of green was enough to bring tears to one's eyes.

Dozens of children were running and playing on the grass, chasing a ball they had picked up from somewhere. Their laughter was as clear as bells, echoing through the factory.

Among the children, a young man was playing with them.

He looked to be in his early twenties, wearing a simple gray sweatshirt, his hair a little messy, and a smile on his face, as he bent down to help a little kid bounce a ball.

His movements were exaggerated; he deliberately missed the ball, which made the children laugh out loud.

The sunlight shone on him, warm and comforting. He looked more like an older brother playing with children in a park than a survivor of some apocalypse.

Dongyang Xuelian stared blankly at this scene, almost dropping the knife in her hand.

Is this... the end of the world?

In a world filled with ruins, monsters, death, and despair, how could such a place exist?

There were children laughing, there was grass, and a young man was playing with the children. Everything looked as if the apocalypse had never happened.

The young man also seemed to have noticed the group of new survivors at the door.

He straightened up, said a few words to the children around him, and then he and the group of children waved towards the door.

"welcome--!"

The children's voices were chattering, some shouting "Welcome to our house!", some shouting "Come and play together!", and others shouting "There's food to eat!"

The young man smiled and waved, his smile bright and clean, like the afternoon sun.

Standing at the door, watching this scene, Dongyang Xuelian suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

How long has it been since she's seen a smile like that? How long has it been since she's heard someone say "welcome" with a smile?

The other survivors following Dongyang Xuelian were also stunned. They stood at the door, mouths agape, staring at the scene inside the factory, as if they had stumbled into another world.

Several children who had come with adults looked at their peers running and playing on the grass, and then at Yunyu and the other children waving at them. They timidly stretched out their little hands and waved back in response.

"Welcome, welcome! Come in first! What are you doing standing at the door?"

Risa ran out from inside, smiling and greeting the group of new survivors.

As she walked in, she explained, "There's hot water and food inside. Eat something first to fill your stomach, and we can talk about anything else after you've eaten!"

Upon hearing the words "there is food," several survivors who had been hesitating immediately took action.

They followed Risa inside, their steps unsteady, as if afraid that if they walked too fast, everything would disappear.

On the second floor of the factory, Captain Ozaki stood by the window, looking down at the group of new survivors.

The broadcast was sent out this morning, and she was worried that no one would come or believe it.

In retrospect, her worries were unnecessary; as long as there is hope, someone will be willing to come.

Her gaze fell on the lawn downstairs, and on the young man who was playing with the children.

Yunyu should have been resting properly, but he couldn't stay idle. He got up early in the morning to play football with the children, saying he wanted to "stretch his muscles and bones."

Captain Ozaki watched the increasingly lively scene below, the gradually relaxing expressions on the faces of the new survivors, and the children running across the grass, and murmured:

"The world is getting better little by little."

The sunlight outside the window was perfect, shining on the factory wall, on the sparse grass, and on everyone's face.

It's warm and cozy, as if telling everyone...

Winter is almost over, and spring is coming.

[Haha, yesterday and today were both two and one, because the author couldn't separate them. And today there was no "hot" to "pulled" because all the episodes have been scheduled. The author can work on this video later.]

The author then uploaded a new video, which featured screenshots of what they considered their most satisfying segment. Check it out!

That's all for today's three episodes. Finally, thank you everyone for your support and patience. Love you all, meow Ciallo～(∠・ω＜)⌒☆】