Ultraman: I am really just a human.

Chapter 637 Kirino Makoto

"call!"

The next day, at Kumamoto Castle.

A transport plane serving as the command center landed vertically on the lawn, and Director Sawai arrived at the front line as the commander-in-chief, maintaining contact with Megumi Iruma, who remained at the base, through a dedicated channel.

"According to Daigo and his team's investigation, the shark that appeared underground in Kumamoto is actually a mechanical monster manufactured by a technology company."

Intermediary Hui briefly explained.

"The founder of that tech company, Masaki Keigo, has disappeared, but our people have discovered the remains of a giant hidden underground in the company's premises."

"The Giant's Ruins?" Sawai murmured.

"Like the Tiga statue that was first discovered, it is probably also a relic from the ancient times," Megumi Kijima nodded. "The reason why the sand and soil around the statue, which have been kept in the secret box these past few days, have reacted abnormally is probably also related to Masaki Keigo's actions, and..."

"and?"

"Dr. Tango, who was in charge of the stone statue research, has been confirmed to have defected. Before that, he was the one who secretly transmitted TPC's confidential information to Masaki Keigo."

"This Masaki Keigo is no ordinary person."

Sawai quickly glanced at the information.

A world-renowned physicist who began to show his talent in high school and is now one of the key figures in space exploration.

"Where is that tech company? I want to see the giant's remains that he specifically set up the company to hide."

"I'll have Lina pick you up."

The underground of the Sadiq Technology Company.

Hiroko Asami followed the TPC staff at the exploration site to the foot of the giant statue, still unable to recover from the shock she felt when she saw it.

Besides the giant, there is also a monster statue next to it, but it does not give people a sense of evil. Standing side by side with the giant statue, it is as if one can see the glorious era of the ancient past.

What kind of civilization was the ancient past?

"It seems there are still many giants in the world," the expedition leader remarked. "They appear to have found a way to create giant statues and possess the technology to combine humans with these statues..."

Noticing Hiroko Asami's surprised look, the expedition leader smiled wryly and said, "These are all records from Masaki Keigo's laboratory. Before he discovered this place, it seems that he had been obtaining data on the sand and soil of the stone statues through Dr. Tango, and he also did a lot of research on replicating the giant stone statues. You can go and take a look if you are interested."

Thank you.

Hiroko Asami's gaze returned to the towering giant stone statue.

She was indeed very interested.

If she could become Ultraman, perhaps...

This upgrade to the Knight System is indeed crucial; it can be said to have paved the way for the Knights' future, enabling them to embark on a new path of evolution through the Knight System.

But these are not what she is after.

She wasn't simply looking to become stronger.

"Captain Asami," Rena's voice came through her personal terminal, "Director Sawai is going to inspect the site of the ruins in a little while. Do you think now is a good time? I'm worried that Masaki Keigo might have some backup plan."

"The exploration team has searched thoroughly, and there should be no problem with the ruins."

Hiroko Asami gave a fairly affirmative answer.

"However, could we ask the director to wait a bit longer for the inspection? We don't know Masaki Keigo's next plans yet; he might launch a counterattack."

"Okay, I will explain to the director."

After the communication ended, Hiroko Asami continued to gaze at the giant stone statue.

If we're going to take action, we need to hurry.

Once the data here is taken away by TPC, it will definitely become top secret.

"You want to become Ultraman?"

Suddenly a voice rang in Hiroko Asami's ear.

"Don't turn around. I'm talking to you from another place. Just treat me like an ordinary person with superpowers... I can indeed hear people's inner thoughts, but for people like you, it's limited to very superficial thinking. Some people have blocked out the crucial parts."

Hiroko Asami clenched her fists, frowned, and almost transformed on the spot: "Who exactly are you? What's your purpose?"

"Don't be nervous, I just want to help you."

The bespectacled man, Kirino Makio, stood with his hands behind his back atop Kumamoto Castle, still with the same detached expression he had when he witnessed the extinction of the Kirieloids.

"Thanks to you, I see the future shining again. I believe you will be the key to saving the world, so I want to accelerate your growth... Oh, I won't tell you my name for now."

"Saving the world?"

"The future I saw was once bleak; the world was destined for destruction, but now there are new possibilities."

Kirino Makio gazed intently at the horizon.

"Let's get back to what we were talking about earlier. You want to become Ultraman, but have you ever thought about how many giants in ancient times still met their demise?"

"The ancient giant civilization had a huge flaw from the very beginning; not everyone can become Ultraman Tiga. The most likely outcome is that they will fall into darkness and lose control."

"Controlling power far beyond one's own level is never an easy task, at least not for you right now."

Hiroko Asami frowned even more, avoiding the exploration team as she walked out of the ruins: "So, what kind of help are you talking about when you say you're helping us?"

"I know a place where you can level up quickly. If you're willing to trust me, we can meet again after we return to Tokyo."

Kirino Makio exhaled softly and severed the telepathic connection.

He needs the Cavaliers' trust to reveal himself; otherwise, as an ordinary person, he will face enormous risks.

"That's it. Since I am human, I cannot stand by and watch the human world be destroyed by darkness. I hope you will not disappoint me, and I hope that Lipia has not misjudged you."

"Captain Asami?" The reconnaissance team leader called out in confusion to Hiroko Asami, who was suddenly behaving strangely.

"I'll go take a look at the lab upstairs."

Hiroko Asami quickly left the underground space.

In any case, it's still necessary to collect some relevant information, even if it's just for reference.

Anything is possible in the future.

……

Outside Kumamoto.

Masaki Keigo watched TPC's intensive operations through the surveillance cameras.

He was exposed too quickly; there was no going back, and all his plans had to start from scratch.

It's all Daigo's fault, that despicable scoundrel. He disguised himself so well that he even fooled him.

"That makes sense. Given that he shares the same ancient genes as me, how could that guy not be special at all?"

"Never mind Daigo for now," the squinting youth, still angry about the armor, took a deep breath and woke Masaki Keigo. "Don't you still have backup data? We can assist you with your subsequent research, but shouldn't you tell us about that secret you mentioned about quickly capturing monsters?"

"What do you know?" Masaki Keigo sneered. "Without that magic light stick, without the light genetic conversion device, what's the use of just replicating stone statues? I thought you guys were so powerful, but you slunk away as soon as someone popped up on the other side."

"We just don't want to cause any unnecessary trouble."

The squinting young man stopped the team member who was about to lose his temper.

"As long as you fulfill our requirements, I guarantee I will help you get the magic light stick."

It's just a B-class Ultraman's transformation device; there will be plenty of opportunities to get one.

(End of this chapter)