Ultraman: I am really just a human.

Chapter 214 Gods

"Officer Ozawa?"

Looking at Sumiko Ozawa, who remained motionless after answering the phone, Makoto Hikawa couldn't help but shout out.

"Is this Mr. Kaminaga?"

"no……"

Sumiko Ozawa took a deep breath, put down her constantly ringing phone, and turned to the now-repaired G3-X in a low voice.

"Phew, big trouble is coming... It seems that guy had ulterior motives from the beginning, most likely for G4 and Kaminari."

"G4?" Hikawa Makoto looked even more confused.

"It's a next-generation armor that completely surpasses the G3 series, and it's far more dangerous than the G3-X."

Sumiko Ozawa said to herself.

"It can be said to be a combination and improvement of G1 and G3. Both the AI ​​and the armor have surpassed the limits of human piloting. Because the pilots died one after another during testing, the G4 project was eventually completely abandoned. Only we have retained the development data and blueprints..."

"Could it be...?"

"That's right, it seems to have been remanufactured by the Self-Defense Forces. They shouldn't have been able to fix the defects in such a short time. Those guys are crazy."

Thinking that the Self-Defense Forces might be feeding G4 with the lives of uniformed personnel, Sumiko Ozawa took another deep breath.

"No, we have to go to the Self-Defense Forces base!"

……

"Ugh—!"

Self-Defense Forces base.

At first, the female officer did not pay attention to the intrusion alarm, but as time went on and the alarm continued to sound, she finally became restless.

"What's going on? Why can't we catch even a few mice?"

"The opponent is too strong, they seem to be Agito too!"

"Agito?"

The female officer rushed to the monitor screen and saw the RX figure flash across the screen. She also frowned in confusion.

This group doesn't seem to be heading this way.

"What's going on? These people..."

"Whoosh!"

With a burst of bright light, the intruders suddenly vanished from the surveillance footage as if they had never existed, and even the alarm stopped abruptly.

The female officer looked blankly at him, paused for a moment, and then continued to observe the experiment's progress.

All awakened personnel have been successfully controlled through drugs and equipment; all that remains is to strengthen G4.

"Lieutenant Fukami, a woman named Sumiko Ozawa from the Metropolitan Police Department's G3 division requests a meeting," a soldier reported as he entered the monitoring room.

"They're here faster than expected," the female officer said, her face darkening as she reviewed the base entrance surveillance footage and spotted Sumiko Ozawa in her uniform. "Is she alone? Where's the G3 truck?"

"It seems to be parked outside."

"Tell her to bring Kaminari and G3-X over!"

After giving the order, the female officer turned her gaze to Shiro Mizuki.

"Is that alright? I specially found you a lab partner."

"I don't really mind, but are you sure it's okay?"

Shiro Mizuki is quite interested in Kotaro Minami and his group.

"The people who infiltrated earlier..."

"It's okay, no matter how many people come, they won't be a match for G4."

The female officer gazed at the data on the screen with fascination.

"After so many years, the final step is finally about to be achieved. The G4, combined with the technology of our Self-Defense Forces, will become something that transcends common sense."

"This is truly astonishing," the research leader exclaimed. "This batch of awakened individuals even includes those with precognitive abilities, and their ESP values ​​far exceed those of our best past subjects."

Whether the experiment can be completed depends on its effectiveness in actual combat.

"call!"

In the base passage, Natsukawa Kuuga appeared, quietly surveying his surroundings.

Disappeared...

It seemed as if a spatial transfer had occurred just a moment ago, and all the exploration team knights were pulled to another location, and even time itself became abnormal.

This ability must belong to that long-haired boy.

It's unclear whether the other knights in the exploration team had time to exit the dungeon; the others don't possess RX's immortality.

Moreover, the RX is not entirely without danger.

An immortal body needs the sun; without the sun, it becomes useless.

"Um?"

Just as they were trying to find the exploration team knights, the superpower reaction coming from the underground research institute caught Natsukawa's attention.

In addition to the passengers of the Dawn, the Self-Defense Forces also captured many other superpowered individuals, including the familiar Agito Tetsuya Sawaki.

Even Sayaka and that little boy were there.

As the experiment unfolded, the mental fluctuations caused by the awakening of a large number of superpowered individuals resonated with each other, forming waves of psychic energy.

Even the white god power emanating from Xia Chuan's body was affected, and he was able to clearly sense the immense pain of all the test subjects.

Although it is the power of light, these people feel as if they are undergoing extreme torture during the awakening process, with darkness erupting from their hearts and no light in sight.

This will be even more chaotic, as if you can hear countless people whispering in your ear.

"Buzz!"

Xia Chuan used his telekinesis to scan the underground research institute.

Not only the laboratory, but also the bottom floor contains a large number of frozen superhuman corpses, so numerous that they are like stars in the sky, a sight to behold even without seeing them in person.

This base...

