Ultraman: I am really just a human.

Chapter 2 A washed-up hero

"Uncle, a cup of hot milk, please."

Natsuki Ward, izakaya "Leo House".

Xia Chuan sat down at the counter, looking a little tired, and greeted the white-bearded boss who was busy inside.

This place is right downstairs from his apartment. He sits here for a while whenever he has nothing to do, and over the years he has become half a friend of the boss.

"You're the only one here who likes to order milk, you brat," the shopkeeper said with a helpless shake of his head when he saw that it was Xia Chuan. "I don't specialize in selling milk here."

"I don't like drinking."

Xia Chuan turned his gaze to the old television set in the corner that was playing the news.

The new batch of Kamen Riders has been selected, and as in the past, the entire process was broadcast live on the same day, as if a grand awards ceremony was being held.

In the scene, beautiful hostesses personally hand over silver combination lock boxes to each of the selected individuals.

"Congratulations, from today onwards you are all human heroes, Kamen Riders..."

"You're very unwilling to accept this, aren't you?"

The boss handed over a steaming cup of milk, glancing displeasedly at the television as he spoke.

"I don't know what's wrong with these people. A piece of scum who just got into prison can become a Kamen Rider? What kind of nonsense is this? They call this a hero..."

"What can I do even if I'm unwilling to accept it?"

Xia Chuan silently drank his milk, his expression unreadable, as if he were always expressionless.

He's gotten used to it over the years.

The Kamen Riders featured in the show who have signed contracts with conglomerates are only a portion of the total. The official Kamen Rider lineup is unlikely to be announced, but the number is already quite substantial.

Saying that everyone is a knight might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you could say they're everywhere.

As time has progressed, Kamen Riders have even acquired the title of "New Era Police."

Indeed, quite a few police officers have become Kamen Riders, but there are also quite a few who commit crimes.

When it was first promoted, the Earth Alliance, represented by Country A, introduced new regulations that allowed anyone who became a Kamen Rider to have a chance to start over, regardless of what crimes they had committed in the past.

Humanity seems to be opening a terrifying Pandora's box.

"Alright, alright, Daddy's going back now," a middle-aged man's laughter suddenly rang out from inside the izakaya. "Has Taro been behaving well at home these past few days? Of course Daddy remembers the present, we'll go buy it together tomorrow..."

Xia Chuan glanced out of the corner of his eye at the middle-aged man sitting alone at a table in the corner. He wore glasses and had a slightly old-fashioned face, but his face was full of happy smiles as he spoke.

He recognized the man; he had been here a few times a month ago. The man was even more aloof and unsociable than him, always burying his head in his drink without saying a word.

"Is the customer back from a business trip?" The boss asked curiously as he saw the middle-aged man hang up the phone with a smile.

"Yes," the middle-aged man replied, seemingly in a good mood. "I spent a few days in Kurodake, Nagano Prefecture. My son's birthday is the day after tomorrow, so I took a day off."

"Jiulangyue?" the shopkeeper exclaimed in surprise. "I heard an ancient site was discovered there. Are you part of the archaeological team?"

Xia Chuan quietly perked up his ears.

Kurotake in Nagano Prefecture, he remembered that the ruins from "Kamen Rider Kuuga" were also located in this place.

I wonder what's going on in this world.

I guess so.

The middle-aged man smiled without saying anything more, picked up his carry-on luggage, and prepared to leave.

It was already dark outside, and there were hardly any pedestrians on the road.

Seeing this, Xia Chuan subconsciously reminded him, "It's best not to stay outside for too long at this time."

"It's alright," the middle-aged man glanced at his watch and realized it was indeed a bit late. "It's not far from my house, and besides, there are Kamen Riders patrolling outside, so nothing will happen."

Xia Chuan's eye twitched. He had a feeling that this guy was setting a flag, so he opened his mouth but didn't say anything more.

It's time for a new batch of Kamen Riders to be released, so it's definitely much safer outside than before.

"I'll go back too."

Seeing the middle-aged man walk out of the store, Xia Chuan lost interest in staying any longer. After glancing at the TV one last time, he grabbed his suit jacket and got up to pay the bill.

The izakaya's staircase is in a side alley, leading directly to the second floor, and only Natsukawa is a guest there. The owner lives in the back of the izakaya.

The second floor was originally where the owner's wife and daughter lived, but I heard they divorced and moved out a few years ago.

The boss didn't say anything about the specifics, and he didn't ask either.

Like the original Shinji Kaminaga, he is actually someone who doesn't really like talking to others.

"Buzz!"

The moment the key was inserted into the lock, a faint buzzing sound suddenly rang out, and with keen hearing, a terrified scream was clearly heard.

It's a monster!

Someone nearby encountered a monster!

Xia Chuan's pupils dilated, and he stiffly turned his head. Despite his calm personality, his gaze began to tremble slightly uncontrollably. He subconsciously reached into the inside of his suit jacket, but grasped nothing.

He is no longer Ultraman; his sidearm was taken away after his suspension.

Although he was an elite police officer with combat skills superior to ordinary people, he seemed to be no different when facing those monsters.

For him, the monster still meant deadly danger.

"call!"

Xia Chuan took a deep breath, hesitated for a moment, but still tensed up and went downstairs.

I looked towards the end of the street, following the light from the streetlights.

Waves of luminous particles are rising from the ground, subtly separating the inside from the outside into two worlds.

This is a special barrier developed for Kamen Rider battles.

It's similar to Nexus's domain principle, but it doesn't have many functions. It's just a temporary battle space used to protect the outer area while trapping the monsters that cause trouble.

"ah--!"

Before the barrier was fully formed, the middle-aged man suddenly screamed and ran into Xia Chuan's field of vision. Just as he was about to break through the barrier, his right leg was suddenly wrapped by a green tentacle, and he fell heavily to the ground with a thud.

"Karekare! I'll eat you up!"

The green monster's silhouette was fully revealed under the streetlights.

Its green, hard shell is covered in grotesque bone spurs, with tentacles attached to its chest to capture prey. An unknown corrosive liquid flows from its black mouthparts as they open and close. The most striking feature is its pair of crimson blood eyes, which send chills down your spine if you look at them for too long.

It's different from the monster's appearance released by the Alliance.

A new type of monster?!

Xia Chuan's expression changed drastically.

In the past, the monsters that were active were more like alien beasts from the Ultraman universe, but this monster is more like a monster from the Knight universe.

Is it a world invasion?

"Help me!"

The middle-aged man scrambled away from the green-skinned monster. When he saw Xia Chuan ahead, hope returned to his despairing face, and he hurriedly reached out and passed through the barrier light screen.

He can be saved as long as he escapes before the barrier is fully formed!

"Hurry up! Pull me out!"

"Shin'yō!" the boss's roar came from behind, "Don't do anything reckless! You'll get involved too!"

How easy is it to create a battle barrier?

The area may change at any time before it is formed, so the farther away you are, the safer you are.

Moreover, the middle-aged man was already possessed by the monster and had no chance of survival.

"Come back soon, Kaminari!"

The boss shouted anxiously.

"You're not Kamen Rider, you have no responsibility or obligation to save him! Don't try to be a hero!"

"I know, boss..."

"Huff! Huff!"

Xia Chuan's breathing quickened as he silently watched the struggling middle-aged man, deeply moved by the man's desperate will to survive.

The strength of an ordinary person is far inferior to that of a monster, yet the middle-aged man managed to crawl to the edge of the barrier despite being pulled by the monster's tentacles.

The fingers were a bloody mess, and a clear trail of blood was left on the ground.

(End of this chapter)