On the surface, it is developing G4, but it seems that even the Self-Defense Forces do not realize that these experiments are more like stimulating the evolution of Agito's power.

Many superpowered individuals have indeed emerged, and correspondingly, various types of Agito are also awakening, with many signs of becoming knights already visible.

Even without external interference, the Self-Defense Forces will soon face a backlash.

Even the strongest G4 team can't handle so many Agitos.

At that time...

A flood of images flashed through Xia Chuan's mind: Agito going berserk, and the long-haired boy ultimately stealing the power of the White God.

This base is basically an Agito breeding ground.

"Da da!"

underground garage.

The G3 truck followed a military vehicle into the building, and soon after, Sumiko Ozawa saw the female officer, Risa Fukami, who had accompanied the G4.

"It really is G4!"

Upon seeing the G4 armored vehicle in the garage, which was almost identical to the blueprints, Sumiko Ozawa's eyes narrowed slightly, as if she could see countless wronged souls wailing.

The G4 system is a cursed system; although we don't know who the current wearers are, they all ultimately cannot escape death.

"Um?"

Risa Fukami's smile froze, and she watched with a gloomy expression as Sumiko Ozawa and Makoto Hikawa, dressed in their G3 uniforms, got out of the car.

"What? Why isn't it G3-X? Although it's also a G3 system, shouldn't that be obsolete by now? Where's Shinji Kaminaga?"

"There's no need to trouble Kaminari yet."

Sumiko Ozawa suppressed her unease and spoke calmly.

"What are you thinking? Using human lives as fuel? You should know the consequences for G4 suited personnel..."

"What's a little sacrifice?" Risa Fukami led the team back, leaving G4 behind. "Besides, the current G4 is different from the one you know. We've also successfully selected the best dressed members."

"Stop talking nonsense and start the experiment."

Shiro Mizuki stepped forward, his G4 armor making heavy footsteps, yet moving with incredible agility. His blue eyes and gray-black armor exuded an invisible sense of oppression.

"Safety devices released!"

"Ready to start!"

"ESP signal activation rate 85.5%, continuing to improve... 98%..."

"You're Shiro Mizushiro?" Sumiko Ozawa's expression showed slight surprise. "How come you...?"

"It turns out I'm the best dresser," G4 said, pointing his arm at Hikawa Makoto and G3. "Let's start with you and show you the power of G4."

"etc!"

Sumiko Ozawa frowned and stopped Makoto Hikawa (G3).

"We're not here to fight. Whether it's G3 or G4, we're here to deal with the unknown..."

"That's not up to you."

The female officer laughed and stopped in her tracks. Suddenly, two leopard-shaped figures wrapped in scarves stepped out from either side.

"Who says the unknown is our enemy?"

"What?"

"Humanity's true enemy is Agito! It's humanity itself!"

"Bang--!"

A loud explosion echoed through the underground space, and the base's alarms, which had only recently subsided, began to sound frantically again.

On the monitor screen, Natsukawa Kuuga's figure came into everyone's view.

"G1? No, it's number 4!"

The female officer and others who realized what was happening were shocked.

"Stop him! Now!"

I could see the female officer in the empty space on the screen. After glancing back at the camera, flames suddenly burst into flames all around us. The researchers, disregarding their equipment, fled in panic.

"Bang! Bang!"

A series of explosions resounded, the lights in the entire garage went out with a snap, and even the surveillance cameras went dark, as if the entire base's power system had been destroyed in an instant.

"Kaminaga?"

The G4, which was approaching Hikawa Makoto and the other two, suddenly stopped.

Perhaps due to the impact of the synchronous backlash, Shiro Mizushiro suddenly became a G4AI puppet, like a walking corpse, with only some obsessive actions remaining.

Without attacking Hikawa Makoto, G4 turned back towards the research institute in the darkness, muttering "Kaminari" repeatedly.

"Ugh—!"

Amidst the flickering light and spreading flames of the research institute's laboratory, Xia Chuan destroyed one giant piece of equipment after another, helping all the restrained superpowered individuals regain their freedom before completely destroying the computer equipment and erasing all experimental data.

Judging from the Self-Defense Forces' plans, it seems they intend to conquer the world after being equipped with these weapons.

Keeping these things will only cause trouble.

"Mr. Kaminari?"

Kino Kaoru weakly broke free from her restraints. Despite the effects of the medication leaving her with little strength, she managed to find Natsukawa amidst the alarm sounds.

Looking at the familiar red Kuuga figure, both Kaoru Kino and the other passengers on the Ryūgo who followed felt their cheeks burning, their expressions complicated and even somewhat ashamed.

Unexpectedly, Xia Chuan saved them again in the end and did not pursue their "betrayal".

"We didn't expect what happened before... That guy even said you were a hero who saved humanity, but everyone just..."

"I'm not doing this for you."

Xia Chuan calmly turned around amidst the flames.

"Besides, I'm used to this kind of thing. It's precisely because of this complexity that humans are human."

"Mr. Kaminari!"

Kaoru Kino felt a dark cloud hanging over her heart, and with a gasp, she managed to call out to Natsukawa.

"Indeed, that's how humans are, and I'm no exception. I have deep-seated darkness within me... But please believe in humanity; humanity is definitely not just this!"

Xia Chuan waved his hand and did not linger.

He didn't care at all about how the people in this world were doing.

Having traversed and cleared so many dungeons, coupled with his experiences in this world, minor matters no longer affect him.

The most important thing right now is the exploration team.

He was only using RX's immortality to scout ahead; he didn't want the entire exploration team of knights to be wiped out.

"Whoosh!"

The bespectacled woman at the back of the crowd, who was in a possessed state, glanced at Xia Chuan as he left, and then turned to the superpowered individuals at the scene, who looked like they had just survived a disaster, with a cold smile.

"You have no future left; return to the Lord's embrace!"

"What are you talking about, Masumi-san?"

Before anyone on the Dawn Ship could react, only Kino Kaoru's expression changed drastically: "You are... Run! Everyone..."

"Bang--!"

The bespectacled woman's body suddenly exploded and dissipated, leaving only a ball of light blue light that flew into the body of the long-haired boy who had solidified into a figure behind her.

"It's not the right time yet."

Feeling the struggle and resistance of the water angel power within him, the long-haired boy glanced at everyone present, smiled slightly, and then looked towards Xia Chuan, who was causing destruction in the underground space.

"No matter which world you're from, Shinji Kaminari from any other world, you deserve to die for ruining my plans... Kill him!"

"Buzz!"

G4, who had entered the research lab like a puppet, suddenly shuddered. Inside, the mark on the back of Mizuki Shiro's hand reappeared, and it charged straight into the underground space with a violent killing intent.

Kill him! Kill him!

"Water City!"

Sumiko Ozawa and Makoto Hikawa rushed over and saw G4 violently break through the passage into the hidden underground space. As a burst of cold air shot out and ice crystals spread, a huge frozen space suddenly came into view.

"What is this?"

"Miss Ozawa," Hikawa Makoto pulled Ozawa Sumiko back, his voice serious and trembling slightly, "I'll go, that guy seems to be looking for Mr. Kaminaga!"

"Are you kidding me?" Sumiko Ozawa stared through the white mist at the indistinct group of frozen corpses. "You're not thinking that Kaminaga is in there..., are you?"

"I'm going in first!"

Bingchuan Cheng entered the underground space with a deep voice, but before he could take a few steps, a dark shadow crashed into him head-on, and the G3 head mask shattered instantly with the huge impact.

"Bang!"

A series of unit damage alarms rang in his ears. Amidst the chaos and turmoil, Hikawa Makoto only managed to catch a glimpse of the G4 armor before collapsing unconscious with a muffled groan.

"glacier!"

"I'll kill you!"

G4, which had collided with Hikawa Makoto, staggered to its feet, still muttering as it approached the red figure of Natsukawa emerging from the cold air. However, it had only taken a few steps before it was sent flying like a cannonball again, crashing into the ice wall with a bang, leaving a huge Kuuga seal mark behind it.

"Sizzle!"

A large amount of current continued to surge out, and G4 crawled out of the ice layer like a zombie, but soon fell straight to the ground amidst Shiro Mizuki's painful roar. Only the AI ​​was still trying to move, its body twitching strangely and making friction sounds.

"How could this happen? How could G4 lose...?"

The female officer's delirious voice rang out behind Sumiko Ozawa, seemingly unable to believe the fate of G4 before her eyes.

It ended before it even started.

G4 shouldn't look like this.

"Perhaps it's because no matter how you imitate, it's difficult to surpass the real thing."

Sumiko Ozawa gazed brightly at Kuuga, who was faintly visible amidst the billowing cold air.

"The reason I abandoned G4 wasn't because it wasn't powerful enough. Armor systems were originally designed for humanity; what's suitable is best... Right, Kaminari?"

Xia Chuan silently turned to the remaining frozen corpses and activated the supernatural fire again. With the alternation of hot and cold, a large amount of white mist completely filled the entire underground space.

"Be careful!"

Kaoru Kino, enraged, transforms into Agito. Suppressing the combined fear in her heart and body, she slams her fist into the ground, her body falling to block the long-haired boy who has teleported to the underground space.

"Run, Kaminari! You're no match for him!"

"snort!"

The long-haired boy looked coldly at Kino Kaoru, who was blocking his way, and slowly raised his arm. Under the glow of the dark power mark, all the flames turned into dragons and gathered to entwine Kino Kaoru's body.

"Bang--!"

A beam of energy pierced straight through the core of Kaoru Kino's abdominal belt.

"I'll accept your power for now."

(End of this chapter)